Remove gel nails with vinegar or oil: How you can remove them yourself with home remedies!

Gel nail polish is a fantastic replacement for regular nail polish because it is shiny and offers a wide range of colors. In addition, gel polish does not flake off easily. No salon appointment is necessary for a flawless gel manicure. It may sound impossible, but you can remove gel nail polish without using pure acetone.

While a manicure is a pleasant treat in itself, removing nail polish can be a real pain. Here you will find out how you can easily remove gel nail polish at home with a few simple home remedies. Remove gel nails with vinegar? Yes, it works! Find out more about it below!

Photo: Tetiana Volkonska/Shutterstock

Gel nail polish has many fans because it lasts longer than a regular manicure. Without the help of a professional, removal can be a difficult or sometimes even impossible task. But you can use vinegar to remove it in the comfort of your own home! The gel nail polish can be removed in just a few steps by breaking up its molecules using the low pH value of the vinegar.

What you need:

  • Nagelfeile
  • Nagelhautschieber
  • cotton balls
  • Vinegar
  • lemon juice
  • 2 glass bowls

Remove gel nails with vinegar and lemon – instructions

Foto: Igor Rain/ Shutterstock
  1. Use a coarse nail file to loosen the outer layer: Because the gel topcoat is so thick and virtually impenetrable, the color stays in place and the gel manicure lasts for weeks, not just a few days. To make penetration and the effect of home remedies easier, you should process the surface with a nail file.
  2. Soak in hot water: One of the best alternatives to acetone removal is to soak gel nails in warm water for about 15 minutes. You can then loosen the gel nails with vinegar and lemon. This method loosens the grip of the gel on the nail bed, making it easier to remove without having to scrape or peel it off.
  3. Vinegar and lemon mixture: To quickly remove old gel nail polish and clean your nail bed, soak cotton balls in a mixture of vinegar and lemon and massage directly onto nails for about 10 minutes.
  4. Remove the gel nails with a cuticle pusher: If the gel nail polish has soaked, you can carefully remove it with a cuticle pusher. You can use a nail file to remove remaining nail polish.

Apply oil and remove the gel nails

Photo: Natali Sam/Shutterstock

Another wonderful alternative to acetone that will not harm your natural nails are cuticle oils and olive oil, which can be used to remove gel nails. For this technique you will need a cuticle pusher or an orange stick.

Use light pressure to find a loose spoton your fingernail. Then apply the cuticle oil or olive oil to your fingernails and wait for about 15 minutes. To make removal easier, the oil creates a barrier that both nourishes your natural nail bed and helps loosen the bonds that hold your gel polish in place. Finally, push the gel nail polish with the orange wood stick. Use a nail file to remove any residue.

Also interesting:Removing gel nails with dishwashing liquid: This is how it's easy to do at home - even without acetone!