A bottle of commercial nail polish remover.
Homemade nail polish remover can be a healthy, safe, and affordable alternative to commercial nail polish remover. Most commercial brands, especially the cheap ones, contain harsh chemicals that can damage your nails. Commercial brands of nail polish remover are also inhalants and can be dangerous to be around, especially in a home where there are small children. The chemicals found in store-bought nail polish removers aren’t very green, either. By combining vinegar and lemon juice, you can get a natural nail polish remover that won’t harm your nails, especially if they’re already brittle.
Clear nail polish.
Vinegar and lemon juice are naturally acidic ingredients that can break down enamel. To make a simple homemade nail polish remover with these ingredients, put some white vinegar in a bowl, add an equal amount of lemon juice, and mix well. Dip a cotton ball into the mixture, press it against your nail and hold for around 10-30 seconds to help break up the nail polish, then use the cotton ball to wipe off the nail polish. Removing nail polish with this mixture can take a bit longer than with acetone-containing nail polish removers, especially when trying to remove multiple layers of nail polish. Soaking your nails in very hot water for 10-15 minutes before removing the polish will help speed up the process.
Acidic substances can break down nail polish.
For those who don’t have the vinegar and lemon juice needed to make homemade nail polish remover, rubbing alcohol can be a good alternative. Isopropyl alcohol is more natural and less harsh than the chemicals found in commercial removers. Alcohol also has antibacterial properties, which can benefit anyone suffering from nail infections. Just put some isopropyl alcohol on a cotton ball and wipe off the nail polish. As with homemade nail polish remover, wetting your hands before removing nail polish with alcohol will help speed up the process.
Painting a new coat of nail polish over an old coat can help remove unwanted nail polish.
Besides homemade nail polish remover and rubbing alcohol, there are many other ways to remove old nail polish. Many perfumes contain acetone, the active ingredient found in most commercial nail polish removers, so an old, unused bottle of perfume can find a new life as nail polish remover. Some have found that certain brands of toothpaste are effective at removing nail polish. If there is no other option, paint the new nail polish on top of the old nail polish and wipe it off. The old nail polish will come off with the new one and any remaining nail polish can be gently scraped off.