Although I try to be organized and always keep my mani kit fully stocked, just sometimes I fail utterly. The problem is that I never notice until I’m halfway through a manicure, or just about to fly out of the door when I chip my polish, and have no remover around to rectify the damage.
If you’re the same, it helps to know of any kitchen cupboard alternatives to nail polish remover.
The first one is simple, and works really well:
- Take a fresh lemon and cut into slices
- Soak your nails in a bowl of warm water for 5 – 10 minutes
- Rub the slice of lemon all over your nails until the polish begins to lift
- Gently peel it off
- Moisturize
See, I said it was simple!
For the next one, you’ll need:
- Vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Cotton pads
- Bowl of warm water
This one takes a bit more effort, so follow these steps:
- Soak your nails for about 5 – 10 minutes
- Mix up equal parts of lemon juice and vinegar
- After soaking a cotton pad in the liquid, press it onto your nail
- Hold the pad there for 1 – 2 minutes
- Use the pad to wipe off the now soft polish
- Rubbing alcohol works equally well if you haven’t any lemon juice or vinegar
Because of its antiseptic properties, I usually have a bottle of rubbing alcohol in the first aid cupboard. Walgreens Ethyl Rubbing Alcohol 70% is the one I usually choose. The bottle is a good size for lifting and pouring, and it’s a great price for a in-case-of-emergencies product. It also removes nail polish following this method.
Walgreens Ethyl Rubbing Alcohol 70% First Aid Antiseptic 16 fl oz (473 ml)
- Walgreens Ethyl Rubbing Alcohol 70% First Aid Antiseptic 16 fl oz (473 ml)
Because spray deodorant contains acetone – the same ingredient as nail polish remover, it can be used as a good alternative. This method also works well with hand sanitizer.
- From a close range, spray the deodorant on a fingernail
- Wipe it off immediately with a cotton pad.
Finally, and this is a weird one, but trust me, it does work.
Look in your mani kit, and find a bottle of nail polish in a darker shade than the one on your nails. Make sure it isn’t a quick drying one, and apply it to a nail. Immediately, using a paper towel and firm strokes, wipe it off again. Because polish contains solvents to aid drying, applying another coat actually softens these solvents, allowing them to be wiped off. You may need to repeat this a couple of times.
You can thank me later!
