How to Get Nail Polish Off Without Nail Polish Remover

Good nail care is essential to maintain healthy nails.

Removing your nail polish is something many people do without even thinking about it. Most commonly, nail polish removers contain acetone, a flammable chemical, which according to Carefair.com, may cause lung congestion, eye irritation and shortness of breath, upon inhalation of the vapors. Switching to a non-acetone nail polish remover is not much safer as these contain chemicals such as methyl acetate or toluene which have similar side effects. If your nail polish is ready to be replaced, but you find yourself without nail polish remover, there are other ways to get rid of the varnish.

Things You'll Need

• Makeup remover pads
• Rubbing alcohol
• Bowl
• Emery board
• Nail polish

Instructions

1. Wet a makeup remover pad with rubbing alcohol. Wipe it over the surface of your nails as you would do with regular nail polish remover. Rubbing alcohol removes the polish without the use of harsh chemicals

2. Fill a small bowl with water as hot as tolerable and place your fingernails into it. Let your nails soak for up to 15 minutes so the polish softens. Dry your hands with a towel. Scrape the polish off your nails using the edge of an emery board.

3. Apply a thick coat of nail polish over the old polish on one nail. Wipe the polish off the nail immediately using a makeup remover pad. Do not allow the new polish to dry. The new layer of polish will take the old layer with it upon removal. Repeat this process on each nail.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid scraping nail polish off dry nails as this damages your nails.

References

• Carefair.com: Nail Polish Removers, Are They Dangerous
• Ciber Cities: Natural Ways To Remove Nail Polish; Oct. 2010