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How to Take Gel Nails off Without Acetone

Last Updated on April 27, 2022 by SulaBeauty Staff

Not everybody has enough time to get their gel manicure done from a nail salon and then, visit the salon again in 2-3 weeks to get those gel nails removed. Also, people try to avoid using Acetone as much as they can keeping in mind the damage it causes to natural nails with continuous use. 

How To Remove Gel Nail Polish Without Acetone

Acetone strips nails off natural oils and is proven to be quite harsh on the skin as well. However, in this article, I am going to provide you with a step-by-step guide to remove gel nail polish without using Acetone. 

Step by Step guide to Take off Gel Nails Without Acetone


Follow the given steps carefully and as it is to remove gel nail polish completely: 

1. Lifting part of gel polish off 

Only remove your gel polish when it is 2-3 weeks and the nail polish has started to chip. Look for a loose spot from where the nail polish is chipping and then, try to lift that part of the gel polish from your nails.

You can either do this step with your hands or use a tweezer to pull. Be careful, don’t force remove as it can damage your natural nails, we just need to lift the edges or the chipped part. 

2. Soak Gel nails in Warm water for 15-20 minutes 

For this step, we are going to need a bowl of warm water. Take a bowl, pour some lukewarm water and then, place your fingernails into the bowl. Let them be in the water for at least 15-20 minutes, this process will help loosen up the gel polish. And try to lift the gel nail under the water and gently push it off your natural nails.

3. Loosen up further by rubbing with Olive Oil or Cuticle oil 

You will find it hard to pull off gel nails under warm water, some might come off but you will still need further steps to help smoothen the procedure. You can use either olive oil or cuticle oil to make the nail surface slippery so that the gel polish lifts easily.  

Apply cuticle oil or olive oil on your fingernails and with the other hand, try to push the gel nails off with oil.

Also, if you’re looking for a good, nourishing cuticle oil then, I'd recommend this one from CND, it contains Jojoba oil and Vitamin E. 

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4. Keep pushing the gel polish off 

Keep trying to push off your gel polish as without it coming off you cannot move to the next step. You can use an orange stick, it will give you a better grip for removing gel nail polish.

It’s a tiny stick kind of thing that has tapered ends. It is usually used in gel manicure and pedicure and is used to push cuticles before applying nail polishes.

You can buy Orange Wood Nail Sticks from Amazon, they come in very cheap and are quite handy. 

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5. Finish the remaining gel base coat with a nail file 

Even after removing larger chunks of gel polish in the above step, there still might be a smaller residue of nail polish on your nails. And to get them off, we are going to use a nail file to buff the remainder.

There are two sides of a nail file, one is pretty coarse and used for shaping nails, but the other has a smoother surface.  Here is one of the best professional double sided Nail Files Pack you must get.

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Remember to use the other side to lightly buff only the nail polish and not the nails. Use a gentle back and forth movement to get rid of the residue.  

6. Nourish your nails and hand 

This step is crucial and thus, I would advise you to not skip it. Nourishing your nails, cuticles, and hands after the whole process is complete is very important to maintain healthy nails. You can either apply a moisturizing cream or hand cream or any oil on your hand and massage it on your fingernails and cuticles.

Filling off nails does cause damage to nails even when you are extremely careful. So, don’t skip conditioning your nails every time.  

You can also Remove Gel Nail Polish with Sugar or learn to Remove it From Acrylic Nails

What Do Nail Salons Use to Take Off Gel Nails Without Acetone? 


There are two ways that nail salons use to remove gel nail polish commonly. One of them is by using a nail file, they file the gel nail polish in one particular direction until the whole nail polish comes off. Or else for an even faster and more effective result, they make use of a nail drilling machine. The nail drill method is used on gel polishes and acrylic nails in nail salons.  

You can also use this method on your own at home, all you need is a nail drill and just simply let the drill touch your nails and file off the gel polish from all areas.

You can buy a nail drill from Amazon at a pretty affordable price and can use it at home anytime. It’s a pen-like device and very easy to use.  

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