It is hard to not get nail glue on your fingers, hands or skin while doing nails. However, with the right techniques, it’s actually quite easy to get nail glue off your skin and fingers at home.
In this post, I share a couple of techniques for removing nail glue from the skin and off your fingers without acetone, nail polish remover, or removing your nails.
Contents
How to Get Nail Glue Off Skin Without Acetone
When doing your nails, you may find that you need to get nail glue off your skin but you do not want to use acetone (or you simply don’t have any on hand).
The best way to get nail glue off the skin and without acetone is to try a 1:1 lemon juice and water mixture. If the glue pieces are small, using warm water and soap is also effective.
Here’s How You Use These Methods:
Lemon Juice: If you have a bit more glue to remove, you can use a 1:1 lemon juice/water mixture. Soak for at least one minute and then gently peel the glue from your skin.
Soap and Water: If you only have tiny bits of glue to remove, this method will probably work. Get the water as warm as you can stand, soak the skin for at least one minute (make sure the glue is submerged), and then gently try to peel the glue off your skin.
For the methods presented above, always remember to moisturize! No matter which method you try, make sure you moisturize your hands after washing and drying. Friction can dry out your skin just as much as acetone, so use as much as you need. Petroleum jelly is a great all-purpose product to use after excessive handwashing or if you find you are sensitive to the citrus from the lemon juice.
How to Get Nail Glue Off Skin Without Nail Polish Remover
While nail polish remover with acetone is the best and quickest way to get nail glue off your skin, there are some solutions if you need an alternative.
Good ways to get nail glue off the skin without nail polish remover is to try removing it by filing, using an olive oil rub or laundry detergent with water mixture.
Here’s How You Use These Methods:
File: Use your nail file or buffer to gently break open the surface of the glue. The rubbing may remove most of the glue by itself with the right amount of pressure and friction, but if it does not, move on to the next step.
Oil: Use a tablespoon of olive oil or margarine to break down the glue’s hold on your skin. Just rub the oil of your choice over the skin and glue, let it soak in for a few minutes, and then wipe it all away. The glue will most likely peel right off in one piece.
Laundry detergent: For more stubborn glue, use ¼ cup of your laundry detergent with eight ounces of warm water and rub it on your skin for 20-30 seconds until you feel the glue lift right off your skin.
How to Get Nail Glue Off Skin Without Removing Nails
There is nothing more frustrating than getting your press-on nails placed perfectly, only to realize you have some nail glue coming out from underneath of your nails and onto your fingers.
An easy way to get nail glue off the skin without removing nails is to use a cotton swab or wooden cuticle stick dipped in nail polish remover or acetone.
Here’s What You Need To Do:
Avoid oil/lotion: Oil will break down the glue on your skin, but it will also make your press-on manicure fall right off. To keep your nails in place while you work on your stray bits of nail glue, make sure you don’t use any products with oil or grease of any sort in them (if you must use products for your hair to finish getting ready or moisturize those gorgeous legs, make sure you throw on a pair of gloves first.
Cotton swab: To get nail glue from around your press-on nails, take a cotton swab and carefully soak the end of the stick in a capful of nail-polish remover (acetone is best but it will dry out your skin) Gently sweep the wet cotton swab around the skin surrounding your nail until all of the glue has dissolved away.
Wooden cuticle stick: Some luxury press-ons cannot be exposed to acetone or nail polish remover of any kind. If you have glue you need to get out from around your fingers and don’t want to ruin your luxe look, you can take the rounded end of a wooden cuticle stick and dip it carefully into a capful of acetone. The wood will soak up just a tiny bit of the acetone, which you can then use to very carefully and gently rub off any stray glue around your nails without damaging your fancy claws!
How to Get Nail Glue Off Your Fingers
If you get nail glue all over your fingers when doing your nails, make sure you follow the steps below for removing the glue when you are finished!
Acetone: If you can use acetone or nail polish remover, this will be quick. Simply buff the glue on your skin with a nail file and then use a cotton ball to soak the glue with polish remover for 15-30 seconds, then wipe away with a cotton ball.
Vinegar: If you prefer not to use acetone or any of the methods described above, one other trick is to use vinegar. White distilled vinegar works best, but I have used apple cider vinegar in a pinch! Simply follow the steps above for prepping the skin, then soak a cotton ball in the vinegar (use more, not less) and soak the skin for at least 30-60 seconds (up to two minutes for more expensive glue). If the glue feels loose but will not rub off, you can gently try to peel it off until all the glue is removed.
