Would you like to do your own nails at home without going to a salon? Using a cuticle remover is the safest way to remove the cuticles and to prepare your nails for the procedure.
And today I’ll show you the best cuticle remover products and explain how to use them.
My top 3 picks
Best cuticle remover
The first step in any manicure is softening and pushing back the cuticles, and removing any dead skin cells off the nail plate.
Without this step nail polish won’t stay and gel nails, polygel, gel, or acrylic extensions will lift.
The remover doesn’t completely remove the cuticles, it exfoliates them, makes them easy to push back, and makes them look neat without any painful cutting and without exposing your skin to infections.
Effective Gel
Sally Hansen Cuticle Remover
Sally Hansen is one of the oldest and most popular brands in the nail industry.
The company manufactures great professional products and tools for nail care that you can use at home instead of going to a salon.
Sally Hansen Cuticle Remover is a gel that works very fast.
The manufacturer promises it can break down overgrown cuticles in just 15 seconds!
The cuticle remover comes in a see-through blue bottle with an applicator nozzle.
The product is colorless, not smelly at all, and quite thick.
There is a set of instructions on the packaging.
You need to apply a thin coat of Sally Hansen Cuticle Remover to your cuticles.
It’s very easy to do this with the convenient narrow applicator nozzle.
Then you need to wait for about 15-20 seconds.
After that, you can push the cuticles back with an orange stick.
When you’re done pushing away the cuticles wash your hands with soap and warm water to remove any excess product.
You can also use this gel for softening calluses.
Apply it to calluses for 1 minute, and wash it off with warm, soapy water.
Don’t let the gel stay on your skin for more than 1 minute and don’t use this remover more often than once a week. That’s what the manufacturer recommends.
This remover has been my own personal favorite one for years.
I’ve never had any irritation even when I left it on longer than the instructions say.
It’s a perfect product for doing your own nails at home safely and easily.
Sally Hansen Cuticle Remover does the job really well and makes your nails look clean. It softens the cuticles and makes it easy to remove them.
It’s not runny, so it will stay where you’ve applied it and won’t cause a mess.
One bottle is enough to last for 1-1.5 years. The dead skin removal process doesn’t require a lot of product.
The downside of it is that it contains a small amount of parabens. It’s a tiny amount because they’re listed at the end of the ingredients list. Parabens are added to prevent the growth of bacteria in this gel.
Professional Remover
Mavala Cuticle Remover For Overgrown Cuticles
Mavala is a Swiss company that manufactures professional nail care products, including cuticle removers, cuticle oils, and creams, nail ridge fillers, whiteners, polish removers, emery boards, anti-fungal treatments, etc.
Almost all of their products are formulated and made in Switzerland. And this country is famous for creating high-quality luxury and medical cosmetics.
Mavala cuticle remover is a professional-grade product often used in salons, especially in Europe.
This cuticle remover is very easy to apply quickly because the bottle comes with a convenient brush.
Mavala remover is not runny and when you place it on your skin it becomes gel-like.
It does the job of softening and exfoliating cuticles really well.
A big plus is that it doesn’t make your skin too dry.
Mavala cuticle remover is non-toxic. It’s free from formaldehyde, phthalates, sulfates, parabens, and fragrances.
The downside of this product is that it comes in a very small bottle and you may run out of it too fast.
High-End Remover
Butter London Melt Away Cuticle Exfoliator
Butter London Melt Away Cuticle Exfoliator is a luxury product that is non-toxic and is 8-free.
It doesn’t contain Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, DBP, Toluene, Camphor, Ethyl Tosylamide, Xylene, or TPHP.
There are no sulfates or parabens on the list of ingredients either.
Butter London remover is formulated to be gentle and is one of the best options for thin and weak nails because it doesn’t damage them.
The remover works quite fast, although not as fast as many other options on this list. You need to hold it on your fingers for 2 minutes.
The downside of this product is that it’s packaged in very small bottles and you’ll run out of it pretty quickly too.
Vegan And Cruelty-Free
Elavae
Elavae is a small family-owned company from the USA that manufactures spa products for hands and feet, including cuticle and callus removers, creams, and oils for nails and hands.
All of their products are formulated in the USA. They are vegan and cruelty-free.
Elavae vegan cuticle remover is lanolin-free.
Many cuticle removers use lanolin.
It’s a natural wax coating from sheep wool. So this ingredient is not vegan. In addition to that, it may contain pesticides that sheep are often treated with against parasites.
That’s why people who are sensitive to wool or pesticides may develop an irritation when they use products with lanolin.
So Elavae cuticle remover is a great professional-quality product for vegans or those who are sensitive to lanolin.
Elavae remover is a gel, so it’s not runny.
It usually works in 30 seconds. But may require more time if the cuticles are thick.
The remover comes with a metal pusher tool.
There is enough product in the bottle for about 30 manicures, according to Elavae.
Non-Toxic
Orly Cutique Cuticle Remover
Orly is an old and established nail industry brand.
The company is famous for manufacturing non-toxic and vitamin-infused polishes and gel nail products.
Orly Cutique cuticle remover is a professional-grade product. It contains sesame oil that softens the cuticles very quickly.
So they become easy to push back even when they are overgrown.
The remover works in just 30-60 seconds.
It’s jelly-like and has a convenient brush. So you can easily apply it in a thin layer.
Another great feature of this treatment is that it also removes the yellow stains that some polishes leave on the nails.
The Cutique remover is very strong and can work well for pushing away overgrown cuticles.
However, you should never leave it on your nails for more than 5 minutes, as the manufacturer recommends.
Effective Against Calluses
ProLinc Cuticle Eliminator
ProLinc is one of the professional brands that belong to the American International Industries.
The company also manufactures the popular China Glaze polishes and EZ Flow acrylic and IBD gel products
All products from these brands are used by nail technicians in salons.
And ProLinc Cuticle Eliminator is a salon-grade product too.
It’s made in the USA and is cruelty-free.
This cuticle remover works in 45 seconds, which is pretty fast.
It does a really good job of softening and exfoliating the cuticle area.
You can also use it for softening calluses and for cleaning out the buildup under your fingernails and especially toenails.
The bottle lasts for a long time and the product is budget-friendly.
This remover is very powerful. Don’t hold it on your nails for too long. Use it as the manufacturer’s instructions suggest.
Very Strong
Blue Cross
Blue Cross is a very budget-friendly cuticle remover that comes in a pretty large 32 oz bottle. So it will last for a long time.
It’s not as quick as the professional removers at the top of this list but it’s extremely strong at dissolving and exfoliating all the dead skin.
So it works wonders on thick and overgrown cuticles.
The downside of this product is that it contains caustic potash. This ingredient is an irritant in large amounts. That’s why the Blue Cross cuticle remover is so strong.
The good news is that there’s only a minimal amount of it in this remover.
Anyway, the product must be used carefully and sparingly. Don’t leave it on for too long.
Another downside is that it doesn’t come with an applicator or brush.
In addition to that, it’s a liquid and is very runny.
But you can apply it easily with a Q-tip or an eyedropper.
Blue Cross cuticle remover is not vegan because it contains lanolin, the natural wax coating from sheep wool.
Natural
Nutra Nail Naturals Cuticle Remover
Nutra Nail Naturals Cuticle Remover is a cruelty-free and non-toxic “green” product that contains natural ingredients.
It doesn’t contain any toxic substances used in cosmetics.
There are no artificial dyes or fragrances, Parabens, Sulphates, Formaldehyde, Toluene, or DBP in this remover.
Nutra Nails cuticle remover is not tested on animals.
One of the main ingredients in it is Aloe Vera extract.
The extract from Aloe Vera’s leaves is known for its soothing and antimicrobial properties.
Another notable component of this cuticle remover is Hydrolyzed Keratin.
It’s a protein that restores damaged hair and nails.
However, a downside of this cuticle remover is that it may not be as strong as the non-green cuticle removers.
Effective For Rough Hands And Feet
Sally Hansen Problem Cuticle Remover
Sally Hansen also makes a Problem Cuticle Remover.
This product is formulated to work on thick and overgrown cuticles.
It contains Aloe leaf extract and apricot kernel oil, which do a good job of softening the skin around your nails.
Sally Hansen Problem Cuticle Remover comes in a tube. It’s sold together with orange nail sticks for pushing the cuticles away safely.
Unlike the regular Sally Hansen remover, this product is a cream, not gel. And the tube doesn’t have the convenient applicator tip that the regular remover has.
To be honest, the gel remover works a lot quicker and does the job even better on overgrown cuticles than the cream one.
But the cream remover for overgrown cuticles works great as a lotion for rough hands and chapped feet.
What is the cuticle remover?
The cuticle remover is a type of nail product that softens and exfoliates the cuticles.
So you can easily push them back off the nail plate and wipe the dissolved skin bits away.
There are several other ways to remove cuticles. You can soften them in soapy water, push them back, and cut them with nail clippers or scissors. Or you can use a nail drill to file them off.
However, you may accidentally hurt yourself by clipping, cutting, or filing the skin.
And keeping your nails in soapy water for a long period of time will make your nails too moist so gel nail products you apply may lift later on.
It’s not the same as simply washing your hands and drying them after using a cuticle remover.
So the cuticle remover is the safest and easiest way to soften the cuticles and to get rid of any dead skin on your nail plate.
And it doesn’t leave any excess moisture on the hands.
What are the types of cuticle removers?
- Gels
- Liquids
- Creams
Does it really remove the cuticles?
Cuticle remover doesn’t completely remove the cuticles, but it exfoliates the dead skin on them and around them.
Cuticles have a protective function. They shield the nail’s matrix from bacteria at the root of the nails.
So it’s not recommended to remove the cuticles completely.
The cuticle remover does the job of making the cuticles look neat and tidy.
Why should I use the cuticle remover?
Nail polishes, overlays, or extensions will never adhere to the nail plate well if excess skin gets in the way.
And when they don’t adhere properly they lift very soon.
That’s why pushing back the cuticles is a must.
It really improves the longevity of your manicure.
It also makes your nails look clean and tidy.
In addition to that, if you don’t push the cuticles back regularly they will stay stuck to your nails.
So the skin will grow with the nails and will eventually crack under the strain and cause bleeding.
And infection may get into these sores.
Pushing the cuticles away prevents these problems.
When should I use the cuticle remover?
Use the cuticle remover when you are performing the first step of your manicure.
That means when you’re preparing to push away the cuticles.
That’s before you file the nails, cleanse the nail plate, and apply the dehydrator, primer, and base coat.
Never use the remover more than once or twice a week to prevent making your cuticles too dry.
Also, never use it on the cut or damaged skin.
How to use cuticle remover?
The best way to use the cuticle remover of your choice is following the manufacturer’s instructions that usually come with the product or are written on the packaging.
All of these instructions usually contain the following basic steps:
Apply the remover in a thin coat only over the cuticle area.
Don’t apply too much product and don’t pat it into cuticles or distribute it over the nails and fingers.
Wait for 15-30 seconds or 1-2 minutes, depending on the product.
Push away the cuticles with a special silicone cuticle pusher tool or an orange nail stick wrapped in a bit of cotton wool.
I don’t recommend using a metal pusher or a scraper to avoid damaging the nail matrix or the surrounding skin with a hard metal tool.
And if you damage the matrix your nail will grow out with ridges.
So use a softer tool like an orange stick.
If the cuticles are too thick, overgrown, and look really bad then you can cut some excess dead skin, but do it carefully.
If you decide to go this route then cutting cuticles may only be needed when you’re applying the remover for the first 1-2 times.
The remover will eventually exfoliate the excess skin and prevent it from growing too much. So cutting may become unnecessary after a while.
Wash your hands with soap and water to remove any product left on your fingers together with the exfoliated skin.
Just make sure to dry the nails thoroughly before you apply any polish, gel polish, gel, polygel, or acrylics.
The next step after the cuticle removal is the application of the dehydrator and primer. After that you can create a nail overlay, polygel extensions, or apply a gel nail polish.
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