How to Get Rid of the Stains on Your Nails from Your Favorite Dark Polishes
So, you liked that rich oxblood nail polish the minute you spotted it on the wall at the salon. And you loved that it stayed shiny and chip-free for a whole seven days — until you tried to take it off.
Even with 100 percent acetone nail polish remover, dark nail polish colors can leave stains on your nails, which is a pain to deal with. But while stains may be offensive to your eyes, they don't have any effect on your nail health.
The good news is that polish stains will eventually fade over time, but if you need to get rid of them ASAP, put down that acetone-soaked cotton pad you've been scrubbing your nail with, and try something different instead.
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Ashlie Johnson, a celebrity nail artist that works with Dakota Johnson, Kristen Stewart, and Brie Larson to name a few, suggests using Orly's Genius Remover and face gauze to take off any remaining bits of dark polish. This remover is infused with nourishing eucalyptus, peach, and green tree extract to keep nails from getting dried out, while the texture of the gauze works like an exfoliant, buffing away the polish the remover loosens up. She then says to follow up with Orly's Cutique, a cuticle and nail stain remover that contains whitener to lighten up any lingering discoloration. Finally, Johnson adds to swipe your nail again with the remover.
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But if you don't have any nail care products on hand, baking soda is another alternative quick fix. "Baking soda is the answer to almost all stain removal — including [nails]," says Sarah Gibson Tuttle, founder and CEO of Olive & June. "Use a mixture of baking soda and water and gently scrub nails with a nail brush or old toothbrush." For extra stubborn stains, Gibson suggests adding lemon juice to the baking soda paste.
However, what's better than knowing how to get rid of nail stains, is preventing them in the first place. Tuttle says to use a top coat, rather than a base coat first, like Olive & June's The Top Coat. "Allow it to dry completely before applying polish," she suggests. 'This will create an extra barrier between the nail bed and your polish."
Now, that you know how to prevent and get rid of stains from dark nail polishes, choosing the right color is really your only manicure struggle.
