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Prices range from low to high and all of them claim to be the most effective. With so many products to choose from, it’s sometimes difficult to tell what works and what doesn’t.
Whether you’re a long-time vegan or at the very beginning of a lifestyle change, we’ve gathered some excellent nail polish removers worth checking out!
In a Hurry? Here’s Our Quick List of Top Picks
- Mineral Fusion Nail Polish Remover
- Karma Organic Soybean Lavender Nail Polish Remover
- Marley Marie Naturals Marley Marie Naturals Nail Polish Remover
- Ella+Mila Soy Nail Polish Remover
- Majestic Pure Soy Nail Polish Remover – Tea Tree Oil
What’s the Difference between Vegan and Cruelty-Free?
A product that’s vegan means that no part of it derives from animal origin, neither should it be tested on animals.
Technically, common drug store nail polish removers may not contain animal products, but the ingredients may have been tested on animals which we’d need to avoid.
Understanding this distinction gives you more control over not only what you purchase, but what you put on your skin.
What Are the Advantages of Vegan Nail Polish Removers?
Take a look at the ingredients listed on common drug store removers. Acetone is a customary ingredient, and while it’s super effective, it harms your nails.
Like a lot of other ingredients in nail polish removers, acetone can leave your skin brittle and nail beds damaged.
Of course, we’ve made sure to find acetone-free options for this roundup, which’ll give your nails a healthy glow and helps them grow faster and hold nail polish better.
The soothing ingredients make taking your nail polish off as fun as putting it on.
Another huge plus is they’re much safer for children than acetone-based removers.
I know my five-year-old niece loves to play salon, and she always asks me to do (and redo) her nails. But I hate using harsh chemicals on her soft skin!
How Exactly Does It Strengthen Your Nails?
It’s simple: many vegan nail polish removers are infused with aloe vera and vitamin E. Aloe vera soothes and helps repair and damage that’s already there.
Vitamin E is a common remedy to a whole host of skin issues, as it relieves itching, heals broken cuticles and even helps prevent yellow nail syndrome.
So, Is There a Catch?
Nope! The only thing is you may have to put in a little more elbow grease with nail polish removers that don’t contain acetone.
But for a good reason, acetone peels back the paint and skin cells, while the options in this roundup gently wipe away the polish to reveal healthy nails.
What Do I Look for in Vegan Nail Polish Remover?
There are a few key elements to evaluate before purchasing your first bottle or switching brands.
How Effective Is It?
Sure, you might have to apply more pressure than normal when using a vegan polish remover. But still, you shouldn’t need to use layer after layer of remover, it uses up a lot of the product and your time!
Make sure you find a remover that can really get polish out from the stubborn spots in your nail bed.
3-In-1 Anyone?
Most vegan nail polish removers contain natural ingredients that promote the health of your nails. However, some removers are created to double as a nail cleaner and primer.
Before you paint your nails, you can rub the remover over your nails, and it’ll help the polish last longer and stay brighter.
The Smell
When I was a kid, I found a huge bottle of nail polish remover under my mom’s bathroom sink. Wanting to take off the hot pink polish leftover from my last sleepover, I unscrewed the cap, and peered over the bottle of acetone and water.
The stench was mighty! A thick scent of alcohol rolled down my throat, and I vowed to never do THAT again.
While vegan nail polish removers typically smell better than regular commercial variants, not all smells are created equal.
Even some vegan alternatives have an unpleasant scent, yet a lot of them are infused with lemon and other great fragrances.
Can It Handle the Gel?
Gel nail polish is a stubborn beast and it’s often a sore spot for vegan nail polish removers. Many reviewers complain their favorite vegan-friendly remover simply doesn’t work on gel polishes.
Of course, this isn’t the case for all removers, but you’ll want to be sure you have a heavy-duty remover for a heavy-duty coat of gel polish.
What’s the Best Way to Use a Vegan Nail Polish?
There are no special considerations to be made in applying a vegan-friendly nail polish—the ingredients are the main differentiator.
It comes in liquid form if you prefer to use tissue and cotton balls to work the remover into your nail.
Rather have convenience wipes? No worries, you can find removers in wipe form as well.
Is Switching to Vegan and Cruelty-Free Beauty Products Difficult?
With any lifestyle change, there are always some daunting undertakings. Even so, finding vegan and cruelty-free beauty products is becoming easier and easier.
It’s just all about the research. Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite vegan and cruelty-free nail polish removers to help you decide.
5 Top Picks for Vegan Nail Polish Removers
Below, you’ll find our thoughts on 5 vegan nail polish removers. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it’s a great start as you do your research.
Mineral Fusion Nail Polish Remover
Mineral Fusion’s nail polish remover is extremely nourishing and leaves cuticles and skin soft and healthy.
Not only is it great for your skin, it’s also super effective, and many customers claim it’s their favorite nail polish remover.
What We Like
- It’s a 3-in-1, meaning you use it to clean and prep your nails before painting them
- It removes glitter polish well
- The smell isn’t too strong
What We Don’t Like
- You need many coats of the remover to get rid of dark nail colors
- You need to scrub around the nail beds a little harder
Karma Organic Soybean Lavender Nail Polish Remover
Karma Naturals brings you this natural, soybean lavender nail polish remover, which will clean and remove even the darkest shade of polish from your nails.
It is completely free of toxins such as acetone, alcohol and petroleum ingredients, and instead contains soybean oil methyl ester, vitamin E, and aloe.
This nail polish remover is safe to use on artificial and natural nails (just not acrylic-treated or gel), will leave your nails moisturized rather than dried out, and nourish your nail beds.
There are no strong odors you’d expect from regular removers, and it has a pleasant, light lavender scent!
Karma Naturals tests this product to ensure nail polish is removed quickly and effectively; while also making sure only the best non-toxic ingredients are included in the formula.
What We Like
- Vegan-friendly, non-toxic ingredients
- Removes polish effectively
- No strong odor
- Moisturizes nails and nail beds
What We Don’t Like
- Pricey
- Issues with removing cap due to packaging
- May require extra work to remove some types of polish
Marley Marie Naturals Nail Polish Remover
No products found.One key step to using Marley Marie Natural’s nail polish remover is letting the remover soak into your skin. This allows the product to soften the polish so it can be gently wiped away.
This is a better alternative than stripping the paint with harsh chemicals. The result is really nourished and moisturized skin and nails.
Many customers said their nails have a natural “glossy” look to them after using the remover.
What We Like
- It can soften multiple layers of polish
- The product has powerful, but very pleasant scent
What We Don’t Like
- It doesn’t work well with gel nail polish
- You must closely pay attention to the steps and directions
- It takes a while to apply because the remover has to soak into the nail
Ella+Mila Soy Nail Polish Remover
Just like the previous one, this nail polish remover requires the product to soak into your nails for maximum effectiveness.
One difference between the two is the smell. While the Ella+Mila Soy Nail Polish Remover doesn’t smell bad by any means, it isn’t as strong as the others on our list.
It has a subtle, sweet scent from the lavender essential oils, but not overpowering. It is preferable to the usual acetone blast you get from regular removers.
This remover has a learning curve, and you may have to adjust the way you use it depending on the type of polish you are removing. It isn’t just a simple swipe and go, but the moisturizing benefits make it worth it.
What We Like
- It has a pleasant smell
- Your nails will be soft and moisturized after using this remover
- Safe for kids
What We Don’t Like
- It isn’t the most effective with glitter and gel nail polish. Some reviewers claimed it worked well, others didn’t.
- Takes time for the product to soak in
- Some customers felt their fingers were oily after
Majestic Pure Soy Nail Polish Remover – Tea Tree Oil
The first thing to note about Majestic Pure’s nail polish remover is that it’s made with soy. Soy can be beneficial for your skin, hair and nails, but there’s also a risk of an allergic reaction.
Be sure to test this product on the inside of your arm before applying it to your nails.
Otherwise, this product is an effective alternative to acetone-based removers.
What We Like
- It’s infused with tree oil, which gives it a great smell
- There are no chemical fumes
- It’s a great moisturizer
- It’s very safe for children to use
What We Don’t Like
- As with many vegan nail polish removers, it takes some extra time to remove. However, many reviewers said it takes less time than average, and works better
- It may leave fingers a little oily
Top Choice for the Best Vegan Nail Polish Remover
There are a wide variety of vegan and cruelty-free nail polish removers to choose from, which makes it important to research all your options.
In the end, however, we’ll help you out by highlighting our favorite, which is Karma Organic Soybean Lavender Nail Polish Remover!
We like this product because it has a nice scent of lavender instead of the strong, chemical odor you’d expect from acetone removers.
It is also safe for natural and artificial nails; consisting of vegan-friendly ingredients such as soybean oil methyl ester.
Not only is it effective, but it won’t dry out your nails and actually leaves them and your nail beds moisturized!
Overall, acetone-free vegan nail polish removers are better for your nails and lead to healthier hands.
