Natural, Healthy Nails: How To Remove Gel, Dip, Or Acrylic Nails For Good 

Acrylics, dips, and gels. They make your nails look long and thick, but underneath their facade are natural nails begging you to let them breathe.

Not everyone is going to have a perfectly clean beauty routine—and that's OK. However, one way that you can improve your overall beauty habits is by moving toward natural nails. 

"Not only are acrylic and dip powder nails full of potentially nail-harming ingredients, but the process and wear can be very damaging to your nail beds, and if done improperly can even lead to infection," advises organic manicurist Eunice Montes-Hamaguchi. "To get the acrylic to stick, your natural nails must be filed down, causing damage and making them weaker. They also aren't flexible like your natural nails, and if you were to break one, you're more likely to crack and rip at the nail bed." 

Naturopathic doctor Tess Marshall, N.D., suggests going cold turkey. "Fake nails, specifically acrylic nails, are made up of ingredients like resin and formaldehyde. These not only can damage your nails directly but are harmful when the fumes are inhaled, especially for the technician, which is why most wear masks." 

"Go to the nail salon and have them removed and opt for a moisturizing manicure afterward," recommends Marshall. "This can be uncomfortable at first since the nails underneath will be short, weak, and sometimes even frayed depending on the length fake nails were adhered."

But by giving your nails a break, you'll be better off in the long run. Just remind yourself that it's a temporary stage.

Cuticles serve the important purpose of preventing bacteria from getting under your skin.

Your nails may be pretty soft after you remove your acrylics, gel, or dip powder, so for the first few weeks, stick to trimming your nails to create clean edges.

After all that hard work of rehabbing your nails, why go back to the dark side? Seek out an organic, nontoxic nail salon in your area to keep your nails well manicured.

Alternatively, you can DIY at home. Just make sure you use polish without harmful ingredients such as formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, formaldehyde resin, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, and xylene.

"The best thing to do is support faster and stronger nail growth," says Marshall. "People can supplement with collagen peptides, B vitamins, and silica—horsetail is a great botanical that has high levels of silica, naturally—which all support nail health, helping them to grow out stronger and quicker."*

It seems all good things come from proper hydration and nutrient-rich food, right? Well, the same can be said for maintaining healthy nails once you make the switch from fake nails.

Be sure to drink enough water since without adequate moisture, nails can become brittle2 and break and peel easily.

To lubricate and moisturize your nails, eat foods high in omega-3 fatty acids3. Vitamin C is essential for producing collagen, which strengthens your nails.

If you're looking to clean up your beauty routine, nails are a great place to start. Or if you're already into clean beauty but still use fake nails as a crutch, consider letting your natural nails shine through.