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A Nail Artist Shared The Most Genius Hack For Removing Stubborn Polish Stains
Spring polish isn't all sunny pastels—a grassy-green or teal-colored lacquer can provide a similar mood boost for the warmer season. If you've ever donned a bright, bold hue, you likely know it's not so easy to remove the pigment in one swipe—sometimes, days after erasing the mani, you might look down and notice your digits tinged a cool blue.
Enter, this genius tip from editorial nail artist Betina Goldstein. As she shared in a recent Instagram video, you don't need to drench your tips in remover to rock a truly bare nail. All you need is a whitening toothpaste.
A genius trick to remove polish stains.
"Green and blue polishes are gorgeous, but [more] often than not, they leave a stain on your nails," Goldstein writes in the caption. That's why she squeezes some whitening toothpaste on each nail and rubs the goop in with a damp cotton pad.
"Rub the nails until you see no more stain," she continues. After a few minutes, the polish should lift right off—that's because most toothpastes contain ethyl acetate, a solvent that can effectively break down the varnish (and it's also conveniently found in most polish removers).
And because Goldstein uses a teeth-whitening option with added brighteners (she uses this Arm & Hammer tube), that could help further fade some of the stains left on the nail plate. For a sulfate- and fluoride-free dupe, check out this whitening option from Hello, or consult our full list of natural toothpastes.
Overall, it seems like a sound hack, as long as you don't mind gooey fingertips. Another note: You might want to work quickly, as toothpaste can easily dry up into a cement-like paste after a few minutes. If you're not too fond of toothpaste, other DIY polish removers may work just as well, like this natural vinegar/orange-juice soak. And once your nail plate is scrubbed clean? "Rinse, dry, and moisturize," Goldstein reminds.
The takeaway.
With spring comes a change of color palette—which may include some bright polishes. If your remover doesn't cut it, give Goldstein's hack a try. Just don't forget to moisturize those tips with cuticle oil or hand cream; toothpaste, no matter how natural, can dry out the surrounding skin.