TIPS & TRICKS

At-Home Gel Removal Destroying Your Nails? Here’s How You Should Really Be Doing It

When gel polish was inventing, it changed the entire way we view our nails. No longer are we limited to a week’s wear of polish that ultimately chips and dulls. Instead, thanks to Entity One Color Couture Soak Off Gel, we can have gorgeous, long-lasting manicures with the ultimate high-gloss shine without smudging, chipping or dry time. It’s practically a mani miracle. There’s only one thing: getting it off. Unfortunately, the tradeoff of long wear is the removal process — but it doesn’t have to be a challenge! And you most certainly shouldn’t be damaging your natural nails in the process. If you’ve been struggling to remove One Color Couture Soak Off Gel, read on because we’re going to show you exactly how to remove it in five easy steps while keeping your natural nails in tact.

1. Break the Seal

One Color Couture BUFFER creates a wonderful shield to protect your gel color — which means that you have to break down that shield in order to remove it. Use a 100/180-grit buffer to remove the shine from the entire surface of the nail and break the seal of that Top Coat. Those micro abrasions will allow Entity Nail Product Remover or acetone to seep down into the layers below.

2. Soak

For the soaking process, you’ll need three items: cotton balls, foil and Entity Nail Product Remover or pure acetone. First, cut your foil into 10 squares large enough to wrap around the tip of your finger securely. Depending on how long your nails are, you may be able to break a large cotton ball in half for each finger. Saturate your cotton with Nail Product Remover and place it so it covers the entire nail. Then, wrap the cotton and your fingertip in a piece of foil. Continue until all 10 nails are wrapped. Unless you’re really adept at using both hands, it’s best to start with your nondominant hand. Trust us; you’ll be less frustrated when you move to the second hand! Set the timer for 10 minutes and let the remover do the work.

3. Remove the Soak Off Gel

Starting with the first nail you wrapped, remove the foil and cotton. The Soak Off Gel should be starting to lift off the nail, even completely coming off in some places. If that’s the case, then you can take an orangewood stick and gently push any remaining gel off the nail. Do not scrape or push too hard; this is what damages your natural nails. If there are stuck patches that just won’t budge, wrap the nail again and let it sit for another few minutes. Be patient with this process. Rushing through it and being too aggressive with scraping off the product is what will ultimately cause damage to your nail plate. If when you unwrap the first nail and the gel looks just as it did when you initially wrapped it (i.e., no gel lifting or flaking) then it can mean one of two things: Either you didn’t file the nail enough or you didn’t let it soak long enough. If this happens, grab your file and gently rough up the surface of the nail a bit more. You want to see file marks on the surface of the nail color. Then make sure there’s enough Nail Product Remover on the cotton and rewrap to soak again.

4. Finish With Top Coat

Entity Gel-Lacquer Top Coat is your ultimate secret weapon against chipping and peeling, plus it adds amazing shine. The unique blend of oligomers and photo initiators in the Gel-Lacquer Top Coat lock onto color for up to 10 days of wear and a gel-like shine. Unlike with the Gel-Lacquer Base Coat and Color Coat, you can be a bit more generous with your Top Coat application. Start with a moderate amount of Top Coat on your brush, wiping any excess on the edge of the bottle. Then “float” the brush over your nail — in other words, don’t push down too hard — ensuring that you cover the entire surface. Don’t forget to cap the free edge of your nail; this will help ensure that there is a nice seal to the edge of your nail and inhibit chipping.

5. Buff

Once the product has been removed from your nails, lightly buff the surface of each nail with a 220/280-grit buffer. This will remove any last bits of Soak Off Gel from the nail plate as well as smooth the surface of the nail.

6. Moisturize

Your nails should look just like they did before you applied One Color Couture Soak Off Gel. To ensure that they stay in tip-top shape, massage Entity Argan Oil Revitalizing Cuticle Drops into the nails and surrounding skin to keep them hydrated and flexible. Now you’re ready for your next One Color Couture manicure!