How To Remove Shellac in Lockdown

How To Remove Shellac in Lockdown

This is how to treat yourself to a manicure and a pedicure and take off your shellac at home.

*First published in May 2020, and published again in July 2021 with updates.

Here’s a positive spin on being stuck at home most days and every night; spending more time than ever experimenting with beauty techniques and turning my bathroom into a personalised beauty parlour.

From mastering the art of colouring my own hair, removing body hair using an at home IPL hair removal device, and treating my face to a NEW LED light therapy face mask.

There is nothing I haven’t tried in the category of beauty, since being in lockdown during the COVID-19 crisis started back in 2020. 16 months on, and I find myself back experimenting with beauty techniques at home to rescue my hair from exposing grey roots, to the shocking condition of my once nicely manicured shellac nails.

So, the research began. From checking in with the rest of the BB team to asking a few beauty therapists in the industry, my head was now full of information on ways to remove shellac from my nails.

After watching a variety of YouTubers online walk through removing shellac from nails, including a group discussion with the rest of the BB team, it was time to bite the bullet and attempt to remove the shellac from my own nails. With plenty of nail polish remover, aluminium, makeup pads and a good buffer, I was set.

how to remove shellac in lockdown

Check out this amazing video which shows you how to remove shellac from your nails:

How to Remove Shellac Nails Safely at Home with Foil & Cotton Wool

The video above is the most successful I followed to remove shellac. I tried a variety of others, but they didn’t work. After watching this tutorial, I was able to remove the shellac successfully from my toenails and fingernails with ease. No breakage, and nails are looking good. FYI: Patience is key to removing shellac at home.

I may even try out some new nail polish I bought. Hey, just cause you’re stuck in lockdown, doesn’t mean you can’t have nice nails.

And if you’re also removing shellac from your toenails and looking to recreate the whole spa experience at home, Bathefex deliver the most beautiful DIY Pedicure Pack right to your front door for only $18.25. The pack includes their nourishing leg mask, Epsom Salt Foot Soak and Exfoliating Foot Peel.

Check out these fab beauty picks to help support nail health and growth whilst in lockdown, especially important to restore healthy cells back to your nails after removing shellac and using acetone to do so.

Dr. Dana® Nail Renewal System

If you find your nails are in need of a good mini-treatment before you start giving them a mani-pedi, try the fabulous Nail Renewal System RRP $48.75 by Dr Dana, which can be easily purchased through NuSkin.

This revolutionary nail kit includes a glycolic prep for treating the beds of your nails and expelling any dead skin cells. Because even your nail beds have excess dead skin cells. This is then followed with the buffer which you can use to remove any dents or lines from the nails, before finishing off with a nail moisturiser, which also treats the cuticle as well.

It’s funny, how easily I forgot how to take care of my own nails, especially when I didn’t think I spent that much time at nail salons in the first place. And I’ve rather enjoyed getting back in touch with my at home beauty therapies whilst being in self-isolation.

So after giving my nails a break, I was finally ready to give myself a mani-pedi.

I started by giving my feet a nice soak in a bath of warm water, then replicated the whole foot spa feeling by using an exfoliator and some body wash to scrub away any dead skin cells off the bottom of the feet. After drying, I moisturised before shaping the nail and painting with a bright blue colour, before realising I really wanted a dark colour instead.

Related Video: Painting Your Toenails at Home in Isolation

After achieving a pedicure look I was pretty chuffed with, it was now time to do my fingernails. This is where I have always struggled. Thankfully BB writer Anisha, our resident nail queen has all the best advice on how to have the best kept nails in self-isolation.

Related Video: How To Keep Your Nails Looking Glam In Self Isolation

Her nails are the envy of the team, and I have a very fond memory of watching her scale an indoor climbing wall with what looked like two inch beautifully manicured white nails, when the BB team spent the morning indoor rock climbing. I don’t know how she did it, but she successfully scaled the rock and boulder walls without chipping a nail.

Sally Hansen Instant Nal Polish Remover

It’s always recommended to use an acetone based polish remover to take off shellac, the stronger the acetone the better. If you can’t find access to pure acetone, this Sally Hansen Instant Nail Polish Remover RRP $9.95 works well. Simply stick the nail in, let it soak and when you pull the finger out use another acetone based polish remover on a makeup pad to wipe off all remaining shellac.

Sally Hansen Vitamin E Nail & Cuticle Oil

Opt for a rich hydrating oil for cuticles after removing shellac with an acetone based polish remover, as acetone can strip the oils from the skin leaving them dry. Although the Acetone formulation of the polish remover by Sally Hansen has been infused with Vitamin E to protect the nails, if you opt to use a stronger acetone to remove shellac, you will need to rehydrate the cuticles. Try the Sally Hansen Vitamin E Nail & Cuticle Oil RRP $17.95 which will help restore cuticles back to their strong and healthy self.

Rebecca Wilkinson

Beauty Editor

Rebecca is a freelance content creator and beauty editor for Bondi Beauty. She is a pescatarian, who may yet become vegan. She loves all things beauty, health & travel, has a weakness for coffee and is obsessed with cats and yoga. If she's not answering her mobile - it's probably because she's trying out the latest beauty trend, like massaging crushed pearls into her skin for the ultimate collagen and vitamin boost to skin cells.

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