Which Cuticle Removers Is Right for You?

Total honesty: my cuticles are constant struggle. They itch, snag, bleed, and overall aren't very photogenic in their natural state. Prior to getting into nail art, they were an absolute mess, but stamping pretty designs on my nails definitely motivated me to show them off more. And I haven't found an Instagram filter yet that masks red, ragged cuticles, but I have found a couple of tricks that keep my hands looking sleek and tidy.

Cuticle removers are actually pretty controversial. While most of us would rather our cuticles got out of the way of our nail polish, they do serve a purpose by protecting your body from infection. So there are a couple of schools of thought. One is that you should leave your cuticles alone to do their job and just accept your manicures won't last as long. Another is that it's okay to push your cuticles up, but never cut them. And then there's the position that cuticles must go by any means necessary. Only you can decide what's best for your health and your hands. My feeling is that if you're bleeding, you need a different approach.

What's a cuticle?

Funny story, what most people think of as their cuticle actually isn't. The transition between your nail and your finger is made up of three parts: your nail matrix, eponychium, and cuticle. The nail matrix is the part you can't see. It sits below the surface of your skin and does the heavy lifting of growing your nails. The eponychium is what many people think of as their cuticles. This is the lip of skin that touches your fingernail. It's the part of your nail that's prone to hangnails and splitting in when particularly dry.

Your eponychium is constantly shedding dead skin cells (like rest of your body) but these dead skin cells are shed down onto your fingernail forming a coating of dead skin that bridges the gap between eponychium and your nail plate. That's your cuticle: the layer of dead skin that forms over the top quarter or so of your fingernail.

What did cuticles ever do to you?

There are so many products and methods to remove, push, nip, cut your cuticles because the key to a long lasting manicure is having nothing between your nail and your nail polish. If you paint over your cuticle, your polish will look lumpy and chip much faster. There isn't strictly a health reason to remove your cuticles if the way they look doesn't bother you, unless they snag and tear on things like mine do.

How do cuticle removers work?

It depends on the brand, but for the most part cuticle removers use a substance with a very high pH to weaken the structure of the dead skin. Anyone who has poked at their cuticles with an orange stick or cuticle pusher tool knows those little buggers are tougher than they look and cuticle removers make them easier to push back.

A pH scale refresher. It's a scale of one to 14 where seven is completely neutral. The lower the number the more acidic a chemical is and the higher the number the more base a chemical is. And the more excited you are about pumpkin spice lattes, the more basic you are. (Just kidding, there's nothing wrong with liking a coffee flavor. You do you, friend.) Some examples: cola has a pH of 3, water has a pH of 7, and bleach has a pH of 13.

Cuticle removers use chemicals (like sodium hydroxide) with a pH between 11 and 13 to dissolve skin cells. So, yes, cuticle removers are there to dissolve and break down skin cells. These aren't standard hand creams and you need to wash them off with soap and water when they've done their job. They won't discriminate between live and dead skin cells so make sure you read the instructions and follow them. Sodium hydroxide is also known as lye. You've seen Fight Club. Follow the instructions.

I'm freaked out now.

Don't be.

Just like chemical peels, it sounds way scarier than it really is. Soapy water has a pH of 12. If you leave your hands in soap for too long, your skin won't be happy either, but you use that every day. The alternative to using cuticle removers is to use a sharp tool to cut or scrape them off. More often than not, this creates an open wound which leaves you vulnerable to infections of bacteria, viruses, and nail fungus. Softening your cuticles and pushing them back is actually safer.

Plus, some cuticle removers are gentler than others and I'll break down which products are high powered and which are mild. Instead of high pH bases, some removers use acids which also break down dead skin cells. As I wrote about in my best body peels article, alpha hydroxy acids (AHA's) and beta hydroxy acids (BHA's) are acids derived from food that break apart the bonds of dead skin gently so they are easier to shed. I read the ingredient lists for you so can decide which method is best for you.

How to get photo-ready nails.

Cuticle removers and quality manicure tools. Cuticle removers are a good start to help give you clean, polish-ready nails. General recommendations are to push the softened cuticles back with an orange stick or cuticle pusher instead of cutting them with nippers, but it's your call. You can find great sets of tools of both kinds by reading my guide to the best manicure sets and kits. Having or giving yourself regular manicures will keep your nails and cuticles in trim shape so they're less likely to break or snag.

Cuticle remover tip: Do one hand at a time, that way you have better control of how long the product is sitting on your fingers.

Cuticle oil. Your nails are thirsty, particularly after using cuticle remover, and you'll want to moisturize your nail plate and eponychium to keep them from drying out. Dry nails are brittle nails and don't have that glossy shine. Cuticle oils are highly concentrated and often contain vitamins and botanicals targeted for nail health. Read my guide to the best cuticle oils and creams for more information.

Hand cream. Cuticle oils are intensely concentrated and not meant to be used more than a couple times a day. If your job is hard on your hands or you need to wash your hands a lot, your nails can dry out fast. Hand creams are thicker and more hydrating than regular lotion and are great to be used anytime as needed. I'm currently using Antica Farmacista's Hand Cream in Lemon, Verbena & Cedar. You can find more great creams in my best luxury hand creams guide.

Strentheners. Lastly, you want to make sure you are nourishing your nails from the inside–that's where they're coming from after all. There are treatments that soak into your fingertips and supplements that help give your body the building blocks to grow stronger, healthier, longer nails. For more details check out my guide to the best products to grow nails fast.