How to Prevent Nail Polish Stains

Co-authored by Kristin Pulaski and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: January 22, 2022 References

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Nail polish is a fun and beautiful way to express yourself, but it may not feel that way when you notice leftover yellow stains or leftover polish on your nails. These stains are usually caused by the polish soaking into your nails and they're really common.^{[1]
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Go to source} While staining goes away over time, it’s way more convenient if you don’t have to worry about it in the first place. Try a few tricks and see if you notice a difference!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Taking Precautions in Your Routine

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Apply a clear base coat first to protect your nails. Don’t dive into your colored polish right away—instead, brush a thin layer of base coat onto your nail. This provides a barrier between your regular polish and your nail. If you take a little extra time to apply a clear base coat to each nail, you're much less likely to stain your nails.^{[2]
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- Apply a thin coat of base coat and let it dry for about 1-2 minutes. Otherwise, your nail polish might take longer to dry.^{[3]
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  Kristin Pulaski
  Salon Owner & Nail Specialist
  
  Expert Interview. 19 May 2020.}
- You can apply 2 coats of base coat for extra protection.^{[4]
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2
Check the ingredients to avoid certain dyes. Read over the ingredients list on the side of your nail polish bottle before you start painting. Certain dyes and chemicals are notorious for staining so if you can avoid those, your nails are far less likely to stain.^{[5]
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- Ingredients like 5 Lake, along with D&C Red No. 6, 7, and 34 are common offenders when it comes to nail staining.
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Limit how often you use nail hardeners. Nail hardeners definitely have their benefits, but they have some chemicals that make your nails look stained. If your fingernails are naturally weak, try strengthening them naturally or switching periodically to a base coat that doesn’t have any hardener in it.^{[6]
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- Hardening products tend to have formalin, glyoxal, and dimethyl urea.
4
Opt for lighter nail polishes instead of dark shades. Keep in mind that darker polishes, like brown, purple, and dark red, are more likely to cause staining.^{[7]
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Research source} The polish is also a lot more obvious and messy if it gets on your fingertips while you’re removing it.^{[8]
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- Instead, paint your nails with a lighter shade, like white or pastel pink.^{[9]
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- When you're painting your nails, keep a nail art brush near by, along with some acetone or alcohol. If any of the polish gets onto the skin around your nail, quickly use the brush to clean up the color.^{[10]
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  Expert Source
  
  Kristin Pulaski
  Salon Owner & Nail Specialist
  
  Expert Interview. 19 May 2020.}
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Removing Polish Effectively

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Spread cuticle oil on your fingers to avoid polish stains. Dip your fingers in cuticle oil so the nail polish won’t leak and stain your skin as you remove it. Taking a few minutes to apply cuticle oil may save you some extra trouble in the long run!^{[11]
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- Cuticle oil is a great moisturizer, as well.
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Place a soaked cotton ball on your nail for 30 seconds. Dip a cotton ball in some nail polish remover so it’s completely soaked through. Position the cotton ball directly on top of your nail to weaken the polish.^{[12]
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- Any kind of nail polish remover can work for this.
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Slide the cotton ball down the nail to remove the polish. Grip the cotton ball and slide it down towards your fingertip. Remove it completely from your nail—at this point, your nail polish will hopefully be gone. If there’s any leftover, repeat the process with a new cotton ball.^{[13]
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- Try running a buffer over your nail beds if the pesky stains remain.^{[14]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

How do I keep nail polish from getting onto my skin?

Kristin Pulaski
Salon Owner & Nail Specialist
Kristin Pulaski is a Professional Nail Artist and the Founder of Paintbucket, a self-owned and operated nail salon based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She has over five years of experience running Paintbucket and is licensed as a nail technician. Paintbucket offers nail art manicures, pedicures, and soft gel extensions along with customized packages for wedding and bridal parties. She holds a BA in Managerial Science from Manhattan College.

Kristin Pulaski

Salon Owner & Nail Specialist

Expert Answer

It takes a lot of practice to keep nail polish off of your skin. Try placing the brush just a little below your cuticle, then press it up toward the cuticle before gliding back down your nail. However, if any polish does get onto your skin, quickly clean it up with a nail art brush dipped in a little acetone or alcohol.

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Tips

There’s nothing wrong with giving your nails a break once in a while! Lightly buff the surface of your nails instead of applying polish, which can stop your nails from soaking up too much pigment and looking stained in the future.^{[15]
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Look for polishes with ingredients that are good for your nails, like collagen.^{[16]
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Nail stains go away on their own after about 2 weeks.

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Warnings

Avoid any nail polishes that have toluene, dibutyl phthalate, or formaldehyde as an ingredient. These are really toxic.^{[17]
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Fake nails and other nail treatments can cause staining over time. Wait at least 1 month before getting another nail treatment after getting fake nails removed.^{[18]
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