The Best Nail Polish Removers to Tackle Any Kind of Polish

With so many nail art designs and colors to choose from, using the best nail polish remover is a must for keeping them all in your rotation. The key to finding one that makes taking off your polish a breeze—versus an hours-long saga—is making sure to match it with your polish of choice.

If you’re sporting a DIY set of natural nails, you can make do for regular nail polish so clean-up is quick (so, for a non-gel mani, opt for a classic remover or nail polish remover pads will do the trick). When you’re working with gel nail polish, though, the polish removal process is a little more involved. While getting your gels removed at the salon is the easiest (and most hassle-free) method, sometimes you can’t wait. (Or don’t want to shell out—no shame in that.) If you’re tackling the gel takedown at home, then you’ll want a dedicated gel nail polish remover, which typically has solvents chosen specifically for removing gel polish. (No sweat: We’ve got a tutorial here.)

Also, no matter how you choose to remove your polish, you’ll definitely want to invest in some nail care. Make sure you apply a nail strengthener and cuticle oil to keep your nails healthy and strong for future rounds of polish.

Now, to find your go-to remover: There are more options than ever, with formulas designed to handle acrylic nails, acetate-free options with hydrators like glycerin, and non-acetone nail polish removers with a soybean-oil base. Ahead, we found the best nail polish removers for 2021 to ensure you can spend less time searching and more time pinning inspo for your next appointment.