From The Vault: Natural Nail Polish Remover – Fresh Therapies

One of the things that can be most off putting things about a product is the scent. How many times have you carried on scouring the shelves for a more fragrant smelling alternative once you’ve encountered a whiff of something unpleasant? For me it’s anything even vaguely banana-y. From smoothies to body lotion; If it has even been in the same county as a banana I run a mile! This months one from the vault is a product that revolutionised my nail polish removing…

One of those things that has never been pleasant on the nasal passages is nail polish remover. A few months back I read a flurry of posts about Natural Nail Polish Remover from Fresh Therapies (£11.99) and was fascinated. On finishing the remover I had on the go at the time, I ordered a sample bottle (approximately 5ml at a guess) and decided to give it a try.

A couple of months on and since my initial sample order, I have gone on to purchase the full size bottle and a packet of the dry wipes for myself but also the wet wipes; little sachets of remover soaked wipes all ready to go – these are a perfect addition my kit!

Elegantly packaged in long, slender glass bottles (perfect for recycling!), the first thing that hits you is the smell. Unlike pretty much every nail polish I have encountered, this has a pleasant scent; a slightly sweet but highly condensed lime – somewhat reminiscent of a packet of Opal Fruits. I won’t say I love the scent, but it is a darn sight nicer than the rest!

Fresh Therapies recommend pairing the remover with lint free nail wipes rather than cotton wool to remove polish, so as to cut down on product wastage. Initially slightly sceptical, I used cotton wool on my first polish removal session and it was only on the second use that I tried out the dry wipes. Although I am unsure as to actually how much product was wasted by using cotton wool, it certainly feels like you need less remover when using the wipes.

But how does it perform? I have been testing out various polishes of late, giving the remover an opportunity to work its magic on varying degrees of finishes and colours. All have been removed with relative ease, the one exception being metallics; which do take a little more elbow grease – however this can also be said for many conventional removers. In all honesty, it probably does take a few moments longer and a little more rubbing to remove polish from the nail than with a conventional remover, but the result is much preferable and much gentler.

The remover coats the nails in a slight oily residue, however this does dissipate over a short space of time leaving the nails feeling hydrated. I have very dry nails and find that most removers do have a drying effect on them, however it has not been the case with this.

Produced using food grade and plant-based ingredients, the result is a natural remover that is non-toxic and non-carcinogenic. Gentle on the nails it is ideal for use during pregnancy (to remove your 5-free polish of course), it is a safer alternative for younger nail polish fans.

It is worth noting that is is not suitable for use with false nails.

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Fresh Therapies Natural Nail Polish Remover is still in use in both my pro and personal kits. I have proceeded to work my way though numerous bottles and packets of wipes – Although not the best ecologically they are preferable when on set and emergency removals need to be made.

Something I didn’t mention in the original post is that it’s not the best at removing glitter based nail polishes. It can be done but it does take a lot of work. Other than that I still can’t really fault it and will continue to use it on natural nails for the foreseeable future.

Do you use a natural nail polish remover?

(*Denotes vegetable derived)

Dimethyl Glutarate, Dimethyl Adipate, Dimethyl Succinate, Ethylhexyl Palmiate*, Limonene*, Cirtus Aurantifolia Oil*, Citral*, Linalool*

Details:
Vegan