Nail Files: Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover Review

Does a DIY manicure sound like too much work to you? Do all the steps seem too daunting, like the soaking, filing, cuticle trimming, buffing -- all before you even get to do any polishing? Have you ever gotten a bit too enthusiastic with the cuticle grooming that you nicked yourself? (Ouch!) Or worse, had a manicurist nick your finger while trimming your cuticles? (Double ouch!) Are you completely against cuticle trimming altogether? To trim, or not to trim? I'd always heard that you shouldn't. But darn it, my cuticles grow fast and need to be controlled! So, I never really listened (shame on me, I know). I suffered my share of accidental cuts (mostly self inflicted) with the cuticle trimmer. It's generally my least favorite part of a manicure (that, and sitting around waiting for my nails to dry, I just can't sit still!). I mean, it's kind of gross. I'd sit at home with this little pile of icky skin on a napkin as I did my manicure. Ewwww! (Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about).

Enter a great product discovery. I have no idea how long its been on the market, but it's new to me: Sally Hansen's Instant Cuticle Remover ($4.79 at Target). This stuff is awesome! I heard about it while stalking watching some of my favorite YouTubers. I really want to give credit where credit is due, but I can't remember who pointed me to the product. All I know is that she said she'd heard of it from MissChievous, which peaked my interest since I'm subscribed to MissChievous and hadn't heard it (hmmm... must be more mindful of watching her vids). If she thought it was a good product, it must be. She has gorgeous nails! So, I picked one up, and I'm glad I did. By the way, here is a link to MissChievous using the Instant Cuticle Remover.

The instant cuticle remover gel almost sort of dissolves your cuticle. You apply it to your cuticles, let it sit for 30 seconds (the instructions say 15-60 seconds, I find 15 seconds is too little time), then use a cuticle pusher to, well, push your cuticle back. The gel dissolves the dry cuticle skin. It creates a bit of a mush (dissolved skin + cuticle gel), but it severely reduces the need for trim. I say severely reduces because it does not eliminate it altogether. You may have a corner here or there that you need to address with the cuticle trimmer/scissors/clipper, but it's very minor. I have used this product a few times now, and it seems that about half the time I need to go in with my cuticle clipper and get a little stray cuticle bit  (lest it become a hang nail). I really like it because I feel it's a great time saver. I can push my cuticle back and get rid of it all in one step, and can avoid any accidental cuts from not paying as close attention to what I'm doing as I should.

I would recommend this to anyone out there who is looking to cut costs by doing their own manicures. It's a definite must have for your at-home nail kit. The bottle contains 1 fl. oz. of product, which should last you a long time, since there is not need to douce your cuticles in it for it to work. So, for $5 you will be winning the battle against your cuticles and saving a bundle by doing your own manicures. Even if you don't forgo the nail salon altogether, you can go a little longer between visits by taking care of your own nails in between visits.

If you've used this product before, tell me about your experience with it.