How to Restore Thick Dried Out Nail Polish

Last Updated: December 9, 2019

If you've got some old, thick and dried out nail polish, you can refresh it with a few different steps and techniques. Acetone generally works best, as it's the active ingredient in most nail polishes. If you can't find acetone, you can also try using nail polish thinner or remover. Sometimes, rolling the bottle between your hands works to loosen up the nail polish.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Acetone

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Get acetone from a beauty supply shop. Most beauty shops sell acetone. You may also be able to find it in a drug store that sells beauty supplies. Once you have your acetone, add a few drops to a container.^{[1]
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- Acetone is acidic, so you will need a container it will not eat through. Avoid plastic. Use a glass cup instead. A shot glass would work. Just make sure to wash it thoroughly before drinking out of it again.^{[2]
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2
Mix acetone with orange oil. Add equal parts orange oil to the mix. Swish the mixture around to blend.^{[3]
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3
Rinse out the brush with acetone. Place the brush in the acetone and swish it around. Any remaining clumps of nail polish should break off from the brush and begin to loosen. Keep swishing until the brush is clean.^{[4]
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- If there are some clumps of nail polish that will not come off, use a paper towel to remove them.
4
Place the brush back in the bottle. The brush is now fairly soaked in acetone. Place it back in the bottle. Screw the cap back in place and lightly shake the bottle. The acetone in the brush should loosen up the rest of the polish so you can use it like it's new.^{[5]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Trying Other Methods

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Use nail polish thinner. Nail polish thinner is sold at many beauty stores and department stores. Add one drop of nail polish thinner at a time. This will ensure that you don't end up making your polish too thin.^{[6]
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- Add one drop, close the bottle tightly, and roll it between your hands. See if the nail polish is as thin as you want.
- If it's not, add another drop of nail polish thinner and repeat. Keep repeating this process until the nail polish is thin and wet like new.
EXPERT TIP

Lindsay Yoshitomi
Nail Artist
Lindsay Yoshitomi is the nail artist behind the blog, Lacquered Lawyer. She was featured as one of Nail It! magazine’s “Bloggers You Should Know,” and has been on the cover of Nail Art Gallery Magazine. She has been practicing nail art for over 15 years.

Lindsay Yoshitomi
Nail Artist

Did You Know? Nail polish remover contains acetone, which breaks down the polish, while nail polish thinner contains chemicals that restore the consistency of the polish to make it fluid again. Make sure you have polish thinner before mixing anything.
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Roll the bottle between your hands. For only slightly thickened nail polish, you may be able to get it flowing again by just rolling it between your hands. Turn the bottle upside down once, allowing color to redistribute. Then, place the bottle between your palms.^{[7]
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- Roll the bottle back and forth between the palms of your hands. This may work to loosen up the polish.
- If this method does not work, you may have to try another means of loosening your nail polish.
3
Try adding nail polish remover to the polish. Nail polish remover contains acetone. If you can't find acetone, a few small drops of nail polish remover. If you have a bottle of nail polish remover that's almost empty, this can be a particularly good method.^{[8]
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- Use an eyedropper to add one drop of polish in at the time, swishing the bottle in between. Add as many drops as you need to adequately loosen up your nail polish.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Preventing Polish from Drying Out

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Throw out nail polish after a couple of years. If the nail polish you're trying to loosen up is more than two years old, you're unlikely to fix the problem. These nail polishes are well past their expiration date and you can probably not use them again. Save yourself some time and simply throw out old polishes.^{[9]
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Store polish properly. Nail polish will last longer if you store it correctly. It needs to be stored in a cool, dry place in your home. Keep nail polish away from direct sunlight.^{[10]
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Do not keep nail polish in the refrigerator. Many people store nail polish in the fridge. This is not a good idea. It alters the chemical composition of the nail polish, causing it to dry out faster.^{[11]
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Community Q&A

Question

If I keep nail polish in the freezer will it become hard?

Community Answer

Yes, it will freeze.
Question

I don't have nail polish thinner, so I used nail polish remover to thin out the polish. Now, there is barely any glitter left. How do I get glitter back in the polish?

Community Answer

Nail polish remover usually contains acetone and chemicals that break down nail polish, and in this case, glitter. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do in order to restore the glitter in the nail polish, and I suggest you purchase the nail polish again, using actual nail thinner if necessary, as adding glitter to the preexisting nail polish will only work as a temporary solution before the remover breaks it down again.
Question

Where should I keep my nail polish?

Community Answer

You should keep it away from direct heat or sunlight, and possibly in a cabinet so that children cannot get to it or reach it.

Warnings

Some of these methods may not work due to the ingredients or the thickness of the nail polish.

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Be careful when using these methods. If you're a child, ask a parent or guardian to help you.

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