The Arsenal – Zoya Remove Plus Nail Polish Remover
I get a lot of questions and comments regarding the tools and treatment products I use to keep my nails healthy and in tip top shape. Since my routine changes as I test new products, I’ve launched, The Arsenal, to share with you the items that are “must haves” in my nail kit.
If you were to take a peek at my polish room, one thing you’d notice is the numerous amount of polish remover bottles hanging out on just about every surface. I couldn’t swatch colors without them. And even though I try a bunch of different brands, my staple and nail life line is Zoya Remove+. I’m never without a bulk 32oz bottle on hand to refill my Big Flipper. If, like me, you go through a lot of remover due to constant polish changes you should seriously consider switching to Remove+.
What so fab about it, you ask. Well, the fact that it’s one of the only acetone based removers I’ve used that doesn’t dry out my nail beds like they’ve been living in the Sahara. That’s huge!! As you know, most fanatics prefer acetone because it quickly removes anything you throw at it. But acetone can be so drying and damaging. Thanks to the added Glycerine, my nails stay healthy through numerous swatching sessions.
When you’re testing polish as often as I am, you need the gentlest yet most effective remover you can find and for me, it’s Remove+. It has a pleasant lavender scent and a very simple ingredient list: 2-Propanone, Water, Glycerine, Fragrance, D&C Violet #2 (for color).
You can pick up Remove+ on the Zoya.com site. The Big Flipper retails for $9.99 and the 32oz refill bottle sells for $25.
Which nail polish remover is your favorite? Where are my fellow Remove+ fans?
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
Thank you so much for this informative post! I need to buy new polish remover asap and keep reading about this product. Think I'm going to fork over the $10 and try it.
I really like Remove also, but I mainly use OPI's Expert Touch because it's slightly cheaper.
I love it because it's got the same light lavender scent, is super hydrating to my cuticles and comes in gigantic 32oz container for $19.43 online
I literally just wrote up a blog post on Remove+. If only I could just run out to Walgreens/CVS/somewhere and pick it up when I run out!!!
As ever your timing is perfect!! I have plasters on both thumbs, both index fingers and my right hand middle finger right now, the skin on all of these fingers first felt very hard and my fingertips lost some touch sensation, then the skin blistered but dry blisters not with water and now the skin has cracked and peeled very deeply exposing raw skin underneath which is very sore. I look as if I have doused my hands in household cleaners – no chance, I am a nail obsessive, I wear gloves! – the only thing I can think of is nail varnish remover. I had bought a Sally Hansen one which smelt very strong and I wonder if it is the change of brand that has caused the problem. Now trying to work out if I can cut the tips out of some rubber gloves so that I can cover my fingers but remove my polish without losing layers of skin!! Not seen Zoya polishes here in the UK but will keep my eye's open.
I have been wondering abou this product for a while, so I am glad that you posted about it. I might try a small bottle when I make my first Zoya purchase!
Just yesterday I purchased a bottle of OPI's Expert Touch to try out. It came with some of their lint free wipes that I like to use when I am rubbing on CND's Scrub Fresh right before I paint. I like them beucase it takes off any residual lint from the cotton rounds that I use. They are great!
Do you have a recommendation for those of us with acrylics(LOL cant grow my own)?
Thanks so much for this article, I love hearing about treatments and products.
I go through WAY too much nail polish to buy something so expensive, so tiny, just about every other week. I have ONYX Professional Moisturizing Formula. It's around $2.50 at Wal Mart for 16 ounces. It's fine by me. I don't really have a problem with it drying my nails, because I just put basecoat on right away
I wouldn't mind a remover that didn't take so long on the dark vampies I love so much.
I LOVE Remove+! It is so gentle, but so effective. I can't afford to keep buying the stuff though. Sephora by OPI's remover is really nice too, but again, too rich for my blood. I've resorted to the Shopper's Drug Mart (a Canadian drugstore) Life brand remover. It comes in a tall flip-top pump bottle, and is surprisingly good, especially for a store brand. But it's no Remove+!
Remove+ is the ONLY remover that takes major glitters (Locavore, for instance) off my nails without pain or swearing. It's also really efficient, used with felt, so I don't go through nearly as much remover as with acetone-based.
I love Zoya Remove, and am willing to shell over the bucks for its gentle formula (one of the benefits of being well over 30 and comfortably employed :)). I do understand price is an issue for many, though, and there are some good options that are relatively cheap…Life Brand in Canada at Shoppers, and Cutex also works relatively well, although I have found some of the formulas a bit drying.
What caught my attention even more in your post was the POLISH ROOM!!! How cool is that??? I am now green with Envy, or maybe it is just the reflection from the Zoya Midori I am wearing.
As always, love your blog!
I got remove+ recently and find it really good but I think I might go back to using OPI non acetone when my remove+runs out. I find OPI non acetone just as good, its non acetone and cheaper
this is what i need to know. i don't get a bi-weekly manicure simply because i feel i should be able to do it myself.
if you saw my nails now, you would not be impressed.
I use opi articial nail remover also for polishes because there is less acetone in there than in the expert touch.
but i change between the two really often.
we don't have zoya in switzerland of course… too bad!
as for a trick for those with acrilics, you can use an acetone-based polish remover. the acrylic will start to melt after a good soak in there for like 20 mins, and to remove a lacquer with an acetone-based remover, you just need one minute per nail, so no damage
I haven't tried remove yet. I buy generic (cheap) nail polish remover. I put 1/5 of it in another bottle. I pour Soybean oil in to make up the difference of the 1/5 of remover I took out. Shake well. This moisturizes my nails while I am taking my polish off. The Soybean oil does not lessen the effectiveness of the remover. Happy with this and it's cheap so I don't try much else.
(Behind, but I just discovered you and feel compelled to comment on this one!)
I swear by Orly Extra Strength – it's literally the best-smelling remover I've ever encountered! I've been using it for so long now (long after local stores stopped stocking it – woe!), I don't know if I'll ever be able to use anything else! Though your recommendation of the Zoya means it will go on my to-try list!
Thank you for this post & the others in the Arsenal. As a new polish fan – I am also a recovering biter & DDS – any new tip is a great help. Thanks for all of your work on this blog.
Late question – do you think if I had one of those nail polish remover plastic pots with sponges in them, only clean and new, I could add the Zoya Remove to it and use it that way? I tend to hurt myself using cotton balls, etc. Thanks for any advice you can give!
Hmm… although I’m a product junkie I stick with plain acetone. I would be afraid that the glycerine could cause a problem with a polish adhesion.
Also DIY version would be so easy to make, you can purchase bottle of glycerine and add to the acetone to combat the drying of the polish removal process and still use pure acetone to wipe the nails before the polish application.