Shoppers With Hangnails Say This $18 Cuticle Remover Dissolves Dead Skin “Like Magic”

Aside from chipped lacquer, few things ruin a manicure quite like ragged cuticles. As I was recently prepping my nails for gel polish, my cuticles were notably crusty with hangnails just waiting to happen. Naturally, I consulted my cuticle nippers, snipping any semblance of frayed skin… overzealously, I quickly realized, as blood began pooling in my nail beds.

If you, like I, are less-than-deft with metal manicure tools, consider a topical, brush-on liquid alternative to cuticle cutters. I’ve dabbled in a few over the years, but after stumbling upon the Melt Away Cuticle Exfoliator from Butter London, I’ve discovered a superior solution for cutting crusty cuticles — without cutting of any sort.

The Butter London Melt Away Cuticle Exfoliator is a manicure preparation liquid that sloughs dead cuticles from the nail plate and removes unsightly, manicure-marring crustiness. The brush-on formula relies on both physical and chemical exfoliators to soften dry nail beds, remove excess cuticle buildup, and smooth the nail and its surrounding skin. In short, the cuticle exfoliator yields a clean, smooth, unobstructed nail canvas for ensuing polish, and leaves at-home manicures looking salon-worthy.

In addition to being a prep step, Butter London’s cuticle cream functions as a maintenance product; use it between paint jobs to maintain your manicure’s freshness and nix cuticle buildup before it happens. 

Housed in a nail polish-like bottle, complete with a brush applicator, the formula is intuitive to use. Simply swipe the liquid directly over your cuticles and sweep across areas that are crusted with dead, stubborn cuticle remnants. Wait two minutes, then use a cuticle pusher, manicure stick, or, in a pinch, your opposite nails, and gently push back excess cuticle skin. Rinse away any remaining formula, et voilà! Freshly prepped nails, clean cuticles, and the perfect base for polish to glide on in the smoothest manner possible.

Notably, the formula promises a burn-free experience — which, as someone who’s experienced discomfort with other cuticle annihilating gels, is hugely enticing. Furthermore, the formula is 10-free, meaning it’s devoid of common irritants and potentially harmful chemicals, including formaldehyde. The key chemical exfoliator that “melts” dry cuticles, per the brand, is potassium hydroxide, which is also found in some soaps and as an additive in certain foods. Irish moss, aka sea moss, , functions as the primary skin softener thanks to its hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties. 

One shopper, who’s “avoiding manicures” due to cuticle clipper-induced tears says their “hangnails and dry cuticles” have improved in just four days of using Butter London’s formula. Another reviewer says the formula is “like magic” in light of how it dissolves dead skin buildup. Yet another fan, who’ss dabbled in countless cuticle-removing formulas over 20 years, swears this one reigns supreme. Finally, notes another whose nails are “always a mess,” Butter London’s formula made their nails look like they “paid for a manicure” after a single use. 

 For nails that look and feel professionally prepped in mere minutes, sans sharp tools shop the Butter London Melt Away Cuticle Exfoliator shoppers call “like magic” at Amazon for $18.