Does soaking polished nails in ordinary old lemon juice and apple cider vinegar really work?

Run out of hacker nail polish remover? Tired of using traditional makeup remover to make your nails brittle? DIY beauty enthusiasts say that kitchen staples are a mild substitute.

Promise that lemon juice or apple cider vinegar can replace the makeup remover in your beauty products.

Tested in the 1920s, when nail polish was popular, oily removers were enough to remove them. But now polishing is so advanced, acetone (a strong industrial solvent) and ethyl acetate (used for varnish and dry cleaning) are usually used. I can see the appeal of the alternative: acetone can dry out the skin. Every recipe I found on the Internet started with soaking my hands in warm water for 10 minutes to soften the polish. The first is ordinary fresh lemon, I squeeze it into a small bowl. I soaked a cotton pad in it and then wrapped it on my nails for five minutes; as expected, the polish was still there. Next, I add an equal amount of apple cider vinegar to the remaining juice, and then make a cotton pad, this time for 10 minutes. All I have left is jealous fingers, a waste of time.

Conclusion Traditional makeup remover is drying, but it is also very fast, soaking the nails in a lemon/acetic acid bath for even 10 minutes may be more damaging. I will stick to the gentle Manucurist Green Polish Remover for £16, just because it works.