A Cuticle Remover Gel Is the Secret to a Perfect Mani

While you may think the nail color is the most important part of a perfect manicure, we're here to fill you in on a little known secret: It's all about the the cuticles. Giving your cuticles the proper TLC — whether in the salon or at home – is critical to keeping your nails and the surrounding skin healthy and looking, well, polished.

The cuticle is the layer of skin at the bottom of your nails and its "primary purpose is to protect the nail," explains Jin Soon Choi, expert manicurist and founer of JINsoon. It's important to keep the cuticle healthy and intact, which can mean removing the excess build-up of skin that occurs. Enter cuticle removers. "These products remove that thin layer of dead skin by dissolving it or physically getting rid of it," Choi says.

Are cuticle removers safe?

Cuticle removers can be very effective, but be mindful of how long you leave on a gel or liquid cuticle remover, as "it can dry up, which could make it harder to remove the cuticle and increase the risk of potentially damaging nails or irritating the skin," Choi explains.

What's the best way to remove cuticles?

Lucky for us, there are a variety of different products and tools out there to remove cuticles. Here are your options, according to Choi:

• Cuticle pusher, oil, and trimming. This is the combination that nail salons typically use.
• Cuticle removers. These are products that typically sit on the skin to slough off dead skin without needing the help of manual tools or trimming.
• DIY it. If you want to go the natural route, Choi suggests soaking hands in warm milk to help soften the cuticle before pushing back with the proper tool.

While the jury is still out on whether whether dissolving, trimming, or cutting cuticles is best, Choi recommends pushing them back after using a cuticle oil to hydrate them. "When you push back cuticles thoroughly, there is no need to cut them ... and you are still able to maintain the nail's integrity," she says. Check out our picks below for the best cuticle removers you can buy, including gels, pushers, trimmers, formulas that work for feet, and more, according to nail experts and shoppers.