8 Best Vegan & Cruelty-Free Nail Polish Removers 2025

By Liis Hainla. Updated: January 2025.
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Vegan Nail Polish Removers

Nail polish remover is an essential part of a home manicure. Made with a type of solvent and oil, nail polish removers help break apart nail polish and remove it from the nail plate.

The most common solvent used in nail polishes is acetone. More natural polish removers use methyl esters derived from natural oils such as soybean oil.

Nail polish removers are usually vegan but not always. Nail polish removers can include animal-derived emollients. Also, many drugstore nail polish removers are still tested on animals.

We have put together our list of the best vegan nail polish removers. These cruelty-free vegan nail polish removers are better for you, for animals, and for the environment.

See also: Best Vegan Nail Polishes

Best Vegan Nail Polish Removers

Here are the best vegan nail polish removers for 2025. Most of these nail varnish removers are natural, nail-friendly, and acetone-free.

  1. Best overall: Ella+Mila Soy Nail Polish Remover
  2. Best natural: Karma Lavender Nail Polish Remover
  3. Best luxury: Sundays Pr.01 Soy Nail Polish Remover
  4. Best affordable: Mineral Fusion Nail Polish Remover
  5. Best hydrating: Nailtopia Fresh Avocado Nail Polish Remover
  6. Best for glitter polish: Zoya Remove+ Nail Polish Remover
  7. Best for sensitive skin: Tenoverten The Rose Soak
  8. Best acetone: Ulta Beauty 100% Maximum Strength Acetone

Best Vegan Nail Polish Remover Overall

1. Ella+Mila Soy Nail Polish Remover

Ella+Mila Soy Vegan Nail Polish Remover
Courtesy of Ella+Mila

Ella+Mila Soy Polish remover is the best vegan nail polish remover. It removes regular nail varnish and lacquers effectively. It’s acetone-free and alcohol-free, so it doesn’t dry out the nail or cuticles. Instead, it’s fortified with vitamins to strengthen and nourish the nail plate.

This unscented vegan nail polish is our favorite one but we also love their Jojoba Oil Vegan Nail Polish Remover and Vegan Nail Polish Remover Wipes. Ella+Mila is a fully vegan beauty brand famous for its 17-free vegan nail polish. The brand is certified by PETA and Leaping Bunny.

  • What we like: removes nail polish without harming the nail
  • What we don’t like: it’s a bit oily

Key ingredients: soybean oil, vitamins A, C & E | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, acetone-free, alcohol-free, made in the USA | Price: $11.50 (4 oz)

Shop on: Amazon, Target

Best Natural Vegan Nail Polish Remover

2. Karma Lavender Nail Polish Remover

Karma Lavender Natural Vegan Nail Polish Remover
Courtesy of Karma Naturals

This natural vegan nail polish remover from Karma Naturals is so good. It only uses 4 ingredients: lavender oil, vitamin E, and two organic solvents from soybean oil and carbonate esters. The toxin-free formula removes polish well while keeping the nailbed moisturized.

This non-acetone vegan nail polish remover has a nice calming lavender scent, other options include Orange Blossom, Rose, Tea Tree, and Unscented. We also like their Lavender Vegan Nail Polish Removing Wipes and Certified Halal Vegan Nail Polish Remover.

  • What we like: natural and safe formula, soothing scent
  • What we don’t like: bottle can leak a bit (not best for travelling)

Key ingredients: soybean oil, lavender essential oil, vitamin E | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, acetone-free, halal, natural, petroleum-free, synthetic fragrance-free, recyclable glass packaging, made in the USA | Price: $12 (4 oz)

Shop on: Amazon, Walmart

Best Luxury Vegan Nail Polish Remover

3. Sundays Pr.01 Soy Nail Polish Remover

Sundays Pr.01 Soy Luxury Vegan Nail Polish Remover
Courtesy of Sundays

Natural nail care brand Sundays has a beautiful luxury vegan nail polish remover. The acetone-free soy-based formula uses natural oils to condition the nailbed and nourish with vitamins A, E, and C. It has a subtle grapefuit scent that makes the experience aromatherapeutic.

  • What we like: beautiful bottle, nourishing ingredients
  • What we don’t like: it’s quite expensive

Key ingredients: soybean oil, grapefruit essential oils, vitamins A, C & E | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, natural, acetone-free, synthetic fragrance-free, recyclable glass packaging | Price: $28 (4 oz)

Shop on: Amazon, Official site

Best Affordable Vegan Nail Polish Remover

4. Mineral Fusion Nail Polish Remover

Mineral Fusion Affordable Vegan Nail Polish Remover Acetone-Free
Courtesy of Mineral Fusion

If you are looking for an affordable vegan nail polish remover, Mineral Fusion is our top pick. It’s acetone-free, non-drying and works for most nail lacquers, except for salon gel polish. The price for this bestselling nail polish remover starts from only $4.49.

  • What we like: very effective nail polish remover
  • What we don’t like: a bit weird smell

Key ingredients: methyl acetate | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, acetone-free, paraben-free, synthetic fragrance-free | Price: $4.49 (3 oz), $7.98–$11.99 (6 oz)

Shop on: Amazon, Walmart

Best Hydrating Vegan Nail Polish Remover

5. Nailtopia Fresh Avocado Nail Polish Remover

Nailtopia Fresh Avocado Hydrating Vegan Nail Polish Remover
Courtesy of Nailtopia

Nailtopia offers our favorite hydrating vegan nail polish remover. It’s made with avocado oil which is one of the best natural moisturizers for nail and cuticles. Rich in potassium, avocado oil also strengthens brittle nails. This nail polish remover is 99% bio-sourced and acetone-free.

  • What we like: keeps nails and cuticles hydrated
  • What we don’t like: includes fragrance (parfum)

Key ingredients: avocado oil, pomegranade, bilberry, orange fruit extracts, acetate | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, acetone-free, natural, made in the USA | Price: $13 (8 oz)

Shop on: Amazon, Ulta

Best Vegan Nail Polish Remover For Glitter Polish

6. Zoya Remove+ Nail Polish Remover

Zoya Remove+ Vegan Nail Polish Remover For Glitter Polish
Courtesy of Zoya

Zoya Remove+ is a heavy-duty vegan nail polish remover that is incredibly effective in removing glitter nail polish and darker nail polishes. It’s made with acetone but the formula doesn’t damage or dry out nails or cuticles. It’s definitely the quickest way to remove nail polish.

  • What we like: best for removing glitter and dark polish, convenient dispenser
  • What we don’t like: not a natural formula (contains acetone and lilac pigment)

Key ingredients: acetone | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, made in the USA | Price: $12 (8 oz)

Shop on: Amazon, Ulta

Best Vegan Nail Polish Remover For Sensitive Skin

7. Tenoverten The Rose Soak

Tenoverten The Rose Soak Vegan Nail Polish Remover For Sensitive Skin
Courtesy of Tenoverten

Tenoverten’s The Rose Soak is the best vegan nail polish remover for sensitive skin. The gentle formula is free of acetone and synthetic fragrances. It’s made with rose oil and aloe to soothe and hydrate sensitive skin while nicely removing nail varnish.

  • What we like: gentle acetone-free formula
  • What we don’t like: takes a bit time to get the polish off

Key ingredients: soybean oil, rosemary leaf, and rosehip fruit extracts, neroli oil, aloe| Features: vegan, cruelty-free, acetone-free, natural, chemical-free, synthetic fragrance-free, recyclable glass bottle | Price: $16 (4 oz)

Shop on: Anthropologie, Target

Best Vegan Acetone Nail Polish Remover

8. Ulta Beauty 100% Maximum Strength Acetone

Ulta Beauty 100% Maximum Strength Vegan Acetone
Courtesy of Ulta Beauty

Looking for a 100% pure acetone vegan nail polish remover? Ulta Beauty has a good option. Naturally, it’s a vegan-friendly formula since acetone is vegan. And you’ll be glad to know that unlike Sephora Collection, Ulta Beauty is also PETA-certified cruelty-free.

  • What we like: works great for all types of polishes, affordable
  • What we don’t like: acetone can dry the nail

Key ingredients: acetone | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, soy-free| Price: $4.99 (16 oz)

Shop on: Ulta

Are Nail Polish Removers Vegan?

Are Nail Polish Removers Vegan
Courtesy of Ella+Mila

A nail polish remover is a nail polish remover that does not contain animal by-products. Also, vegan nail polish remover is not tested on animals and does not contain any ingredients tested on animals.

The most common animal-derived ingredient found in nail polish removers is animal-derived glycerin (made from animal fats). Glycerin can be also vegan and plant-derived which is why it’s importatn the producers specify their glycerin origin.

To be fair, most of the nail polishes in the market are vegan by default but this does not mean that the product was not tested on animals. Many nail polish brands such as OPI of Sally Hansen still use animal testing, so none of their polish removers can be considered vegan.

What To Look For In A Vegan Nail Polish Remover

What To Look For In Vegan Nail Polishes
Courtesy of Tenovertren

When trying to find the right vegan nail polish remover for your skin, it all starts with ingredients.

Simply put, vegan nail polish removers can be divided into two groups: acetone-free and with acetone. Both contain a solvent that removes nail polish from the nail plate.

Acetone nail polish removers are often more effective because acetone is a very powerful solvent. Acetone is the best choice for removing dark polishes, glitter polish, and also gel polish.

A slightly milder version of acetone is methyl acetate. Both acetone and acetate have a drying effect on the nail plate and cuticles.

If you have sensitive skin or brittle nails, choose a acetone-free vegan nail polish remover. A gentler and more natural solvent is methyl soyate which is made by reacting soybean oil and methanol.

To strengthen your nails, go for a vegan nail polish remover that is enriched with strengthening vitamins and plant-based moisturizers such as avocado oil or sweet almond oil.

If you are looking for organic vegan nail polish removers, there’s not a lot of choice in the US as most natural nail polish removers are soy-based. But European brands such as Kia-Charlotta, Avril, and GG Naturell have some organic vegan nail polish removers.

How We Review Vegan Nail Polish Removers

We review vegan nail polish removers by trying them on our own nails first. We also combine our experience with many other online reviews to make sure to arrive at the most objective list.

The main criteria of sorting out the best vegan nail polishes for us are:

  • Ingredients: we prefer acetone-free vegan nail polish removers to acetone-based ones and expect the formula to be as clean as possible.
  • Brand: 100% vegan nailcare brands usually rank higher on our list with their vegan nail polish removers. We always try to support the vegan commitment.
  • Packaging: We love to support brands that package nail polish removers in high-quality glass or other type of recyclable packaging to minimize waste.

Why Trust Us

Vegan Avenue has been reviewing vegan makeup products for over 3 years now. We love writing about color cosmetics such as nail polishes and nail polish removers. None of our reviews has been incentivized by any brand or retailers.

FAQ About Vegan Nail Polish Removers

What makes a nail polish remover vegan?

Vegan nail polish remover is a nail polish remover that does not contain animal by-products such as animal-based glycerin. Also, vegan nail polish remover is not tested on animals or contain any ingredients tested on animals.

Is acetone vegan?

Yes, acetone is vegan. It’s made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Where to buy vegan nail polish remover?

You can find the best selection of vegan nail polish removers online, especially on Amazon and Ulta. Also, Target and Walmart these days have a good selection of vegan nail polish removers. Simply pick products that are labeled vegan and cruelty-free.

What is the best vegan nail polish remover?

The best vegan nail polish remover is Ella+Mila Soy Nail Polish Remover.

What is the best vegan nail polish remover pot?

The best vegan nail polish remover pot is Olive & June Polish Remover Pot.

What are the best vegan nail polish remover wipes?

The best vegan nail polish remover wipes are Karma Lavender & Soybean Oil Wipes.

Is OPI nail polish remover vegan?

No. OPI is a company that tests on animals, so none of its products can be considered vegan.

Is Cutex nail polish remover vegan?

It is unclear whether or not Cutex nail polish remover is vegan or not. Cutex has not communicated its vegan or cruelty-free status.

Summary

It wasn’t long ago when the only nail polish remover on the shelves was acetone. In 2025, you can find so many vegan nail polish removers that are made from natural nail-friendly ingredients such as soybean oil.

Our favorite vegan nail polish remover is the Soy Polish Remover from Ella+Mila. We also love the vegan nail varnish removers from Karma, Tenoverten, Sundays, and other vegan and cruelty-free brands.

As we find new vegan polish removers we like, we will make sure to update this list.

See also: Best Vegan Nail Polishes

Main image: courtesy of Zoya

Disclaimer: The prices listed next to each product are taken from the companies’ websites at the time of publishing.

My name is Liis. I've been a vegan for a long time and advocate for the vegan lifestyle. Through Vegan Avenue, I write about the latest vegan news, trends, events, and all things related to the vegan lifestyle.