One day you found out that your nail polish has turned into a thick, dry, and messy bottle, you can not use it anymore. There is no other choice left but to throw it away, right?
That situation will be more of a tragedy if that is your favorite bottle, the limited edition, or even the discontinued ones. Plus, it is a waste of money when you have to throw away the one that contains half of the polish inside.
However, we are here to help. Keep reading this article on how to thin nail polish to know the ways of saving your favorite bottle.
How To Thin Nail Polish – A Step by Step Instruction
With Hot Water
One way to cure your thick nail polish is using hot water since it will help warm the thick polish again. However, this method is only a temporary fix, so you can look for the two below if you want a long-term one.
Here is the step to adjust your nail polish with hot water:
Step 1: Flip your nail polish up-side-down and vice versa for a few times to blend all the pigment inside the bottle together.
Step 2: Dip your nail polish into a bowl or a cup of hot water to heat the pigment. Remember that the bottle’s cap has to be tightly-closed so that no liquid can slip over and leak outside.
Try to hold the bottle in the water for at least 3 minutes to let the polish melt. You have to be careful when doing since the hot water can burn your fingers. A good way to handle it is only to hold the cap and immerse it in water.

Step 3: Take out the nail polish and roll it back and forth between two palms for a few minutes to completely let the pigments mix. This action will also help lose the cap if you have a hard-to-open one.
When taking the bottle out, if you feel that it is too hot, you can grab it with a towel and then roll. Note that you have to roll the bottle but not shake it since it will create bubbles in your polish.
Tips: You can repeat this method several times until the nail polish bottle reaches the consistency level you want.
With A Nail Lacquer Thinner
Using a nail lacquer thinner is a professional way to renew your thick nail polish. Follow these given steps to know how to do it:
Step 1: Open your bottle and add two or three drops of the thinner into your polish. Don’t pour too much thinner liquid into your nail polish but instead, use the eyedropper to measure the number of drops you add to the bottle.
You can find this product in any beauty shop and drug store, so don’t worry. If you want to thin your gel polish, you have to buy the one specializing in gel polish to achieve the perfect result.

Step 2: Screw back the cap tightly and start to roll the bottle back and forth to allow the mixture to blend in together. Remember to do this action between your palms but not roll it under the ground.
Never shake your bottle to avoid air bubbles inside. You can try to flip your bottle upside down a few times if you find that the thinner doesn’t blend into the polish.
Step 3: Test again, your nail polish to see whether it is ready or not. You can consider repeating the process a few times to get what you want.
All you have to do is redo with the same movement of opening the cap and adding a few more drops thinner. Then, roll it between your palms to achieve your desired level of consistency.
Step 4: Let the thinner sit in the very thick polish for at least one hour if you have already tried to thin it for a few times.
Tips: If you accidentally make your nail polish too thin, you can fix it by letting some air slip into the bottle. After you have taken out the cap with the brush, store it elsewhere with plastic wrap covering it. Check it again after a day or maybe a few days to see if it is okay.
With Pure Acetone
Consider this method to be the last thing you have to do after trying others since the acetone may ruin your favorite bottle. Check on the step below to know how to do it.
Step 1: Open the cap and add one drop of pure acetone into the bottle. Please note that you only have to use one drop, or else it will break down your nail polish.
Step 2: Once again, roll it between the palms to let it blend well. Then, your nail polish is ready to use
By Storing them in the Right Way
Properly storing your nail polish also helps lengthen the life of your polish. There will be a few things you have to notice to keep your nail polish long-lasting.
- Find a place that has a consistent temperature to store all your bottles. A drawer may be the perfect fit for this.
- Please keep it in a dry and cool temperature and never put it near any heat source or under the sunlight.
- It would be best if you can wipe the neck of the bottle with some cotton having acetone. This action also helps maintain an easy-to-open cap for later use.

- Always place your bottle upright. If you leave your bottle on the side or upside down, it will leak the liquid to the neck and everywhere else. Therefore, your nail polish will be dry and harder to open.
- Stay away from the bathroom when storing your nail polish. It is because your bathroom temperature always changes, and its humidity can damage your nail polish.
- Don’t leave the bottle open for too long because air is the main factor that leads to thick nail polish. Thus, remember to close the cap right away when you have done painting your nail.
In Short
That is all for our post on how to thin nail polish. We hope you find it helpful in prolonging the life of your bottle. There are a few tips and notice that we have picked up for you to apply in real actions.
Anyway, good luck with your work. Thank you for reading !