How to remove super glue from skin?

Mary
by Mary

OK this is embarrassing icon .

I was making this amazing photo frame lantern that I found on Hometalk and I dripped super glue onto my finger. By the time I realized, the super glue had dried and formed a hard crust that just won't come off. I tried washing the dried, hardened super glue off with soap and hot water in the shower but it won't budge.

Can anyone on Hometalk please tell me how to remove super glue from my hand? Please give me specific instructions if you can. Thank you!

When super glue dries on your skin, it forms this flaky crust that is really hard to get off!

This is the photo frame project I was doing. You can find it on Hometalk here (I recommend wearing gloves icon ): http://www.hometalk.com/diy/decorate/rooms/bi...

  11 answers
  • Try nail polish remover. Then use a boatload of lotion and see if that gets it off.

  • Mary Mary on Nov 18, 2018

    Thanks to Naomie (above) I now know of a lot of possible ways to remove super glue from skin. But which one should I try first? I am going to list the ideas I learned about and hopefully the community here can help me decide, based on your experience.

    1. A paste made of coconut oil and baking soda
    2. Simple salt and water - getting the finger wet and adding a lot of salt, and rubbing
    3. Applying butter or margarine
    4. Olive oil
    5. Laundry detergent
    6. Vaseline (petroleum jelly)
    7. Lemon juice
    8. Sand paper (ouch!)
    9. Peanut butter
    10. Vinegar (regular or apple cider)


    I'd love to hear from anyone who has actually used one of these and it worked? Or do you know that any of them does not work? I think I will try olive oil first, since that seems easy, it's something that I have, and it does not involve chemicals. Wish me luck!

    • Vanessa Hernandez Vanessa Hernandez on Nov 21, 2021

      Hot but bearable water with dish soap every 10 minutes while working on it with fingernails works for me, maybe adding salt can accelerate this? Or would it make it worse? Baking soda mixed with this kind of glue while it’s wet is great to glue things that won’t glue using this strong glue alone because of a chemical reaction, so because of the chemicals reacting as mentioned above, I would be worried about trying baking soda on the hardened glue.

  • Rhino Rhino on Nov 19, 2018

    Nothing works except time and friction.

    • See 1 previous
    • Rhino Rhino on Nov 20, 2018

      Super glue will not break down. It needs to wear off. Just keep picking at it. In a couple of days it will chip off.

  • Connie Adams Connie Adams on Nov 19, 2018

    Actually , your skin has oil in it , so it's just a question of time and the glue will come off by itself .

    • Mary Mary on Nov 19, 2018

      Thank you Connie. How long do you think it will take? If it will come off in a day or two I would rather wait, but any more than that and I think I'd prefer to try the best solution. Have you ever gotten super glue on your skin?

  • Gk Gk on Nov 19, 2018

    Do the dishes in the s ink a few times! It should be gone in a day or so!

  • Seth Seth on Nov 19, 2018

    Mary,

    You body is constantly shedding skin cells so it should not take long. Rubbing your thumb and finger together will accelerate the process. You could try applying hydrogen peroxide on it and around it, which may help to peel so skin away. Hydrogen peroxide is an oxygenator and will cause your skin cells to rupture. I just try to forget about it and it's gone within a few days.

    • Mary Mary on Nov 20, 2018

      That's really interesting Seth. Thank you for sharing! I would not have thought of using hydrogen peroxide to help get the super glue off quicker, but it makes a lot of sense!

  • Swan Road Designs Swan Road Designs on Nov 19, 2018

    Try pure acetone or, as already suggested, nail polish remover. Either will work, but time also will take care of your dilemma.

    • Mary Mary on Nov 20, 2018

      Thank you. You are right, the white crust is slowly going away. I wonder if that's because our skin cells are constantly reproducing.

  • Judi Judi on Nov 20, 2018

    I googled it and came up with

    "goo gone for skin" & then they say you can order it. It's available at stores too.

    • Mary Mary on Nov 20, 2018

      Thank you Judi. I guess that's something useful to have in case this happens again. I wonder if anyone here has used Goo Gone for the Skin and can tell us whether it works well or not.

  • Dee Dee on Nov 20, 2018

    Acetone, from the hardware store, not nail polish remover. Works like a charm.

    • Mary Mary on Nov 21, 2018

      Dee, why do you say "not nail polish remover"? Will it not work like acetone? It's just easier for me to use what I already have in the house.

  • Dee Dee on Nov 23, 2018

    Regular nail polish remover is not strong enough. But if you only have a small area on your finger, give it a try.

  • Deb K Deb K on Sep 12, 2021

    1. Hello, you can try these, hoep they help you out
    2. Lather up: “Wash the area with soap and warm water,” Dr. Anthony suggests. “Hand soap or dish soap works well. .
    3. Get a greasy product: Rub an oily, skin-safe substance onto the area. .
    4. Use acetone: Nail polish remover with acetone usually works, but it's the most damaging to the skin
    5. goo gone