I Wouldn’t Trust Just Any At-Home Gel Nail Kit—Our Beauty Scientists Say These Are the Best
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Gel manicures offer glossy, chip-proof nails with a mirror-like shine that's so satisfying. Unlike traditional nail polish that must air-dry slowly, gel nails are cured via a UV or LED light, fully hardening and setting to a perfect finish in seconds or minutes. Gel manicures also tend to last longer than regular polishes. The downside? Their often-lofty price tag and the time investment at the salon.
Luckily, gel manis are no longer a salon-exclusive luxury thanks to at-home gel nail kits that let you DIY your own mani in the comfort of your home. To find the best gel nail kits, our pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab started by vetting the most popular products on the market, considering only those with clear ingredient labels that comply with the FDA's Cosmetic Labeling Requirements . All of our picks below are compliant with these requirements.
Our top picks
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Best Overall: Red Carpet Manicure Pro 45 Starter Kit
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Best for Travel: Le Mini Macaron 1-Step DIY Glossy Gel Manicure Kit
Then, we tested eight at-home gel nail kitsand reviewed each product's packaging, including ingredient and warning labels, giving preference to products that clearly advise avoiding skin contact to prevent irritation from methacrylates (a known allergen and skin sensitizer found in every gel polish). We've listed below which products lack these warnings.
Editor's Note: Traditional UV gel nail polishes use methacrylate polymerization technology to obtain the long lasting, chip-resistant coating. While the 2005 Cosmetic Ingredient Review Report ruled methacrylates "safe as used in nail enhancement products when skin contact is avoided," the study concluded that these ingredients are known to be skin sensitizers, so skin contact should be avoided.
Red Carpet Manicure Pro 45 Starter Kit
We love the professional-looking results this Red Carpet Manicure kit gives. Not only does the polish in this kit stay on nails, but it's also fast and easy to apply. "The detailed instructions are very helpful, and the products that come in the kit are easy to use and seem to be good quality," an Amazon shopper reported. "I've done two manicures now, and they've lasted me a whole two weeks (and could have lasted longer)."
Reviewers say it's perfect for beginners, too, since "it has everything you need," including polish essentials (such as base and top coats plus nail color), nail prep must-haves (like cuticle oil and cleanser) and tools (like nail wipes, wood pushers, cuticle stick, buffing strips, and nail file), plus remover and foil wraps for when it's time to take off your manicure.
Take note that reviewers do warn that the color pictured may not be the one you get in the box, but still say the well-stocked kit is worth the coin. Our Beauty Lab found that the label does not clearly state that it should be avoided for skin contact, so use with care.
- Long-lasting professional results
- Complete kit with full suite of accessories
- Fast application
- Packaging label does not clearly state to avoid skin contact
Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish Manicure Starter Kit
Beloved nail polish brand Sally Hansen's gel kit is budget-friendly, fast, and efficient. The included LED light is compact but "super convenient, even though I was hesitant about getting a smaller lamp," one reviewer noted. "It's the perfect size," which makes this kit ideal for anyone who doesn't mind drying their nails one by one in exchange for a smaller footprint. The brand claims the three-step manicure kit lasts up to 10 manicures, which means this comes in at less than $5 per mirror-shine, glossy gel mani.
Heads up: This kit isn't as well-stocked as others on the market and only comes with one nail polish shade, so you won't have a ton of options. That said, it comes stocked with cleanser pads, base coat, top coat, gel polish remover, cuticle stick, buffer, and an alcohol-based cleaning pad.
- Budget-friendly
- Dries quickly
- Fewer accessories and colors than other kits
Le Mini Macaron 1-Step DIY Glossy Gel Manicure Kit
A pint-sized lamp, carry-on-friendly polish-removing wipes, a mini nail file, and a micro cuticle stickmake this adorable gel nail kit perfect for a mani on the go. Its macaron-shaped light is the smallest lamp of those we evaluated and claims to cure nails in 60 seconds (it automatically turns off after the cure time for each nail, making the process pretty foolproof). Of course, the tiny footprint means you'll have to cure each nail individually, which may make for a more time-consuming mani.
The travel-friendly device is USB-powered, so you can plug it into a computer or a phone charger. This set only comes with one nail polish (which matches the color of the included lamp). Without a base coat or a top coat, we still found that just two coats of polish will do. "I love that you don't need base and top coats," said one reviewer. "The UV lamp is too cute for words. Not only that, it is very effective and cures gel polish and semi-cured strips very quickly."
- Travel-sized lamp and accessories
- Powered via USB
- Lamp features automatic shut-off
- Small lamp; more time consuming
CND Gel Basic Kit
This basic kit has exactly what you need and nothing else, making it perfect for DIY proswho may already have nail accessories. The muted neutral tones are on trend, and one tester said, "My nails don't seem to be damaged from using this." This kit is minimal with just a base coat, top coat, and polish included, so it's best for anyone who already has a full nail kit at home.
"I loved how my nails looked salon-quality when I had done it myself," a tester said. "I wouldn't even consider myself great at painting my nails, but after two times, I really got the hang of it, and once dry, the gel polish really looked professional and hid any errors I had made during the application."
If you're looking to expand your gel polish arsenal, though, our pros say this is your pick—there are tons of colors to choose from. It also comes with a lamp and various converters for different regions around the world, making it a great option for travel. We wish the application directions were included in the kit, and we also found that these formulas contain several ingredients with only minimal health and safety data for use in cosmetics.
- Many shades available
- Easy removal
- Directions are not included
Gelish Pro Kit
Gelish has a wide range of gel nail polish colors to choose from (more than 200!), and this kit comes with everything you need to get started. The brand claims that the polish cures under the included LED lamp in 45 seconds and removes in under 10 minutes with the included artificial nail remover. This kit comes stocked with helpful extras, and reviewers say this is the ultimate beginner-friendly buy: "This kit had everything needed to apply gel polish at home," including base and top coats, cuticle oil, polish remover, and more. "They even give you nail sticks with sandpaper to smooth and prep the nails."
The kit comes with the full suite of Gelish must-haves, from its prep formulas pH Bond (which removes excess oils from the nail for a longer-lasting finish) and Foundation (an adhesive base coat that the brand claims protects the nail). It also comes with Top It Off, Gelish's high-shine top coat that the brand claims "will not dull, chip or peel," a cleanser to remove any lingering sticky residue, and Nourish cuticle oil to finish it all off.
Reviewers swear that "it looks like professional gels when applied," and that "unlike salon polish, it is very easy to remove without damaging nails." The tradeoff, they say, is that this polish only lasts one to two weeks instead of three to four weeks, as some salon gel polish might. Some components of the kit contain ingredients that only have minimal health and safety data for use in cosmetics. We also wish that the light was a little larger.
- Complete kit with beginner-friendly accessories
- Wide range of colors to choose from
- Professional quality finish
- Small light for curing
Dazzle Dry Mini Kit 4 Step System
If you're on the hunt for a gel-like polish without the curing process, look no further than Dazzle Dry. Unlike any other nail polish, this four-step system goes on like regular polish but lasts about as long as gel, and it doesn't need a light to cure. "It's completely replaced gel polish for me," one of our editors shares. "And it really does completely dry in just five minutes. My nails feel so much healthier when I wear thisinstead of gel."
This kit comes with nail prep, base coat, top coat, and nail reviver. We love that it can be removed with drugstore acetone nail polish remover, rather than needing to soak off like traditional gel. Note that this product is a little thicker than other polishes, so there's a bit of a learning curve to applying it just right.
- Fully dries quickly without using any light
- Doesn't need to be soaked off
- Polish has a thick consistency that can be challenging to work with for beginners
Manucurist Green Flash Slim LED Gel Nail Polish Kit
Finally, a peel-off option that doesn't require the harsh soaking and time associated with most gel manis.The Manucurist's formula doesn't include the common methacrylates (which give the long-lasting finish found in traditional gel manicure kits). Instead, it claims to be made with up to 84% natural ingredients, resulting in a finish that's much easier to remove—without acetone.
We found that the resulting mani doesn't last as long as traditional gel manicures. "It started peeling way before the 10 days claimed," our tester said. However, she was impressed by how much easier the polish was to remove, thanks to the kit's clips that keep the dissolvent in place rather than the clumsy foil wraps. A reviewer added, "You get all the benefits of gel without the nail damage or lengthy and messy removal. Lasts about a week for me, but since it's so easy to remove and redo, not an issue at all."
One kit comes stocked with three color polishes, a base coat and top coat, a collapsible LED lamp, and a dissolvent—plus those fan-favorite clips to aid in removal. You can also choose between a 24-watt lamp for manicures in 30 minutes and the brand's premium 36-watt lamp for 10-minute drying.
- Simple, quick removal
- Less damaging than traditional gel
- Natural ingredients
- Not as long-lasting
How we choose at-home gel nail polish kits
In the GH Beauty Lab, our Beauty Lab pros first reviewed ingredient lists for potential safety concerns by checking eight popular options against the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) database , which classifies substances based on whether or not they may be carcinogenic, and California's Proposition 65 Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 databases , which provide a list of substances that are known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. From there, we also reviewed, if available, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) safety assessment final reports for any ingredients flagged during our initial review.
After a thorough review of eight gel nail kits currently on the market, our pros assessed their ingredients against specific safety resources, based on available data to date.
Philip Friedman
What to look for when shopping for a gel nail kit
While all types of at-home nail kits essentially pay for themselves after one or two uses, the options range from professional-quality to beginner-friendly. When shopping for one, "it should have everything you need in it, including the lamp, as kits should be used as a full set from the same brand for best results," advises Julie Kandalec , a celebrity manicurist and founder of Julie K Nail Academy. Here's what else you should seek out for the best DIY gel manicure results:
✔️ Lamp: If you're just starting out and don't already have a lamp, be sure to check the kit contents to see if there's an LED or UV lamp included since that's needed to cure the polish.
✔️ Gel nail polish:Of course, your kit should come with at least one polish in a shade you like. We recommend buying any additional polishes from the same brand to ensure compatibility with the light from your kit as well.
✔️ Additional polishes:Some kits come with more than one color for versatility. We also like when a kit comes with both gel base and top coats for the longest-lasting DIY manicure.
✔️ Manicure accessories:Depending on what you have and what you need, look for useful extras like files, buffers, cuticle pushers, cuticle nippers, nail brushes, or even nail art accessories and tools.
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Are at-home gel nail kits safe?
As long as you know what to look for and what to avoid, and you "don't peel off your gel," says Kandalec. We recommend that, at a minimum, gel nail kits include packaging that meets FDA Cosmetic Labeling Requirements, with a proper ingredient label on the primary packaging, for consumer safety. Here's what else to keep in mind when shopping:
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✔️ Purchase gel nail kits from reputable retailers and brands.Based on our analysis, we found that some products sold on third-party retailer sites posed a safety concern to consumers, as they did not have proper ingredient labels on primary packaging, did not clearly state the name and place of business, and/or had misspelled ingredients on the ingredient label, which does not meet FDA Cosmetic Labeling Requirements. We suggest purchasing UV gel manicure kits from trusted brands like the ones included above, and, when shopping at third-party retailers like Amazon, be sure to check that the item is being sold by a reputable storefront or a verified brand marketplace.
✔️ Avoid skin contact when applying gel polish.Almost all ingredient labels on the gel nail kits we evaluated listed at least one methacrylate monomer, a known allergen. Consumers should avoid skin contact with these lacquers due to the sensitization potential. The good news is that any sensitization or contact dermatitis can be "resolved after removal ... or discontinuing work with gel manicures," according to a literature review in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology . If any redness or irritation develops on the skin or near the eyes after gel application, immediately remove the lacquer from the nails.
✔️ Use the correct light source with your nail kit and follow manufacturer instructions.If the incorrect light source is used or if the time allowed for curing is insufficient, higher levels of acrylate monomers (which are allergens) may remain on the nail, which can cause allergic contact dermatitis. Use kits as directed, but as a rule of thumb, use them in a well-ventilated area and keep them away from heat, sun, open flames, and the reach of children.
Philip Friedman
Is UV or LED light better for gel nails?
Gel nail polishes are cured using UV or LED lamps, and some gel nail polishes can even use both. While both are effective, according to the International Journal of Women's Dermatology , " LED lamps accomplish photocuring more quickly because they emit a narrower spectrum of light.
However, UV lamps are less expensive and are therefore more routinely used in the photocuring process." It is super important to use the proper light source for the nail polish you're using, so use the lamp that comes with your kit and follow the usage directions closely.
While you may immediately think of skin damage when you hear "UV," damage to skin from UV exposure during gel manicures is basically a nonissue, according to new studies. "The risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer was 11 to 46 times lower than the risks of being exposed to natural midday sunlight," according to a 2013 study in the journal Photochemistry and Photobiology .
A 2014 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association echoed these findings, saying the average UV-A energy exposure during a typical gel manicure is low enough to be unconcerning.If you're still worried, the American Academy of Dermatology says you can apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher before getting a gel manicure on your hands, or put on dark, opaque, fingerless gloves.
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How to use a gel nail kit
Every kit differs and may have slightly different directions; be sure to follow your kit's instructions carefully to get the best results.
Following all the steps properly, as recommended, will also help prevent the polish from lifting or peeling prematurely, explains Kandalec. Generally, here's what to do:
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File and buff nails to the desired length and shape, then clean up cuticles.
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Use the included nail cleaner/prep, or wipe the nails with an alcohol pad, to remove any natural oils and ensure no residue remains on the nails.
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Apply the base coat and cure under the lamp (typically for 30 to 60 seconds, but defer to your kit's instructions).
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Apply two coats of your chosen color, curing for the recommended amount of time between coats.
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Finish with one layer of topcoat and cure again. If nails feel a little sticky or tacky, wipe with another alcohol pad.
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Why trust Good Housekeeping?
With a background in color cosmetic development, Danusia Wnek , a senior chemist in the Beauty Lab, has spent years evaluating nail polishes and nail treatments in the Lab and with consumers. For this article, she authored a testing report that included the results of an in-depth review of gel nail polish kits' packaging, an up-to-date review of ingredient safety, and usage suggestions and safety considerations for consumers.
This article was written and updated by former Deputy Editor Jessica Teich , who has over 10 years of experience formally researching, testing, and writing about beauty products. A lover of nail polish, gel, and otherwise, she wrote this article based on the findings from Wnek's report and by gathering additional recommendations from prior Beauty Lab evaluations.
Former Beauty Assistant Catharine Malzahn has also worked on updating this article. She worked closely with the Beauty Lab to help deliver fact-based, science-backed beauty coverage.
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