If you have a bottle of nail polish that has already dried up, you may not need to throw it out just yet. There are a few simple ways to get your polish back in good order. The most straightforward is to add a little lacquer thinner to it. Use an eye dropper to add a few drops at a time — you shouldn't need much.


Be sure to do this somewhere well-ventilated. The fumes from lacquer thinner can be hazardous in tight spaces. If the weather is good, go outside. Otherwise, open a door or window and turn on a fan.
Lacquer thinner is available at most hardware stores for just a few dollars per can. The smallest sizes are normally about a quart, so one purchase will last you a long time.
 Once you've added a small amount of lacquer thinner, screw the cap back on to the nail polish bottle and shake it gently. You can also upend the bottle or use the cap brush to stir the contents. The thinner should gradually loosen up the dried polish, leaving you with liquid polish.


If your polish is still too thick, add more thinner a drop at a time and continue stirring. When your polish is the correct consistency, stop adding thinner.
 If you don't have lacquer thinner handy, you can get a similar effect by adding clear nail polish to bottles of dried up color polish. Just add it a few drops at a time and agitate the bottle as you would with thinner. This tends to work best with polish that isn't completely dried up yet.


Note that this can affect the color and consistency of your polish. It shouldn't outright ruin it, however. You should still be able to use it when it's liquid again.
 Nail polish remover will turn dry polish back into liquid. However, the danger is that it will go too far, turning your entire bottle of polish into a watery mixture that won't stick to your nails very well. It's hard to use nail polish remover correctly this way, so it's generally best to simply stay away from it.
Add a few drops of lacquer thinner to the bottle.
Shake well to combine.
Alternatively, use clear polish.
Don't use nail polish remover.
{"src": "wikihow-all_validation", "title": "How to Keep Nail Polish from Drying Out2"}