To remove gorilla glue from skin, several home solutions can help, such as:

• Soap and water (for phase one)
• Lemon Juice
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Warm oil
• Pumice stone (sandpaper or knife sharpening stone)
• Acetone
• Salt and sugar scrub

But the one thing you should never (ever!) do is try to peel it off with your hand or any sharp (or even dull) object, as this could cause injury to your skin. 

Gorilla Glue is one of the strongest and quickest-acting adhesives for at-home effective repairs. It is designed to penetrate deep into the material (in this case, the skin) as it hardens. So let me explain the Phase One parentheses very shortly. 

The soap and water method can work if you act fast within phase one before the glue hardens. Once gorilla glue hardens to the skin, removing it will become a bit more challenging but not impossible. 

You may find that some claim that only one method works and not the other. The truth is that Gorilla Glue may be the same, but how it interacts and bounds to the skin may differ. 

You may need to experiment a little to find the method that best works for you. This guide will find the best options to remove gorilla glue from the skin. 

Follow the step-by-step guide to help you get gorilla glue off your skin at home safely and effectively.

I recommend you check out my guide on removing nail glue from your hands.

Soap And Water (Phase One)

You can usually remove gorilla glue from the skin if you catch it dropping right away and fast. 

What you will need:

1. Water 
2. Soap
3. Clean cloth (or paper towel)
4. Hand lotion

While this super strong adhesive is still soft, you could also wipe it off with a clean cloth or wash it off with soap and water. Just be careful not to spread it to an even bigger surface on your skin. 

But if soap and water aren’t reachable right at that moment, wipe off as much as you can with a clean cloth (or paper towel). Just don’t spread it.

Here is what you need to do before Gorilla Glue hardens to your skin:

1. If you can reach soap and water very fast, then act immediately. Get soap on the affected area and start washing it off.
2. Keep washing it until the glue comes off entirely. Make sure there is no residue left. 
3. Dry the affected area and generously apply a moisturizing hand lotion or hand cream, as the glue can cause significant dryness to the area. 

If Gorilla Glue is already hardening and you could only get part of it off with a cloth, water, and soap, that’s alright. Don’t stress; the next couple of methods will offer you step-by-step solutions for this. 

Lemon Juice

There are several ways to apply lemon juice to remove gorilla glue from the skin. I will offer you a step-by-step guide to follow to the most effective option but also provide you with an alternative implementation. 

What you will need:

• Lemon
• Soap and water
• Hand lotion

Follow these steps to soften the gorilla glue on your skin and get rid of it safely:

1. Take a lemon and cut it in half (if you do not have a lemon, you may use any other citrus fruits, such as lime, orange, or grapefruit, but if you have a lemon, stick with it like it’s the most effective one).
2. Cut the lemon in half.
3. Grab one-half of the lemon and start rubbing it over the glue while also squeezing it.
4. Keep massaging its lemon juice into the affected area.
5. If you squeeze all the juice out of it, but the glue still isn’t softening or disintegrating well enough to easily and safely remove it without forcefully peeling it, then grab the other half lemon and continue the process.
6. Once the gorilla glue breaks apart, wash it off with soap and water until no residue is left.
7. Dry the affected area.
8. Apply moisturizing hand lotion or cream.

Here is an alternative way to apply lemon juice to remove gorilla glue from the skin.

What you’ll need:

1. Small bowl (or cup)
2. Lemon juice
3. Cotton swab (or toothbrush)
4. Cotton ball
5. Water and soap
6. Hand lotion

Follow these simple steps:

1. Add lemon juice to a smaller bowl.
2. Saturate the cotton ball in lemon juice.
3. Apply the cotton ball onto the affected area.
4. Keep the cotton ball on the glue, and let it get soaked well.
5. If the glue isn’t dissolving, saturate the cotton ball with lemon juice again and re-apply.
6. Keep repeating this until necessary.
7. Soak the cotton swab (or toothbrush) with lemon juice and start massaging the affected area in a circular motion to help the glue break apart more easily.
8. Keep re-saturating the cotton swab (or toothbrush) and massaging it into the glue until you manage to remove it and no residue remains.
9. Wash the area with soap and water.
10. After drying, apply a lotion or cream that moisturizes the skin.

Do not, at any point, try to forcefully peel off the glue while it is still hardened on the skin, as you may accidentally peel off some of the skin. 

One thing to be aware of with this method is cuts, open wounds, or irritations you may have on the skin either right beneath the glue or very close by.

This method could still be applied if this is the case, but most likely, it will sting. 

Rubbing Alcohol

If you have to rub alcohol in your home, it may help eliminate gorilla glue stuck to your skin. 

The items you will need:

• Rubbing alcohol
• Cotton ball (or swab)
• Toothbrush
• Soap and water
• Moisturizing lotion or cream 

Before applying rubbing alcohol to the affected area, you could also soak a clean cloth in soapy water, use it to the affected area and let it soak through. After that, here are the steps to follow:

1. Soak the cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and apply it to the affected area.
2. Let the cotton ball sit on the gorilla glue to soften it and help it break apart slowly.
3. You can also apply a circular motion with a cotton swab or toothbrush that has been soaked in rubbing alcohol to help the glue break apart.
4. Keep repeating the above steps until all glue has been safely removed and no residue remains.
5. Wash the area with soap and water to clean it off well.
6. Apply a lotion or cream that will keep your skin moisturized.

Make sure you don’t skip the last step. It may seem trivial or unnecessary, but it is important as glue can cause significant dryness to the skin that could potentially result in some irritation. 

Warm Oil

Usually, any oil works for this, from essential oil to vegetable oil, olive oil, and sunflower oGo with whatever you have in your house for easy and fast. 

You will need:

1. Oil
2. Bowl
3. Cotton swab (or toothbrush)
4. Salt
5. Soap and water
6. Moisturizing cream

Here are the specific steps to follow to help remove gorilla glue from the skin:

1. Add oil into a bowl.
2. Heating the oil usually increases effectiveness. Heat the oil for no more than 8-10 seconds in the microwave.
3. Saturate the cotton swab (or toothbrush) with the oil and start massing it into the affected area using circular motions.
4. Repeat the above step until the gorilla glue starts to dissolve and break apart.
5. If this is becoming hard to achieve, add a little salt to the oil, mix it, then continue applying this to the glue.
6. Once the glue starts to come apart, remove it slowly until no residue is left.
7. Wash the area with soap and water to clean it off well.
8. Apply moisturizing lotion or cream to prevent dryness.

When heating the oil, be careful not to overheat it. If you accidentally leave it in for longer and it is too hot to apply, wait for it to cool off until it is safe to use without harming the skin. 

This method also works to remove nail glue from your clothes.

Pumice Stone, Sandpaper, Or Knife Sharpening Stone

It may be somewhat surprising, but pumice stone (or even sandpaper or a knife sharpening stone) can effectively harden gorilla glue from the skin. You will need to be careful using this method at home. 

Here are all the times you need:

1. Pumice stone
2. Soap and water
3. Moisturizing lotion

Here is exactly what you need to do and how to safely implement this method:

1. Firmly hold the pumice stone in your hand.
2. Firmly but gently rub it against the hardened gorilla glue (don’t be too harsh to avoid irritations or wounds to the skin).
3. You may apply a back-and-forth motion, a circular motion, or both.
4. Keep using gentle but firm rubbing until the glue starts to disappear.
5. Move on to soap and warm water when you get very close to the skin.
6. Wash all residue off with warm water and soap.
7. Dry and apply a moisturizing lotion or cream.

This method is even more necessary to use a cream or ointment that moisturizes the skin. 

Not only will glue cause dryness to the skin, but depending on what item you will use, such as sandpaper, this could also heighten skin dryness or even a slight irritation.

Acetone

If you have acetone or acetone-based nail polish remover in your home, you can apply this method to remove gorilla glue from the skin. 

You will need:

1. Acetone
2. Cotton ball or cotton swab
3. Soap and water
4. Moisturizing lotion or cream

Follow these steps:

1. Saturate the cotton ball in acetone.
2. Apply the acetone-saturated cotton ball to the affected area and let it sit there to allow time to soak through the glue.
3. Repeat this step for a few minutes until the gorilla glue breaks apart.
4. Once the glue can be safely and easily removed from the skin, use the cotton ball or swab until no residue is left.
5. Wash the area with soap and water to clean the surface.
6. Once dried, apply a lotion to moisturize the skin.

If this method doesn’t quite do the trick for you, there is yet another that is proven to help if this gluey situation arises. 

Salt And Sugar Scrub

You can create a homemade scrub with some basic ingredients you already have at home to exfoliate and safely remove gorilla glue from the skin. 

Here is what you will need:

• A bowl
• Salt
• Sugar
• Warm water or oil
• Toothbrush
• Soap and water
• Moisturizing cream

Follow these exact steps to help you get rid of the hardened glue on your skin:

1. Add about a spoonful of salt and sugar to the bowl.
2. Add enough warm water or oil to moisten the mixture (you don’t want it to get too liquified).
3. Scoop a generous amount with the toothbrush and apply it to the affected area.
4. By applying gentle pressure, rub the mixture into the glue using a circular motion.
5. Keep adding and massaging the mixture into the affected area until the glue dissolves or easily breaks apart.
6. Don’t be too harsh in applying pressure to avoid harming or irritating your skin.
7. Once the glue is dissolved, you can wipe it off with a paper towel or a cotton ball.
8. Wash the area with soap and water to clean it and ensure no left residue.
9. Apply a moisturizing lotion once the area is dried to avoid dryness or skin irritation.

Conclusion

Gorilla Glue is one of the strongest adhesives one can use to glue several broken items at home. It acts fast, and it is very resistant. 

But once it gets onto the skin and dries on it, you may not be happy with how strong it is. You can try various helpful methods at home to remove gorilla glue from the skin. 

These are:

1. Soap and water (for phase one)
2. Lemon Juice
3. Rubbing Alcohol
4. Warm oil
5. Pumice stone (sandpaper or knife sharpening stone)
6. Acetone
7. Salt and sugar scrub

You may need to experiment a little until you find the one that works best for you and your skin.

Regardless of which method you prefer, remind yourself to be patient. It may take some time until the glue breaks apart or dissolves (just because it is that good and strong). 

However frustrating it may be, don’t try to pull it off – either by hand or with a sharp (or dull) object – as you may peel the skin off and end up with open wounds. 

Always (and I meant it!) apply a lotion or cream to moisturize your skin. Depending on how long the glue has been on your skin, it can cause severe dryness, leading to irritation and more unpleasantries.