How to Get Gum off Skin

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Co-authored by Naomi Elza

Last Updated: July 27, 2024 Approved

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Getting gum stuck to your skin can be a pretty frustrating experience. It might have fallen out of your mouth while you were sleeping or maybe you laid your arm down on a piece of chewed gum by accident. You probably didn’t mean to do it on purpose, and it can be painful pulling it off with your fingers. Luckily there are a number of techniques you can employ to make the process much easier and less painful.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Vaseline

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Buy regular unscented Vaseline. You can buy Vaseline at your local pharmacy. If necessary you can choose a different off brand version of Vaseline if you’re looking to save a little money. Any type of petroleum jelly or Vaseline type substance has the same jelly that adheres to the gum and causes it to loose its stickiness. It becomes smooth and hard and will fall off your skin much more easily.
- You can buy the smallest size possible if you don’t use it very often, because you won’t need very much to get the gum off your skin.
^{[1]
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Research source}Rub Vaseline around where the gum is attached to your skin and on the gum itself. You probably only need a nickel sized amount of Vaseline. Feel free to use more if you think it will help, but there is no need to overdo it.

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Wait for the gum to come off. When you put Vaseline on the gum it will naturally ball up and come off. However, you might need to wait a minute or so for this process to completely take effect.
- Don’t try to pull it off immediately after you put the Vaseline on – let the Vaseline soak into the gum and your skin first.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Peanut Butter

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Find an old towel and some creamy peanut butter. Creamy peanut butter will work better than chunky peanut butter because you’ll minimize the mess that you might cause. You also need to find a creamy peanut butter that has a high oil content. Look for peanut butter that has a very high fat content too.
- The oil in the peanut butter is what helps to dissolve the gum and remove it from your skin or hair.
- You can find peanut butter at most grocery stores. Make sure the towel isn’t one you plan to use again. It might get pretty dirty.
- Avoid using a white towel. It may stain.
You don’t need to cover the entire towel. A four-inch by four inch box on the towel will probably be enough to remove the gum. Put a generous amount of peanut butter on this four square inch box.
Scrub it with the other side of the towel, and the gum should come right off. Use a comb to remove the gum if necessary.
You might be a little messy after using the peanut butter to remove the gum. Wash your skin with some cold water to remove any excess peanut butter.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Oil

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Pour a little vegetable oil on the gum. Find a regular cooking oil like canola oil or olive oil and pour a small quarter sized dab of it on the part of your skin with the gum stuck to it. It might be easier to pour a little in a spoon and then pour the spoon onto the affected area of your skin to avoid a mess.
- Gum is a hydrophobic material, which means it will not dissolve in water. However, using other hydrophobic materials can help reduce the stickiness and cause the gum to dissolve. Oils and fats are hydrophobic, so they are the perfect option. ^{[2]
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Rub the oil on the gum with your hand. The oil will release the gum and it will naturally come off without pain. Be sure to give the oil a few minutes to soak into the gum and your skin. As you rub the gum it will start to dissolve. Be patient and you won’t have to rip the gum off with your bare hands.
- The reason peanut butter is so effective at removing gum is because it has peanut oil in it. Other oils, like canola or vegetable oil, are equally effective.
Once you have started to dissolve the gum using the oil you can remove the rest of it by running a brush or comb along your skin. This works particularly well if the gum is stuck in areas where you have a lot of hair. If you feel pain, stop and apply more oil to the area. ^{[3]
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Question

What if I am allergic to peanuts, and I have no Vaseline?

Community Answer

Use an oil you are not allergic to: coconut, olive, sunflower, canola, etc.

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Do you have any other tips?

Community Answer

Try scrubbing it with a loofah and a sugar scrub face exfoliator. Avoid products with microbeads as they are bad for the environment.

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Does it comes off if it is very sticky gum?

Community Answer

Yes, because the skin sheds itself and regrows. Even if pieces of the gum are left that stick strongly to the top layer of your skin, the top layer will eventually get free of the rest of the skin and you will lose the gum with a tiny layer of your skin.

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Tips

If you are using water, use cold water.

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Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1
All the methods work but many recommend peanut better for best removal. However, Vaseline may be more convenient.

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Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1
You can also use water or ice cubes to help remove the gum.

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Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

For hair with gum stuck in it, work vegetable oil into the gum using your fingers. Let it soak, then comb it out carefully. The oil dissolves the gum.
Apply an ice cube wrapped in a paper towel to numb the skin and harden the gum for easier removal. Follow with oil or Vaseline to finish removing it.
For clothes, rub the gum spot with an ice cube first. Once hardened, scrape off what you can with a spoon or knife, then treat any remaining residue.
If you don't have oil or Vaseline, try rubbing the gum with an old damp toothbrush. The bristles help scrub off the gum once softened by the water.
Apply a small amount of regular Vaseline or petroleum jelly to the gum, let it soak in, then gently rub it. The gum will ball up for easy removal.
Rubbing the gum quickly with a wet bar of soap can help dissolve and remove it. Make sure to rinse afterward and go gently to avoid pain.

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