I suffer with very ragged cuticles that are also very painful to remove. The skin tears and bleeds easily. I have used other cuticle softeners before which are like oil. This is thinner and has a strong alcohol smell. I thought it would sting a lot but it doesn't at all! I applied just a drop, waited for 15 seconds, then dabbed it off with a tissue and used a small knife to clean the cuticles. They come off very easily and no pain or tearing at all. This is an excellent product and also great value as you only use a tiny drop of product on each nail, so it will last for a long time.