ella+mila "No More Biting" Nail Polish - Bitter Taste Nail Biting Treatment for Kids & Adults - Stop Thumb Sucking Deterrent - Finger Biter Prevention (0.45 fl oz)

My 4yo was still thumb sucking at night and when he's tired. Then one night I put this on his nails when he was sleeping. The first night was rough - he woke up multiple times upset and confused about his thumb suddenly tasting bad. By day 2 he stopped fully sucking his thumb, though he did lick his thumb a few times during the day to see if the bad taste had gone away. I reapplied 2 days thereafter again while he was asleep. It has now been a full week and no more thumb sucking! He remains confused how suddenly his thumb tastes bad.... I guess I'll confess when he's older lol. There is another popular brand that sells a similar product but this one appears to be more geared towards children (at least it is marketed that way) so I chose this brand instead. The flavor of the nail polish is not horrendous but it is sufficiently bitter that it is not pleasant.

The bitterness of this polish is intense and immediate. It is specifically designed to deter both nail biting and thumb sucking, and it works exactly as intended. The taste is very sharp and lingers, which is the perfect reminder for anyone who bites their nails subconsciously." Clean Ingredients (17-Free) "One of the best things about Ella + Mila is that it's a '17-Free' vegan formula. It’s made without harsh chemicals like Formaldehyde, Toluene, or Acetone. Knowing it’s safe and non-toxic is a huge relief, especially if you are using it on children (it's safe for ages 1+)." Application & Appearance "The application is smooth and it dries very quickly (under a minute). It leaves a subtle, healthy-looking glossy shine on the nails. It can be used on bare nails or as a top coat over your favorite colored polish. Just remember to reapply every 2-3 days to keep the bitter taste strong, as it can fade after several hand washings." The taste can transfer to finger foods (like fries or fruit), so you may need to use utensils for a while!

Didn’t work for my daughter. She sucks her fingers, not her thumb so it isn’t potent enough to deter her from sucking her fingers unless the product touches her tongue. She was completely unfazed as soon as she put her fingers in her mouth after applying the product. It is bitter and tastes awful. I tested it on myself first and it has actually been on my thumb for almost a week now and the taste is the same as the first day. Would probably be effective for a thumb sucker or nail biter but not fingers suckers.

**EDITED TO ADD: came back to say, I’ve only had to reapply twice and we are still THUMB SUCKING FREE! Praise be! I never write reviews but had to share my experience as a mom of a strong willed 5.5 year old thumb sucker! We applied the polish on both thumbs on Monday before school in the hopes to stop thumb sucking at school during this horrid cold/flu season. He sucks his thumb when concentrating, when bored, when watching shows or while teacher is teaching, and to self-soothe for bed ever since we sleep trained him at 4 mo old. I completely forgot that this polish STAYS ON for a while and bedtime was going to be impacted, but there was no turning back and we needed to kick the habit once and for all, including sleep! So we committed. He allowed us to apply, and it didn’t burn or anything (“this is to help with germs and keep you healthy.”) Dried very quickly. I put it on while we were in the car and it was dry by the time we walked into school. He accidently put his thumb in his mouth a couple times out of habit that day and every time he would promptly take it out with a big YUCK! He got upset, yes, but it deterred his thumb-sucking! A swig of water solved it. We gave him some fidgets to help keep his hands busy. That night, he got PISSED and demanded I “take it off” but of course, that wasn’t an option and we rode the wave of comforting him and letting him work through it. Nights 1-3 he would get up a dozen times with every excuse in the book to avoid going to bed but eventually fell asleep! And no thumb-sucking during the days! I was SHOCKED! He even stopped sucking by accident/out of habit by the second day! Last night was night 5 and he went right to sleep! I will say I noticed after his bath on Wednesday night that the polish was starting to peel off so I reapplied it then to both thumbs, even though he had stopped sucking by then. It dried quickly again but it doesn’t last as long as they say it does, keep that in mind. I still give 5 stars because guys….IT WORKS! I’m a believer and so so thankful because I was starting to think my kid would suck his thumb until college! Every kid is different but I’m telling you….its worth a try! Hope it works for you, too! I will come back and edit my review if anything changes.

My daughter is almost 3 and has sucked her thumb since she was born. I’ve only applied it once and it has been 4 days since she sucked her thumb! Absolute miracle!!

Day 1 Feb 8 2026 Applied it on my 2 year old nail-biter as soon as it arrived. While I was still applying to the second hand she tried to bite her nails and was spitting a lot from the nasty taste. She kept trying over and over to bite her nails, but was stopped by the bitter flavor. I'll update again as time passes. I put some on my thumb to taste it and it's truly awful! LOL the bitter taste hits immediately, is very strong, and lingers.

My twins love to suck their thumb. It’s a habit. Tried all but no avail until we found this product. After every shower have to reapply to ensure it’ll work. Done for 7 days and now the thumb habit is non existence. Thank you!!

No funcionó, mi esposa siguió comiéndose las uñas aun con el producto en los dedos.