Nordstrom, Amazon
Anyone who’s suffered a hangnail or had a particularly weak nail bend backwards knows dry and peeling nails and cuticles can be the bane of your fingered existence. And if you use your hands a lot in manual labor, it can seem like an impossible situation to improve.
Before you head to your local nail salon desperate to find a professional solution, the answer to healing your tattered nails once and for all might be in the list below. We reached out to three renowned manicurists who are experts in the field of nail care to find out which products, tips and tricks they use on their own clients and in their own salons.
Advertisem*nt
Down below, you’ll find a slew of luxurious creams that claim to repair the skin barrier, fortifying nail treatments and at-home tricks to get your healthiest nails and cuticles yet.
HuffPost and its publishing partners may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Every item is independently selected by the HuffPost Shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change. The experts consulted for this story do not necessarily endorse the products ahead unless otherwise noted.
1
Amazon
An exfoliating sugar scrub
Miki Higuchi, a New York-based nail artist whose clients include Ariana Grande, recommends using a sugar scrub on hands and around the cuticles to remove any dead skin and to better prep the area for subsequent cuticle oil or nail treatment applications. She said she opts for this scrub from OPI's Pro Spa line of nail care products; it's made of dual-action sugar crystals to exfoliate dull skin, while still being gentle. The quick-dissolving formula also features cupuaçu butter to deeply nourish and hydrate skin without leaving an unpleasant and greasy finish.
2
Amazon
A vitamin E-infused cuticle and nail oil
This popular nail and cuticle care oil by CND was recommended by Jacqueline Pham, a New York City-based manicurist and nail artist and owner of DJ Nails. The cuticle softener is made of three different nourishing oils like sweet almond and jojoba, as well as vitamin E, a moisturizing ingredient that can prevent yellowing, cracked and peeling nails.
"The trick to managing skin dryness is to be consistent with cuticle application and hydration. Once you see a hangnail, grab that cuticle oil instead of picking or biting," Pham advised.
3
Nordstrom Rack
A peptide-infused oil treatment
Another of Pham's oil treatment picks, Dermelect's dual-formula Revital Oil features a protein peptide, an ingredient the brand claims can strengthen brittle nails. The rest of the nourishing complex is made up of essential oils like jojoba and argan seed along with glycerin, a dermatologist-approved hydrator for the skin.
Advertisem*nt
4
Nail Labo
A pair of Japanese gentle-blade cuticle clippers
Britney Tokyo is a celebrity nail artist based in Los Angeles and founder of Tokyo Spice nail products. For grooming wayward hangnails, her nippers of choice are these Japanese-crafted clippers by the brand Utsumi. The brand says these are their bestselling model and a great option for beginners, featuring a blade that's gentle on the cuticle and skin.
Pham prefers clipping only when you need to, and maintaining your cuticles with cream and oil, which she said will eventually lead to less cuticle trimming.
5
Amazon
A fortifying cuticle and nail treatment
Pham suggested this fortifying nail and cuticle treatment, a targeted shea butter-based cream that is packed with peptides, vitamins, essential hydrating nutrients and hyaluronic acid, a popular hydrator that draws moisture into the skin.
6
Kiehl's
A cocoa butter-based lotion
Tokyo likes this cocoa butter-based lotion by Kiehl's, a classic and non-greasy formula that aims to noticeably soften coarse and flaking skin. Aside from cocoa butter, Creme de Corps contains shea butter, a moisturizer with natural anti-inflammatory properties, and squalane, a botanically derived lipid that replenishes the skin's barrier.
Advertisem*nt
7
Amazon
A white truffle-infused serum spray
Although this spray serum is intended for facial use, Tokyo also uses it on the nails and cuticles. It's a hydrating mist infused with vitamin E and the brand's signature inclusion of Italian white truffles, an ingredient the maker claims is rich in antioxidants, which iare beneficial for healing cracked and compromised skin.
8
Nordstrom
A luxury fortifying nail cream by Dior
Pham chose this luxury nail cream, a manicure essential from Dior that can be applied to nails and cuticles in the evening and works its hydrating and fortifying magic all night long. The formula, which hails all the way from 1963, boasts an infusion of glycerin, apricot oil and seaweed extracts for a nourishing performance that's stood the test of time.
9
Sephora
A multi-use barrier-repairing balm
Higuchi suggested another luxurious product from Dior. This versatile balm "[has] a very smooth texture, [is] long lasting and is easy to carry around," she said. As Higuchi also pointed out, you can use this cream-like hydrator on more than just your hands and nails, but also on your lips or anywhere else you may be experiencing cracking, peeling or dryness. It contains centella asiatica extract, a soothing ingredient popularized in Korean skin care, plus hydrating hyaluronic acid and nourishing shea butter.
Advertisem*nt
10
Amazon
A classic nail salon hand lotion
For a budget-friendly hand cream choice, Higuchi uses this CND lotion which she says makes skin feel softer and moisturized. Available in six different fragrances and packaged in an easy-to-dispense pump bottle, CND Scentsations quickly absorbs into skin and leaves behind a velvety and soft feel.
11
Amazon
A pair of gel-lined moisturizing gloves
After you've applied all of your nail and cuticle treatments, Higuchi suggests wearing gloves as an effective way to stave off dryness. These washable gloves are gel-lined and infused with nourishing ingredients like jojoba seed oil, olive oil and vitamin E. This kind of hydrating inner lining won't snag on peeling or cracked skin like traditional cotton gloves.
12
Amazon
A cool-mist humidifier
"Using a humidifier in your room is good for your skin and, of course, for your hands," Tokyo said — and we've previously confirmed with board-certified dermatologists that this is definitely the case. Based on Tokyo's suggestion, we chose this highly rated ultrasonic cool mist humidifier by Pure Enrichment that can add hydration to the air for up to 25 hours on a single fill. The BPA-free design also has a 360-degree nozzle to maintain consistent humidity in rooms up to 250 square feet.
Advertisem*nt
Before You Go
Bestselling Solutions For Problem Nails
Tessa Flores
Shopping Writer for HuffPost
Do you have info to share with HuffPost reporters? Here’s how.
