Salons have reopened and our nail inspo folder is looking full, but our nails, on the other hand, are not so glam. Whether it’s biting caused by stress or picking the skin around your cuticles, we all have bad habits when it comes to our nails.
Do them a favour and invest in a nail strengthener or growth treatment to get them mani-selfie ready. They come in a range of different textures - from creams to oils to polishes - so you can find the one you’ll actually remember to use.
We’ve tested the top products and found the ones that really perform, so you don’t have to waste your time or money. These are our winners:
- Best nail strengthener: Orly Nail Defense Strengthening Treatment
- Best base coat: Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Couture 98 Base Coat
- Best for dry nails: Nails Inc Overnight Detox Mask Strengthening Nail Treatment
- Best for anti-peeling: Essie Nail Care All In One Nail Polish Base Coat Top Coat
- Best nail tint: Dior Base Coat Abricot
- Best budget buy: Rimmel London Nail Nurse Base & Top Coat 5 in 1
- Best nail hardener: Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Instant Nail Hardener
- Best for sensitive cuticles: Dr. Hauschka Neem Nail and Cuticle Oil
- Best nail growth treatment: Duri Rejuvacote 2
- Best for smoother nails: Nail HQ All-In-One
What causes nails to become weak?
The struggle is real when it comes to achieving lengthy nails. If you find they normally snap and break before you reach your goal length, it’s a good idea to think about your routine.
It’s tempting to just go for acrylic nails, rather than trying to grow your natural length, but this would be your first mistake. Manicurists have to prep your nails by filing them down to the point where they feel a bit rough, which thins and weakens the nail. If you can’t live without acrylics though, at least try and take a break in-between sets to allow them some time to recover.
If gels are more your style, never peel them off yourself. Yes, it’s satisfying, but you're actually ripping off layers of skin too - ouch! This also causes your nails to become thin and brittle - the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve. Instead, give them a good soak with some acetone remover, or book in to your local salon to get them removed safely.
Lastly, it’s almost a given at this point, but of course hormones also play a role. If your oestrogen levels are low - which might be down to pill changes or pregnancy - it can affect how well your body retains water. If nails don’t get enough water, they become dry and more vulnerable to breakages, a bit like house plants. Although there’s not much we can do to manage our hormones, make sure to get your two litres of water in a day.
How do I get my nails to grow?
Our nails do experience a lot of wear and tear, so it’s important to minimise the impact everyday activities have on them.
Always remember to wear rubber gloves when using detergents or bleach (very glamorous, we know). Overexposure to strong chemicals can cause the skin to become soft, which leads to splitting and breaking.
Eating foods rich in vitamin C and E will also help you on your healthy nail journey. This involves eating things like almonds, eggs, peppers and broccoli. Or if that’s not your bag, try taking a supplement designed to improve your hair and nails.
A nail treatment designed to grow and strengthen nails can be the quickest route though, making a huge difference to the appearance of your nails in just a few weeks. See our top picks below.
How we test
We asked over 1,000 women to trial 42 brands of nail strengtheners and growth treatments for four weeks; the products ranged from oils to polishes to creams.
For nail growth products, our testers assessed their overall performance, including whether they prevented breakages and peeling, and if nails were left looking healthier, stronger and longer.
For strengthening treatments, testers noted whether the products helped with any flakiness, as well as if they had an impact on smoothness.
All products were also judged on how easy they were to apply, their drying time and how often they needed reapplying.
We’ve also mentioned if each polish is free from phthalate, toluene and formaldehyde, in case this is important to you.
1
Best nail strengthener
Orly Nail Defense Strengthening Treatment
Now 15% Off
£12.71 at Amazon£4.63 at Sephora£11.20 at hqhair.com
This treatment aims to prevent breakages by sealing the nail with its protein-rich formula. It more than lived up to the hype, helping to keep testers' nails intact, while 88% said nails looked and felt stronger after the trial. It left nails with a glossy finish too, and didn't chip.
Key specs
Type: Polish
Volume: 18ml
Apply: A thin layer to clean, dry nails
Phthalate-free: Yes
Toluene-free: Yes
Formaldehyde-free: Yes
2
Best base coat
Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Couture 98 Base Coat
Yes, this polish is pricey -but it really does work. It left our panel'snails looking stronger and healthier, and only took one coat to achieve the desired effect. Testers reported thesurface of their nails looking smoother too, and after two weeks they saw an improvement in their overall condition.
Key specs
Type: Polish
Volume: 10ml
Apply: As a base coat
Phthalate-free: Yes
Toluene-free: Yes
Formaldehyde-free: Yes
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3
Best for dry nails
Nails Inc Overnight Detox Mask Strengthening Nail Treatment
This treatment works overnight, like your trusted night cream, to leave you with better nails by morning. It aims to provide a moisture boost, which testers found to be true - so much so thatit helped improve any texture irregularities and banished rough skin.
The brush is pretty large, which means you can reach the whole nail in one swipe, but those with smaller nail beds might find this a bit messy. Overall though, 85% of testers found it helped with dryness and 78% agreed their nails looked smoother by the end of the trail.
Key specs
Type: Polish
Volume: 14ml
Apply: Alone or as a base coat
Phthalate-free: Yes
Toluene-free: Yes
Formaldehyde-free: Yes
4
Best for anti-peeling
essie Nail Care All-in-One Nail Polish Base Coat and Top Coat
You can use this polish as both a top and base coat, as it works to leave tips stronger and more even - because no one wants patchy nails! It took our paneltwo weeks to see proper results but by then theyhad significantly stronger nails, with 79% experiencing less peeling and breakage.
Key specs
Type: Polish
Volume: 13.5ml
Apply: As a base or top coat
Phthalate-free: Yes
Toluene-free: Yes
Formaldehyde-free: Yes
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5
Best nail tint
DIOR Base Coat Abricot
If you don’t have the time or energy to try and create a 90s French mani, this is the perfect quick-cheat product. It gives nails a healthy tint, while underneath it works to make uneven nails smoother, which94% of our testers said it did. They found it really helped with pesky peeling, too.
Key specs
Type: Polish
Volume: 10ml
Apply: As a base coat
Phthalate-free: Yes
Toluene-free: Yes
Formaldehyde-free: Yes
Costing you less than a fiver, this bottle claims to promote growth and mend brittle nails. It lived up to its promises, leaving our panel with healthier-looking nails by the end of the trial. The brush made it a doodle to apply too, and it dried super quickly. Testers didn’t notice a massive difference in growth but it did reduce overall breakages.
Key specs
Type: Polish
Volume: 12ml
Apply: As a base or top coat.
Phthalate-free: Yes
Toluene-free: Yes
Formaldehyde-free: Yes
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The name features some big claims, and we rate this polish for making weak nails more resilient. In fact,74% noticed less breakages and peeling - result!
But, as it did make such a big impact so quickly, our panel didn’t spot much improvement later down the line. For a quick fix though, it’s ace.
Key specs
Type: Polish
Volume: 13.3ml
Apply: Alone or as a base coat
Phthalate-free: Yes
Toluene-free: Yes
Formaldehyde-free: Yes
8
Best for sensitive cuticles
Dr. Hauschka Neem Nail and Cuticle Oil
Get into the habit of applying a cuticle oil before bed and your nails will thank you. May we suggest this luxe option? From our testing, we found it was ideal for sensitive cuticles, causing zero irritation and helping to reduce nail flakiness.
The pump design did sometimes dispense too much oil in one go - so watch out! - butit comes in a handy pen format too, if you'd prefer.
Key specs
Type: Oil
Volume: 18ml
Apply: Massage into cuticles
Phthalate-free: Yes
Toluene-free: Yes
Formaldehyde-free: Yes
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9
Best nail growth treatment
Duri Rejuvacote Heal and Cures Split Cracked Nails
Now 74% Off
£11.95 at Amazon
Boldly claiming to help nails grow in a matter of days, we were surprised to see that it really did what it said on the tin. Testers found it protected and strengthened nails to the point where they didn’t notice any flakes or cracks during the trial. And an impressive 86% said they would continue to use it as part of their nail care routine.
Key specs
Type: Polish
Volume: 14ml
Apply: As a base coat
Phthalate-free: Yes
Toluene-free: Yes
Formaldehyde-free: No (contains derivative)
10
Best for smoother nails
Nail HQ All in One
£7.99 at Amazon
Find your nails break as soon as they grow past the tip of your finger? Give this polish a go. It helped prevent breakages, while 70% of our panel also said it helped to prevent peeling,leaving them with healthier, smoother-looking nails. A perfect prep product for when you want to experiment with some nail art.
Key specs
Type: Polish
Volume: 10ml
Apply: As a base or top coat
Phthalate-free: Yes
Toluene-free: Yes
Formaldehyde-free: No
Charlotte Bitmead
Former Senior Beauty Writer
Charlotte Bitmead (she/her) is the Senior Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. She has over six years experience writing about beauty and has previously written for ELLE and The Sunday Times Style, covering everything from politics to sustainability to inclusivity within the beauty industry. When she’s not writing in-depth features, testing out the newest skincare fad or trying to decide what nail art to get, you can find her overspending in bookshops or shouting at Arsenal matches. Find her on LinkedIn
