Being essential for the beauty of your hands and manicure, cuticle oil is the cosmetic that we’ll shine the spotlight on today. Easy and quick to apply, it offers visible improvements to the appearance of your cuticles and nails. Come with us to learn all about this magical product and find out why, when, and how to use cuticle oil!
What is cuticle oil?
Cuticle oil is a moisturizing product used to hydrate the cuticles and nails. It may come in regular nail polish packaging, with a dropper, or in a practical brush-pen presentation. It’s easy to apply even for those with no skills for nail polish application! Cuticle oil is an essential step in your manicure and it makes a world of a difference in the results.
What are the ingredients in cuticle oil?
Cuticle oil is usually made of fruit or nut oils, such as avocado, almond, argan, or coconut. These oils are nourishing and repairing—with some formulas featuring only one of these oils, while others blend a few oils to achieve the ideal product. Thanks to their softening action, this targeted type of oil will visibly improve the health and appearance of your cuticles and nails. Do you want to hear more about the benefits?
What are the benefits of cuticle oil?
essie Treatment Apricot Nail & Cuticle Oil
Applying cuticle oil improves your manicure in many ways! It adds extra hydration to the cuticle and nails, improving the overall appearance of your nails while preventing some unwanted inconveniences of skipping your basic hand-nail maintenance.
Let’s start by discussing the most obvious benefit of applying cuticle oil: it protects the cuticles while softening and moisturizing the skin around the nails. The truth is that our hands endure multiple aggressions, every day, that can leave the skin around the nails overdried and fragile. An extra layer of nourishing care helps the cuticle to stay strong and keep protecting you. Just as your skin of the face and body thrives when cared for, so do your cuticles!
Another great result of using cuticle oils is preventing hangnails. When the cuticles get extremely dry for lack of hydration or for the use of harsh products, it’s common to have hangnails. They’re not pretty and can be really uncomfortable, so you better prevent it with a targeted oil for cuticles! When properly hydrated, the skin is smooth and hangnails are not as much of a concern.
This benefit may convince you. Even though we can’t say that cuticle oil makes nails grow faster, the truth is that moisturized are less prone to breakage. Having that said, you should achieve long nails faster if you moisturize them!
How to use cuticle oil?
Knowing how cuticle oil can benefit your manicure, it’s time to learn how and when to use it. Consistency in application is key to having visible results, as with any other cosmetic. Apply it regularly by integrating cuticle oil into your daily routine to see the results!
Do you put cuticle oil on the whole nail?
Your nails behave more like a barrier rather than as a sponge, yet it doesn’t mean that it won’t absorb anything. That’s why it could be a good idea to extend your cuticle care to the nails, especially if you’re not planning to apply nail polish right after. The nails may be no experts in absorbing caring products, but you’ll see that the right product and a proper application make a difference. We’ll see about that in a second!
Are you supposed to rub in cuticle oil?
Yes, you’re definitely supposed to rub in cuticle oil! By massaging it in, you’re making sure that this enhancing oil penetrates where it should, leaving the skin and nails nourished and soft. Since oil is a slippery texture, you’ll feel that rubbing it in is a very intuitive step. As you’re massaging it in, you’re making sure that the product stays where it is supposed to.
Do you wash your hands after cuticle oil?
If you wash your hands right after applying your cuticle oil, you’re not allowing it the time it needs to do its job. The hand soap and water will rinse the goodness out of your hands, and you’ll be left with the usual dryness you were trying to fight. As we’ve previously seen, this targeted oil takes its sweet time to work, so you’ll need to grant your cuticles some alone time with the oil.
How long do I leave cuticle oil on for?
The longer, the better! Considering what we’ve learned so far, let’s say that you just can’t overdo it. It’s all about timing! Plan ahead and apply your cuticle oil before a long session of couch chilling or even before bed—the perfect scenario is to leave it soaking your cuticles overnight.
How often should you use cuticle oil?
Dr. Hauschka Neem Nail & Cuticle Pen
Ideally? Every time you wash your hands! We understand that it might not be doable, but you may try it by placing a bottle of your favorite cuticle oil by your sink. If you’re not ambitious enough to aspire to such a consistent application, let’s find a compromise: once a day. You should find it easier to achieve, especially if you place a bottle on your bedside table! Choosing a presentation that is quick and mess free may help to—give a try to the Dr. Hauschka Neem Nail & Cuticle Pen.
Should you put cuticle oil on toes?
You should most definitely do! Nails and cuticles tend to be thicker on the toes, so our dear oil reveals incredibly useful to make your pedicure pop. The method and frequency of the application should be the same and you’ll see how much of a difference it should make. You even get to stretch a bit to apply, it’s a win-win situation!
How to use cuticle oil with nail polish
How do nail polish and cuticle oil interact? It’s essential to know how one influences the other and what you should consider before using these two exciting cosmetics. Keep reading to know how to make nail polish and oil the best of friends!
Do you put cuticle oil on before or after nail polish?
Even though you can use cuticle oil before or after applying nail polish, our recommendation is to apply after. Let us walk through the why: even though you can apply your oil before painting the nails, you’d need it to be fully absorbed before going in with the polish. And we know how much nails like to absorb product (spoiler: they don’t like it that much). If there’s still oil on the nails when you’re painting them, the polish won’t adhere properly. To make sure that you don’t ruin your chances of rocking a lovely manicure, we recommend that you go in with nail polish first, and then finish with a generous dose of oil to make that manicure shine!
It may be the case that you really need to apply cuticle oil to treat your cuticles before your nail polish. When using a caring oil before the manicure, make sure to rub it in and allow it a few hours to be properly absorbed.
Will cuticle oil ruin nail polish?
It will not, as long as you apply it once nail polish dried—even though, with some formulas, it can be applied when wet and help make some nail polish dry faster. As a matter of fact, applying cuticle oil over nail polish works like an extra layer that will protect your fresh manicure and prevent smudging. There’s really no reason to skip this step!
Does cuticle oil dry nail polish?
Even though express dry solutions for nail polishes feature oil on the ingredient list, we can’t claim that all cuticle oils are going to dry your nail polish. If you’re looking for a solution that actually hastens the drying time, you should rather try Catrice Express Quick Dry Drops or a top coat like Flormar Quick Dry Extra Shine Top Coat.
Are you eager to start caring for your nails at home? Let us walk you through your new nail care routine at home!
