These strengthening polishes are exactly what your constantly-breaking nails need (2025)

That’s why I like to call in the A-team every so often: nail strengtheners. Yup, I’m talking about nail-strengthening polishes and treatments that help restore your damaged nail beds with vitamins, proteins, and hydrators.

Nails, while hard keratinised structures, do have absorptive capacity, explains board-certified dermatologist Karan Lal. Essentially, he says, there are two types of nail strengtheners: those that "hydrate" (hi, hyaluronic acid, butylene glycol, lactic acid, panthenol, etc.), and those that "protect" (hi, calcium, protein, biotin, etc.) by creating a film that acts as a physical shield. The key is to find a nail strengthener that is easy enough to be consistent with and addresses your specific nail concerns. As for the best brands and products? I gotchu.

This strengthener is the best of both worlds. It contains biotin to repair damage and promote stronger nails, while glycerin and panthenol provide hydration. Call on it if your brittle nails are constantly chipping and breaking. A few coats of this every week will sort you out.

Hydrate or protect? Both
Top coat/base coat? No
Key ingredient(s): Glycerin, biotin, panthenol.

Glowing Customer Review: "After having acrylic nails on for a holiday earlier this year I was worried my nails wouldn’t ever recover. This product is amazing, it’s strengthened my nails and they are looking the best they have ever looked."

Sensitive girlies, this one is for you. Manicurist's Base S.O.S is fortified with vitamin C and B5 to moisturise and strengthen brittle nails. It's also formulated with with 78% bio-sourced ingredients, (including sugar cane, corn, wheat and cotton) so it is just as delicate on your skin and nails as it is the environment.

Hydrate or protect? Hydrating
Top coat/base coat? Base coat
Key ingredient(s): Vitamin B5 (a humectant to retain moisture) and vitamin C (an antioxidant).

Glowing customer review: "I’m really impressed with this treatment polish. My nails are dry and peeled easily. I have used lots of other nail polishes and nothing else has worked. This polish stays on my nails well and seems to be holding the peeling layers together as they gradually grow out."

The Essie Strong Start base coat saved my nails from breakdown following back-to-back gel manis. The polish is formulated with biotin – needed to reinforce broken nails – which has worked wonders in helping to prevent peeling and breaks. It also can be used as a base coat so I can paint on my polish with ease.

Yes, nails do have an absorptive capacity. However, some substances can penetrate your nails much easier than others. This is because nails are made of super strong keratin that acts as protection against damage that could affect the health of your nail barrier. Unfortunately, this means that strengthening ingredients (hi, calcium, protein, biotin, etc.) are likely not absorbed enough to impact your nail growth from below, says Dr. Lal.

But (but!) for the good news: Your nails are *extremely* permeable to water (hi, water-binding humectants) and oils, which are emollients that work to seal moisture in. This means that nail-strengthening products rich in oils and hydrating ingredients are great options for people who struggle with peeling, textured, hard, and/or sandpaper nails, says Dr. Lal.

As for the strengthening ingredients, although your nails are not absorbing too much of the substance, they actually do have a positive impact if you're trying to repair damaged, weak nails. This is because these strengthening ingredients provide protection (aka a film) over your natural nails, giving them the best environment to grow healthy and stronger.

Decide if you want a "protecting" or "hydrating" strengthener

There are two types of nail “strengtheners” – those that harden and those that hydrate. Dr. Lal breaks it down for us:

• Hydrating strengtheners contain ingredients that hold and bind water to your skin and nails. Hyaluronic acid, butylene glycol, lactic acid, and panthenol are all great examples. Some formulas may also contain lipids like triglycerides and glycerin, which moisturise your nails. Hydration-based strengtheners are great for those with peeling, textured, hard, and/or sandpaper nails.
• Protecting strengtheners rely on ingredients such as keratin, protein, biotin, and calcium, all of which add a film and allow your nails to appear stronger and thicker. These ingredients are not likely to be totally absorbed enough to impact your nails’ growth from below, but they will act as a physical shield, which prevents breakage, chipping, and cracks.
  

Determine if your brittle nails are due to an underlying cause

"At the end of the day, brittle and thin nails may be from genetics, poor diet, thyroid disease, anemia, or underlying diseases," Dr. Lal says. Make sure you see a dermatologist for a thorough diagnosis, as brittle nails may actually be nail psoriasis, lichen planus, or even eczema, he says. Based on the cause of nail issues, specific supplementation may be helpful and/or treatment of the underlying cause.

Consider supplementing the nail strengthener with other methods

The best and easiest tip for ensuring you maintain healthy nails is through supplementation, says board-certified dermatologist Dendy Engelman. You should be eating protein, calcium, zinc, and vitamin A in your diet and supplementing with vitamins, she adds.

• Dr Karan Lal is a board-certified dermatologist and the director of cosmetic dermatology at Affiliated Dermatology in Scottsdale, AZ. Dr. Lal specialises in pediatric and adult dermatology, laser surgery, and treating skin of colour.
• Dr Dendy Engelman is a board-certified dermatologist at Manhattan Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery and director of dermatologic surgery at Metropolitan Hospital in New York, New York.

Siena Gagliano is an associate editor at Cosmopolitan who writes beauty, with over three years of experience writing in the makeup, skin, and hair spaces. She’s an expert at researching and writing beauty stories, like the best drugstore eye creams and the best clear sunscreens. She regularly tests and analyses nail strengtheners on her own nails for efficacy while working with the industry’s top dermatologists to assess new formulas and products.

Lauren Balsamo is the deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan with eight years of experience researching, writing, and editing beauty stories that range from laser skin tightening to the best sunscreens for oily skin. Her nail strengthener picks were based on product reviews, personal testing, and information from experts.