Best Nail Strengtheners in the UK

Review & Comparison, Last Update November 11, 2024
Do you suffer from brittle, weak nails? Then, a good nail hardener is what you need. It can help you grow much stronger and longer ...Read more
PROS

Thanks to the active ingredients including castor oil, your nails will be reliably protected from the environmental negative effects. Also, they will get a sufficient amount of nutrients to grow healthy and shiny.

CONS

The product has a quite runny texture.

OUR VERDICT

The Nail Magic Hardener is a unique 2-in-1 treatment that strengthens and conditions your nails all at once. Just one bottle will help you forget about weak, thin and damaged nails. The polish is very simple and convenient to use - it is easily distributed and dries quickly.

detailed parameters
Type

Strengthener and Conditioner

Suggested Use

Stand-alone treatment, Base coat, Top coat or Clear coat

Active Components

A unique blend of ingredients including castor seed oil

Safety

Formaldehyde-free

Volume

7.4 ml (2 pack)

PROS

The product contains calcium and wheat protein, which contributes to the intensive strengthening of the nail bed by forming a thin protective layer. As a result, it rids you of fragility and dullness.

CONS

It requires considerable time to dry out.

OUR VERDICT

The OPI Nail Strengthener provides intensive nail care, enhances the elasticity of your nails and increases their resistance to damage. It can also be used as a therapeutic measure (applied as a base coat). The OPI Nail Envy is available in nude colours to hide small imperfections.

detailed parameters
Type

Strengthener

Suggested Use

Stand-alone treatment, base coat

Active Components

Hydrolyzed wheat protein, calcium

Safety

Formaldehyde-free

Volume

15 ml

PROS

Keratin proteins along with moisturising Jojoba and Almond oils can reduce flaking and yellowing of nails. Eventually, they build in some layers of protection and shield your nails against colour staining.

CONS

The formula contains oils that can stain clothes.

OUR VERDICT

The CND Rescue Keratin Treatment brings clinically proven results after just a week of regular use, making your nails stronger and less prone to peeling. The oil is easy to apply and has a pleasant aroma. In addition to delivering a strengthening effect, it can soften the skin around the nails.

detailed parameters
Type

Strengthener and Keratin treatment

Suggested Use

Stand-alone treatment

Active Components

Keratin Protein, Jojoba oil, Sweet Almond oil

Safety

SSL- and paraben-free

Volume

15 ml

PROS

The product is enriched with PRO Keratin and pistachio resin crystals, which contribute to the renewal of keratin fibres and stronger bonding of the three main layers in the nail plate. 

CONS

You should avoid touching cuticles and skin around your nails.

OUR VERDICT

If you want to grow long and beautiful nails, the Mavala Scientifique K Plus Nail Hardener is what you need. It strengthens the tip of the nail plate that is prone to flaking or splitting the most. Within a few weeks, you'll notice significant improvement.

detailed parameters
Type

Strengthener

Suggested Use

Stand-alone treatment, base coat

Active Components

PRO Keratin, crystal resin tears extracted from the pistachio mastic tree

Safety

Formaldehyde-free

Volume

5 ml

PROS

The brush is made of 100% natural bristles which are very flexible and distribute the varnish evenly. As for the hardener itself, it's made of 75% naturally-derived ingredients.

CONS

Though it's a natural product, it still has a strong smell. 

OUR VERDICT

The Sally Hansen Nail Hardener is a real find for eco-conscious customers. Being completely vegan and safe, it'll make your nails tougher and reduce the appearance of ridges. It has a quite hard texture, so one coat will be enough. 

detailed parameters
Type

Strengthener

Suggested Use

Top coat

Active Components

A unique blend of ingredients, including pistacia lentiscus gum oil, avocado fruit extract, camellia sinensis leaf extract

Safety

Formaldehyde-free, Toluene-free, Xylene-free, Acetone-free, Phthalates-free, Parabens-free, Sulfate-free, Cruelty-free, Vegan

Volume

11 ml

Cuticle Oils and Creams Nail Strengtheners

Works Like Magic

If you've already tried numerous strengthening products but none of them has worked for you, it's time to switch to something more serious and professional like the Nail Magic Nail 2-in-1 solution. It really works miracles and can repair even extremely split and broken nails relatively quickly.

As the name suggests, this nail product can bring a double benefit to your nails. Not only does it make your nails harder but also it deeply conditions them to bring back their beauty. Made with a unique blend of ingredients, it enriches your nails with a generous amount of nutrients, making them grow healthy and shiny. And owing to the addition of the castor oil, the product creates a protective barrier for that nourishment. That is to say, it shields nails from negative environmental effects. Castor oil is also known for its anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties. Hence, you can have peace of mind knowing that no fungi or bacteria will lurk in your weak nails.

This powerful nail conditioner should be used once a week after the initial treatment. It goes on well and gives a slight sheen to the nails. It can act as a standalone treatment as well as a base coat or a top coat.

In all, if you have terribly flakey nails and want to grow them strong and healthy, we would recommend going with the Nail Magic Nail. It works its magic where others fail.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $0.00
Stock May be out of stock
ASIN B07L3W9C2W

Make Them Envy Your Nails

For those who would like to repair the nails after long years of wearing gel nail polish, the OPI Nail Envy Treatment can come to rescue. It's a super-powerful treatment that can help restore even extremely weak and damaged nails in a short while.

Formulated with hydrolyzed wheat protein and calcium, this nail strengthening product provides the maximum hardness to your nails. When it comes to maintaining the strength and structure of nails, these ingredients are known to be the best at keeping the tissues of the nail bed healthy. So, they will help you grow strong and long nails that will be less prone to dryness. And what is notable, after the very first use, you'll notice an immediate improvement.

This bombproof miracle polish can be used as a standalone treatment or as a base coat. We would like to stress that this strengthener is available in various colours, unlike many other similar products. To specify, you can get such nude shades as Samoan Sand, Hawaiian Orchid, and Bubble Bath. Though the polish is almost sheer with one coat, two or three coats do the trick.

To conclude, if you'd like to treat your nails while masking the damage and small imperfections, the OPI Nail Envy Treatment is the best solution. It'll breathe new life into your weak, damaged and cracked nails in the most beautiful way.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price £13.10
Stock May be out of stock
ASIN B07FXKT6LB

Daily Keratin Treatment

Do you have dry, brittle or splitting nails that are prone to break, tear and flake? If so, we recommend trying the CND Rescue Daily Keratin Treatment. It's a highly effective product formulated with Keratin proteins that can penetrate into your nails, strengthening the plates and restoring moisture balance. Keratin proteins also gradually build in some layers of protection and shield your nails against colour staining or damage from polishes. Also, they're able to reduce white marks and prevent yellowing, thus, making your nails look much more beautiful. The additional components, Jojoba oil and Sweet Almond oil, in their turn, condition the nail plate and nourish surrounding skin, delivering a softening effect.

For the best results, this CND product should be used directly on the bare nails with no polish or Shellac, otherwise, it'll give only partial penetration. The oil should be massaged into the entire nail, nail edge and cuticle twice daily. It's recommended to apply it for a two-week period for optimal results; however, those with particularly weak nails may want to extend this period up to four weeks. In general, according to many users, nails become noticeably stronger and stop peeling already after a week of use.

If you'd like to repeat the treatment course after a while, you'll be pleased to find out that there are metal balls inside the bottle to agitate the solution and keep it from settling, which means it won't get tough and lose its effectiveness. Overall, each bottle lasts for over six months with regular use (twice a day). So, it's a very cost-effective Keratin-infused product that bonds to natural proteins in your nails to reduce peeling and white spots for healthier, stronger, and more beautiful nails.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price £13.21
Stock In stock
ASIN B00U6IC4BE

Acts on the Natural Keratinization of Your Nail Plate

If you're in search for an effective rebuilding and hardening serum that will quickly seal your nail plate and protect it against all kinds of damage, you should take a closer look at the Mavala Scientifique K Plus Nail Hardener. It's a perfect solution for soft nails that tend to split and break.

Infused with PRO Keratin, the serum works along with the nail keratinization process. It gets deep into the nail plate and makes it grow harder. In other words, it's a unique nail treatment that remarkably improves the adherence of keratinized nail cells forming nail disks.

Like the majority of other similar products, the Mavala Scientifique K+ is not an instant nail hardener. It gradually enriches your nails with nutrients and makes them grow harder in a few weeks. For the best results, you should apply it to clean nails 2-3 times a week. Move the brush from the centre to end and avoid cuticles and skin around your nails. The serum soaks quickly into your nails, allowing you to put a polish on top. The bottle contains only 5 ml; however, a little goes a long way, so it will last you nearly a couple of months.

All things considered, the Mavala Scientifique K+ is a great nail care product that boosts natural keratinization process of your nails. It offers quick help for fragile tips and flaking nails.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price £12.89
Stock In stock
ASIN B076DJRBFP

Completely Natural

The Sally Hansen nail hardener is a real boon for all eco-conscious customers in the UK. It's completely safe, cruelty-free, and vegan.

With 100% vegan formulation, the hardener uses no animal-derived products and nasty chemicals such as acetone, phthalates, parabens and other nail toxic ingredients. It's plant-based and contains such naturally-derived ingredients as potato, wheat, corn, and sugar cane. Still, it's quite effective at toughening the nails up.

Just like the nail polish, the brush is produced from 100% plant-based ingredients. To specify, the bristles are made of castor bean oil and can help you achieve a perfect application.

This hardener is a completely clear varnish that can be worn alone, as a base coat under a coloured polish, or as a top coat over it. It dries fairly quickly and leaves a nice shine on your nail that doesn’t go dull after a few days. Also, it doesn't chip even with lots of layers. However, we believe you'll need only one coat as it has quite a hard texture. For the same reason, it also significantly improves the appearance of ridges even when applied alone.

All in all, if you want to achieve radiant, healthy-looking nails in the most ecological way possible, this product is for you. This is a good natural hardener that will appeal to most people searching for ethical beauty products.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price £7.05
Stock In stock
ASIN B08148YH9M

What Is a Nail Strenghtener?

Unfortunately, as a study led by researchers at Harvard Medical School reveals, 27% of women have brittle, weak nails (also known as onychoschizia). This can be caused by some health conditions or external factors. So, if you do a lot of gardening, decorating, washing, and other housework, more likely than not, your nails need rescue. And a good nail strengthener can fit that bill perfectly.

A nail hardener is actually a clear polish that brings a double benefit to your nails - it leaves them glossier and stronger. This type of treatment makes fragile nails much tougher and tackles such issues as splitting, peeling, and chipping. It also hides small imperfections and deeply hydrates your nails.

A nail hardener treatment is usually enriched with proteins or keratins to encourage healthy nail growth. These elements react with the natural protein found in your nails, thus creating stronger chemical bonds. With that, nail strengtheners don't require a lamp to "set" in. They come with a brush in the cap and can be applied quickly and easily. Depending on your needs, you can use a nail hardener as a top coat, base, or a standalone product.

To enhance the effect of a nail strengthener, we recommend you to use it in combination with cuticle oils. These can deeply moisturise not only your cuticles but nails as well. And since hydration is the key, you'll be able to grow healthy nails quicker.

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