10 Home Remedies For Keeping Your Nails Strong And Beautiful

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Your nails reveal a lot about your overall health. A patch of white here or some abnormal coloring there can clue you into what’s going on inside of your body. While a lot of your nail health is a result of your diet or lifestyle, you can look to natural remedies to give your nails a healthier appearance. So skip the nail polish full of harsh chemicals every once in a while and try these organic methods of keeping those fingertips looking healthy and your nails feeling strong.

1. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil wears a lot of hats, and nails are no exception when it comes to its versatility. Once you have that jar of organic coconut oil in your pantry, it’s only right that you slather your body with it and let your skin and nails reap the benefits. Since coconut oil is rich in carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, your skin and cuticles will love you for sharing these nutrients with them.

To improve your nail strength, massage the coconut oil into your nail beds in a circular motion and let it sit for about a half an hour before rinsing it off. If you don’t mind having the oil on your nails, you could even sleep with it on for extra moisturizing action.

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2. Olive Oil And Lemon

Before you go and put all of your olive oil and lemon on your salad, put some on your nails. Apply olive oil and lemon to your nails as a nightly routine to help strengthen your fingernails and toenails, as well as soften your cuticles.

Take about six or seven tablespoons of olive oil and two tablespoons of lemon juice and mix them together in a small glass jar. Keep the mixture in a cool, dark place when you’re not using it. Soak your nails in the mixture every day for five minutes and see if you notice a difference in their appearance. While there are no hard scientific facts that’ll prove this salad dressing to be an effective technique, it’s worth testing out.

3. Flaxseed Oil

Flaxseed oil is commonly available at health food stores and drugstores, and it has a ton of benefits. The yellowish oil comes from dried and ripened flaxseeds, which come from the flax plant. The oil extracted from the seeds may help to improve your skin’s appearance and reduce any inflammation. It’s full of essential fatty acids, antioxidants and minerals that your body needs.

Use your bottle of flaxseed oil when you have any redness or inflammation around your nails. Massage the oil around your nails once or twice a day to support your nail health.

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4. Beer

Believe it or not, beer is packed with minerals, which come from the malt that’s been steeped, germinated and dried for brewing. The maltier the beer, the better it’ll be for those nail beds.

For brittle nails, mix two parts beer with one part olive oil and one part apple cider vinegar. Soak your nails in this mixture for about 15 to 20 minutes. Give this home remedy a try once or twice a week and see what happens.

5. Tea Tree Oil

Ranging from colorless to yellow, tea tree oil is known for its antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, along with its ability to treat wounds. Along the lines of nail maintenance, tea tree oil can be used as a disinfectant.

You can use the fungus fighter in your nail-soaking liquid when you want to make sure your nail beds are living their best lives. As long as you’re alright with the strong fragrance of tea tree oil, it’s a top-notch essential oil to have on hand.

Apply a little bit of tea tree oil to your nail beds twice a day for a month or two and keep your eyes peeled for smoother skin and overall healthier looking nails.

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6. Apple Cider Vinegar

To get strong nails, you can either drink raw, organic apple cider vinegar or you can soak your nails in it. Apple cider vinegar is helpful when it comes to killing unwanted yeast and fungus on your skin and nails. If your nails are infected in any way or you find yourself constantly biting them, soak your nails or toenails in apple cider vinegar — one part apple cider vinegar and one part water — for about a half an hour or 40 minutes every day for two weeks or so. Your hands might smell like vinegar afterward, but we’d choose vinegar over an infection any day.

7. Shea Butter

A tub of shea butter can go a long way. The thick cream can be used as a moisturizing tool for your nails. With a combination of natural vitamins and fatty acids, shea butter comes in clutch for any cracked or dry skin. It’ll feel like you’re really nourishing the skin around your nails.

If you have the time to sit and massage your nail beds with shea butter, you’ll help yourself get stronger nails that can hold up against any kind of filing, nail glue, nail treatment or application of harsh chemicals that you might be using otherwise.

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8. Stinging Nettle Tea

While it can’t hurt to nourish your nail beds from the outside, you should also consider natural remedies that can work starting from the inside. Nettle tea, which is made with the stinging nettle leaf, is packed with vitamins and minerals that’ll help improve your circulation.

The herb is also a source of calcium, which will help contribute to your overall nail health as well. You can find nettle tea at large retail stores and the majority of health food stores. Drinking nettle tea on a regular basis could help give your hair and nails that healthy boost they need.

9. Tomato Juice

Good news: Your tomato sauce can double as a natural nail care treatment. Tomatoes contain biotin and vitamins A and C, which can all help your nails grow stronger. Tomato juice and olive oil together are an awesome duo for a natural nail-soaking solution. Combine one part tomato juice with one part olive oil in a small dish and let your nails soak for about a half an hour on a regular basis.

Since an iron deficiency can also lead to brittle or unhealthy nails, it’s important to keep up your intake of iron-rich foods like eggs and spinach. Foods that are rich in Vitamin C will help your body absorb iron, so try to incorporate a tomato and spinach salad into your weekly meal prep if you can.

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10. Oatmeal

The next time you see a sale on organic oats, it’s a good idea to stock up. Besides meeting all of your breakfast needs, you’ll be prepared with a natural ingredient that’ll benefit your nails, too.

Oats are a great source of fiber and biotin, which is a B vitamin that helps promote hair growth and overall scalp health. If you have a deficiency in biotin, you might experience brittle hair or nails. Other foods that’ll give you a boost of biotin include beer, bananas and raisins.

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