The 15 Best Nail Strengtheners to Treat Brittle, Damaged Nails

Best Overall

Duri Rejuvacote 1 Original Maximum Strength Nail Growth System

4.2

View On Amazon View On Duri.com

When it comes to nail strengtheners, this one can't be beaten. The tag line for this product reads "from dying nails to nails to die for," and we couldn't agree more. We reach for it time and time again, whether to use it as a rehab treatment post gels, as a base coat, or whenever our nails are bare and looking kind of blah. (To that point, it works as a solo treatment, as well as base and topcoat.)

What makes this product so magical? Two different proteins plus added calcium and keratin, which work together to stimulate growth. The formula also effectively seals in the moisture and fatty acids naturally produced by your nail plate to minimize dryness and peeling.

Price at time of publish: $14

Active Ingredients: Ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, keratin | Dosage: Once per day for a week | Size: 0.6 fl. oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Drugstore

Sally Hansen Mega Strength Hardener

View On Amazon View On Walgreens

Sally Hansen is a key player in the drugstore nail category, so it's no surprise that they offer a few different nail strengtheners. This one gets our vote because it's infused with a fortifying diamond powder to keep your tips extra strong. Bonus points for the extra-wide brush that makes application a breeze, as well as the budget-friendly price tag.

Price at time of publish: $8

Active Ingredients: Ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, diamond powder | Dosage: Two coats | Size: 0.4 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Drugstore, Runner-Up

Orly Nail Defense Nail Strengthener

View On Amazon View On Ulta View On Walmart

Affordable and effective, this is a protein-packed treatment that happy reviewers say helps their nails grow and not peel or split. It works as a base coat, although the extra shiny finish of this means it looks like you're wearing a clear polish if you do want to sport it solo. It also has the brand's special grippy brush handle that makes precise swiping a breeze.

Price at time of publish: $13

Active Ingredients: Ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, horsetail extract | Size: 0.6 fl. oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Peeling Nails

Nails Inc. Nailkale Superfood Base Coat

4.5

View On Amazon View On Sephora View On Walmart

True to its name, this formula does contain kale extract. Coupled with other antioxidant-rich botanical extracts plus strengthening keratin, it delivers five different benefits: hardening, hydrating, and nourishing nails, while also stimulating growth and preventing breakage. While it has a minty tint in the bottle, the base coat goes on clear, imparting nails with a healthy, glass-like sheen.

Price at time of publish: $20

Active Ingredients: Butyl acetate, ethyl acetate, pomegranate extract | Dosage: Two coats three times per week | Size: 0.5 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Natural Nails

OPI Natural Nail Strengthener

View On Amazon View On Ulta View On CVS

If you like to keep things simple, aren't sporting acrylics or lots of gels, and just want something to make your natural nails look that much better, try this formula. Along with protecting nails to ensure long, strong growth, it also pulls double duty as a great base coat, preventing staining and discoloration while helping color adhere better.

Price at time of publish: $12

Active Ingredients: Ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, camphor | Size: 0.5 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Kit

Zoya Naked Manicure Women's Starter Kit

View On Amazon View On Zoya.com

To create the look of truly healthy nails—no matter how beat up they might be—reach for this four-step system. Step one is a nutrient-packed base coat full of vitamins, proteins, and amino acids that keeps nails both strong and flexible to ward off peeling and breakage. Follow that with the pink perfector, applied all over to instantly brighten nails and the tip perfector along the free edge to enhance the white tip. A shine-enhancing top coat seals the deal for a result that makes it look like you're not wearing any polish at all—just that you have the most natural, gorgeous nails ever.

Price at time of publish: $30

Active Ingredients: Ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, sunflower oil | Size: 0.5 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Polish

Essie Treat Love & Color Nail Polish

View On Amazon View On Walgreens

If you want to combine your strengthening and color steps steps into one, this nail treatment polish is perfect for you. It can decrease peeling by 60 percent and breakage by 35 percent in just one week; credit collagen and camellia extract. Not to mention that it comes in lots of different hues, all offering a sheer wash of gorgeous color along with these benefits. Plus, you don't even need a base or topcoat with it.

Price at time of publish: $14

Active Ingredients: Ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, collagen | Dosage: Daily for one week | Size: 0.5 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Base Coat

Butter London Horse Power Nail Rescue Base Coat

View On Amazon View On Target View On Walmart

If you like to have your nails polished at all times, then you're probably wearing a base coat at all times. And if you're doing that, you might as well make it a base coat with benefits, like this guy. There are four key ingredients in the formula: horsetail extract and biotin to promote healthy growth, plus vitamin B and calcium. If your nails are on the struggle bus, this will for sure help transform them, but if they're already in good shape, this will help keep them that way. Just note that if you're using it to strengthen your nails, you'll need to use it consistently in order to see the results.

Price at time of publish: $19

Active Ingredients: Ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, biotin | Dosage: One coat | Size: 0.5 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Base Coat, Runner-Up

Dr.'s Remedy Enrich Nail Polish Hydration Nail Moisture Treatment

View On Amazon

This effective formula, a favorite of celebrity nail artist Elle Gerstein, relies on biotin, wheat protein, and pentavitin to help keep nails long and strong. "I use this as a base coat, especially during the cold winter months, to help seal moisture into my nails," she says.

Price at time of publish: $18

Active Ingredients: Ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, biotin | Size: 0.5 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Nail Biters

Barielle No Bite Pro Growth

View On Amazon View On Walmart

For those can't seem to let go of their nail biting tendencies, this treatment is could really help you kick the habit. While it goes on invisible and odorless, it has a nasty, bitter taste that will definitely discourage biting. It's also infused with ingredients to boost growth and strengthen the nails, helping to transform them from bitten down and brittle to long and strong, all in one step.

Price at time of publish: $10

Active Ingredients: Ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, silica | Size: 0.5 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Tinted

Pear Nova Enhance Nail Strengthener

View On Pearnova.com

The aloe vera in this formula makes it a nice option for combating dryness. But it's the (super subtle) pink hue that gets us excited about this pick. It's not color—to that point, this can easily be layered under polish in place of a base coat—but it's just enough to make your nails look healthy and almost glowy. Think of it as the nail equivalent of a tinted moisturizer.

Price at time of publish: $14

Active Ingredients: Aloe | Size: 0.34 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for All Nail Issues

Olive & June Nail Strengthener

View On Oliveandjune.com

If your nails have breakage, peeling, white spots, or ridges, reach for one of Olive & June's popular nail treatments. Credit a variety of plant-based extracts, including celery seed extract, that help strengthen nails—up to a 77 percent increase in nail strength, according to the brand. Note that if you wish to use it as an intensive treatment for really damaged nails, you'll need to apply it nightly to see the results.

Price at time of publish: $14

Active Ingredients: Ethyl acetate, celery seed extract | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best 17-Free

Ella + Mila First Aid Kiss Nail Strengthener

View On Amazon

You've likely heard of 5-free and 7-free and even 8-free polishes. Buckle up because this formula is, wait for it, 17-free. What does that mean? It means that it's free from 17 of the potentially harmful ingredients that are commonly found in nail products. It contains good-for-your-tips vitamin E and is great for weak, thin, and splitting nails. FYI, it's best when used for four weeks consistently, which can feel a bit tedious, though the results are worth it.

Price at time of publish: $11

Active Ingredients: Ethyl acetate, butyl acetate | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for the Entire Nail Area

CND RescueRXx Daily Keratin Treatment

View On Amazon View On Ulta View On Beautyexpert.com

Think of this as a cuticle oil and nail strengthener hybrid. The formula contains jojoba and sweet almond oils, both of which impart tons of moisture not only to the nail but to the surrounding skin, too. In addition to the benefits of hydrating cuticle oil, there's also protein-rich keratin in the mix to help bolster the strength of the nail. All you have to do is swipe it on (truly, as haphazardly as you want since you can't mess this up) and rub it into the nail and entire nail area. Do so daily and prepare to be amazed by how much better your nails look.

Price at time of publish: $21

Active Ingredients: Sweet almond oil, keratin | Size: 0.5 fl. oz. | Cruelty-Free: No