Honestly, a cuticle cream probably isn’t at the top of your list of beauty needs. But it really deserves to be recognized. The humble product can go a long way in keeping your nails strong, healthy, and looking good. As a quickie reminder : the cuticle is the piece of skin at the base of your nail bed that prevents bacteria and grime from getting in and causing infection.
We may not be outside much these days, but it doesn’t mean that our hands aren’t feeling the effects of dry air and non-stop hand washing. Stripping soaps, hand sanitizer, and plastic gloves all take their toll, ravaging cuticles and leaving them split and peeling. Not cute — and definitely not comfortable, either.
You could definitely use cuticle oil to keep your cuticles in tip-top shape, but think of those as more of a fast fix and the best cuticle cream as a long term solution. Packed with ultra-hydrating ingredients such as butters and oils, they’re usually even thicker and richer than hand cream, delivering a concentrated hit of hydration. Our favorite way to use one? Slather it on nightly before you hit the sack, just as you would a lip balm or hand cream, to keep your cuticles moisturized and your nails looking that much better.
Below, check out the best affordable cuticle creams online in the market right now that are affordable.
TenOverTen The Celery Oil
Celery seed extract in TenOverTen’s The Celery Oil is the star ingredient that helps nourish nails from the inside out. There’s also evening primrose oil to hydrate both the nail and surrounding skin, along with chia seed oil, vitamin B3, and zinc to harden weak nails that may be constantly breaking.
Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream
The addicting citrus scent is reason enough to make you want to keep slathering this on, improvements in your nails aside. But it does, in fact, help get your nails into tip-top shape, thanks to almond oil, cocoa seed butter, and beeswax (which locks in all the hydration). As an added benefit, it also boasts vitamin E and sunflower oil to help boost brittle and peeling nails. Plus, it’s 100% natural, with no parabens or petrolatum.
Sally Hansen’s Cuticle Rehab Oil Balm
The bullet-shaped tip of Sally Hansen’s Cuticle Rehab Oil Balm makes for an easy and mess-free application. There’s moisture attracting glycerin, volcanic sand to softly scrub away dead skin, and aloe, safflower, and vitamin E oils to rehydrate parched cuticles.
Mario Badescu Cuticle Cream
The salicylic acid in this Mario Badescu Cuticle Cream will help soften seriously ragged hangnails. It’s a rich gel-cream formula so it’s extra nourishing, minus any greasy or sticky feeling afterwards.
French Girl Nail & Cuticle Oil
You’ve likely heard of the hydrating benefits of fatty acids for skin. French Girl pulls its fatty acids from argan and pomegranate oils to deeply nourish brittle nails and dry cuticles. There’s also rosemary and rose geranium essential oils to help with growth.
Butter London QuickFix Moisturizing Cuticle Balm
First, this delivers moisture to dry cuticles, thanks to coconut and avocado oils. But then it helps maintain those moisture levels, using phospholipids. Read: Cuticles stay looking and feeling hydrated, longer. Bonus points for the easy-to-use massaging tip, that makes application both easy and mess-free.
Dermelect Rejuvenail Fortifying Nail & Cuticle Treatment
Dry cuticles and dry, breaking nails often go hand-in-hand (no pun intended). Enter the beauty of this option; with both hydrating and strengthening ingredients such as keratin and peptides, it quenches cuticles and reinforces weak nails in one fell swoop. Reach for it if your nails need a little extra TLC post-gel manicure.
Dr. Paw Paw Shea Butter Balm
Every dry area of your body can benefit from the papaya fruit at the base of Dr. Paw Paw Shea Butter Balm. There are seven different variants of the multipurpose salve, but this one in particular has shea butter, aloe, and olive oil for healing any chapped skin around your nails.
Indigo Wild Almond Zum Rub
If you don’t want to shell out money solely for cuticle cream, consider picking up a multipurpose balm, such as this one. Shea butter plus goat milk plus a blend of natural oils make for a hydrating formula that can truly do it all. Dab it on beat-up cuticles and/or use it to tamp down frizz, hydrate chapped lips, soften cracked heels—you name it.