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Your nails are the crowning glory of your manicure. They're what make you feel confident and beautiful. But let's be real for a minute — your nails are not always so perfect. Sometimes they get caught on things, chip, and break, and oftentimes they can be a nightmare to deal with. The worst is when your cuticles get dry and start peeling, leaving your perfectly manicured nails looking less than stellar in no time.
Luckily, there are many cuticle creams available that help you get rid of unsightly hangnails and prevent dry cuticles from making an appearance on your lovely fingers! We've rounded up some of our favorite cuticle creams of 2024 that’ll strengthen your nails while keeping them primed and presentable.
Our Picks of the Hottest Cuticle Creams
Onsen Secret Cuticle Cream — Best Overall
Treat your cuticles to the ultimate spa experience with Onsen Secret Cuticle Cream. Packed with natural and organic nourishing ingredients, this potent cuticle cream penetrates deep into your cuticles and nails, delivering a surge of moisture and nutrients to strengthen, protect and stimulate nail growth. With its restorative formula, this cuticle cream replenishes lost minerals and soothes painful hangnails, all while preventing bacteria from creeping inside.
For maximum convenience, it comes equipped with a precise applicator tip that dispenses just the right amount of cream each time so you don’t have to worry about spills and messes. Because of its fast absorbing formula, pleasant scent, and remarkable results, we’ve crowned this cuticle cream as the best overall product on our list.
Pros
- Suitable for post acrylic and toenails recovery
- Drip-free applicator tip
- Provide visible results in two weeks
Cons
- Not suitable for severely damaged cuticles
Gena Cuticle Cream — Most Versatile
If you're tired of unruly cuticles and hangnails, Gena Healthy Hoof Cuticle Cream is the perfect addition to your skincare routine. This rich cuticle cream is teeming with moisturizing ingredients including castor oil, lanolin, and aloe vera, which work together to revitalize damaged skin, restore moisture balance, and heal parched cuticles in one fell swoop. With soybean as its star ingredient, which beautifies skin through its lipid content, this cuticle cream strengthens the nail beds while imparting a healthy-looking sheen.
Unlike other cuticle creams, this luxurious cuticle cream quickly absorbs into the skin without leaving a greasy residue behind. Featuring a non-toxic and cruelty-free formula, this cuticle cream will take your cuticles from drab and lifeless to bright, luscious, and hydrated in just a few days.
Pros
- Conditions and strengthen nails and cuticles
- Contains lavender to treat itchiness
- Non-irritating formula
- Can be used as a moisturizing cream
Cons
- Not vegan
Badger Cuticle Cream — Best Organic Cream
For a deep nourishing touch-up, Badger’s Cuticle Cream is the way to go. Formulated with shea butter and vitamin-rich sea buckthorn extract, this cuticle cream delivers a concentrated hit of hydration and fortifies nails to combat dryness and treat flaky skin. It's also blended with pure steam-distilled essential oils that help treat split nails while improving the texture of the surrounding skin.
Since this rich cuticle cream is free from artificial dyes, parabens, and harsh chemicals, you can use it every day without worrying about itching or other harmful effects. And, with a light citrus scent, this cuticle cream is the perfect pick-me-up for tired and itchy fingers. On top of everything, this cream is also easy to apply; just slather it on liberally at night before going to bed and wake up with baby soft cuticles!
Pros
- Softens dry, irritated cuticles
- Mild, pleasant scent
- USDA-certified botanical ingredients
Cons
- Takes some time to fully absorb
Orly Cuticle Cream — Best for Nail Growth
Get ready for beautifully polished fingertips with this cuticle cream from Orly. Loaded with an antioxidant blend that works to reduce inflammation and prevent the growth of bacteria, this cuticle cream helps keep your nails healthy so you can grow them longer than ever before. With its secret ingredient — avocado oil — this cuticle cream replenishes sebum on the nail plate, hydrates and strengthens your cuticles, prevents peeling and splitting, and stimulates nail growth.
Featuring a silky texture, this cream quickly penetrates deep into the skin, allowing you to enjoy the moisturizing benefits right away. The formula is safe for both natural and artificial nails, so whether you're getting a manicure or trying something on your own, this cuticle cream will leave your hands in tip-top shape.
Pros
- Stimulates nail growth
- Softens dry, brittle, scarred cuticles
Cons
- The texture is a bit sticky
Handmade Heroes Cuticle Cream — Best for Hangnails
Whether you're an avid manicurist or just want to keep your nails looking neat, this cuticle cream from Handmade Heroes is a must-have for any nail care routine. This cuticle cream is formulated with 8% colloidal oats and botanical oils that help hydrate and restore moisture to your cuticles while softly scrubbing off dead skin around the nail bed.
Free from harmful ingredients and preservatives, this cuticle cream alleviates pain from hangnails and enhances skin elasticity, to keep your hands looking youthful and healthy. It also comes equipped with a convenient pen-shaped applicator for a fuss-free application. With its travel-sized packaging, you can slip it into your pocket or purse and use it whenever your hands need some extra TLC!
Pros
- Prevent gel and artificial nails from cracking
- Formulated with 100% natural, vegan ingredients
- Can be used as a nail primer
Cons
- Needs to be thoroughly massaged
Buying Guide: Cuticle Cream
Check the Ingredients
The first step in choosing the right cuticle cream is to check the ingredients list. You will want to look for a product with natural oils and extracts, such as beeswax, jojoba oil, or shea butter, as they’ll help moisturize your hands and prevent cracking, flaking, and peeling. Also, make sure that it contains at least one active ingredient, such as salicylic acid or tea tree oil — these are known for their ability to soften rough skin, soothe irritated skin, and help with infection control.
Be Wary of the Additives
There are many brands out there that use additives, including parabens, formaldehyde, and propylene glycol, to increase the shelf life of their products. If you read such ingredients listed on the product label, skip past it. These are all harmful chemicals that can cause irritation, allergic reactions, or even lead to cancer over time. Instead, look for a cuticle cream made from natural, non-GMO, and USDA-certified ingredients.
Give Priority to Your Skin Concerns
Before investing in any cuticle cream, observe your skin concerns. For example, if your cuticles are dry and brittle, look for a cream that contains moisturizing agents like shea butter or cocoa butter. If they are flaking and splitting apart, look for one containing keratin or collagen peptides that will help repair damaged skin cells. And if they are ragged and torn, there are many cuticle creams out there that contain vitamin E to help heal wounds faster than normal so they won't get infected!
Check the Consistency
Cuticle creams also come in many different textures and consistencies. Some are light and creamy, others are thick and greasy, and there are even formulas that fall somewhere in between the two extremes. If it is too thick and sticky, the cream will be hard to rub into the nail bed and could end up making your fingers greasy. If it’s too runny, then it will just drip off your nails.
Ideally, a cuticle cream should have a lightweight texture that quickly penetrates deep into the nail plate without running down into the crevices of your fingers or leaving any greasy residue behind.
Avoid Products With Strong Scents
While you're shopping for cuticle cream, keep an eye out for scents or fragrances. While some cuticle creams have a mild citrus scent, some other scents are overpowering and can irritate your hands, causing swelling, redness, and even itching and burning. If you have sensitive skin or are allergic to certain scents, it's best to avoid scented creams and go for a fragrance-free product.
