10 Best Nail Strengtheners: Reader's Choice

How do you make weak nails grow, and brittle nails stop flaking and breaking? The answer is… nail strengtheners, of course! Apart from the obvious, they can also work as a good base coat and make your nails look a lot smoother, polish dry faster and your manicure last longer.

Personally, I’m addicted to Orly Nailtrition. Of all base coats I’ve tried, it meets my nail needs the best. But there are plenty of other fantastic products that address different nail problems. So we asked you, our nail polish savvy readers, to nominate your favorite base coat. There were so many great suggestions that we decided to put together a list of your collective knowledge for everyone to share.

The 10 best nail strengtheners according to you, guys, are:

1. Essie Grow Stronger, $8.00 here.
Leyla: “Right now I’m using Essie Grow Stronger base coat. It strengthens my nails and also makes them grow faster. So far, so good!”
Read Essie Grow Stronger review.

2. OPI Start to Finish, $13.95 here or AUD$25 here.
Squeaky: “I’ve been using OPI’s Start to Finish, and haven’t had a break for the last 7 months!”

3. OPI Natural Nail Strengthener, $10.50 here.
Kitty: “OPI Natural Nail Strengthener is the best product for me. Have been testing others – Essie, Nailtek, Qtica but always return to NNS + on occasions ridge filler by either Essie or Orly.”

4. Revitanail, $29.99 30 ml bottle here.
Chandelle: “My favorite nail strengthener is Revitanail (It’s just called nail strengthener- nothing fancy). I used to have weak nails that broke whenever they grew past the end of my finger… A lady at Priceline recommended the Revitanail and within a month I stopped getting breaks. It has now been over a year since my last nail break!”

5. OPI Nail Envy, $16.95 here.
Chantal: “My favorite base coat is OPI Nail Envy, strengthen, grows and helps prevent chipping And cracking on nails, best I’ve ever had!”Amanda: “I’ve been using OPI Nail Envy for awhile now! I used to only use it while I was taking a break from colors but then I started just using it as a base coat and it works really well.”
Read OPI Nail Envy review.

6. Orly Nailtrition, $9.90 here.
Amy: “OPI Nail Envy mixed 50/50 with Orly Nailtrition is like the ultimate holy grail base coat. The strengthening of Nail Envy and the good stuff from Nailtrition knocked out every since peel and bad nail issue I had.”
Read Orly Nailtrition review.

7. Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener, $12.45 here.
Samantha: “I haven’t tried a huge number of different ones, but so far I think the best performing ones in my book are the nail strengthening base coat from Sinful Colors, and Sally Hansen’s Hard As Nails Hardener (the pink tinted one). Both of them have really good staying power and have definitely made my nails stronger.”

8. Nail Care HQ Simply Smooth, (not available anymore).
Fingers: “I’m loving an indie made base coat from Nail Care HQ called Simply Smooth. It really keeps my polish stuck to my nails better than any that I’ve tried before.”

9. Valmy, $unknown (we couldn’t find anywhere).
Anais:“The base coat I use is a brand we have here in Venezuela, i really don’t know if it’s known internationally. Its name is Valmy, I’ve been using it for 4 months now and it works fine for me. It dries fast and protects my nails also making them stronger. It’s a good and cheap nail strengthening!“

10. Nailtiques Formula 2 + protein, $9.50 here.
Gail: “I use a combination of three. First I use Nailtiquies 2+ protein. On top of that goes Essie Ridge Filler. Finally I use a coat of Sally Hansen Hard As Nails. Yes this is overkill but I am 60 years old and have splitting peeling nails… So I always make sure my nails are well protected… with all that I have long nails again!”

Now that you’re equipped with this list, there’s no reason to suffer weak nails any longer. Just choose the product that suits you and watch your nails grow!

Did your favorite nail strengthener make it to the list or did we miss some fantastic product? Let us know in the comments below. We’re always looking to try and share more great finds!

– Maria, xx