This Repairing Treatment Made My Nails So Strong, I Could Barely Cut Them

COVID-19 changed the way I thought about the importance of the health of my nails. I went from getting manicures every month to only going to a salon twice in the last two years. Now that I’m doing my own nails at home, I’ve realized how important it is to keep them strong and healthy. It’s been a rehabilitation process, and Dermelect’s Phyto Strong Nail Hardener — which is on sale for 25 percent off right now when you use the code LABORDAY at checkout — has played an important role. 

I’ve been applying the nail-hardening base coat for two months now, and I didn’t realize the monumental effect it had on my nails until a few weekends ago, when I noticed that my nails were the longest they had been probably ever. Usually, my nails begin to break or snag and I file them down to where they feel healthy again. That hadn’t happened for the last month, and they had grown so long that I needed a nail clipper and not a file. But there was another surprise: It was physically difficult to get the clippers to cut off my nails — I had to exert more energy and force than I thought could ever be necessary.

Let’s take a look at what’s behind this almost suspiciously effective formula. Soy keratin peptides are protein-rich and improve the strength of your nails. Bamboo is rich in silica, which promotes collagen production and promotes hydration, thereby making nails less brittle. Bilberry is vitamin- and antioxidant-rich with benefits that include neutralizing discoloration, repairing damage, and restoring moisture. 

Phyto Strong can be applied as a base coat under nail polish or on bare nails. I’ve done both. As a base coat, it feels like it grips the nail polish and on its own provides a healthy looking gloss. 

Reviewers are psyched about Phyto Strong, too. One in their late 60s wrote that their “nails never really recovered from chemo 10 years ago.” They wouldn’t grow until they tried Phyto Strong which “really keeps them from peeling.” Another in their early 50s described their perimenopause nails as “weak and peeling” to the point where none of their usual products worked anymore. A month or two later, “my nails are strong and healthy again,” they wrote. 

Head to Dermelect to shop the Phyto Strong Nail Strengthener for just $14 before this Labor Day deal ends in a couple of days. And as always, I also recommend the Makeover nail concealer, which is a true game-changer for bare and damaged nails.