My fingernails have always had the tendency to struggle growing. They often would get brittle and break easily. So I knew there was something I had to do to bring this trouble to a stop.

Enter: cuticle oil. But, I didn’t like the ingredients that were in so many cuticle oils. Some didn’t meet my natural and healthful living standards. They would have some gems in them like vitamin E oil, yes, but then they’d ruin it with other ingredients like mysterious fragrance (which you know didn’t come from something natural like essential oils because they’d for sure be bragging that if they did).

So I began researching things that were good for fingernails so I could DIY it. I came up with a TON of great things to use! And the resulting cuticle oil that I made was easy to make, inexpensive, smelled AMAZING, and did an incredible job. At first, I applied it every day three times a day, then I decreased it to once daily. The blend healed, lengthened, and strengthened my fingernails beautifully. They’re not quite as picture perfect as I’d like as of this moment, but they are clearly on the right path and I eagerly anticipate they’ll be pretty awesome by Christmas.

Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients I chose:

• Vitamin E oil. READ YOUR INGREDIENTS! Just because it seems like it only has one thing in it doesn’t mean much. Many vitamin E oils have other ingredients in them that drop the purity and potentially increase the adversity. Now, if the extra ingredients include something like coconut oil, that should be fine. But many include fragrance (which we’re trying to avoid with this recipe) and other toxic or potentially toxic ingredients. You can use punctured vitamin E capsules if you want, but this recipe calls for 2 tablespoons worth so have fun with that!
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  Vitamin E oil is a well-known antioxidant. It protects and nourishes the skin while also defending it and the body from free radicals. It heals and strengthens nails while softening the skin.
• Pure almond oil. Again, READ YOUR INGREDIENTS to prevent purchasing a bottle with bad-for-you ingredients. Almond oil also helps to strengthen brittle nails and locks moisture in to prevent them from getting brittle.
• Essential oils. I chose the specific oils of lemon, frankincense, and carrot seed because these guys are known for supporting healthful fingernails. I decided against using myrrh because, though it, too, is good for nails, it can cause the nails to yellow if used too often (it’s recommended that it only be used once every three days to prevent yellowing). Besides that, it’s kinda expensive! I used the Young Living brand of essential oils.

And just a little note in case you’re wondering. This is a TOPICAL recipe, meaning you apply to the exterior–you don’t eat it (although I do recommend taking some quality vitamin E and other such vitamins that are intended for ingestion to also help your fingernails grow). To apply it, place a tiny drop on each fingernail then rub it into the cuticles, over the nail, and try to get a bit underneath the nail too.

Homemade Cuticle Oil

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Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp. vitamin E oil
• 1 tbsp. almond oil
• 15 drops lemon essential oil
• 10 drops carrot seed essential oil
• 8 drops frankincense essential oil

Instructions

 

• Mix all ingredients together in a dark-colored glass bottle with a dropper. Apply to the cuticles, nails, and beneath the nails and massage in once to three times daily.

Have you check out the #NaturalBeautyNovember Instagram challenge? So long’s it November (of 2015 anyway, in case I forget to remove this line before the next year…), you can participate! There are even some awesome prizes! Learn more here.