essie Cuticle Care Apricot Nail & Cuticle Oil ($8.81)

Among my friends and family, I am the girl with the nails. That sounds silly, as we all have nails. But I've gotten hard gel extensions for years and am everyone's go-to person when they have questions about getting their nails done at a salon.

The thing is, getting hard gel on your nails can cause damage over time. It can lead to weak nails, brittleness and peeling. In some cases, you can even get hyponychium overgrowth. This is when the hyponychium (the skin just under the free edge of your nail) overgrows and becomes thicker, which makes it fuse to your nail and can make trimming your nails painful. It also really hurts if you break an overgrown nail.

I've suffered all of these ailments, which has led me to take periodic breaks from hard gel nails. I'll take a break two to three times a year, for about three weeks at a time. I often just suck it up that my nails will be weak and brittle for the first two weeks of the break. But this time around, I decided to invest in a cuticle oil to try and strengthen my nails while I took a break from the salon.

Cuticle oil is designed to help care for your cuticle and can be used to moisturize your nails. Each brand differs, but most cuticle oils use a combination of natural vegetable oils, like avocado, coconut and almond oil. Many cuticle oils will also include Vitamin E, as it can help soften the skin around the cuticle and nail. This combination can help heal the nail damage and skin scarring.

I'm a big Essie polish girl, so when I spotted an Essie cuticle oil at the store, I figured it was worth a shot. My nails looked horrible after taking off the extensions and needed the TLC.

Essie Cuticle Care Apricot Nail & Cuticle Oil

This is a quick-absorbing apricot nail and cuticle oil that's formulated to condition nails and cuticles. It was also created for daily use, made with apricot kernel and jojoba oil. It's easy to use, as you need only a few drops applied to your cuticle and nailbed. You can use it multiple times a day or overnight. 

Since my nails were in such terrible shape after removing the hard gel, I decided to use the cuticle oil three times a day. Within two days, my nails looked like they'd had weeks of rest, not just days. They looked and felt better. Typically, after removing the hard gel, my nails feel weak and my fingers often hurt for days from the sensitivity. I was back in action in just two days and no one could tell I'd removed my hard gel recently. 

Before and After: On the left is what my nails looked like right after taking off the gel nails; on the right is the same hand 2 days later.

This oil works wonders and has the added benefit of smelling excellent. Some cuticle oils are slimy and smell awful, which is why I've avoided them in the past. This one smells wonderful and didn't make my hands feel oily after applying.

If you're looking for a base coat and a top coat to go with this oil, you can get Essie's The Art of the Manicure Kit which includes all three for $25. The kit is designed to perfect and protect every detail of your manicure.