Setting aside illness, part of the brittle/peeling nail problem is menopause, part is heredity and part is environmental.
I use olive oil too- all over myself- or apricot, walnut, avocado…. I buy those at GNC or health food stores. Less expensive than lotions or creams and no chemicals. Particularly good applied after a shower- it soaks right in.
Menopause lessens our ability to retain water- so we have to remember to keep hydrated- that affects our nails too, although we may not realize it.
Many cleaning products, detergents, shampoos, shower gels, have harsher chemicals in them than we may know. They can affect your nail beds.
I have long steered away from ingredients such as Sodium Hydroxide and Sodium Laurel Sulfate/ Sodium Laureth Sulfate.
Do your legs itch the day after shaving? Does your scalp itch? It may well be the product…. there is very little true dandruff- it is more a reaction to what is put on the scalp.
Acetone polish remover is often a culprit- fast working, but too harsh for those with delicate nails. Follow that with an alcohol spray (which many salons do) or a soak in detergent water and you have stripped the mantle of your nail.
I wish they would use witch hazel.
I do my own mani/pedi. I use ONLY non-acetone polish remover and regular polish- not gel. Non-acetone takes a little longer to remove regular polish, but is much safer. I wash it off with olive oil based soap and follow with witch hazel before re-polishing.
As some may know, i had my own salon for many years. That's how I had my manicurists do it.
If the nails are compromised, a good product to seal them while they grow is
Duri Rejuvacote. We carried it in the salon- it is available online.
