Of all the worries one can have in this crazy world, I now have to stress about my nails — which my manicurist says are very weak, fragile, and prone to peeling and breaking. So, my nails now need some serious attention. My nails! Seriously!
Anyway, what needs to be done has to be done!
I was telling my dilemma to a friend from the Dominican Republic. And she spilled the beans about this traditional beauty treatment that all her countrywomen swear by to make nails stronger: Add a little bit of fresh, chopped garlic to a bottle of clear nail polish. Let sit for a week then polish your nails with this concoction.
She actually had a bottle on hand and insisted on applying it for me, despite my phobia of chasing people away with the garlicky smell.
Know what? The smell disappeared in just 10 minutes.
And my nails haven’t chipped once since I applied this “polish” 5 days ago — which is truly a rarity! I now have a pod of garlic marinating in OPI’s Natural Nail Base Coat. And will report back on the long-term results soon.
Why does this work — scientifically speaking
In the meantime, why does this work? I mean, garlic is great for pizza and dough balls, but… nails? Apparently science backs this up as well.
Firstly, garlic is a potent antibacterial agent. So, it will take care of any fungus or residual bacteria, which are completely invisible to the human eye but make nails weak and brittle.
Garlic also contains selenium, which is one of the crucial building blocks of longer, stronger nails. Which translates into being able to carry any one of the latest nail polish trends to perfection!
Finally, garlic is an antioxidant, which helps keep the nail bed healthy. And a healthy nail bed means healthy nails. Voila!
What’s your go-to nail remedy? And how often do you actually give your nails some serious love and care?
Anubha Charan is a powerhouse in the luxury beauty industry, with over 15 years of expertise shaping the global beauty narrative. As the former Beauty Director at Marie Claire, she worked with the magazine's French headquarters to craft cutting-edge beauty content for international audiences.
Anubha's bylines have appeared in some of the world’s most prestigious publications, including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Travel + Leisure, WebMD, and Architectural Digest. She is also the co-author of Paris Bath & Beauty, a Simon & Schuster book on French beauty rituals.
KATHIE says
just came across your post and wondering how the garlic thing is going? My nails are a mess! I’ve just started taking a clove of garlic and munching it with my nails for about 1/2 an hour…
Miranda says
Good thing I cook with garlic so much! I’ve got it freshly applied to my fingertips almost every day!
Amy @ So There. by Amy says
Interesting!!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
anubha says
🙂
Angela says
Sounds interesting. Can’t wait for the follow
shivani says
Can the garlic pod be left in the bottle for ever? Or is the concoction supposed to be a one time use? What should be frequency of application be? I keep my nails clear often even without a top coat. Can this be a regular replacement?
anubha says
Yes, I leave the garlic pod in the bottle. Also, there is no way of taking it out anyway! Applying it once a week is usually good enough. And if you don’t want to use a top coat, it works just as well to apply the garlic juice straight to the nails – though that does stink for a few hours!
Becky says
This is the exact post I need! My nails are such a mess and so weak ever since I wrecked them set-building. I’m trying to strengthen them with Sally Hansen at the minute but they are still splitting and peeling – will have to give this a go! Do you think it would work in varnish’s that are supposed to already strengthen and protect or would it be a case of two treatments fighting against each other?
Becs x
anubha says
Set building? That sounds interesting… do tell more! As for the garlic, you can add it to any base coat. Even one that’s already enriched. The treatments won’t cancel each other out. And anyway, most department store nail strengtheners also contain garlic extract.
Izzy says
Do you use nail polish remover after a week of putting the concoction? Or do you instantly apply the concoction?
Katie says
Wow this is just what i needed. Some of my clients have been complaining how weak their nails are. Can’t wait to share this with them. Thank u so much.
Bonnie says
Can’t wait to try this. Why do I need to wait so long to use it? Just curious.
drift boss says
It’s so beautiful! I like pink