Should I Be Putting Coconut Oil on My Cuticles?

Social media is filled with beauty hacks and secrets, and the latest to clog up our page is all about applying coconut oil to cuticles. Nail techs and beauty experts online swear that applying this oil directly to your cuticles is one of the best ways to get your nails to grow long and strong. But we all know by now to not trust everything we see on the Internet. That’s why we reached out to celebrity nail artist Trenna Seney, founder of RSVP Nail, to find out if this is a hack we should be trying this winter.

It turns out, Seney is a fan of the affordable trick. “Coconut oil has great benefits for the skin when applying it around the nails to keep it hydrated,” she explains. When it comes to nails, using coconut oil “helps [keep] the cuticles from cracking or breaking and [even prevents] hangnails.” While there are no studies that suggest coconut oil will make your nails grow faster, plant oils (including coconut) have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on the skin (which help with strength and environmental protection). These oils can also help with wound healing and repairing the skin barrier.

If you already have a jar of coconut oil at home that you use for your hair and skin, grab a little and dab it on your cuticles. There are also numerous cuticle oils that contain the plant, such as C Care Sweet Almond Cuticle Oil and Bliss Kiss Nail Oil Cuticle Pen.

According to Seney, there’s no limit to how often you can apply cuticle oil for your nail health, but a little goes a long way. “In the winter I suggest using it twice a day, or maybe once before bed would suffice,” she says.