It’s been a really long time since I wrote a full rundown of my nail care routine here. In the time since, I’ve really refined my routine and I’m at a point where I feel like I have the perfect selection of products and tools to get the job done well and with minimal effort. You’ll spot a few favourites that I’ve praised in the past alongside a few new additions to the team.
When it comes to cuticle care, there are only a few products that I use consistently and a butter is one of them. Well, actually it’s 3 of them! There are 3 cuticle butters which contribute to my cuticle care routine and each of them serves a slightly different purpose. I know it sounds slightly ludicrous to have three seemingly identical products all for different things, but with any beauty product you always find those little differences that only you notice. Whether it’s shampoo, foundation or top coat! The cuticle butters in the running are Burt’s Bees Cuticle Cream, Lush Lemony Flutter and Nail Butter.
15g RRP £5.99. Available from Boots, Feel Unique and more.
I use it: On-the-go
As you can see, my tin of Burt’s Bees is very well worn! I carry this around everywhere with me because it’s such a convenient size and the tin is super light-weight. It has a very strong lemony scent which I think is delicious and the consistency is fairly thick but still creamy. You can definitely feel the oil in this one. I’ve found that the surface can harden up over time, which makes it difficult to pick up any of the product, so I occasionally have to stick a q-tip in there and work the product to soften it up. It’s the perfect product if your cuticles need a pick me up during the day.
50g RRP £6.75. Available from Lush online and in-store.
I use it: Sparingly before taking nail pictures
I’ve reviewed Lemony Flutter in the past and my opinion still stands – I’m definitely a casual user. I like having it around but I don’t rely on it too heavily for my cuticle health. This one lives on my desk where I do all my swatching and photographing. When used sparingly, it doesn’t leave a shiny finish so I can get away with using it around my nails just before taking pictures so that my cuticles look trim and fresh!
The scent on this one is lemony but muted with just a hint of hospital floors. The consistency is less oily than the Burt’s Bees but still nice and creamy. Like with the Burt’s Bees, this one sometimes gets a hard layer on the top but a good mix will revive it.
28.35g/1oz RRP $24.00 (~£15.00). Available from Nail Butter.
I use it: In abundance just before bed
Nail Butter has had a complete makeover since I last spoke about it at the end of last year. There’s a new formula with new packaging but it’s better than ever and still the reigning champion of cuticle butters for me because it is just so moisturising.
I keep it next to my bed and use it every night before falling asleep. By that time, I’m normally too tired to spend 5 minutes massaging it in, so I just slather it on all over my nail beds and let it get to work overnight.
The new formula is absolutely incredible. It’s very silky and never gets that hard layer on the surface. It’s fairly greasy but absorbs quickly – although not as quickly as the other two. It doesn’t have the lemon scent either, the scent is almost impossible for me to describe because it’s not really like anything else. It’s not nice, not nasty, but just kinda funky! Although subtle enough that you aren’t going to smell it unless your hands are very close to your face.
Nail Butter used to come in a tin but the new packaging is a glass pot. While this is easier to keep clean and I appreciate the air-tight seal, it’s a bit too heavy to be carrying around in my bag – otherwise I would!
Nail Butter takes the title because it’s the one that has the most impact on the overall health of my nails and cuticles. If I could only use one cuticle butter for the rest of forever, it would be Nail Butter! While I could live without Lush Lemony Flutter, I think I’ll always keep the Burt’s Bees around because of the amazing smell and convenient size.
The directions say to work it in to your nail beds twice a day for 30 days and once each day thereafter. I started off really well – I would apply it in the morning on the way to work and then when I got in to bed at night – but after a few weeks I admittedly started slacking a bit. These days, I apply it most nights and keep it in my handbag so that I can apply it during the day if I remember!
I have noticed a visible improvement in the quality of my cuticles. There is less redness there, they seem minimised and are very soft and easy to push back when it’s manicure time. I’m very lucky that my cuticles and nail beds are naturally quite healthy – regular moisturising since I was 12 years old has kept my hands and nails in tip-top shape – but I do get rough skin at the sides of my nails where I also have a habit of picking. I was really hoping this product would show a noticeable improvement in these areas and it definitely has. I’ve also noticed a drop in the number of hangnails I get since using this product – they used to be a regular occurrence but now I can’t remember the last time I had one.
The smell is something new to me. As I mentioned, it’s made with all natural ingredients and lightly scented using Lavender Oil. I personally find the smell a bit strange but it’s one you get used to over time. It’s not a bad scent but it’s not really great either. I just can’t make up my mind about it but it hasn’t put me off using the product. All I will say is, just don’t eat a sandwich or any finger food straight after applying!
Nail Butter comes in a tin holding 1oz of the product which is a lot. The tin is about the size of my palm! I’ve been using this product for more than a month and have barely scraped the surface. One tin is $19.50 or you can get two for $35.
I know this seems like a lot compared to similar mainstream products so for reference, Sally Hansen’s Healthy Cuticles Now! currently retails at about $6.49 per 0.48oz. I did the maths for you on this one and that works out at $13.52 for 1oz of product.
As the name suggests, the texture of the product is creamy and slightly greasy like butter but it absorbs in to the skin so well. Within 10 minutes of applying, there isn’t trace of grease on my fingers, just freshly moisturised cuticles.
When I first opened my the tin, the surface was very smooth and I found out that this was a harder waxy layer which was covering the soft, buttery cream underneath so I’d recommend giving it a mix before your first go. Like actual butter, this stuff melts in the heat so be careful about leaving it too close to the radiator or in the car on a hot day! If it does melt, don’t worry because it sets again once it cools down.
Overall I think Nail Butter is a great product. Christina has developed an all natural, cruelty-free product at a competitive price which actually does what it says on the tin. It’s a product that I will definitely repurchase when I get through my first tin. If I ever do, that is. There’s so much product in there, I may never need a replacement!
You can get Nail Butter at nailbutter.com and from some retail locations in GA.
