Five Nail Care Products Every Girl Should Have

Some people spend a life time searching for nail care products that actually work for them. Finding the right combination of nail products can be an expensive and in the worst cases can leave you with nails that are even weaker than they were before. Regardless of strong or weak, pealing or flexible your nails are, there are 5 products and a few rules that will keep them looking red-carpet ready, even if you're just hitting the gym.

1. SolarOil by Creative Nail ProductsThe secret to strong nails is to moisturize! SolarOil is an excellent way to indulge your nails in their desire for conditioning. This product penetrates deeply to soften cuticles and leave you with strong, flexible natural nails. If you can manage to use this product twice a day, you would be doing your nails and cuticles a great favor. Once you apply SolarOil, gently pushing your cuticles back should be a very simple task. However, the product is very greasy and you definitely won't be able to touch anything after you've applied it. Considering that you're going to have to temporarily halt all activities to use this product, it is more realistic to use it every other day. It retails for around $10, but one bottle will easily last over a year.

2. Barielle nail strengthening cream
While SolarOil is difficult to carry around and apply regularly, Barielle nail strengthening cream will serve you well anywhere you go. You can purchase this product at CVS in a small portable tube for around $10. The price tag may seem steep, but you will get results. It's recommended that you use this product on bare nails for the first two weeks. After the first two weeks, feel free to apply it over polish. Apply a small amount 3 to 4 times a day and watch them grow! Many reviews on this product claim that you can get results from just using it once a day!

3. 4 sided buffer/ nail file
For those with peeling nails a buffer is a lifesaver. With as tempting as it may be to separate those layers and peel the top one off, do not do it! Grab that buffer and fuse that separated nail back together. When a nail chips, use that nail file. You will inevitably start to pick at it, if you don't take care of it as soon as the chip appears. These magic wands retail for about $3 at any pharmacy or grocery store. Keep one in your purse, in the car and at home. It will save you from destroying the nails you are working so hard to nurture.

4. NailAid Grow Tougher
There are a million polishes on the market that claim to make your nails grow longer and stronger faster. This is one of the few that produces results! It can be used as a base and top coat and it definitely preserves the life of your polish, while strengthening nails. You can purchase this product online from NailAid's website for $6.50. Some Whole Foods grocery stores also carry the product. NailAid is "big three free." This means it has no Formaldehyde, DBT (DibutylThalate) or Tourlene, which can dry out your nails making them brittle and susceptible to breakage.

5. Borghese Nail Color
While the options available for strengthening clear coats seem overwhelming, the options for colored polish are innumerable. After years of searching for the perfect polish, Borghese in combination with NailAid Grow Tougher, has worn longer than OPI, CND, Essie, China Glaze and even Rescue Beauty Lounge. Be aware that how long your nail polish lasts depends significantly on your body chemistry and how free of oils your nails are when you apply the polish. The Borghese/NailAid combination has worked on some of the most unruly nails. Borghese retails for about $8 and is available at CVS and Ulta. Borghese is also big three free. When choosing a baseboat/color/topcoat make sure that they are compatible in formula. Your polish won't last long if you have a wonderful big three free base coat and a chemical-filled polish from the dollar store.

In addition to these great products, be sure to never use your nails as tools. It may seem like the convenient thing to do at the time, but you will pay for your actions. Use nail polish remover sparingly. Even non-acetone remover that claims to moisturize can leave nails looking dull. If you choose a polish that stands up to wear and tear well, you will be using nail polish less often to begin with. Even if you're using nail polish remover sparingly, be sure to give your nails an opportunity to breathe. A few days in the open air and regular conditioning will do any set of claws time to recuperate and look alive. When you follow the rules and use the right nail care products you will have happy nails!