Cuticle Cream Vs Cuticle Oil: Which Should You Be Using?

Taking care of your hands for some is as simple as applying lotion daily, but your nails can always use more love — and we're not talking about taking nail-enhancing vitamin gummies or painting them with the latest nail design trend. Rather, let's focus on the cuticle. It can be hard to understand exactly how to treat them — you may wonder if you should push your cuticles back or not — but all we know is you don't want to fall into the most common mistakes that destroy your nails.

When caring for cuticles, there are two main categories of cosmetic products that people employ: cuticle creams and cuticle oils. However, for everyday consumers, deciphering which is better for you may be challenging. According to Healthline, the easiest way to care for cuticles is to soak them in warm water for 10 minutes about twice each week. This softens them and keeps them from becoming hard to manage. Still, oils and creams are touted as life-changing solutions, but which should you be grabbing for?

Cuticle creams and oils aim to moisturize your cuticles, and overall nails, to keep them soft and neat in appearance. They even make your nails more resilient so they crack and chip less (via Oprah Daily). Oils have become increasingly popular for the face and for hair, so it only makes sense that many have begun using cuticle oils for the same reason. However, is oil the best method to achieve its goal?

According to Almond Nails, cuticle oils and creams are similar in that they should be applied several times each day, including upon waking up and before going to bed, but they're not made equally. Almond Nails notes that cuticle creams are often described as weaker counterparts to oils, the latter of which helps the blood circulation around your nails while the creams are typically glorified moisturizers (and the oils also moisturize). However, creams can help blood flow too because they have to be massaged into the skin, so they naturally promote blood flow upon application rather than promoting it through its ingredients like oils.

Cuticle oils and creams typically offer the best results when used in tandem with each other. Therefore, you're reaping the full moisturizing and blood flow benefits of each. (Some oils even contain vitamins and minerals, but these are usually the pricier options.) However, if you're going to use both, Almond Nails recommends using them at different points in the day to reap the fullest benefits. If you're only going to use one, though, cuticle oil should be your go-to product.