Nails are just like hair: they are a reflection of our overall health and our daily lifestyle habits, good or bad. Their condition changes over time, and so do their needs. Caring for natural nails is about far more than just aesthetics: it is an essential part of your well-being. Thanks to this ultimate guide to nail care, discover the exact routine you need and why.
Key takeaways:
- Your nails have their own unique nature, and their needs evolve over time.
- Identifying your nail type (healthy, ridged, soft, brittle, peeling, damaged) is the 1st step to choosing the right care.
- Our customizable Basic, Starter, or Ultimate routines adapt to every need.
- Daily hydration, gentle manicures, and healthy habits remain the secrets to thriving nails.
Why knowing your nail type is essential
Identifying and understanding any fragility in your nails helps you pick targeted, effective care products that strengthen them and restore their natural glow. So, which nail team are you on?
Healthy nails: an asset to preserve
Strong natural nails, with no visible dryness or signs of distress, that grow steadily and evenly. If this sounds like you, you’re very lucky! All the more reason to preserve this precious asset with a hydrating and nourishing routine to shield your nails from external aggressors.
Ridged nails: smooth and regenerate
Nails with vertical or horizontal ridges that vary in visibility. These ridges are often caused by age and are nicknamed "nail wrinkles". They can also result from a health issue, emotional shock or a lack of nutrients. But don’t worry: they’re not a nail condition, just an aesthetic concern. There are several ways to conceal or soften the appearance of ridges, from applying smoothing bases to nail overlays.
👉 Find out more about ridged nails in our dedicated article here.
Soft nails: restore strength and density
Nails that bend or flip back easily. There are many possible causes for this lack of firmness, from excess moisture and nutritional deficiencies to pollution or applying semi-permanent polish or false nails too often. The result: the keratin layers have been damaged, disrupting the nail matrix. It’s time to take action!
👉 Want to know more about soft nails? Read our dedicated article here.
Knowing your nail type is key to understanding its fragilities and adopting the right daily care.
Brittle nails: hydrate and strengthen
Nails that tend to snap at the edges and have lost their natural flexibility. A weakness linked to various factors: genetics, aging, but also harsh chemicals and winter heating... everything that dries out nails and robs them of their suppleness. A hydrating cure is a must!
Peeling nails: restructure the nail plate
Nails whose stacked keratin layers separate, much like a mille-feuille that lost its pastry cream. This frequently happens after overexposure to water or harsh chemicals, or following aggressive manicures. It is urgent to reactivate intercellular lipid production to bond the layers back together.
Nails damaged by aggressive manicures: deeply repair
We get it: sporting a fresh, beautiful manicure around the clock is hard to resist. But when gel polishes or artificial nails are applied too often without breaks to regenerate, or removed with aggressive removal techniques (drilling, excessive filing, or soaking in pure acetone), your hands pay the price with thin, brittle nails. That’s when nails become damaged and need deep nourishment and repair.
👉 To learn more about damaged nails, read our dedicated article here.
Still unsure about your nail type? Our online nail diagnosis is here to help.
To sum up:
- Healthy: an asset to preserve with a hydrating routine.
- Ridged: smooth and regenerate both on the surface and deep down.
- Soft: redensify to restore strength and firmness.
- Brittle: hydrate to restore natural flexibility.
- Peeling: restructure to seal keratin layers back together.
- Damaged by manicures: deeply nourish and repair.
The Manucurist routine you need
Good news: no need to visit a beauty salon to maintain beautiful nails or repair damaged ones. At-home nail care solutions have never been easier.
Basic, Starter, or Ultimate Routine: how to choose?
Manucurist offers care tailored to every nail type with a nail care kit you can adapt to 3 levels of care:
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Basic: an approach focused on the essentials with one or two hero products to target superficial, temporary nail imperfections.
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Starter: the ideal solution to effectively target early signs of nail weakness.
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Ultimate: a comprehensive care routine to tackle chronic nail concerns with an intensive 2-week total cure, repeatable as needed.
Healthy Nails Routine
Keep your nails in good condition and help them withstand everyday wear and tear with these healthy nail routines:
Basic
5.5 Base will be your best ally. This blend of 5 vitamins and 5 plant extracts (aloe vera, lemon, ginseng, pomegranate and grape) strengthens keratin and helps prevent breaks and tears. Apply this strengthening treatment to clean nails every 2 days for 2 weeks, without removing it between applications.
Starter
Go for a winning treatment trio with Complete Serum, a regenerating serum with an ultra-fresh gel texture that hydrates and softens the nail plate and the skin around it. It revitalises nails and stimulates their growth. Apply one drop every day, massaging it into your nails and the surrounding skin. Pair it with 5.5 Base every 2 days, as described above.
After a week, remove your polish and apply Active™ Glow care polish. It deeply nourishes nails and gives them a sheer, delicately tinted glow that instantly makes your natural nails look healthier. Raspberry, Cranberry, Blueberry or Grape: which fruity shade will you choose?
Ultimate
Complete the previous routine with a few nail prep essentials. Focusing on cuticle care helps protect the nail matrix and supports the production of better-quality keratin. Alongside Complete Serum, gently massage your nails every day with a drop of Green Oil, a nourishing oil for nails and cuticles. Apply 5.5 Base every 2 days, as described above.
After a week, use a little Effective Cuticle Softener and a wooden stick to push back your cuticles before applying Active™ Glow care polish.
💡 Tip: The best habit for keeping natural nails healthy? Hydration! Take a Perfecting Concentrate strengthening care pen wherever you go for hydration on the move!
Preserve your nails' natural strength with the Healthy Nails Routine.
Ridged Nails Routine
Concealing ridges with a smoothing base is good, but treating the nail to make those ridges disappear for longer is even better. That’s what these ridged nail routines are designed to do:
Basic
Massage one drop of Green Oil into your nails and the surrounding skin twice a day. Follow with Active™ Smooth care polish on bare nails 3 times a week, without removing it between applications. This CC Polish-effect care polish fills in ridges and strengthens nails with a formula enriched with castor fibres, hexanal, AHAs and vitamin E. It comes in 4 shades (00 pink, 01 beige, 02 gold, 03 bronze) to suit all skin tones.
Starter
For more targeted, continuous care, add a mechanical step and an overnight treatment to this routine. Apply Green Oil as described above. Lightly buff your nail plates with the prep file and apply Active™ Smooth to bare nails 3 times a week without removing the previous layers.
3 evenings a week, remove your layers of Active™ Smooth with an acetone-free nail polish remover and apply the SOS Mask in a thick layer. Leave it to air-dry. Remove it the next morning by peeling it off or washing it away with soapy water. This overnight mask intensely hydrates and stimulates cell repair while you sleep.
Ultimate
To bid farewell to ridged nails, opt for an intensive cure that treats the nail both on the surface and deep down. To do this, add one drop of Complete Serum twice a day to the previous steps, massaging it into the nail and cuticle area.
Simple steps, visible results: the Ridged Nails Routine brings comfort and radiance.
Soft Nails Routine
To revive tired nails, we’ve put together a strengthening routine in 3 versions:
Basic
For one week, apply Keratin Booster 3 times a day to bare nails, letting it dry until fully absorbed. Concentrated in plant-based keratin, silicon and biotin, this nail-hardening treatment boosts keratin production and restores density to the nail plate. Follow with one drop of Green Oil 1 to 2 times a day. Repeat this routine for another week.
Starter
Build on the effects of the Keratin Booster–Green Oil duo with Strengthening Base, a treatment base enriched with AHAs and silicon, for lasting results. Follow these 2 steps:
Week 1: follow the Basic routine as outlined above.
Week 2: apply the Strengthening Base on bare nails every 2 days up to 3 times a week, without removing previous coats. At the same time, continue applying Green Oil 1 to 2 times a day, massaging it into the nail and cuticle area.
Ultimate
Switch to intensive mode with the following protocol:
Week 1: apply the Keratin Booster 3 times a day, letting it dry until fully absorbed. Massage the Complete Serum 1 to 2 times a day and Green Oil once a day into your nails and cuticles. Finally, take the Perfecting Concentrate wherever you go to apply anytime and keep nails nourished all day long.
Week 2: apply the Strengthening Base twice during the week, layering coats. Continue applying the Complete Serum and Green Oil at the same pace as the previous week. Always keep your Perfecting Concentrate on hand to nourish your nails throughout the day.
💡 Tip: To go a step further, take Nail Boost supplements alongside your routine: one capsule a day for 2 months. Packed with vitamins and natural active ingredients, they support stronger, healthy nail growth.
Soft Nails Routine: care, hydration, nutrition, and strengthening.
Damaged, Brittle, or Peeling Nails Routine
Basic
To help repair your brittle, damaged nails, count on the benefits of SOS Base. This treatment base acts like a dressing for fragile nails: it gently exfoliates, stimulates cell regeneration and strengthens keratin fibres. Apply SOS Base to bare nails every 2 days, up to 3 times a week, without removing the previous coats (they can be layered).
In addition, apply a drop of Green Oil 1 to 2 times a day, massaging the nail and its contour until completely absorbed. No need to rinse or wipe it off.
Starter
If the Basic routine isn’t enough, we recommend the Day & Night Duo nail care kit, which pairs Keratin Booster with SOS Mask. Apply Keratin Booster 3 times a day to bare nails, letting it dry until fully absorbed. Massage your nails and cuticles with a drop of Green Oil 1 to 2 times a day. Apply SOS Mask 2 to 3 nights a week in a thick layer, leave it to air-dry, then peel it off or wash it away with soapy water the next morning.
Keratin Booster by day, S.O.S. Mask by night to gently and deeply repair your nails.
Ultimate
Switch to intensive care mode with a 24/7 complete nail care routine. Here is what to do:
Week 1: apply the Keratin Booster 1 to 3 times a day on bare nails, letting it dry completely until fully absorbed. Massage nails and cuticles with a drop of Green Oil 1 to 2 times a day. Keep your Perfecting Concentrate handy to apply anytime. Apply a thick layer of the S.O.S. Mask 2 to 3 nights a week, let it air-dry, and peel it off or rinse with soapy water in the morning.
Week 2: apply the S.O.S. Base on bare nails every 2 days (up to 3 times a week), layering coats without removing previous ones. Apply a drop of Green Oil 1 to 2 times a day. Keep applying the Perfecting Concentrate whenever needed. At the end of the week, remove the S.O.S. Base with a gentle polish remover, then apply the S.O.S. Mask for one final night of care.
Damaged Nails Routine: a complete 24/7 cure to repair, strengthen, and regenerate fragile nails.
Best practices for healthy, radiant nails
💦Daily hand and cuticle hydration
We cannot say it enough: hydration is key to maintaining the balance and health of your nails all year round. This goes for your nails, your cuticles, and your entire hands. Well-hydrated skin protects and regulates the nail matrix. This involves daily nail and cuticle massages with a nourishing oil and regular application of a hydrating hand cream. Comfort, suppleness, and softness: you have everything to gain!
💅Long-lasting manicure
Switch to a more sustainable, gentle manicure routine. Choose vegan, plant-based nail polish formulas that apply easily and remove cleanly without damaging the nail. Alternate polish applications with treatment cures so your nails can regain their natural balance.
Discover a more mindful manicure with the Green™ Starter Kits and Green Flash™.
🥰 Healthy habits
It’s all about adopting the right daily habits to protect your nails day in, day out. For instance:
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wear protective gloves during household chores that involve water or harsh chemicals,
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avoid biting your nails,
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avoid using your nails as tools to open, scrape, or lift things…
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eat a balanced diet to ensure an essential intake of vitamins and minerals.
Whatever your nail type, you now have all the tips and care essentials to pamper them, hydrate them, help them grow… in short, give them the TLC they deserve from matrix to tip. In Basic, Starter, or Ultimate mode: Nail care forever 👌💖✨
To sum up:
- Whatever your nail type, there is a tailored routine to pamper them and restore their strength and shine.
- We designed a full range to meet every single need:
- Strengthening Base, S.O.S. Base, Keratin Booster, S.O.S. Mask, Complete Serum, and our best-seller Green Oil.
- When it comes to manicures, our vegan, plant-based Green™ and Green Flash™ polishes combine pleasure with gentle nail care.
