No oil makes nails grow faster, but the right ones keep the nail flexible and the cuticle soft, so you stop losing length to breaks. Jojoba oil for nails absorbs best, because it is closest to your skin's own oil. Argan and sweet almond are richer, fractionated coconut is light and castor is thick, best at night. Tea tree is not a nail oil and can irritate.
- No oil speeds growth. A fingernail grows about 3 mm a month, and the right oil helps you keep that length.
- Jojoba absorbs best, argan and sweet almond are richer, fractionated coconut is light and castor suits night.
- Tea tree is not a nail oil and can irritate the skin around the nail. Skip it.
- Apply to clean, dry nails and cuticles every day. With the pen, one click covers ten nails and most people notice softer cuticles within days.
What can oil do for nails, and what can't it?
An oil can hydrate the nail, keep it flexible and soften the cuticle, but it cannot speed up how fast a fingernail grows, which is about 3 mm a month.
What an oil changes is how much of that length you keep. A dry nail is stiff, and a stiff nail snaps. A hydrated nail bends, which is the difference between a nail that catches on a towel and carries on and one that splits down the middle. Cuticles work the same way: dry ones crack and tear, soft ones don't. So I judge every oil below on those two jobs, and on whether it causes a new problem of its own.
Myth: The right oil will make your nails grow faster.
Fact: A fingernail grows about 3 mm a month whatever you put on it. The right oil helps you keep that length by stopping breaks and tears.
That is a smaller promise than the ads make, and it is the honest one. Here is the short version, then each oil in turn.
| Oil | Best use | How it feels |
|---|---|---|
| Jojoba | Every day, on nails and cuticles | Light, absorbs well |
| Argan | Dry, rough cuticles | Richer |
| Sweet almond | Every day, if you have no nut allergy | Smooth |
| Fractionated coconut | Daytime | Light, non greasy |
| Castor | Overnight | Thick, sticky |
| Vitamin E | Inside a blend | Thick, sticky |
| Tea tree | Skip it | Strong, can irritate |
Is jojoba oil good for nails?
Jojoba oil for nails is a good everyday choice, because it is the closest match to your skin's own oil and it absorbs best.
An oil that sinks in is an oil you will actually use, and jojoba is light enough that you can put it on in the morning and still type, scroll and drive without leaving smears on everything. If you only ever try one oil on its own, this is the easy one.
Does argan oil help nails?
Argan oil carries fatty acids and vitamin E, and it is a little richer than jojoba, which suits dry, rough cuticles.
Search for argan oil nails before and after and you will find plenty of photos. A photo can't tell you how long it took or what else was used, so I don't promise dramatic results from any oil, argan included. What argan does well is keep a dry cuticle soft and comfortable, and that is a real job worth doing.
Is sweet almond oil good for nails?
Sweet almond oil carries fatty acids and vitamin E and feels smooth on the skin, which is why it turns up so often in hand and cuticle care.
It is the one oil here with a warning attached, so please read this next line.
Sweet almond oil is a nut derived oil; people with nut allergies should talk to their doctor first.
Is fractionated coconut oil good for nails?
Fractionated coconut oil is light and non greasy, which makes it easy to wear in the daytime.
Fractionated just means the parts that make ordinary coconut oil set solid have been taken out, so this one stays liquid and feels light on the nail. It suits a busy day best, because it sinks in without leaving a film on your phone.
What does castor oil do for nails?
Castor oil is thick and best at night, because by day it is sticky enough to catch on your phone, your hair and your keyboard.
It conditions dry cuticles well, and it gets a lot of credit online for growth. Like the others, it keeps the nail and cuticle in better shape and leaves the growth rate where it was. If you love it, put it on before bed and let a lighter oil do the daytime shift.
Does vitamin E oil help nails?
Vitamin E is not really a separate nail oil, because it already turns up inside argan and sweet almond oil, and on its own it is thick and sticky.
Bottles of vitamin E oil for nails are easy to find, and they do condition. I'd still rather you got it as part of a blend than bought it by itself. If you're wondering about vitamin E supplements for your nails, that's a question for your GP.
Why isn't tea tree oil a nail oil?
Tea tree is not a nail oil, because it is a strong essential oil that can irritate the skin around the nail and does not hydrate the way a carrier oil such as jojoba does.
It is usually sold as an antiseptic, and people reach for it when a nail looks off. A bottle of essential oil is the wrong tool for that, so I'd skip it.
If it came on suddenly, hurts, is discoloured, thickened or lifting, see a GP, dermatologist or podiatrist.
Why does a blend beat one oil?
A blend beats a single oil because each oil does one job well and none does all of them.
You get the light feel of jojoba and fractionated coconut with the richness of argan and sweet almond, in one pen you will actually use instead of a drawer of little bottles you won't.
That is the thinking behind the Body Collective Nail Growth and Strength Serum pen, the organic nail serum I used on my own clients for years before I offered it to anyone else. Four certified organic oils: fractionated coconut, argan, jojoba and sweet almond. The unscented pen is the four oils only; scented pens add fragrance.
| What you are comparing | Body Collective pen | A typical cuticle oil |
|---|---|---|
| The oils | Four certified organic oils, and in the unscented pen nothing else | Check the label for what is in it |
| The feel | Light oils and richer oils working together | Depends on the oil: light ones can be too light, thick ones too sticky for daytime |
| Scent | Nine scents and unscented | Check the label for fragrance |
| In your handbag | A twist pen with a brush | Often a bottle or dropper: great at home, bulkier in a bag |
| Over gel, SNS, acrylic and dip | Works on natural nails and over gel, SNS, acrylic and dip | Check the pack |
| Who makes it | Hand blended on the Gold Coast by a nail technician of over ten years. Over 200,000 people around the world have used it. | Check the label |
How do you apply oil so it works?
Apply oil to clean, dry nails and cuticles, a little at a time, and work it in until it has gone.
More does not mean better, because extra oil ends up on your phone and not on your nails. The whole routine takes about 20 seconds.
- Start with clean, dry hands. Oil sits best on clean, dry nails.
- Use less than you think. One click of the pen covers all ten nails.
- Put it on the cuticle, the nail and the free edge. The edge and the cuticle are the two places that dry out first.
- Rub it in with your thumb. Rubbing moves the oil round the whole nail and the skin beside it.
- Make it a daily habit. Once a day is a good rhythm, and a top up after hand washing helps when you can.
While your nails are recovering from damage, I'd oil twice a day, morning and night.
With the pen, this is what most people notice.
- Within days
- Most people notice softer cuticles.
- One to two weeks
- Most people notice visible growth, which is mostly length they are no longer breaking off. Results vary.
- Each month
- A fingernail grows about 3 mm, so keep going and let the new nail come through.
For the cuticle side of this in more detail, read cuticle oil for nail growth and why cuticle care changes how your nails grow.
Nail Growth, Strength & Repair Serum | Easy Twist Pen
A$16.95
A twist pen, hand blended on the Gold Coast, so one habit does the work of a drawer of bottles.
Add to cartSweet almond oil is a nut derived oil; people with nut allergies should talk to their doctor first.
Questions people ask
What oil grows nails the fastest?
No oil grows nails faster than any other, because a fingernail grows about 3 mm a month whatever you put on it. The right oil keeps the nail flexible and the cuticle soft, so fewer nails break and you keep the length you grow. Jojoba, argan, sweet almond and fractionated coconut are the oils I would choose for that job. Results vary.
Is castor oil good for nails?
Castor oil is a good conditioning oil for dry cuticles, but it is thick and sticky, so it suits night better than day. It does not make nails grow faster than any other oil. If you like it, put it on before bed and wear a lighter oil, such as jojoba or fractionated coconut, through the day.
Can I use tea tree oil on my nails?
I would skip it, because tea tree is a strong essential oil, not a nail oil, and it can irritate the skin around the nail. It does not do the job a carrier oil does. If a nail has changed colour, thickened or lifted, see a GP, dermatologist or podiatrist rather than reaching for a bottle.
