Shoppers Call This $8 Strengthening Cream “Magic in a Jar” for Healing Weak, Brittle, and Cracked Nails

I recently paused my routine nail salon appointments to turn to at-home solutions instead, and my nails are still facing the consequences of my former gel manicure obsession. Professional manis were my favorite way to treat myself, but if you’re like me and pick and peel off your polish instead of taking proper removal measures, gel manicures can do some serious damage. So, as I let my weakened nails breathe, I’m in the market for products that will give them a little pick-me-up. That’s why the best-selling Onyx Professional Hard as Hoof Nail Strengthening Cream is the latest addition to my Amazon shopping cart — and at $8, it’s pretty tough to beat.

The customer-loved product strengthens the nails and cuticles, healing them from damage and preventing chipping, cracking, and ripping down the line. Its conditioning formula is made with calcium to stimulate growth, vitamins A, C, D, and E to promote nail health, and jojoba seed oil to toughen nail beds.

Shop now: $8 (Originally $10); amazon.com

You can use the treatment as a traditional hand lotion, applying it to bare nails or on top of polish. For best results, massage it into nail beds, cuticles, and the undersides of your nails three times per day or as needed. What really sold me is that Hard as Hoof doesn’t smell like other harsh nail products — it has a light coconut scent instead. 

With over 42,800 five-star ratings, the cream is Amazon’s number one best-selling nail strengthener — and, after reading its rave reviews, it’s clear why. One shopper called the budget-friendly treatment “magic in a jar,” going on to say their “brittle and soft” nails were “healthy, strong, growing,” and “happy” after just “a couple weeks” of use. A different reviewer said their “paper-thin” nails used to “bend” and “peel,” but are “the strongest they have ever been” thanks to the cream. And another customer raved that the product “works wonders” — their nails have “never looked so good.”

Even professionals swear by the $8 strengthener. One nail technician with “moderate to severe eczema” called the product “a miracle,” going on to say it’s not only made their nails “healthier-looking,” but it’s softened their skin and treated their eczema, too. A different technician added that the cream “really moisturizes the cuticles and [skin] around the nail bed,” making brittle nails strong, long, and hard. They went on to say they “haven’t broken” or “even chipped” a nail since applying the treatment regularly. 

Give your nails the TLC they deserve, and be sure to shop the Onyx Professional Hard as Hoof Nail Strengthening Cream while it’s on sale for just $8 at Amazon.