Dry Cuticles and Nails

Split cuticles hurt out of all proportion to their size.

They catch on everything, they are slow to settle, and hand sanitiser opens them again. Cuticle oils help, but they thin out fast and most of it ends up on whatever you touch next.

A balm stays. A small amount worked around each nail at night is enough — and the same jar covers the hands, the knuckles and everywhere else that cracks.

Why the skin around nails goes first

It is thin, it moves constantly, and it sits at the end of the limb where circulation is weakest. Add water, soap and cold air and it splits before anywhere else does. This is also why it is the first thing to improve once you seal it properly.

Skin and nails

The brand is called Lucy's Renewals Skin and Nails Solutions. This is the half of it people meet last, and often the half they keep buying it for.

Eight ingredients, no water. A 4 fl oz jar lasts most people four to six months.