Dry Cuticles: The Causes & Surprising Natural Cure

November 01, 2024 Courtney MacDougall

So, you're dealing with dry cuticles, cracked cuticles, and maybe you're even entering hangnail territory. Blame the dropping temps and maybe the overzealous hand washing (guilty), but either way, we've got the causes and the cure to bring your cuticles back to their happy, hydrated selves. Because nothing wrecks a manicure faster than some unruly cuticles.

Keep reading for:

Why we get dry, peeling cuticles: weather, nutrition, hand washing, and more
The surprising, but effective way to treat dry cuticles

Why your cuticles are dry

Cold weather

All of us dry-skin-havers know that when the temperatures plummet, our skin moisture packs its bags and leaves for warmer weather. Our face, our hands, and even our cuticles tend to become ultra-dry, itchy, and sometimes even cracked when we're forgetting our daily moisturizer.

Hand washing or hand sanitizer

Constant hand washing, while great for cleanliness, also washes away all the natural oils and moisture from our hands, leaving us with dry, cracked skin and cuticles. And if you're using a harsh antibacterial hand soap or dish soap laden with alcohols and other drying ingredients, the effect is tenfold.

Add in some ultra-drying hand sanitizer to the mix, and your hands and cuticles will be living in a moisture-starved desert, dying for some hydration.

Your best bet to balance hygiene with hydration: opt for an-all natural moisturizing hand soap that cleans while restoring moisture, and limit your hand washing if its become excessive. Also, keep a hand cream (or nourishing lip balm, friends, it's real!) in your purse, by the sink, and at your desk to restore that lost moisture quickly and easily.

Nutrition or vitamin deficiency

Poor nutrition and vitamin deficiencies like low zinc can cause inflammation and irritation along your cuticles. If you're dealing with chronic cuticle and nail issues, your diet might be worth looking at!

Dehydration

Dehydration leaves your whole body feeling (and looking) thirsty! If your skin is dry, the first place to start is always your water intake! Aim for around 3-4 quarts per day to keep your skin looking its glowiest and most moisturized.

Picking and biting your cuticles

Maybe you're a nervous nail biter and cuticle biter, or maybe your cuticles are just chronically dry and you can't resist picking off that frayed cuticle. Either way, dryness causes those hangnails that are just screaming to be ripped off. So, cure the dryness and the temptation goes away!

Your best bet to break the dry cuticle cycle: pop a bit of our Organic lip Balm along your cuticle to instantly restore moisture, repair cracked, dry, skin, and calm inflammation from biting and picking. And resist the biting as much as you can - saliva actually dries out your cuticle area more, leaving it in a chronic dry skin cycle.

Nail polish and nail polish remover

Both nail polish and nail polish remover are packed with abrasive, drying chemicals that can wreak havoc on your nails and cuticles - causing dryness, cracking, chipping, and extra brittle nails. If your cuticles are struggling, consider taking a break from the polish, and in the long term, invest in a non-toxic, gentler polish and remover for healthy nails and cuticles.

How to cure your dry cuticles

Lip balm! Lip balm might not be your first thought to treat dry cuticles, but here’s the truth: dry lips and dry skin are cured the same way. And while marketing wants you to believe you need a different product for every tiny little section on your body, that's simply said to sell you more products you don't need.

So, while you could buy an expensive cuticle oil, you could instead realize that the same active ingredients in your cuticle cream are in your lip balm (minus the toxic additives and unnecessary fillers). And instead of buying multiple products that do the same thing, buy one that does more.

The truth is, our deeply hydrating, inflammation fighting, restorative Organic lip Balms can be used for a thousand purposes – think dry lips, dry under eyes, dry cuticles, and dry skin anywhere on the body. Save the planet, save counter space, and of course, save your skin with a product that multitasks.

How our lip balm heals dry skin - everywhere!

Our Organic Lip Balm is handcrafted with certified organic shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, and castor oil for a creamy, ultra-hydrating formula that will quench even the driest of skin in record time. And it's not just hydration - the healing botanicals fight inflammation, keep cuticles soft and smooth, and create a protective barrier between your skin and that harsh winter air. Say goodbye to dry, itchy skin, and hello to smooth, soft, happy skin.

Your Dry Cuticle Questions Answered

How do you fix dry cuticles?

Apply a rich moisturizer like our lip balm to the cuticle area
Stay hydrated - dehydration leads to dry skin everywhere
Switch to a moisturizing, all-natural hand soap that won't dry out your hands
Take a break from nail polish and nail polish remover if your cuticles are extremely dry
Make sure you're eating a balanced, nutritious diet
Wear gloves when handling any chemicals including most household cleaners

Why is the skin around my cuticles so dry?

The most common causes of dry cuticles are:

Over-washing your hands, especially if you're using a drying antibacterial soap
Hand sanitizer
Cold weather
Dehydration
Skipping the moisturizer
Nail polish and nail polish remover

What vitamin deficiency causes dry cuticles?

A zinc deficiency can cause cuticles to become dry and inflamed.

How do you moisturize cuticles overnight?

Apply a thick layer of moisturizer, like our Organic lip Balm to your cuticles and let it works its skin-softening magic overnight. For even more moisture, wear gloves overtop to really seal in the hydration.