Are your hands extra dry this time of year? Nails breaking more often than usual?
You’re not imagining it. Cold winter air, indoor heat, frequent handwashing, and even snow can take a toll on your nails. The good news? A few simple changes can make a huge difference.
Here are my 5 go-to tips for keeping nails healthy all winter long.
Moisturize
You may have heard that nails need to “breathe.” That’s actually a myth. Nails are made of keratin, which is a protein made up of dead cells. Dead cells don’t breathe.
But nails do absorb oils, which can help keep them flexible and less prone to breaking, peeling, or splitting. Use hand lotion several times a day, use cuticle oil at least once daily (before lotion), and at night, swap lotion for a thick hand cream.
Skip Nail Strengtheners (Here’s Why)
This surprises a lot of people, but nail strengtheners and hardeners aren’t always your friend.
They can make nails too hard, which actually makes them more likely to crack or snap when they bump against something. What you really want is strong and flexible nails. Regular cuticle oil use and consistent moisturizing can help with the flexibility.
For most people, that’s all you need.
Yes, Acetone Is Okay
Acetone gets a bad reputation, but here’s the thing: it works fast. Because it removes polish quickly, your nails may actually be exposed to less drying overall if you don’t soak them for an unnecessarily long time. I find that most of the time, if I wet a cotton ball with remover and clip it to my nails the polish on my thumb almost ready to wipe off by the time I’ve finished my hand. If you’re using a good remover, there’s no need to saturate your nail more than 1-2 minutes.
Tip: If you’re worried about dryness, rub a little olive or coconut oil around your nails before using acetone. Then wash your hands and follow up with cuticle oil and lotion.
Cover Up
Keeping nails polished can act as a physical shield against cold air and help stop minor snags, splits, and direct impact from cold, stiff fabrics or gloves. Polish also helps to block water absorption. Water is surprisingly tough on nails. Just like oil, nails can absorb water and when they do, they swell slightly. That swelling pushes out natural oils, which can lead to dryness. The swelling can also change the shape of your nails and weaken the nail polish bond which leads to cracking or chipping.
Wear gloves when washing dishes or cleaning and when heading outside in cold weather. Gloves protect against water exposure, harsh chemicals, cold, dry air and random winter mishaps that can cause breaks
Your nails (and hands) will thank you.
Start With Clean Nails
All that lotion and cuticle oil you’re using (good job!) can interfere with how long polish lasts if it’s still sitting on the surface of your nails.
Before applying polish, Color Street nail strips, or press-ons, clean nails with alcohol or nail polish remover. This removes surface oils only – not the moisture already absorbed into your nails. If you’re using regular polish, don’t skip a base coat and top coat. They help protect your nails and improve wear time.
Hope these tips help! Healthier nails make any manicure look better and last longer.
Last updated: 2026
P.S. Some links in this post are affiliate links. See disclosure here.
→ Try a sample
→ Shop Color Street
Need general shenanigans or want to talk nails? Join my Facebook group!