I Just Learnt the Biggest Lesson on My Year-Long Nail Health Journey—It’s All About Choosing the Right Base Coat

I have been very vocal about the sorry state of my nail beds. After years of bi-weekly salon appointments and one particularly disastrous set of acrylics, my previously healthy nails were changed for what seemed to be forevermore. They were peeling, brittle and wholly incapable of growing, so to the benefit of them (and my bank account), I cancelled all of my upcoming gel manicures. In fact, it’s been a year and four months since I stepped foot in a salon.

My nails are in a far better place today; they are finally growing, but they still tend to break and peel. As it turns out, I have been making one critical error: using the wrong base coat for my particular nail concerns. This, according to an expert manicurist, had been inadvertently impairing their recovery. My nails weren't weak; they were dry, and by using a strengthening base coat, I was just dehydrating them further.

Celebrity nail tech, Stephanie Staunton, stresses that base coats are “so important”. “Without the correct foundations laid, your polish will chip, peel and stain. Plus, using the correct base can speed up healing, and add days of wear to your manicure."

Best base coat for dry and damaged nails

Dry and damaged nails need a hydrating base over strengthening treatments, contrary to my initial thoughts. Anything keratin or vitamin-based will work best, explains the expert, emphasising that using a daily cuticle oil will also help with reinforcement and repair. “Once damage has recovered, you can also use nail strengtheners as a base.”

Staunton recommends Kure Bazaar’s Protective Base Coat with keratin, calcium and silicium. Another super-nourishing base coat I’ve seen incredible results with is Biosculpture’s Ethos Seaweed Calcium Base.

Best base coat for oily nails

“Oily nails need a base with more grip as polish tends to peel off almost immediately,” explains the manicurist. “Look for a bonder base and wait until it is fully dry and locked in before painting. Apply thinly, and you can use isopropyl alcohol before for extra wear time.”

Best base coat for ridged nails

If you have ridged nails, opt for ridge filler or smoothing bases. “Clients with ridged nails always tell me how conscious of the ridges they are with a colour on,” says Staunton. “So I use a ridge filler base. This makes the polish apply more smoothly and gives a beautiful finish and a confidence boost. “You can also look for a smoothing base—they do the same thing."