Best formaldehyde free nail hardener?

na294

na294

O.G.
Sep 24, 2009
942
39
#1
So after 25 years of the horrible habit I have finally stopped biting my nails! My cuticles are healed now and you can't even tell I was a chronic biter except for my nails. They are very thin and pliable. In fact to the point that if I don't have any nail polish on my nails I can't even type on a computer with my nails bending each time they touch a key.

I have tried different nail hardeners in the past during previous attempts to stop. Last time I got a nasty allergic reaction to one (Quimica Alemana). My dermatologist told me that I was probably sensitized to formaldehyde during a Keratin treatment I had a couple of years ago and that I needed to stay far away from anything with it.

Do you know of any Formaldehyde-free nail hardeners that are effective? Also planning on buying some vitamins and would love to know if you have any you recommend over others.

Thanks in advance for your help and you ladies cannot imagine how the swatches on your gorgeous nails have been motivation for me to stop! Soon I will get up the courage to post some of mine. :smile:
 
#2
na294 said:
Do you know of any Formaldehyde-free nail hardeners that are effective? Also planning on buying some vitamins and would love to know if you have any you recommend over others.
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Congrats on stopping with the biting!

Qtica Nail Growth Stimulator might be worth a shot. It doesn't work for me under polish which is why I gave up on it.. but it was promising otherwise (there are a lot of positive reviews around for it, too.)

I'm using Poshe '4 in 1 base coat treatment' as my standard base these days. The peelies aren't anywhere near as bad and my nails seem stronger. I think I can credit the Poshe, along with more frequent moisturisation with things like Hard As Hoof/Healthy Hoof and Solar Oil and hand creams as often as I remember (which is not nearly often enough!)

...This combination is working out well for me.. I haven't had a serious nail break since I started being religious about it (and that was about 6-7 weeks back.) Probably cursed myself now that I've typed that.

I'm trying out Duri Rejuvacote on my non-swatching hand at the moment.. but that does have Formaldehyde in it. I've had VERY bad experiences with some other treatments with Formaldehyde.. I get nail plate layers peeling off in chunks, utterly vile. I'm trying the Duri out on my non swatching hand :P

Vitamin wise - I'm using Functionalab Hair Skin & Nails Beauty Dose at the moment, which I got cheaper than retail. Its more potent than the other stuff I tried from the local chemist (e.g. Blackmores Nails, Hair & Skin.)

Hope some of this is vaguely useful (albeit rather rambling!)
 
#4
Melissa82 said:
Nail hardeners do not have formaldehyde in them. Formaldehyde is a gas.

http://personalcaretruth.com/2010/08/exposing-the-formaldehyde-myth/
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Formaldehyde resin allergy is not uncommon. If the OP has been advised to avoid products that contain formaldehyde, let's just assume they mean it in all forms.

OP - I used to really like Nailtek Citra II, although you do have to use another base coat with it if you want to polish, because polish doesn't adhere to it well.
 
#5
I would think she had a reaction to the camphor, not the "formaldehyde" in the polish. Camphor is a VERY toxic substance and can cause adverse reactions. But yes, she could also have an allergic reaction to the Formaldehyde Resin which is called formalin. I'm just trying to educate people on the whole misunderstanding of formaldehyde as it is not a cosmetic ingredient.
 
#7
thisgreycat said:
Congrats on stopping with the biting!...I'm using Poshe '4 in 1 base coat treatment' as my standard base these days. The peelies aren't anywhere near as bad and my nails seem stronger. I think I can credit the Poshe, along with more frequent moisturisation with things like Hard As Hoof/Healthy Hoof and Solar Oil and hand creams as often as I remember (which is not nearly often enough!) ....
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Thisgreycat¸ Thanks! Quite excited about finally stopping! Now instead of obsessively biting I worry about them being as perfect as possible, going from ugliest hands to perfect ones lol. Will see if I can get my hands on some of the Poshe 4 in 1 since I think my base coat is bad (constantly getting small air bubbles) and would love to use one that is a treatment at the same time.

nicciwo said:
Formaldehyde resin allergy is not uncommon. If the OP has been advised to avoid products that contain formaldehyde, let's just assume they mean it in all forms.
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nicciwo said:

OP - I used to really like Nailtek Citra II, although you do have to use another base coat with it if you want to polish, because polish doesn't adhere to it well.
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Nicciwo, thanks for the Nailtek idea, I know it’s a brand I can purchase here (live in Europe) and used one in the past that was fairly effective.

Melissa82 said:
I would think she had a reaction to the camphor, not the "formaldehyde" in the polish. Camphor is a VERY toxic substance and can cause adverse reactions. But yes, she could also have an allergic reaction to the Formaldehyde Resin which is called formalin. I'm just trying to educate people on the whole misunderstanding of formaldehyde as it is not a cosmetic ingredient.
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Melissa82, am pretty sure its formaldehyde resin or formalin. A couple of years back I had a keratin treatment before the whole non-formaldehyde treatment trend began. My scalp would itch constantly, I thought nothing of it until I started regularly using nail hardener and had a reaction. My dermatologist is convinced that I got sensitized to formaldehyde derivatives at that time since we looked at the ingredients for the treatment I had and it was one of the first ones.

AnnAnn99 said:
I use a homemade garlic base coat that is very effective. I had thin bendy nails and it strengthens them without making them brittle (because then they snap off).
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AnnAnn99, interesting idea with the garlic base coat, but does it make your hands smell like garlic all day? Mine aren’t brittle, in fact it’s the opposite, I don’t think I could break one if I wanted to since they bend like crazy!
 
#8
na294 said:
Thisgreycat¸ Thanks! Quite excited about finally stopping! Now instead of obsessively biting I worry about them being as perfect as possible, going from ugliest hands to perfect ones lol. Will see if I can get my hands on some of the Poshe 4 in 1 since I think my base coat is bad (constantly getting small air bubbles) and would love to use one that is a treatment at the same time.



Nicciwo, thanks for the Nailtek idea, I know it’s a brand I can purchase here (live in Europe) and used one in the past that was fairly effective.



Melissa82, am pretty sure its formaldehyde resin or formalin. A couple of years back I had a keratin treatment before the whole non-formaldehyde treatment trend began. My scalp would itch constantly, I thought nothing of it until I started regularly using nail hardener and had a reaction. My dermatologist is convinced that I got sensitized to formaldehyde derivatives at that time since we looked at the ingredients for the treatment I had and it was one of the first ones.



AnnAnn99, interesting idea with the garlic base coat, but does it make your hands smell like garlic all day? Mine aren’t brittle, in fact it’s the opposite, I don’t think I could break one if I wanted to since they bend like crazy!
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I generally use it as a base coat and do my mani at night. With the polish on top of it and overnight to air, I do not find that I notice any odor the next day.

When I used a commercial nail treatment to harden my bendy nails, it made them hard and also brittle, then they would snap off. Sometimes the cure for one problems can create a different one.
 
#9
Have you tried getting a nail enhancement such as acrylics or gels? They would be a commitment as it's best to keep them on for a long time. They say not to take them off more than once or twice a year because they removal can be more damaging than leaving them on. You just need to make sure you can find a good nail tech to do it.
 
#10
Hi Ladies

Ended up getting Essie's rock hard base coat since its formaledhyde free. Only had it for a week now and I swear my nails are a bit stronger! Also started iron supplements since I suspect its also contributing.

Thanks again for everyone's advice !
 
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