Anyone who likes to take care of their nails must have heard of cuticle creams. It doesn’t matter if you are on the team that removes the cuticles completely or prefers to leave them intact: a suitable cream will improve the appearance of the nails and the surrounding skin.
And it doesn’t have to be just the time to do the nail. When creams are used daily, they can leave the area more hydrated and healthier for a long time.
I don’t remove the cuticles, I just remove those loose bits from the side of the nail. So I decided to test and compare two products for the daily care of cuticles and I’ll tell you my impressions here.
Contents
Dior Apricot Serum Oil
- Presentation : serum;
- Quantity : 7.5mL;
- Yield : six months;
- Average price : R $ 90 *;
* Search made on 08/22/2019.
With a serum texture, the Dior product promises daily nutrition. According to the brand, it “softens and strengthens the nails, while deeply moisturizing the cuticles”.
Still according to the brand, the serum has the right size to be taken on trips, since the package has 7.5mL – that is, it is compact!
It was developed to be a more practical version of Dior’s iconic Abricot Cream, which has been offering nourishing and moisturizing properties since 1963.
When used daily, the product improves the appearance of nails and cuticles in just one month. It is important to remember that it is not a softening or removing cream, but a moisturizing cosmetic.
Ingredients
The serum is made from apricot, a key ingredient that gives the line’s name (apricot, in French) and also has a blend of vegetable oils.
Know the main assets and their characteristics:
- Apricot oil : source of beta-carotene and other nutrients, has moisturizing, antiseptic and antioxidant properties. On the skin, it promotes softness and protection against external aggressions;
- Olive oil (olive oil) : non-comedogenic, the oil softens the cuticles, moisturizes instantly and prevents water from escaping, preserving skin hydration;
- Argan oil : it is quickly absorbed, smoothing the skin texture without leaving a greasy feeling;
- Okoumé extract : the wood of this tree, originally from Africa, has a bactericidal, antifungal action and is responsible for strengthening the nails;
- Vitamin E : has antioxidant, healing, moisturizing and anti-aging properties. It participates in the formation of collagen and, thus, increases the firmness of the skin.
The combination of oils, vitamins and other highly nutritious ingredients is responsible for the moisturizing effect of the product.
What I found
The serum comes with an applicator different from all products of this type: it looks like a pointed brush, which facilitates its application.
This is great, because the serum is extremely oily. If it were a product that needed to be spread by hand, it would be the least practical thing in the world. But since the brush does all the work accurately, the oily texture is not a nuisance.
It has a very mild smell that doesn’t bother you. It is a fruity aroma, a bit sour. You can only feel it at the time of application, as the serum is drying, the smell will disappear.
Now, regarding the result, my opinion is that it is worth every penny. In addition to yielding a lot (a light brush stroke already covers the entire length of nails and cuticles), its effect is wonderful.
Precisely because of the oily feeling that the product leaves, I chose to use it before bed. In the morning, my cuticles were more aligned and without that dry aspect.
With continued use, I noticed that the dreaded “little hairs” appeared less and less frequently and the cuticles began to take on more defined contours around the nail, as if I had pushed it.
In short, it is a more or less practical product, since it is oily and takes a long time to be absorbed, but it has a brush applicator that compensates for this defect. Perhaps that is why it is so long lasting – a bottle lasts for months.
In nails and cuticles, it provided intense hydration that greatly improved their appearance and reduced the need to remove excess with pliers. Approved!
Mavala Cuticle Cream
- Presentation : cream;
- Quantity : 15g;
- Yield : six months to one year;
- Average price : R $ 50 to R $ 70 *.
* Search made on 08/22/2019.
Mavala is a Swiss brand with a range of nail products. Crème Cuticule was specially developed to treat hard and damaged cuticles.
According to the brand, it is indicated “for a perfect, soft and flexible nail contour”. The little product promises to fight cracks and the “appearance of a badly manicured nail and unattractive hands”.
According to Mavala, the cream “maintains the flexibility of the cuticles, reduces the skin around the nail” and allows it to be pushed and removed, resulting in clean contours. Also according to the manufacturer, it does not damage the enamel.
Its use should be daily for the reduction of cuticles. The creamy texture is easily absorbed even by very dry skin. But be careful: the cream is a reducing agent, not a remover (the brand has other products for this function).
Ingredients
The product uses two key ingredients to care for the cuticles. See what they are and learn how they act:
- Lanolin : emollient and dense, this substance is an effective moisturizer, ideal for dry skin. Extracted from wool, lanolin protects sheep against cold and moisture;
- Vaseline : has great occlusion capacity, protecting the skin from water evaporation and thus preventing dryness. It also promotes softness, healing action and softens the cuticles, making them more malleable.
This highly moisturizing mixture acts even if the skin is dry and cracked, providing softness and smoothness to the cuticles.
What I found
Having a sticky texture should be a universal thing for cuticle products: the cream has a density that looks like honey. It comes in a tube format and is necessary to spread around the nails.
Therefore, once applied, it is not possible to touch your cell phone or run your hand through your hair, since the cream will leave its mark where you touch it. Precisely for this reason Mavala recommends that it be applied before bed.
I followed that guidance and left the cream on overnight. When I woke up, I noticed the cuticles a little more aligned and beautiful, but I found the result very discreet.
With continuous use, I noticed that the results were better, leaving the cuticle more behaved with each application.
After several days of use, the excess cuticle practically disappeared and the remaining few were easily fixed with a toothpick.
The 15mL tube has good durability and I believe it is a cost-effective product. Although it is not cheap, a unit yields for months and the result is really good: for me, it eliminated the worry about loose skin around the nail.
Which one is the best?
Although the two products have the same function, I found that in practice they ended up acting in different ways. While Dior’s serum improved the appearance of cuticles and strengthened nails, Mavala’s cream made cuticles more pliable to push or remove.
For me, the serum paid off more: as I am not in the habit of taking cuticles, he made sure they looked better. The cream had a similar effect and also very good, but I think it can work better for people who prefer to remove the cuticles and need a little help.
He also has another point in favor: it is cheaper, comes in greater quantity and yields more. I would buy again just because I liked the result – it is not because I liked one more that I disapproved of the other.
If you are looking for a product that allows you to never bother with cuticles again, you can bet on Dior Huile Abricot Serum. But if pushing, removing and shaping cuticles is part of your routine, bet on Crème Cuticule Mavala to facilitate this process.
Price and where to buy
Both Crème Cuticle Mavala and Dior Huile Abricot Serum can be found in multi-brand cosmetics stores and some pharmacies.
The 15g cream costs between R $ 50 and R $ 70. The serum has 7.5mL and can be found for R $ 90 *.
* The price survey was conducted in August 2019. Prices may change.
My impressions
Below are my reviews of the two products in each category!
| Product | Mavala Cuticle Cream | Dior Apricot Serum Oil |
| Texture | 3,5 | 4,5 |
| Smell | 5 | 5 |
| Packing | 4 | 5 |
| Outcome | 4 | 5 |
Do you also use cuticle cream? Tell us your impressions! If you would like to see the review of another product, send your suggestions to us! Any participation is welcome.
