At the Breaking Point: TRIND Keratin Treatment for Nails

The last you've seen my nails, I (and they) were literally at the breaking point; first, I noticed tiny little cracks at the sides of my thumb, index and middle fingers, then there were bigger cracks, annoyingly starting to catch in my hair and on every item of clothing, and then one day, I was opening a tricky cupboard and SNAP! One of my nails completely broke off, and I'm not gonna lie, it did really hurt - and not just my vanity.

I'm not exactly sure what did my nails in this time: in the past, my nails would break a lot from doing housework (soaking in water), but since a big eczema flare-up on my hands a couple years ago, I don't touch any dishes or damp sponges without my trusty rubber gloves. My mom thinks the breakage comes from wearing nail polish all the time, even though I always, always apply nail strenghtener as my base coat. I think that maybe my attempts at an almond shape, coupled with the length of my nails at the time, caused them to be more fragile over time. At any rate, the opportunity to road test the new TRIND Keratin Treatment for Nails* ($45.95 for 2 x 0.3 fl. oz/ 9 ml) could not have come at a better time - so thank you, Trind!

The Keratin Treatment is a duo of Keratin Nail Restorer and Keratin Nail Protector (also available separately) in a handy little kit: 'With the Trind Keratin Nail Treatment kit we provide a chemical free solution for thin, brittle and chipped nails. It is a mild solution that treats the most sensitive nails that have been damaged by wearing artificial nails or from the use of medicines or other environmental influences.' (from the brand's website)

The Keratin Nail Restorer, which is the first step of the treatment, is a baby pink-tinged thin gel you apply directly on the nails, and wait for it to absorb/dry before the next step. The Nail Restorer is quite a watery product with a pleasant fresh scent that reminds me of a serum for your nails - it hydrates the nails and strenghtens with the keratin, and it can be reapplied as often as needed on bare nails. In fact, Trind recommends using the Restorer daily, sealing it in with the Protector, and then removing everything and repeating the process the next day, however my favorite way of using the Keratin Nail Restorer was to apply it at bedtime, and then again before doing a weekly manicure.

The second step, the Keratin Nail Protector, is more like your standard nail strenghtener; it aims to seal in the moisture from the Nail Restorer and protect your nails against damage. I've used it both on its own (it goes on clear and gives the nails a nice glossy sheen) and as a base coat for my nail polish.

I've been testing the TRIND Keratin Treatment Kit for two months now, and I'm happy to say that my nails are back to their regular strong selves - no breakage in sight! Since I started using the system, I haven't experienced any new cracks on the sides of my nails, and I've also had less peeling on the tips as well. I can't say that I've noticed my nails getting any thicker, but my nails are naturally quite thick, strong and not very flexible (kind of like claws - you get the picture).

While I can definitely say that the Keratin Nail Protector stops any discoloration or stains from nail polishes, it unfortunately does not protect from mild peeling on the surface on the nails that I always get from wearing glitter nail polishes - but I honestly haven't found anything that does.  In terms of how the Trind kit fares compared to OPI Nail Envy and Nail Tek Hydration Therapy III, my other strenghteners of choice, I feel that the Trind duo keeps my nails more hydrated than both, thus preventing painful breakage. I've used the kit both with Trind Caring Colors as well as nail polishes from other brands, and the results are pretty much the same.

Along the Keratin Treatment, I also received a bottle of Trind's Extra Mild Nail Polish Remover* ($9 for 4.23 fl. oz/ 125 ml). Its gentle formula feels more moisturizing than my regular green OPI nail polish remover and removes cream and shimmer formulas without a problem, but it's definitely not strong enough to tackle glitter, which is expected in an acetone-free formula. While I like this remover, I'm not as impressed with it as with the Keratin Treatment.

All in all, I think the TRIND Keratin Treatment for Nails is a very effective strenghtener, although I do wish the price point wasn't as high - especially as the bottles only contain 0.3 fl. oz/9 ml of product versus the usual 0.5 fl. oz/15 ml. What is your favorite nail treatment? Do you use it as base coat or only wear it on manicure breaks?

*Disclaimer: The products marked with an asterix (*) are press samples I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading!