Jessica Critical Care and Nourish Nail Treatments

In my box, along with Jessica Muse (which is coming shortly, I promise), were 2 nail treatments.  I was excited to try them, but also a little apprehensive because I think nail treatments are a little iffy to review... one person's holy grail is the other person's it-peeled-my-nails-and-I'll-never-use-it-again.  That said, I really like these 2 products...

I am using both Critical Care and Nourish in this picture.

Critical Care is a nail stregthener and it specifically mentions on the bottle that it's "intensive care for soft nails", and boy howdy... do I have soft nails.  They have healed from the acrylics/glue-on damage, but there's still some long-term effects and weak nails is the main culprit.  According to Jessica's website, Critical Care  "sets a new standard for boosting growth and strength of severely weakened nails that just won’t grow. Using our exclusive Protein KSW® fortified with calcium and intense strengtheners, penetrates the nail and increases keratinization, creating a protective barrier to allow for maximum growth."
I've been using Critical Care now for about 2 weeks and I've really noticed a difference in the hardness of my nails.  I also feel that my nails seem to be growing faster.  So, in my experience, does this product do what it says it will do?  Absolutely. 

Now, I know in the past, I mention that I loved Dermelect and I still love Dermelect, as I feel it single-handedly helped me overcome my nail disaster last year.  I also know that the Dermelect Nail System has been making the rounds on the blogs and is a blogger favorite, so it's definitely good stuff.  However, I find myself reaching for Critical Care more and more.  I find that my body chemistry + Dermelect + some brands of nail polish just don't play nice.  I have to be very selective with what brands I use with the Dermelect products.  I'm not finding that to be the case with Jessica Critical Care.  One coat of Critical Care and about 3-5 minutes is all it takes for me to be ready to polish my nails. 

It's comparably priced with Dermelect treatments as well.  Both Dermelect Launchpad and Makeover Ridgefiller are $18 and Jessica Critical Care is $17.  It's not a ridgefiller, however, so if you were looking for a direct Dermelect comparison, it would be Launchpad.  If you have deep ridges, you may find that you need an additional ridgefiller.  You can find Jessica Critical Care on their website (click the link above as I had to do a search to find it). 

I was also sent Jessica Nourish Therapeutic Cuticle Formula.  My cuticles and I have a complicated relationship.  They flake, they get hang nails, and no matter how much I baby them, they still aren't always camera ready (a fact, I am sure, you all are well aware of.  LOL).  Because I'm never satisfied with my cuticles, I'm always picking up one thing or another to help with them, whether it be oil, creme, lotion, or another kind of treatment.  So, I was skeptical of Nourish, to be honest.  According to Jessica's website, Nourish is "an all-time classic cuticle therapy, this pure blend of antioxidant vitamins and healing agents provides instant hydration and continuous moisture to nourish and soothe cuticles and nails. It feeds the matrix of the nail as it’s massaged in to stimulate circulation and growth." 

I've been using it now for the same amount of time as Critical Care, 2 weeks, and I'm finding that I'm getting less flaking and hang nails.  The first thing I noticed about Nourish is the scent, a soft floral.  Sometimes, cuticle treatments can smell a little strong.  For example, I know Mango Mend is a little too sickeningly sweet for some people.  That's not the case with Nourish.  Seriously... this stuff smells like it should be from Crabtree & Evelyn.  It's that nice.  It also has a very nice consistency.  It may seem a bit greasy when you first apply it, but it's aborbed quickly in to the skin.  The only downside is I think it may be a tad expensive, at $12.50, for the amount you get, but it only takes a small amount, so the tube will probably last a long time.  Nourish is available at Jessica's website (click above for link). 

Do I recommend these products?  Yes.  I find them both to be great products, that, IMO, do what they say they are going to do.  If you have weak, soft, and/or hard-to-grow nails, and/or problem cuticles, I encourage you to try both of these.

These were sent to me for review