The $3 drugstore must-have if you’re getting a gel manicure

Rocking a fresh manicure can make you feel like you have your life together in more ways than one. However, if your go-to hue of polish is disguising dry fingernails, dermatologists recommend rubbing ’em with one drugstore ingredient to restore your finger health.

In a recent post published by the American Academy of Dermatologist, experts on your body’s largest organ (which your nails are part of) recommended moisturizing your nails in between gel manicures with a $3 tub of petroleum jelly. “Between polishes, apply a moisturizing product, such as petroleum jelly, to your nails and cuticles several times daily. This will minimize brittleness and help prevent your nails from chipping,” reads the article. “Try not to wear nail polish for one to two weeks or longer. This will allow your nails time to repair.”

Really, it’s no surprise that the AAD loves petroleum jelly—so many derms name it as their desert island product. “Petroleum jelly is very occlusive, meaning it works to keep moisture from leaving your skin by blocking exposure of the skin to air because dryness in the air can really pull moisture from your skin,” says dermatologist Sandra Lee, MD, aka “Dr. Pimple Popper” and the founder of SLMD Skincare.

Best of all, once you’ve treated all 10 dry fingernails, you can apply the gooey skin-care product to any other dry patches on your winter-struck body. I’m talking elbows, lips, knuckles—the list goes on.

This dermatologist uses Vaseline as a makeup remover:

Hey, did you hear? Skin care will continue its reign in 2020 and our new mantra is “sustainable beauty or bust.”