Alright people, I have a bit of a different post today. If you follow me on Instagram, I posted a quick NOTD (nail of the day) manicure a couple days ago, and I stated that my nails had begun to struggle in previous months but more recently they were getting back to their healthy state that I had been used to. Sorry this is a bit of a novel, but I really wanted to explain my whole experience.
Today I will be comparing these two "skin/hair/nail" health supplements. I'm not going to exactly review them because everybody's body will react differently to products like this. I'm not going to go into detail about what Biotin is, how it works, and the sciences of it because I plainly don't know a lot of the ins and outs. I can only say what has worked for me. It is no known secret in the nail community that Biotin is a huge factor in nail health although there really isn't any major studies supporting it. If you want to know more specifics about Biotin just do a Google search or speak to your doctor.
I couldn't understand why the last few months I had started experiencing issues with my nails. Overall they just felt weaker and thin, my free edge was more transparent, I had breaks, they just were not feeling healthy anymore. I hadn't done anything different in nail maintenance, I didn't change base coats or strengtheners, my diet stayed the same, I could not figure it out.
When I first started out on my natural nail journey almost exactly one year ago, I started taking Biotin. Just regular 5000mcg Biotin from Spring Valley (can be purchased at Walmart) twice a day. At first I didn't really see much of a difference because I had a lot of damage from wearing acrylics, nothing was going to fix that. I just had to wait to grow out new healthy nail. But I still continuously took Biotin the whole time. It took almost 5 months to completely grow out all the damaged nail and finally have new, healthy, manageable nail. I, at this point also started using Opi Nail Envy which also played a dramatic role in strengthening my nails. I was really starting to LOVE my nails. Then once I finished my bottle, I got the Nature's Bounty Hair, Skin and Nails from my local Sams Club. The Nature's Bounty has 5000mcg Biotin plus a whole array of other essential vitamins. I figured, "Hey, if I can get all these other vitamins while still getting my Biotin this will be great!" Here's where the comparisons come in. For the sake of the list, I will refer to each of these as SV (Spring Valley) and NB (Nature's Bounty).
- SV is a nice small softgels. NB is a GIANT chalky coated caplet.
- SV has no scent or taste, very easy to take. NB has the typical nasty vitamin smell and because of it's size and texture can be quite hard to swallow.
- SV recommended dose is two softgels per day. NB recommended dose is three caplets per day. Both with food.
Spring Valley label of ingredients.
Nature's Bounty label of ingredients.
From what I have been told supplements take about 6 weeks to start kicking in and you have to be very consistent with them to really achieve their benefits. As far as I know, there is no right or wrong amount to take daily. Biotin is water soluble so if you are not drinking enough water it will just be excreted from your body. With the Nature's Bounty, I found myself forgetting (rather refusing) to take it because I just did not like them. It may be this reason why my nails started to suffer but I also believe for me, I was just not getting exactly what I needed. Your body will only absorb so much, and I feel that there are just too many ingredients in the Nature's Bounty that my body was absorbing certain things and not others and not enough of the Biotin. I'm no doctor so that could be a completely wrong assumption but I truly feel that was the cause. I did almost finish the bottle but I just couldn't take it anymore so I decided to go back to the Spring Valley. It has only been about 3-4 weeks but already I've noticed a HUGE improvement in my nails. Nice and strong again, opaque tips, and they are thicker. I've even started growing my nails out again and switched to a less intensive strengthener because I just don't need a heavy duty one anymore.
So for me I will continue to take the Spring Valley 5000mcg Biotin supplement. It has proved to really improve the quality and health of my nails. I think I will always take it for as long as possible. I'm oddly excited to take it each day. Please take my comparison with a grain of salt. I am only one person. Like I said before, everybody's body is different and will react differently. If your diet or activity is a little different from mine it could completely change the way your body will absorb these supplements. So, do some research and make your own personal decision on what will be best for you.
As always, if you have any hesitations consult with your doctor before taking any new medications or supplements, especially if you already take other things.
I hope this has reached a lot of you that may be struggling with your nails or that has had question about it and that maybe now this has given you a possible road to strong healthy nails! I'd be happy to answer any questions below in the comments. If you made it this far thank you so much for reading all of this :)
xo, Colleen
DISCLAIMER: These products were bought with my own money. These are my 100% honest opinions and experiences. I was not compensated or coerced in any way nor am I affiliated with either of these products.
