Brittle nails can make it difficult to maintain an attractive manicure. When the nail bed is too brittle, sections can easily flake off, taking your colorful polish with it. Improving the overall health of your nails starts with finding simple ways to reduce brittleness.

Here are three natural remedies you can try if you want to reduce the brittleness of your nails in the future.

1. Olive Oil

Reversing the signs of brittle nails could be as simple as turning to your kitchen cupboard for help. Olive oil has incredible conditioning and moisturizing properties that can help restore the health of your nail beds.

All you need to do to take advantage of the benefits olive oil can provide for your nails is heat up a small bowl of this cooking oil in the microwave, then allow it to cool slightly so that it doesn't burn when touched.

Soak your nails in the olive oil for about 15-30 minutes, then massage the remaining oil into your cuticles and nail bed with a clean cotton ball. The warm oil will penetrate your skin and nails, reducing brittleness and giving your nail beds a healthy shine.

2. Coconut Oil

Another oil that can be beneficial in helping you fight brittle nails is coconut oil. Your nail beds are made from keratin, a substance that has a high water content. A diet that is high in sodium can cause your body to become dehydrated, which will draw the moisture out of the keratin in your nail beds for use elsewhere in the body.

By rubbing coconut oil into your nail beds on a daily basis, you create a shield that helps to lock moisture in the keratin used to construct your nails. This increased moisture can improve the appearance and reduce the fragility of brittle nails.

3. Biotin Supplement

Your body needs access to the right nutritional elements in order to look its best, and a nutritional deficiency could be causing your nail beds to become brittle. Supplementing your diet with biotin can be a great way to improve the quality and strength of your nails.

Be sure that you invest in a supplement that provides 2.5 mg of biotin per day, since this is the expert-recommended amount for optimal nail health.

Finding natural ways to make your nail beds less brittle will help your manicures last longer and allow your nails to look better in the future. In addition to these ideas, also consider investing in a nail growth product to improve the appearance of your nails.