Quick Cuticle Care

Nails look their best when they're hangnail-free, but in winter cuticles take an extra beating. To keep this pesky, painful problem at bay, try one of the take-along cuticle pens that dispense deeply moisturizing ingredients through a soft brush at the tip. Their slim size means that you can stash them in your purse, and the no-mess gel means never having to worry about spills.

• Essie the Cuticle Pen, $14, with apricot, jojoba, and primrose oils, which treat and heal dry skin.
• OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil to Go, $7.50, with sunflower, sesame, kukui-nut, and avocado oils that moisturize the nail area.

Originally published in Ladies' Home Journal, January 2008.