Hemp review: Miracle Oil’s hyperbole aside, it’s a winner for hands and nails

With an imperious name and bold claims about its applications and effectiveness, Miracle Oil holds court among the hemp seed oil-infused cosmetics produced by the California company Earthly Body.

This topical hemp seed oil treatment, which includes tea tree oil and Vitamin E, is billed as “nature’s perfect solution” for intense dryness, chapped feet and heels, waxing and shaving irritation, cracked nails and cuticles, as well as scars and stretch marks.

And while there remains little doubt that cannabinoid-rich hemp products boast myriad health benefits, any consumer brand that makes such a bold claim merits scrutiny.

On the upside, lovers of all-natural products should keep this reasonably-priced offering on their radar. It’s 100 percent vegan along with being paraben-, phthalate- and petroleum-free.

The packaging, however, raises questions.

Miracle Oil comes in a dainty, 1-ounce, glass-dropper dispenser. The dropper is well-suited to treating dry nails and cuticles. After several weeks of using Miracle Oil, I found this to be its best use. The oil left my hands with a pleasant, herbaceous scent while my nails and cuticles grew stronger.

But the size and easily-shattered bottle and dropper limit how often a user can apply Miracle Oil to large swaths of scarred, stretched, or exceedingly dry skin. That makes Miracle Oil a poor substitution for lotion or an especially emollient body butter.

Simply put: Miracle Oil is great for hands and nails, but when it comes to more complex dermatological challenges, consumers should take this product’s bold claims with a grain-of-salt.

Earthly Body Miracle Oil is about $12 at earthlybody.com. The product is also available on amazon.com, ulta.com and select natural foods stores.

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