Reviewed by Evan Lewis, PhD. Last updated August 2026.
If you're standing in the foot care aisle googling "does Kerasal work," here's the honest answer: Kerasal and IodinePure are trying to solve the same problem two different ways, and which one fits you depends on what you want your routine to do. We make IodinePure, so weigh this comparison accordingly. We'll keep it factual.
Key takeaways
- Kerasal Fungal Nail Renewal is a nail-softening and appearance product. Its ingredients (urea, propylene glycol, lactic acid) soften and smooth the damaged nail. It contains no antifungal ingredient.
- IodinePure EZ Clear Nails is built around elemental iodine, a mineral with a long published research record, delivered by a soak that reaches under and around the nail plus a twice-daily spray.
- Both demand months of consistency, because the visible fix is always the same: new nail growing in to replace the old. Nails grow about 3mm a month.
- Some people use both: one for the look of the existing nail, one as the daily routine for the nail bed and surrounding skin.
Ingredient research vs cosmetic products
Published research on this page describes iodine as an ingredient, in the preparations those researchers used. IodinePure EZ Clear Nails is a cosmetic and is described in appearance terms: a decolorized aqueous iodine used daily to support the look of clearer nails as new nail grows in. Findings about other preparations are not results for our product, and we do not present them as such.
What Kerasal actually is
Kerasal Fungal Nail Renewal is the best-known drugstore option in this category, and credit where due: it's easy to find, easy to brush on, and its before-and-after photos show real improvement in how damaged nails look.
Here's the part most people miss, and you can check the box yourself: the ingredients are propylene glycol, urea, and lactic acid. Urea softens and thins the thickened nail. Lactic acid helps smooth and hydrate it. That's why Kerasal's own packaging talks about improving the appearance of fungal-damaged nails rather than fighting fungus: there is no antifungal ingredient in the bottle. It resurfaces the damaged nail you already have.
That's a legitimate job. A softer, smoother, less yellow-looking nail is a real cosmetic win. But it explains the pattern behind searches like "does Kerasal work": people expect an antifungal and buy a nail conditioner.
What IodinePure actually is
The EZ Clear Nails Kit takes the opposite approach. Two ingredients: elemental iodine, the mineral used on skin in clinical settings since the 1800s, stabilized in pure water. Researchers have published on iodine's activity against the organisms behind nail fungus in three papers we break down here. Those conclusions belong to the authors and to the preparations they tested.
The delivery is the part no brush-on product can copy: the kit is built around a 5 to 7 minute soak that submerges the toe, carrying the solution under the nail edge and around the nail folds, where nothing painted on top of the nail reaches. Between soaks, a twice-daily spray keeps coverage constant. It's the routine over 200 foot care clinics across North America send home with their patients.
Side by side
| Kerasal Fungal Nail Renewal | IodinePure EZ Clear Nails | |
|---|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Propylene glycol, urea, lactic acid | Elemental iodine and pure water |
| What it's built to do | Soften, smooth, and improve the look of the damaged nail | Daily iodine routine covering the nail, the nail edges, and the surrounding skin |
| How it's applied | Brushed on top of the nail daily | Soak 3 to 4 times a week plus spray twice daily |
| Reaches under the nail | No, brush application sits on the nail plate | Yes, the soak submerges the whole toe |
| Timeline | Appearance changes reported in weeks; full nail turnover still takes months | 90-day cycles; clearer looking new growth typically visible at 60 to 90 days |
| Regulatory status | Cosmetic appearance product | Listed with Health Canada as a cosmetic |
| Guarantee | Varies by retailer | 90-day money back guarantee |
So which one should you use?
Our honest take:
Pick Kerasal if your goal is quick cosmetic improvement of the nail surface, you want something from the drugstore tonight, and you're comfortable that it conditions the nail rather than doing anything else.
Pick IodinePure if you want your daily routine built around a mineral with a long published research record, delivered under and around the nail rather than just on top, with a structured 90-day protocol and a guarantee that caps the risk.
Using both is not crazy. Some people brush a cosmetic softener on the nail plate while running the iodine soak-and-spray routine for the nail bed and surrounding skin. If your nails are thick, the smartest first step either way is professional thinning by a foot care nurse or podiatrist, which makes any topical work better.
EZ Clear Nails 90-Day Starter Kit
The two-ingredient iodine routine, built around the soak.
✓ Two ingredients: iodine and pure water, no sting, no staining
✓ Soak reaches under and around the nail where brushes can't
✓ The routine 200+ foot care clinics across North America send home
✓ 90-day money back guarantee
Common questions
Does Kerasal work for toenail fungus?
Kerasal Fungal Nail Renewal improves the appearance of fungal-damaged nails by softening and smoothing the nail with urea and lactic acid. It contains no antifungal ingredient, so what it does is condition the damaged nail you already have. Many users see cosmetic improvement in the existing nail's look within weeks.
Why does Kerasal say it takes months for full results?
Because the full fix for any nail product is new growth. Toenails grow about 3mm a month, so a fully replaced nail takes 9 to 12 months no matter what you apply. Anything that promises a transformed nail in days is selling something nails can't do.
Is iodine better than Kerasal?
They do different jobs. Kerasal is a nail softener and smoother, working on the surface of the nail you already have. IodinePure is a daily iodine routine that covers the nail, the nail edges and the surrounding skin, and the soak delivery reaches under the nail where brush-on products don't. If you want a routine rather than a resurfacing product, that's the iodine argument in one sentence.
Can I use Kerasal and IodinePure together?
Yes. They don't conflict: one conditions the nail plate, the other is a soak-and-spray routine for the nail and surrounding skin. Apply at different times of day, and keep your foot care professional in the loop.
The bottom line
Kerasal makes damaged nails look better by softening them. IodinePure is a two-ingredient mineral routine, delivered by soak to the places a brush cannot reach, on a 90-day protocol clinics actually hand to patients. Know which job you're hiring for, and pick accordingly. If it's the second job, start with the kit, or see how every option ranks by evidence. Comparing other shelf names? We've also covered Emuaid for nail fungus, Nonyx nail gel, and the podiatrist-dispensed Tolcylen.
Evan Lewis, PhD, specializes in natural and nutritional therapies for the prevention and management of chronic diseases and their complications. His research spans chronic disease, diabetes complications, clinical nutrition, and nerve health, including the development of topical iodine approaches for foot care and wound health. IodinePure products are listed with Health Canada as cosmetics. Kerasal is a trademark of its respective owner; ingredient information is from publicly available product labeling.
