At Home Nail Care
Hi my friends! We all love to go to the nail salon to be pampered. I know I do. But sometimes between, work, family, and other things we may have limited time to focus on ourselves. Or it simply might not fit into our budget, although we sure do try to make it fit. Therefore I was inspired to write this post for those of you who still want to ba able to have beautiful, haelthy, and strong nails. Everything outlined here takes mere minutes to do daily, with a weekly routine that should only take 20-30 minutes to do yourself. All of the tools needed are also extremely budget friendly. If you follow this guideline, you should be sporting salon quality natural nails in no time. And for those of you who do go to the nail salon on a regular basis, this is a great at home routine to use for upkeep between visits. Enjoy!
Basic Nail Care:
* Protect your nails when doing household chores or gardening by wearing gloves.
* After showering or bathing, massage jojoba or olive oil into your nails, focusing on the cuticle area.
* When filing, file in only one direction. The back and forth motion is hard on your nails and can cause damage such as peeling or spliting. Also use a soft emery board when filing, not the metal type.
* Make sure to keep brittle nails short until they become stronger.
* Apply a moisturizer to hands and nail several times a day to prevent dryness, especially after exposure to water.
For Polish Wearers:
* Do not use nail products that contain formaldehyde, phthalates, ot toluene. These are extremely harsh chemicals that can damage the nails, cause allergic reactions, and even health problems.
* Use non-acetone polish remover. Regular polish remover contains acetone, which is an extremely powerful chemical found in things like paint thinner, actually cause dryness and can lead to weak, brittle nails. Also limit use of polish remover to no more than two or three times a month.
* Be sure to moisturize after using polish remover.
* Allow your nails to breathe by going at least a few days without any polish on them.
Cuticle Care:
* Once a week, soak your nails in a small bowl of warm olive oil for 15-20 minutes. You may also add two tablespoons of lemon juice if your nails are stained in order to lighten the stains. Skip the lemon juice if you have hangnails or cuts on your hands as this will cause burning.
* After soaking nails, use an orangewood stick to gently push back cuticles with circular motions. DO NOT use metal or cuticle nippers, as this may cause further harm or lead to infections.
* Wipe away dead skin with a cotton ball.
* Use a buffer to have the shiny, polished look. Buffing also creates friction which stimulates nail growth.
* Finish by applying a moisturizer.
Overview:
If you remember these three tips, you will have stronger, healthier nails in no time.
* Daily moisturizing.
* Weekly cuticle care and oil soak.
* Wear protective gloves when using chemicals or water.
(If this routine does not significantly improve the condition of your nails, seek the advice of a medical professional, as brittle nails can be the sign of an underlying medical condition.
This is the type of emery board you want to use.
These are my favorite orangewood sticks. The texture on the ends really help you to remove all of the dead skin and cuticle on your nails without harming them or risking infection.
These are the types of buffers you want to use for that naturally shiny finish. Make sure that they are smooth, not rough and grainy.
Olive oil is mother nature's perfect moisturizer. Its great on skin and nails.
Always wear gloves when doing chores to protect your nails.
