Between doing the dishes, household cleaning products, hair products and nail polish remover, our nails are in prime position to take a beating. Getting those babies strong and healthy takes some diligence. Practicing good habits like getting a good manicure, nail-strengthening treatments on a weekly basis and, of course, daily maintenance, can all go a long way. Adopt these four healthy nail tips to promote strong, healthy growing nails now.
Daily maintenance
Keep nails filed to a manageable length (use a good quality nail file – toss it when it gets patchy in spots) and keep cuticles pushed back and trimmed, if necessary. You may find you don’t have to do this everyday but regular maintenance, including nipping a hangnail in the making, is beneficial. If bacteria gets a chance to enter any openings in the cuticles, infections can cause problems, fast.
Keep nails coated in a strengthening polish to protect them all day. Try Julep Oxygen Nail Treatment on clean, unpolished nails. It has a subtle tint and shine of its own and can be applied once or twice per week. The enriched, plant stem cell complex gets to work quickly keeping nails strong, thick and able to withstand day-to-day trials and tribulations.
Olive Oil soaks
Many beauty naturalists swear by soaking their nails in olive oil to create soft cuticles and strong hydrated nails, Italian beauty Giada De Laurentiis being one of them. Aside from being incredibly moisturizing, olive oil contains three major antioxidants: vitamin E, polyphenols, and phytosterols. These help protects the skin from premature skin aging by keeping skin soft, supple and infusing it with vitamin essentials.
Pour a 1/4 of oil into a bowl with some warm water and soak tips for 10 minutes. Massage the oil into your nail beds and cuticles to get the blood circulating. To really lock in moisture, try soaking your nails at night and wearing gloves to bed. Do this once or twice a week.
Take a supplement
A healthy diet makes for shiny nails and hair, but what exactly do you need (omega 3s? omega 6s? B12?) and how much should you be taking? A daily supplement can help take the guess work out of it. Women’s Hair, Skin and Nails Formula brings together lutein, amino acids and antioxidants for a daily dose of beauty boosters that make for strong, healthy nails. Gelatin is especially great for nails as it’s rich in amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. Protein are needed to form strong, healthy nails and aid in the growth and repair or tissue.
Go on a polish detox
If your nails are really brittle, or you want to give them a real boost for the next season, take a break from polish and give them some time to get strong again, naturally. Nails grow seemingly slowly, so this can take time but it’s well worth the wait. If your nails are in really bad shape, consider a three month polish detox. Aside from polish itself, using polish remover too often can be harmful, as it’s high in the chemical acetone and can lead to dry, cracking, splitting nails so constantly rubbing them with the harsh chemical isn’t doing your nails any favours.
