Yes, it is fun and relaxing to have our nails done at salon; but there are ways you can do to get beautiful nails naturally without nasty chemicals and long boring procedures. The combination of a well-balanced diet, a thoughtful beauty regimen, and a good personal hygiene can give you salon-worthy nails!
Eat a healthy diet
Nothing is better than a protection from inside. As with most aspects of our bodies, we get the best results from eating a well-balanced, vitamin rich diet. Vitamin deficiencies show up quickly as weakened, brittle fingernails or pits in the nail.
Use moisturizer
When rubbing lotion or oil into your hands, make sure you work it into the cuticles and nails too. Regular handwashing or use of hand sanitizer can dry out the skin and nail bed quickly, so try to moisturize after every wash, if possible. You can invest on a moisturizing hand cream to moisturize your nails. Coconut oil is also excellent for rubbing into your nails and cuticles.
Keep your nails trimmed
If you’ve ever had long nails, then you’ve probably ever experienced broken nails. The only solution to prevent this is to keep your nails trimmed. You know the length your nails can withstand; so there’s no need to grow them out longer just to suffer the inevitable painful break while you’re trying to do laundry or wash the dishes. Your nails usually grow 1 mm per week, so you can decide when you must trim them.
File your nails right
When thinking about filing your nails, you’ll probably think about moving the nail files back and forth over your fingernails. This is not a correct way to file your nails. You should file your nails in one direction, because sawing back and forth only weakens the nail. Your rough nail files also should be replaced with very fine nail files.
Avoid using harsh polish
Nail polish typically contains very toxic chemicals and color pigments that are actually not good for your nails. Fortunately, there are companies like OPI and Revlon that make some polishes that do not contain harsh chemical. Before purchasing, make sure you pick the nail polish without toluene, dibutyl phthalate, dimethyl and dethyl phthalates, camphor, and formaldehyde. Looking for organic nail polish is also a better choice!
Buff instead of color
Coloring your nails will instantly give a new touch to your overall appearance, but like the point above, nail polish contains chemicals that are not good for your nails. Although buffing is not as fancy as color, but it can go a long ways. Take the time to trim, file, and buff your nails properly and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how great they can look.
Care for your cuticles
Avoid having your cuticles trimmed during a manicure. Cuticles are meant to be a barrier for bacteria, and cutting them can lead to painful infections. You can moisten and push them back with a cuticle pusher, and trim away only dead pieces of skin. If you’re planning on having a conventional manicure done, at least protect your cuticles by dabbing with olive oil or almond oil prior, in order to reduce the amount of chemical that soaks in from the polish.
