Nails are your beauty business card: the way you present your hands and your nails says a lot about you. Clean, healthy and well maintained nails always make a good impression, so women strive to make their nails look fabulous. It’s an art of designs, acrylic nails, and polishes.
Summer nail trends are always so much fun! All nail salons promote the latest buzz in nail fashion such as neon and vivid colors which match perfectly with your summer outfits and emphasize your tan. Certain colors and manicure styles look great on your hands, but it’s not good to paint your nails non-stop. Why? Nails are susceptible to damage from repeated polishing such as yellowing or splitting. From time to time it is good to free them from toxic nail polish then exfoliate and nourish them naturally.
If you don’t have time to pass by the nail salon or you don’t want to spend a fortune for a spa nail treatment, be your own expert at home by choosing these natural methods for nail care.
How to deal with yellow nails
Yellowing is often caused by the chemicals from regular nail polishes, (dark matte colors leave more noticeable marks) which cause stains and make your nails brittle. Before applying the first nail polish coat, make sure that you first put a clear nourishing base coat to prevent future stains. Don’t camouflage the yellow stains with nail polish when you can get rid of them at home:
- Water and lemon mini-spa: in a bowl, soak your hands into water with lemon/lime juice and lemon wedges for about 15 minutes; the lemon juice’s astringent quality will efficiently clean the unwanted stains. After this generously apply a hydrating hand cream rich in vitamin A and E for a smoothing effect.
- Apple cider vinegar: despite its strong odor, this white vinegar can fade the yellow discolored aspect of your nails while strengthening and stimulating nail growth. You can dip your nails in white apple cider vinegar and water for 5 minutes, use about 1/2 vinegar to start and add more over time. if you hate the smell, just soak a cotton ball in the vinegar and apply it on your nails frequently.
- Whitening Toothpaste: a quick trick that works is regular whitening toothpaste. Apply a thick layer of toothpaste on each nail for about 8-10 minutes, then wash it off.
How to deal with dry or splitting nails
Your fingernails are constantly affected by the destructive chemicals found in detergents and nail polishes, or by dietary deficiencies. For example, wearing fake nails for long time can make your nails look torn and brittle because the acrylics are heavy and push hard on your natural nail. When you take a break from decorating your nails, there are many natural remedies to help fix these problems.
- Warm oils for fragile nails: sesame, sunflower and olive oil (and even pure vitamin E) are known for their rejuvenating and soothing effects on nails. For intense care, warm up a little bit these oils, and then soak your nails for 5-10 minutes before rinsing. For better results, leave the oil on your nails overnight, but make sure that you wear gloves not to drip oil all over the bed. It’s good to massage your nails every other day with olive oil to stimulate their growth and to nourish cuticles.
- Nutrition: healthy and fast growing nails do not get dry or split. In order to keep your nails strong you need to include in your diet these four vital nutrients: biotin (found in bananas, beans, peanuts, and cauliflower), omega-3 fatty acids (flax seed, salmon, spinach, and walnuts), protein (remember nails are made of proteins known as keratin), and zinc (green beans, cashews).
