Taking Care of your nails

Well, this blog is more geared to the females. Sorry guys, but you can still get a little something from it. Being the nail polish queen I am, I thought I’d offer a little nail care info to you lovely ladies and gents. It is important to keep your hands and toes well manicured. I found this nail care guide online and thought it might be helpful. I even learned a few new things myself. Enjoy!

Nail Care Tips

Well-groomed, beautiful nails are an integral part of a woman's appearance. Healthy nails, in addition to being attractive, reflect personal habits, both good and bad. They also reflect our general state of health.

Caring for those Nails
1. Wear Gloves while washing dishes or working in detergent-based liquids.
2. Avoid harsh metal files.
3. Use a hand and nail lotion to protect and moisturize. Dry nails tend to crack and split.
4. Avoid clipping your nails. Instead, file them at a 45-degree angle.
5. The best time to file nails is immediately after a bath. Nails are much softer then. You can also soak your hands in a bowl of warm water before filing.
6. Never file feed into the corners of your fingers. Do it from corner to the center.
7. Leave the cuticle alone. The cuticle invites infection on the nail's tissue.

The Use of Vitamin E
Vitamin E is essentially important for soft and smooth skin. Puncture a Vitamin E capsule and massage the nourishing oil to smoothen cuticles.

Nail Painting Tips
Nail painting can protect nails from damage. In some people, it can ward off fungal infection.
1. Add a topcoat of clear nail polish to protect the nail.
2. More than two coats of polish rob the nail's breathing space.3. Use an acetone-free nail polish remover. Acetone dries nails and can make them brittle.




Pedicure Tips. Thirty-minute Pedicure

1. Clean toenails and remove all traces of polish with a conditioning remover, as described for the manicure.

2. Cut toenails using a nail clipper and file into the desired shape using the rough side of an energy board. Hold the board slightly angled down over the edge of the nail. Smooth the edges towards the center with a light motion; don't cut or file them always as this weakens the nail and can lead to in growing toenails.

3. Lightly massage the nail contours with a cuticle oil or cream.

4. Place both feet in a bowl of warm water into which you have added a handful of bath salts or a few drops of pure essential oil such as peppermint. Soak feet for five to ten minutes.

5. Dry feet thoroughly with a towel and apply a drop of cuticle remover to the nail contours. Leave it on for a few minutes while you smooth away any hard skin or calluses on the soles of your feet using an exfoliating cream. Then gently 'roll' the cuticles back with a manicure stick covered with cotton wool. Massage hard skin again with the scrub, then rinse off in the warm water.

6. Rinse your feet in cold water to boost circulation. Dry them again with a towel, paying special attention to the skin between your toes.

7. Clean your toenails again with a cotton pad soaked in remover to take off any oily film.

8. If required, apply a hardening formula to the toenails, taking care not to let it touch the cuticle or the surrounding skin.

9. Apply a base coat, followed by two coats of polish, and finally a topcoat, as described for the manicure. Placing cotton wool between your toes separates them to make applying polish easier.

The cuticles on toenails are so tough, and it is best to work on them once a month with a cuticle remover. Giving, lots of attention to the little toe, which usually suffers the most. If you have a dry skin on your feet, the best way to remove it is with a scrub cream, which will leave your feet smoother and well conditioned. Or the best way is by using a pumice stone.