Healthy Natural Nails and Cuticles

As pretty as polished fingernails are, the maintenance can be a major time suck. Executed properly, au naturale fingernails look hip and current, are low maintanence and allow you to bypass the hassles of waiting for polish to dry, repairing chips, etc.

Protecting fingernails and hands by wearing gloves during household chores is a good idea.  Olive oil is extremely emollient and chocked full antioxidants.  Before bed, massage a few drops into your nails and cuticles, which will help protect the nail.  Since the cuticle serves to protect new nail growth, my personal opinion is that pushing, clipping and / or cutting cuticles carries the potential to cause an infection, hinder nail growth or damage to the nail bed.  As a result, I don’t recommend it.

For shaping fingernails, a fine-grain emery board works fine.  Crystal nail files are also great because they last an eternity.  Choosing a fingernail shape is a personal choice, as hand shapes and sizes differ dramatically from person to person.  I like mine filed straight across, with slightly rounded edges, as that seems to best complement the shape of my teeny hands.

Once a month, I use a nail chamois buffer because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my nails to be natutally shiny.  If you like this look, be sure to buff gently and in the same direction.  It helps to  increase the blood flow and gives your nails a pretty, pink glow.  Overdoing it with the buffer, however, can weaken nails, so don’t exceed buffing more than once a month.

As a Type I diabetic, I am concerned about infections occuring from using unclean tools, so before and after each use, I toss my tools (nail clippers and crystal file) into boiling water for 60 seconds to kill germs.  And then (thanks to my OCD afflication!), I followup by spritzing all the tools with my favorite antibacterial spray.  I have not gotten any fungal infections on my nails ever since implementing this process.

If you’re not stoked about using plain ole olive oil your nails, I’ve provided a great nail and cuticle oil recipe below, which is great to use nightly.  In the winter, I use it on my nails, and then slather my hands with olive oil.  Afterwards, I put on a pair of clean cotton gloves or socks before going to sleep and when I wake up the nest morning, my hands are as soft as a baby’s bottom!

barbara-ann’s Nail and Cutcile Buffing Oil:

1)  In a 1/2 oz. bottle with a dropper, combine 20 drops of lemon essential oil, 10 drops of myrrh essential oil and then fill with jojoba oil.  Shake well.

2)  Apply 1 drop of oil to each nail, rub in well.  You can use a nail buffer afterwards, although it is not necesary.

If you try the recipe, please let me know how you like it!

In Health,

barbara-ann