Taking a moment throughout our busy weeks to care for our nails can be a therapeutic and necessary part of our routine. Having healthy, strong fingernails, comes down to nail care habits that promote the right maintenance.
We have gathered a list of simple and effective ways to always keep your nails strong as you go about your everyday routine!
Let's get into it!
1. Brush your nails
Who doesn’t love a low-effort process that actually leads to great results?
Dry brushing is a quick way of decreasing dirt build-up beneath and around our nails, as well as a great way of keeping our cuticles and nails exfoliated in a non-aggressive manner.
By keeping a small nail brush by your sink, you’ll be able to constantly remember to gently brush your nails before washing your hands!
Adapt and overcome -
If dry brushing isn’t quite your thing, no worries! Brushing can work just as well with a little bit of soap and water - whatever works best for you. Top this process off with a little hand lotion and you’re good to go.
2. Moisturize
This tip might seem a tad bit obvious, but stick with us. Just like in skin care, moisturizing is at the very foundation of successful and effective nail care.
Not only is our skin very much involved in this process, but our nails themselves also need to be properly moisturized in order to avoid brittle textures that are prone to breakage.
As we mentioned previously, applying hand cream throughout the day will benefit your nails as well as your hands, keeping them hydrated and preserving your cuticles.
Keep nail oil on hand!
When it comes to more nail-specific rituals, having a cuticle and nail oil on hand is ideal for nurturing flexible nails that can better resist cracks. Just like our skin, we need to keep our nails hydrated in order to maintain them and avoid weak nails. Place the oil on your cuticles, as well as on the back side of your nails to maximize its absorption. After applying, massage your nail plate to promote blood flow and nail growth!
This small change in your nail care regimen can transform brittle nails into resistant and healthy versions of themselves. Unsure where to begin? Try vitamin e oil to hydrate and strengthen nails!
3. Avoid Gel and Acrylic Manicures
We believe that everything can work in moderation, but when prioritizing nail health, we recommend steering clear of gel manicures or acrylic nails. Break your bad habits! The harsh chemicals used in both of these methods are detrimental to our natural beds and can make it all the more difficult for our nails to flourish and grow strong. No need to give up your professional manicures for good; just be aware of the stress your nails go through.
It's not only our nails that a gel manicure can damage, either! Exposure to UV light can harm our skin - if you are going to indulge, make sure to wear gloves or sunscreen on your hands!
The removal process
If you currently have these on, make sure to have them removed professionally by a nail technician (or properly by you if you have experience!) to decrease the damage to your natural nails.
4. Give your nails a break
On that same note - our nails could use a reset once in a while. In order to avoid damaged nails, try going polish-free for a while, and even trading in your long nails for shorter nails if you notice easy breakage. For a subtle protective layer, a top coat will do the trick!
5. Opt for press-on nails
For those of us who struggle with picking or biting our nails, it’s not as simple as just trying to “stop.” As much as we might want to let our nails thrive, stress and other factors can make it easy for us to ruin our nail beds.
For these scenarios, consider the best manicure for you! Alternatives like press on nails can provide long-lasting, reusable options that will keep your nails protected and eliminate any nail-biting impulses.
While many nail polishes can be great, they still leave plenty of room for picking. Nailuxe provides the best of both worlds: an affordable alternative that fits your aesthetic and keeps your natural nails healthy!
Our press-on nails are completely reusable, allowing you to keep your favorite designs on hand for whenever the occasion pops up. Check out how to correctly apply and remove your press-ons here for optimized re-usability.
6. Go acetone-free
Acetone might have become a staple in many of our nail care routines over the years - after all, it is the most famous and effective nail polish remover out there. Don’t be afraid to switch it up to less harsh alternatives when looking to getting your nails clean and ready for your next design.
Acetone causes immediate dehydration to both our skin and nails, which can weaken nails and cause eventual cracking. There are plenty of great alternatives out there! Do your research, taking into account personal allergies, and find the best option for your lifestyle.
7. Look after your cuticles
Cuticles are a hot topic in the nail community - and for good reason. It’s not hard to be confused by how we should actually be caring for them. Do we cut them off? Push them back? Do both?
Before we find the right solution, let’s take a look at what cuticles really do for us. These thin, ’sticky’ bits of surrounding skin that are very well attached to the bottom of our nail beds do in fact have a purpose: They create a barrier for bacteria, preventing them to enter our systems and create infections. At the end of the day... leave your cuticles alone!
Well... mostly
At the same time, just like the rest of our skin, our cuticles can become dry, leading to a build-up of dead skin that is both unpleasant to look at and not quite as effective as it should be. So, while you should leave your healthy cuticles (moisturized) and alone, you should also take the necessary measures to gently remove the dead ones from your nails.
For this step, you can use a cuticle remover to soften them and gently push them back, thus removing the build-up while keeping its healthy parts intact. For larger pieces of dead skin and hangnails, carefully use a cuticle nipper to cut as close to your skin as possible. Give it all a try and see what you click with. All that matters is being gentle and mindful with your nail bed.
8. Wear gloves
Our healthy habits and cleaning routines don't stop when we have a fresh new set of nails. Washing the dishes is a notoriously infamous way of drying out both our manicures and our natural nail beds; after all, soaking them in water leaves them fragile and prone to breakage.
The solution is simple: when working with water, wear rubber gloves! Wearing gloves while washing dishes helps you both limit your nails' contact with water for a prolonged period of time and avoid contact with chemicals often found in cleaning products.
9. Rethink your nail file
While regular nail files certainly get the job done, some simple tips and tricks can help take your nail game to the next level with the perfect tools for you.
Your new favorite tool
Glass files are a great fine file alternative - by featuring a much smoother, less rough texture, they will more evenly file your nails and avoid brittle nails. It's no surprise that nails regularly catching on things like our clothes can be inconvenient and painful. For even better nail filing etiquette, file your nails in one direction - rather than going back and forth - this way, you'll avoid creating rough edges and snaggy nails.
10. Dietary supplements
Tips for healthy nails need to include ones that discuss the nutrients and vitamins we need from within. While aesthetic fixes and maintenance are great and necessary, we need to look to our diets to truly, successfully maintain healthy nails and our overall health.
Biotin supplements, for example, provide nutrients that are great for healthy nails. The best part? A varied diet can do the trick!
Start your nail care journey
Nurturing strong healthy nails is about finding the routine that best works for you - be gentle and find your flow! We can't wait to see how your nail journey goes.
