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Nail care tips: Natural homemade recipes for strong and beautiful nails

Published: 
Sunday, June 10, 2012

 

Your nails tell a lot about you. Strong and healthy nails serve as the perfect representative of the overall health and wellness of a person. Fortunately, you do not need a lot of time and money to maintain healthy nails. Here are a few tips and recipes to help you.
 
Sea salt soak for brittle nails
 
2 tbsps. – fine grain sea salt
2 drops – lemon essential oil or some lemon juice
2 drops – frankincense essential oil (optional)
2 drops – myrrh essential oil (optional)
2 drops – wheat germ oil (optional)
 
Add the ingredients to a small bowl of warm water. Soak your nails for 10 to 15 minutes, two times a week and then apply hand cream. You will notice the results very soon.
 
Beer, oil and apple cider vinegar nail soak
 
¼ cup – apple cider vinegar
¼ cup – olive oil
½ cup – beer
 
Heat olive oil (warm to touch). Mix well with beer and apple cider vinegar. Soak your nails for 10 to 15 minutes. Enjoy your strengthened and nourished nails.
 
Cayenne pepper mask for brittle nails
 
1 tsp. – hand cream
½ tsp. – cayenne pepper
10 drops – water
 
Mix the ingredients well, apply to nails for 15-20 minutes, rinse. Leftover mixture can be kept in a fridge. Use 1 to 2 times a week.
 
Black currant nail mask recipe
 
1 tbsp. – black currant
1 tbsp. – wheat flour
½ tbsp. – cream
Mash black currant with back of spoon until pulpy. Mix well with cream and flour. Apply the mixture on your nails, put on cotton gloves, leave it for 2 hours, then rinse.
 
Herbal nail treatment recipe
 
1 tbsp. – dry chamomile flowers
1 tbsp. – dry peppermint
2 tbsps. – wheat flour
½ tsp. – olive oil
1 cup – water
 
Pour boiling water over the mixed herbs. Steep for 1-1 ½ hours, then strain. Blend well with flour and olive oil. Apply the mixture on your nails and leave it for 30 minutes. Rinse.
 
Hot oil treatment for dry and splitting nails
 
Heat olive oil (warm to touch). Add some drops of lemon juice. Soak hands and nails for ten minutes. Put on gloves after the hot oil treatment and leave them for 20 minutes or overnight for best results.
 
Vitamin E oil treatment
 
Vitamin E helps strengthen and nourish nails and cuticles. Squeeze the capsule of Vitamin E oil and apply to your nails nightly. Massage in to help increase circulation to the nail bed.
 
Lastly, to whiten your nails, soak your nails in water with lemon juice or lemon slices added for about 10 minutes. It really works!
And do not forget about basic nail care tips:
 
 
• Avoid prolonged exposure to water. Water dries your nails out, leaving them weak and more prone to breaking.
 
• Wear cotton-lined rubber gloves when you are
cleaning and using chemicals.
 
• Do not remove cuticles from your nails – it can
lead to nail infection. Apply some cuticle balm or oil and gently push back the cuticles, with the help of an orangewood stick.
 
• Never pull off hangnails, as it usually results in 
ripping living tissue. Clip the hangnails off, leaving a slight angle outward.
 
• Always file nails in one direction (from corner to centre): filing back and forth can cause splits.
 
• Avoid acetone polish removers.
 
• In case you wear nail polish, avoid products with toluene, sulfonamide, or formaldehyde. Make sure to give your nails a break from time to time and leave them without polish for a few days.
 
• Avoid abusing your nails. Don’t use your finger nails as tools to pick or scratch things.
 
• Don’t bite! It is extremely destructive for nails 
and cuticles.
 
• Eat a healthy diet, containing plenty of fruits and
vegetables, nuts, fish, whole grains and eggs. 
Nutrients that may be beneficial in treatment of
nail problems: protein, calcium, vitamins A, B, C, D
and E, folic acid, iron, and zinc. 
 
• Most importantly, drink plenty of water.
womanwise

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