Hello Lovelies! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. I
apologize that I didn't have a New Years' manicure to share with you but
between holiday events, traveling, and some family craziness I didn't have time
to get one done for you.
Over the past week I have had very little time to do more with my
nails besides apply lotion occasionally. I decided this would be the perfect
opportunity to share my nail care routine with you. I typically do this routine
maintenance every few days or whenever I change my nail art. You can see that
after a week without maintenance that my nails are a total wreck. I have broken
several of my nails and have filled them down to nubbies. The ridges are out of
control and my thumbs are on the verge of peeling. And let's not even get
started on my cuticles. So, anyways it's time for a little TLC.
I typically start out my routine by removing any polish and
washing my hands with warm water and moisturizing soap. I occasionally use a
sugar scrub but in the winter my hands are more sensitive so I skip the scrubs
during this time of year.
Once my nails are naked and clean I file them down and reshape
them if necessary. If you are removing a significant length of nail you may
want to trim them first with clippers, my nails rarely get an opportunity to
grow very long and I don't care for clippers because they can cause stress on
brittle nails. I don't have before and after picks of this step because I had
to file them down after they broke the other day. When filing your nails it is
best to file in one direction and not file back and forth in a sawing motion.
If you have a break file in the opposite direction of the break, this will help
to prevent it from breaking further if it hasn't broken off completely already.
After filing, I like to use a cuticle softener to freshen up my
cuticle areas. I have used several different kinds and am not committed to any
one kind. Every cuticle softener I have come across has different soaking
times, so be sure to read the directions before you use yours. With this
cuticle softener it recommends 1-2 minutes but no more than 8-10 minutes. I
apply the softener around the cuticles and under the tip of my nail. Using a
cuticle pusher I push back the cuticle and scrape the underside of my nail,
after allowing the gel to soak in for a couple of minutes. Don't be surprised
if you get a lot of gunk and gross stuff when you do this, it's just dead skin,
dirt, and oils. I then wash my hands once more.
For this next step I take care of my ridge problems. I use a
three sides buffer to smooth them out. I don't recommend this for everyone, if
you don't have ridges it's completely unnecessary and if your nails are
extremely thin they make them even weaker. I buff out my ridges because if I
don't they split and crack, which is very painful and prevents me from growing
them to any length. If you have
significant ridges but don't want to buff them I recommend using a ridge filler
base coat under polish, it helps to hide them.
I start with evening out the ridges. This makes my nails look
absolutely terrible, but makes them feel so much smoother and eliminates
surface peeling.
I then use the smooth side to do just that smooth the nail. I
also use this along the edge of my nails to clean off any excess after filling
them down.
Lastly, I shine the nail. I recommend this step to everyone. It
helps remove oils and gives a little shine to the nail. If you don't intend to
apply a polish to your nails this is a great way to give them a healthy glow.
After all that my cuticles and hands are a little worse for wear.
At this point I typically apply a nail polish base coat/strengthener, cuticle
oil, and lotion. Since, I have a little extra time and my hands are in dire
need I'm going to go ahead and do a slightly more in depth moisturizing
process.
First, I apply a generous amount of cuticle cream nail
strengthener to my nails and cuticle. I spread it out but do not rub it in
completely.
I then apply a generous amount of hand lotion and spread over my
entire hands. I use many different lotions and tend to pick a lotion that
strikes my fancy or whatever is in within arm’s reach.
With my hands greased up I use a pair of moisturizing gloves to
cover my hands so that I can give them time to naturally absorb the lotion. If
you don't have gloves for this you can use plastic gloves or sandwich baggies.
I used baggies for a very long time before I was gifted these gloves by my
sister. I then sit back for about 30 minutes and with my gloves hands wrapped
relax for a bit. Wrapping the hands warns them up which helps with absorption.
After 30 minutes or so I remove the gloves and rub in any
remaining lotion or cream. My hands were so dry this time around that when I
took the gloves off I had to apply even more lotion. Yikes!
At this point my hands are ready for polish but I'm going to leave my pretty moisturized nubbies naked for a little longer. Your hands will look
better and feel better too. I hope you found this posting helpful, I'm sorry it's not pretty nail art but I will try to have some posted soon. Thanks for
stopping by, see you next time. Oh, and Happy New Year! I hope it is a
successful and prosperous one for all of you.
Your Fellow Plebe,
Thanks for sharing! I am always interested in how people care for their nails.
ReplyDeleteI have read that pushing back or removing your cuticles can cause dryness and brittleness of your nails. I have stopped doing this a couple of months ago and have noticed some improvement, but want to see what the long term results will be.
Anyway, great post!
Thanks Kathleen. I find that if I don't push back my cuticles that they over take my nails. I use cuticle softener because it makes the process gentler. I use cuticle oils and creams to counter the dryness. I think the most important thing is just sticking with a routine that works best for you.
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