How to Strengthen Your Nails
Nails soaks have become a favourite because they are easy and quick to prepare and many report how happy they are with the results. You can create a nail soak for every type of nail problem you might be suffering from or you may like to make them for family and friends, too, and enjoy the experience together.
Homemade recipes for stronger nails
Stain-removing soak
You’ll need some 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide for this miracle soak. Dip a cotton ball into the hydrogen peroxide then leave the ball on there for 5 minutes or until it looks like the stains are nicely neutralised. Rinse your hands under the tap, then put a good cuticle oil onto all ten finger nails. You can use this method once per week, but no more as you’ll dry everything out too much, especially in winter.
Brittle nail treat
Grab yourself two eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Using a quarter of a cup of milk, add the yolks to the cup, and 1 tablespoon of honey. Discard the whites, or make an omelette! Add the yolk, milk and honey mixture to a little bowl you can soak your nails in for quarter of an hour. Rinse well once finished, and apply some cuticle oil. All the proteins in the mix will make your nails hard as a bone.
Nail whitening soak
Use:
- 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons of warm water
Lemon juice is a great natural whitening agent. Mix the juice and the water together, and place into a nail bowl or other kitchen bowl. After ten minutes, rinse your nails and apply some oil.
Moisturising nail soak
Take one tablespoon hemp seed oil, and add 4 drops of lavender essential oils. Mix the ingredients in a small bowl, soak your nails in it for quarter of an hour, then rinse and enjoy smoother, happier nails!
Peeling nail soak
Garlic oil hardens and fortifies your nail bed and strengthens peeling nails. Soak your nails in half a cupful of garlic oil for quarter of an hour every day. Your nails will be harder in no time.
Tips for beautiful and strong nails
Don’t cut your cuticles
The cuticles are your nails only protection from fungus and bacteria. Cutting, trimming and picking at them will really get in the way of you getting beautiful nails. Even pushing them back can cause problems, so be extremely, extremely gentle. Get your nails healthy and you won’t need to do too much work on them anyway.
Don’t use chemical nail hardeners
Experts say they often do more damage than good. We would say that could certainly be true. So why not choose some natural options that have no side-effects?
Be smart and start adding healthy oils and green vegetables into your diet. Take apple cider vinegar as a supplement. The better your diet, the better your nails will look and feel.
White nails may indicate a liver condition, half pink/half white a kidney disease, pale nail beds could indicate you have anaemia, and any other abnormalities should be checked out by a doctor.
Moisturise the nail bed and cuticle
Using nail soaks is a perfect way to nourish your nails from the outside, but taking a therapeutic oil out with you in your handbag or rucksack can really make the difference. Since washing our hands regularly can largely contribute to dryness, it’s essential that we moisturise straight afterwards.
Limit professional manicures
It’s such a luxury, but many women have noticed that the best person to care for their nails is them. Educate yourself and give yourself a purse-friendly home manicure and pedicure at least once a month.
Get an acetone-free nail varnish remover
Health experts claim it makes your nails more brittle. It can be so much fun painting your nails different colours, but leave them natural for at least a week per month and use an acetone-free remover for the healthiest nails.
Don’t use rough emery boards
The old fashioned emery boards that are sandy or metal are awful for your nails. Splashing out on a professional nail file can be one of the best things you can do for your nails. Files should always move across the nail towards the midline, so avoid filing back and forth.
