Good Habits For Healthy, Beautiful Nails

As I get older, I found that I have unintentionally started taking care of my body. I moisturize more. I care about what I eat (sometimes). I pay attention to what is in the products that I use on my skin. The thing that I found to be most important in my new obsession with caring for my body, is nail care. I've always loved painting my nails but never spent much time making sure they were healthy.

Now, I'm no nail care professional, but, for the past two years or so I've had some time to come up with an effective routine. Sometimes it is rather tedious to go through the motions of cleaning and prepping your nails before painting them, but I assure you, it's the number one reason my cuticles and nails look good. So here are five good habits for healthier, stronger, beautiful nails.

Keep Them Clean
This is the single most important thing you need to do that will help your nails grow stronger and prevent hang nails and nasty infections. You'll actually enjoy tending to your nails before painting them once you get the hang of doing it regularly. My usual regime for cleaning my nails goes as follows:

• Remove any nail polish left on your nails. I use acetone free remover with vitamin E. It does tend to take longer to remove polish but it's a lot healthier for your nails. 
• Wash your hands with mild soap and warm water, massage cuticle butter into nails bed if desired. If you have time, a good 5-10 minute soak in warm water never hurt nobody.
• Clip or file any nails that aren't to your preferred length. Do not cut your nails too short or cut your cuticles. You can avoid infection by leaving them be. If your cuticles are getting a little unruly, it's fine to gently push them back a tiny bit.
• Very gently buff your nails to your preference. I usually use the flat side of my buffer if I'm not planning on painting my nails to leave them shiny and beautiful, and use the rougher side to buff them matte before I paint my nails. I don't know if there is any specific way you're suppose to buff them, but, you can do it any way that works best for you. 

Use A Cuticle Oil Or Butter
Taking care of my cuticles if the best thing to ever happen to my hands. I apply Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream or if I have it, Lush Cosmetic's Lemony Flutter to my cuticles and fingers as often as I remember to, and always after I've tended to my nail beds before painting them. It leaves the skin so soft and moisturized and makes for a way easier nail painting experience. After I've painted my nails and they've dried, I always apply a coat of Essie's Apricot Cuticle Oil to my nail beds and massage them until absorbed. Definitely two great investments, your cuticles will thank you and your nails will grow stronger.

Let Them Breathe
I don't follow this rule as much as I should, but, it probably is pretty important when trying to keep your nails healthy and beautiful. Before I had a nail routine, I always found that my nails looked dingy and yellow after removing polish. More times than not, my nails would be stained from whatever colour I had on previously. I always just painted over it instead of letting them repair themselves. Now that I clean my nails regularly and remove any stains by gently buffing the area, they actually grow better and don't split as easily. The growth is much, much healthier after I let them breath for a day or two in between colours.

Tip: If you can't stand a bare nail, Julep carries a special oxygen treatment that is a light pink that helps let your nails breathe while still looking adorable. 

Apply Thin Layers Of Polish
After getting into the habit of steps 1-3, your nails are going to feel like they've spent a week at the spa. You will find they'll also be a lot easier to paint. If you find you have trouble keeping your polish from peeling quickly, it's most likely due to how you're applying it. Your first coat should be really thin, so that it dries fast and works as a primer for the second coat. If you have a quality polish, two coats should do the job. If you're using a thin formula, it pays to do thin layers so that a third one won't be too thick, which is why polish peels.

Tip: I suggest also finding a great top coat that dries fast. Seche Vite is a big favourite for everyone, but if you're looking for a formula that is better for the environment, I've been a fan of Essie's Good To Go and Julep's Polymer Top Coat.

Avoid Painting Your Cuticles
I always thought it was weird that you wouldn't want to paint your entire nail, but once I started doing it, I was hooked. It makes your manicure look 1000x better. It also helps your cuticles from drying out, feeling sore, or looking messy. Start at the base of your nail, leaving a small gap between your cuticle and the start of the polish. Your brush should make a rounded stroke and be easy to shape your polish the same curve as your cuticle. Then do two more strokes, one on each side of your middle stroke, avoiding the sides of your nails. If you get any on your skin just quickly scrap it off with your thumb nail. You won't need to spend any time shaping around the base of your nail with your second coat because gravity will just let it settle on top of your first coat.

It doesn't even have to look perfect, because it will still look amazing compared to painting your cuticles and skin. Practice makes perfect and you will be able to paint your nails without touching your cuticles in no time.

Tip: Pay attention to the brushes when picking out nail polishes. I have brand favourites based on the brush and not necessarily their formulas or colours. It's all preference, and you will discover what works best for you. 

Do you have a nail care regime? What are your favourite polish brands or products for nail health? Do share, as I'm always looking for new things to try!

xo Amber
This post was not sponsored by any company, however I have used links pertaining to my relationship with Julep. 
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