Hey y'all!
Today on the blog, I thought I would share my nail care routine with you. I never understood how important it was to show love to your hands until my nails started peeling, constantly breaking, and just looking generally awful. I always kind of just thought that manis were a luxury, not a necessity. Well I am reformed and here to tell you that a good nail care routine is essential to healthy, beautiful nails. Let me start by showing you my basics:
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| My nail care basics/holy grail products |
To start with, I only use non-acetone polish remover on my nails unless I have some VERY stubborn glitter or something that absolutely will not come off otherwise. I prefer the one from Sally's Beauty Supply because as it dries, it smells like cherries! Who doesn't love that? My latest obsessions have to be mani bombs (pictured is one from Cuter Cuticles - purchased by me). They just leave your hands feeling so luxuriously soft and relaxed afterwards and they smell divine. I love dropping one in and feeling all the fizzies! I also always use Sally Hansen cuticle remover, the blue kind which is extra strength, a glass file, cuticle nippers for those stray bits of skin, a metal cuticle pusher, and a good cuticle oil/salve. So let's go step by step through my routine!
Here's what I started with, a mani that was a few days old, had some tip wear, had some white paint on it from where I was painting my fireplace, and some pretty dry cuticles:
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I started with removing my polish with my Beauty Secrets non-acetone remover and some cotton balls. Then it was time for the mani bomb! This one was called Chill Pill and it definitely eased some stress I'd had that day. And its blue, my favorite!
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| Getting my mani bomb on! |
Once my water had gotten cold, it was time to move on to those raggedy cuticles. Let me preface this by saying NEVER cut your cuticles. It will cause them to grow back thicker and they'll be more likely to crack. Always used a cuticle pusher or orange stick and gently push them back. Always push them back after your hands are wet, the skin will be softer and less prone to cracking. About once a week, I use the Sally Hansen Extra Strength cuticle remover to help get any skin that has grown onto my nail off, it also helps soften and remove pesky little hangnails or bits of skin.
I did one hand at a time so that I didn't leave the remover on my nails too long, and gently pushed each cuticle back with the cuticle pusher using the curve of the pusher to work off any dead skin on or around my cuticles. Once that was done, I washed my hands and dried well.
Time to file! I have gone to only using a glass file on my nails. Since changing over to a glass file exclusively, I find that I have much less peeling! The filing process takes a little longer but the grit on my file is so fine that it really gives me the opportunity to control my shape. I gently filed each of my nails which I have to do often to maintain my almond nail shape. #pointynailproblems
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Once I was finished filing and had wiped all the bits of filed nail off with my hand towel, it was time to moisturize. Now, I will say that I haven't found my absolute holy grail moisturizer yet but I do quite like this cuticle salve that I've been using for about a month. It soaks in quickly and has a very aromatic lavender scent. Moisturizing is possibly the most important part of nail and cuticle health. Dry nails are brittle, prone to breaking, and more likely to peel. So show those nails some moisture!
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| Stained but healthy! |
Some other things to keep in mind for long, healthy nails: your nails are not tools! Don't use them to open things or pry things; Always use a base coat to protect your natural nails; your nails are weaker without polish so always wear at least a base coat - even if its just a protein base; and most importantly of all - love on those nails! Manis are a necessity, not a luxury. :)
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| Post mani nails! |
What are some of your favorite nail care tips and tricks? How often do you give yourself a full mani? Thanks for reading!
Love,
Pish
Find me on Instagram for more nail art and swatches!
I love this post! I like to know what products work for others, because I'm always on the lookout for something to help my cuticles.
ReplyDeleteMe too!
Deletei vouch for Sally Hansen cuticle remover it really workers wonder for me :)
ReplyDeleteI love it too!
DeleteI love lavender so I think I would love that cuticle balm. My main strategy for nail care is a lot of cuticle oil, I probably use it like 10 times a day.
ReplyDeleteI use it a lot too! Lavender is one of my favorite scents.
DeleteThanks Tracey!
ReplyDeleteI have a very similar care routine! Love seeing how everyone is different in it though
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see what everyone uses. :)
DeleteI need to try mani bombs. Seen them a lot lately and haven't bought any yet. When I have the extra money I always find myself buying polish. lol
ReplyDeleteLol they feel so luxe!
DeleteGreat post! I do cuticle remover once a week and file when I feel my nails get too long or if they split. Which happens often. I use a 200 grit file as it is quick and easy to remove length. I don't have the patience to remove length with my glass file. I use that for fine tuning my shape. I use balm and oil every night and sleep with cotton gloves on once I've applied them. I am bad at lotion, but I try hard during the day. It is almost winter here, so I need to buck up!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I do cuticle remover once a week and file when I feel my nails get too long or if they split. Which happens often. I use a 200 grit file as it is quick and easy to remove length. I don't have the patience to remove length with my glass file. I use that for fine tuning my shape. I use balm and oil every night and sleep with cotton gloves on once I've applied them. I am bad at lotion, but I try hard during the day. It is almost winter here, so I need to buck up!
ReplyDeleteThat Sally Hansen cuticle remover is one of my HGs. Adore it!
ReplyDeleteLove posts like this! I use more industrial strength versions of a lot of these things. My cuticles laugh in the face of that Sally Hansen cuticle remover so I do better with the Julep one.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I love learning about other bloggers nail care! My steps are pretty similar to yours except I use a scrub before using a mani bomb and follow up with a really thick balm and hand butter. My desert like skin needs ALL the moisture lol :D
ReplyDeleteWow, your nails look pretty and healthy. My skin is very dry, so i have to follow good nail care routine. I have revived Parrot Polish mani bomb recently, excited to try it now.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, Pish! Thanks for sharing! I really need to set more time aside to show my nails and hands some TLC!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all your hair ROCKS. second I think I need to switch to a glass file. Also you should try Julep nail masks. They are amazeballs!
ReplyDeleteI rarely do a full mani because I'm always changing my polish :P Probably every other week or so lol I love mani bombs - they're especially wonderful after a swatch session!
ReplyDeleteI recently discovered the amazingness of mani bombs, my life will never be the same. Great post
ReplyDeleteI am so envious of your nail shape! Loved reading about your routine I almost do the exact same thing haha. Long live the mani bombs.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could jump on the mani bomb train but my nails expand with all that water. Love the sally hansen cuticle remover. It's definitely hg status.
ReplyDelete