You don’t have to get manicures to keep your nails looking great! I can’t remember the last time I stepped foot inside a nail salon. The smell would knock me out!
The amount of chemicals that are typically used in nail salons is enough to keep me out. I prefer to stay away from all the nasty chemicals in life, including nail salons and products.
I started relying on caring for my nails at home with natural ingredients. It’s a great way to keep your nails healthy and looking great all the time!
What is Natural Nail Care?
Natural nail care is the art of keeping your nails healthy and beautiful without the harsh use of nasty chemicals.
Although some nail salons provide natural nail manicures, in this post I focus on how to take care of your nails naturally with healthy ingredients you can use at home.
How to do Natural Nail Care
Our nails are the first thing people usually see and we use them for so many things! Even something as simple as dish washing without protective gloves can give your nails a beating.
It’s simple to just put on a pair of latex free dish washing gloves before you get started.
There are many ways to pamper your nails naturally without spending a fortune. Here are my favorite tips for nail care for natural nails.
Trim and File Your Nails
Trimming your nails on a regular basis can help minimize nail breakage and splitting. I like to keep my nails short and trim them every 10 days or so.
Your nails may grow faster or slower so the timeframe will vary.
After you clip your nails, use a good nail file to smooth out the edge and give them a shape.
Do NOT use the nail file in a back and forth motion. That’s not good for your nails. The right way to file nails is one motion from the side to the center.
It’s less harmful to your nail bed and the edge will be smoother.
There are different types of nail files. If you have natural nails, you’ll want to pay attention to the nail file grit factors. Choose a 180 grit or 240 grit nail file. It is finer and not as coarse as other files used for acrylic nails.
I like my nails short, so I cut them once a week. If you like yours a little longer, that’s okay. No matter the length you like, it’s good to give yours a regular trim with a large nail clipper.
I find that this minimizes how much your nails peel when cutting them. After they’ve been trimmed, file your nails to shape them and smooth any rough edges.
Moisturize your Nails and Cuticles
Do your cuticles ever get dry or crack? It’s very common so it’s important to moisturize them.
Before I get into the best natural way to moistures your nails and cuticles, remember that your cuticles are alive! Don’t cut them. Cutting your cuticles can lead to infection.
I can’t imagine why they cut cuticles in a nail salon and then use chemicals. That’s the worst combination ever!
Back to our natural nail care …
I love to moisturize my nails and cuticles with natural oils and essential oils. It’s very relaxing and something you can do while listening to music or watching a not so interesting show on television.
I use either Argan oil or Jojoba oil combined with essential oils. You can also use the oil on its own.
The oils can help provide nutrients to your skin in that area and do a great job of moisturizing.
Here’s my recipe. I mix:
- Argan oil or Jojoba oil.
- Essential oils: Lavender, Melaleuca oil. Both are wonderful for your skin and nails.
- You can add the mixture to a glass roll-on bottle. Use about 12 drops of essential oil to 1 fluid ounce of argan or jojoba oil.
Clean your hands and nails. Then roll the oil mixture onto your nails and massage into your nails and cuticles for a few seconds.
That’s all there is to it. It’s all natural and good for your skin and nails.
Natural Nail Buffing Instead of Color
Natural nail buffing is a fabulous way to make your nails shine and look great. No, it’s not color but you’ll love the way they look!
I stopped using all nail polish years ago. The smell is awful and I don’t want anything unnatural on my nails or skin.
So I took to buffing my nails some years ago.
Be sure not to buff your nails too often as this can damage the top layer of your nail. Be gentle and keep your nails hydrated (see above.)
I like to buff about once or twice a month. The rest of the time I moisturize.
Nail buffers are simple to use. Most nail buffers come as a block. Each side is for a specific task. Sometimes they are numbered so you know exactly what order to use it.
- File your nails.
- Gently buff away ridges or peeling.
- Smooth the nail surface with the polishing side.
- Use the Shine side to get an incredibly beautiful sheen on your nails!
That’s it. Your natural nails will look stunning.
Conclusion
You can easily get natural, healthy nails at home that will look great. It’s an inexpensive way to care for your nails.
Best of all, it’s all natural. No harmful chemicals!
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