How to care for your nails? The 10-tip solution!

 

It can happen that our nails start to get damaged from applying nail polish. So, to find them strong and shiny again, here are some tips to take good care of your nails naturally!

Choose healthy products

This is the very first tip we want to give you: choose natural nail polishes. Their composition is as respectful of the environment as it is of your health. Have you noticed that it often goes hand in hand?

Don't hesitate to look at the composition of natural nail polishes, which is much more recommendable than conventional ones. And the great advantage is that they very often contain beneficial ingredients for nails.

Moreover, at Clever Beauty, we have developed a 3-in-1 nail polish, #13 Parfaite, which fills ridges, hardens the nail, and beautifies it. You can use it as a base, a beautifying polish, or as a treatment. Its secret ingredient? Durio! Rich in vitamins, fibers, proteins, and lipids, it stimulates the production of keratin and zinc, thus promoting cell renewal.

We talked about nail polish, but it's also important to choose your nail polish remover wisely. Indeed, note that an acetone-free nail polish remover does not attack the lipid film of the nail, meaning the first layer that protects it from external aggressions.

 

Apply a base coat

When it comes to nail health, it's impossible not to mention the base coat. Applying a base coat is very important if you want to protect your nails from yellowing or nail polish pigments. In addition, it can also nourish, whiten, and harden your nails. It all depends on the care you want to give them.

And don't forget to put some on the tips of your nails!

Moreover, during the summer, it is quite common for nails to soften a bit. So, use and abuse the protective base coat, which helps to protect your nails and prevent them from splitting.

 

Whiten your nails

Now, we move on to nail whitening. For this, we're going to prepare a small bath for them by cutting half a lemon whose juice is poured into a small glass of hot water. And all you have to do is soak your fingers in the solution for a few minutes.

If you don't have a lemon, you can also opt for baking soda, which you'll brush onto your nails with an old toothbrush.

This treatment is particularly suitable if you wear a lot of nail polish, as this bath helps to remove stubborn residue.

 

Moisturize your nails

Every day, ideally, use an oil or cream to moisturize both your nails and your hands. Hydration, as in many areas, is key. It is also one of the most important steps to care for your nails, because, in their case, hydration helps to strengthen them.

This is a tip that we highly recommend, especially if you want to take care of your nails in summer but also your toenails!

Indeed, in the first case, the sun, salt water and sand attack the nails. And in the second, being confined and rubbed against the fabric of socks, or shoes, inevitably damages the keratin of the nails.

So we moisturize them with oil that we massage for a few minutes to make it penetrate well. Also take the opportunity to nourish your cuticles.

And what vegetable oil do we choose? We particularly recommend:

• sweet almond oil which deeply nourishes and prevents nail splitting;
• castor oil which stimulates nail growth and also deeply moisturizes;
• or even buriti oil which has restorative properties.

 

Push back cuticles

The cuticle is a rather hard and thick skin that covers the nail and the lunula (the white spot located at the base of the nail). This is more of an aesthetic step that consists of clearing the nail of this small membrane.

First, immerse your hand in lukewarm, soapy water for a few minutes. Then gently push back your cuticles with a cuticle pusher. It is generally not recommended to cut them, as they tend to grow back larger.

And there you have it, neat nails!

 

File your nails gently

Know that nails are like hair: when they are damaged, you must remove the damaged part to prevent them from deteriorating further. It is also more recommended to file than to cut with nail clippers, as clippers tend to cause them to split.

The filing step is quite crucial in how you care for your nails. We would also prefer a glass nail file rather than a cardboard or metal one, because it does not wear out (+1 for zero waste) and does not cause snags, which makes nails stronger.

Next comes the way you go about it.

Always file gently and consistently in the same direction (from left to right or vice versa, but never back and forth).

It's then up to you to decide what shape you want to give your nails.

 

Buff your nails

Equipped with a nail buffer, it's time to buff your nails. Do this once a month, no more, as it could damage them. This step will help to lightly whiten them.

You can then smooth the nail plate, which, as you may have guessed, smoothes your nail and thus allows the nail polish to adhere better.

This is a step to prioritize before doing your manicure, as it prepares the nail for polishing. 

 

Take a break between each nail polish application

We know that for some, applying a new color as soon as the previous one is removed is really tempting. But your nails also need to breathe!

So take a break of a few days to allow the nail to breathe and take the opportunity to pamper them with oil.

 

Opt for growth-promoting foods

If your nails are really damaged and weakened, you can also turn to certain foods. We are thinking in particular of:

• food supplements, such as brewer's yeast, or wheat germ. These foods are rich in vitamin B. What's more, they also strengthen hair.
• zinc (lentils, rye bread) and iron (parsley and nuts).
• sulfur, especially for soft nails, which you find in turnips, cabbage or even onions.

 

Protect your nails from household products

Last tip: avoid as much as possible any contact with household products, especially when they are not natural. Indeed, some are composed of ingredients that we don't suspect to be very aggressive.

However, you still have to keep cleaning! We therefore advise you to wear gloves every time you clean or do the dishes. This will also protect your hands at the same time.

 

And with all that, what pretty nails they are!

And you, what are your tips for taking care of your nails naturally? Do some work better than others?