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Beauty & Style

The secret to strong nails

Neat, healthy nails are not only a stylish accessory to every outfit the will also make you look youthful. The skin on your hands and the condition of your nails can give away your age more than any part of your body so it makes sense to invest some time in keeping them in tip top shape. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be a complicated process. Here are our top tips for happy, healthy hands.

Apply cuticle cream

A clean and tidy nail bed makes for flawless nail polish application. Apply a small amount of cuticle cream to the nail bed and massage in gently at least once a day. This will help repair damaged skin and prevent dry patches and splits.

Invest in an oil

It’s not only our faces that appreciate an application of rich body oil. Using a moisturising body oil on your hands and nails before bed allows it to soak in over night and is a great way to keep your talons nourished.

Vitamins

A healthy diet is essential for healthy skin and nails. Biotin, found naturally in eggs, can also be found in tablet form and used to treat brittle, fragile nails.

Regularly exfoliate

Next time you’re scrubbing your face or body, extend the treatment to your hands and nails. Simply use circular motions to remove dead skin and bacteria, rinse hands and apply an ultra rich cream afterwards.

Add a quick soak to your regime

Treating your hands and nails to a weekly soak helps soothe and balance our natural oils. Herbs like chamomile are fantastic to add to the mix, as is rose water and green tea. Simply soak hands and nails for five to 10 minutes then apply your favourite hand cream.

Apply polish the right way

Make like a nail salon and always apply both a base and topcoat to both protect and perfect your end result. A base coat helps prevent discoloration and damage while a topcoat adds longevity and shine.

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beauty, Beauty and Style, nails, Naomi Cotterill, nail care