How to make Hand and Nail Cream.

Aromatherapy can make hand skin soft, nails beautiful and smooth. Try to make hand cream by yourself. You will like its smell. And it will be effective than purchased cosmetics.

So how to make your own hand and nail cream and lotion? Here are some simple natural recipes for hand and nail care you can make at home.

We use here essential oils.  All ingredients you can buy at a drugstore.






Hand cream "lemon miracle"

• 5 gram odour-free baby cream 
• 2 drops lemon essential oils
• 1 drop geranium essential oils
• 1 drop almond essential oils

This cream moistens and feeds hand skin. Rub it into your skin after cleaning tableware or something.

 Hand cream "lavender and magnolia"

• 10 gram almond oil
• 2 drops lavender oil
• 2 drops sage oil
• 2 drops lemon oil
• 1 drop magnolia oil

Hand cream for nails growth

• 5 gram olive oil
• 1 drop lavender oil
• 2 drops lemon oil
• 2 drops eucalyptus oil

Rub into eponychium everyday.

Nail strengthening cream.

• 1/2 teaspoon almond oil
• 3 drops myrrh oil
• 3 drops lemon oil

Night hand cream "Aloe and honey"

• 10 gram olive oil
• 1 teaspoon aloe juice
• 3 gram honey
• 2 drops lavender oil
• 2 drops eucalyptus oil
• 2 drops mint

Rub it into your hands and put on cotton gloves.

Nail Tips. Good Looking and Healthy Nails.

Thought they might seem to be the least important, your finger nails attract a lot of attention to oneself. Nails need to be polished well and it is better for you to know what shade you need to apply. Here are a few looks you could use.

Natural Stylish Daytime Look

Day colors have to be easy to wear such as soft red and pink, gentle beige and darkish blue. File nails into short and square style to create a practical sporty effect. Apply a base layer, allow them to dry and then apply two layers of colored polish. Finish off with a top layer.
The Final Look A practical, natural style based on short square nails and a soft, easy to have polish.

Evening Party Look

It is a good chance to try out the shades that you didn't dare to wear during the day. First of all apply a base layer, then two layers of vibrant, fluorescent polish. Add extra shine by using a sparkling silver polish on top of the main colour when it is dry. Finish of with the top layer.
The Final Look Fluorescent colours are great for party as they look so vibrant a layer of sparkling silver polish adds the finishing touch.

Sophisticated Glossy and Glamorous Look

For a grown-up and glossy effect, choose deep dark colors that strike a dramatic note, such as this vampish red. File nails into a long oval shape and apply a base layer. Give nails at least 2 layers of main polish and let them dry thoroughly in between. Finish with a top layer.
The Final Look A dark, dramatic polish gives long nails a touch of glamorous finesse.

French Manicure for the Perfect Cared Looking

This is the best idea for special event when you want your nails to look perfect but not over colored. Apply a base layer and after dry, cover the tips of the nails with white polish. Let them dry and apply a very pale pink or peach polish over the whole nail. When dry apply a top layer.
The Final Look A clean and fresh effect that make the natural shine and color of the nails better.

Nail care Tips
A healthy nail is smooth in texture and has well formed cuticles.

Nails grow faster on a dominant hand of a person. They also grow very quickly when a woman is pregnant and in the summer. The fastest nail's growth is in the middle finger, with the growth rate progressively decreasing on the fourth, second, and fifth fingers and finally the thumb. Besides, fingernails grow faster than toenails.

A little advice: If you want your nails to be longer and stronger put garlic on them.

5 Easy Ways To Strengthen Your Nails

There are 5 easy ways to make your nails strong and healthy.


1. Strengthening emulsion made from olive oil and fresh lemon juice. 1 table spoon of olive oil mix with a coulpe of drops of lemon juice. Rub the emulsion into your nails then put on cotton gloves and leave it all for the knight. Do it twice a week.

2. Strengthening bath from sea salt. You need to take half a litre of warm water and add 1 table spoon of sea salt (it is desirable to use sea salt without aromatic additive). Put your fingers into the bath and keep them there for 20 minutes. Then dry your hands and smear them with a cream. Do it evey day for 10 days. Then repeat it in 1 month.

3. Mask with red pepper for strengthening and acceleration of growth. Mix half a tea-spoon of cayenne, 10 drops of water and 1 tea-spoon of cream for hands. Smear it on your nails and keep it for 15-20 minutes. Do it not more often than once a month.

4. Grease made of beewax for strengthening nails. Melt 4 grams of beewax, then boil an agg and mash the egg yolk with a fork. Blend the beewax and the egg yolk. Add a little peachy oil. Use it every evening.

5. Lemon juice and salt for strengthening nails. One table spoon of lemon juice mix up with several pinch of salt. Smear nails with it using a brush. Keep it for 15-20 minutes then wash your hands.

Gel Nails. How To Make Your Nails Great-Looking.

Gel nails are a hot topic today — especially in European countries. As a matter of fact, most salons in Europe now offer to their clients gel nails enhancement.
Gel nails have big advantages over acrylic nails. Gel nails are lightweight, odorless, flexible, clear, and more natural looking. So, if you want an immediate solution to nice nails, gel nails is definitely it!

A gel nails kit typically consists of the basic manicure set, such as buffers, files, tips, and so on, UV light, gel brushes, gels, gel cleansers, and gel wipes. Gel nails is not easy to make, but it is a technique that can be easily learned.

Gel nails can be used in full nail or tip overlays. They can also be shaped to form nail extensions. Likewise, gel nails can be used to protect the damaged edges of the nails as they grow out.

First, prep your nails, and apply tips if you so desire. Then, apply a thin coat of gel over the nails, and cure. Apply another coat of gel, but this time, add the arches as well; cure once more. Apply a third coat of gel, adding more arches, then cure. Now, clean your nails, shape them according to your preferences, and buff them till they are smooth. Polish your nails, or apply a gloss coat over them.

Achieving a perfect set of nails can be difficult to achieve and maintain, but with gel nails you can have beautiful, natural-looking nails in an instant.

LEMON AND CARING OF NAILS AND HANDS

Pure lemon juice will protect hands from becoming coarse if you regularly work in a garden or a kitchen garden. It is recommended to rub hands with a lemon juice or a squeezed lemon. Even after massaging your hands with squeezed lemon pulp will make your skin soft and will "erases" potato, vegetables and fruit stains out of your fingers.

Lemon can remove nicotine stains from fingers. You should wipe fingers with a pumice to moisten with lemon juice three times a day for some days. A lemon helps to get rid of humidity and disposition to sweating. One has to carefully wash and wipe hands with a mix of 5 parts of alcohol and 1 part of a lemon juice not less than three times every day.

If your nails are fragile it means lack of vitamin C and calcium in organism. To have strong nails it is recommended to use more milk products, carrots, tomato juice and to wipe nails with lemon juice. Your nails will become stronger and shining. However, do not overuse lemon juice. It can provoke chinks on your nails.

Healthy Nails [about nail nutrition].

Nail nutrition is a topic which affects both males and females. The good news is that the path to nail nutrition is not as difficult as some may fear it to be. Below are a few tips that will help you have healthy nails.
Frequent Nail Maintenance = Optimal Nail Nutrition: One way to truly care for one’s nails so that they exhibit the best possible nail nutrition is to care for them on a frequent basis. There are a few maintenance tips which will promote healthy nails.Fingernails should be trimmed often to promote the best possible nail condition. For men, nails should not be much longer than the fingertip. Women may keep their nails longer but they should still trim them on a routine basis so as to keep their nails healthy while they are growing.Individuals who maintain their nails to promote nutritious nails should use nail trimming tools and not pick or pull at the nails to make them shorter. Picking or pulling at the nail can lead to skin injuries around the nail.
Use Moisturizer for Nail Nutrition: Many individuals will use hand cream and moisturizer on a daily basis yet neglect the nail portion of the hand. It is important to moisturize the nails in order to keep them healthy. Regular hand cream or nail-specific moisturizing cream for nail nutrition can be used.
Treat Your Nails with Relative Caution: Nail nutrition will also be achieved if one does not use their nails in a careless manner. Avoid bitting your nails or using them tools to open packages and containers. Both of these habits will lead to bad nail nutrition and can easily damage nails.

All about brittle nails.

What is the brittle nails?
Brittle nails is a condition where the nails are fragile and break frequently. It can be due to an infection or a nutritional disorder, but they can also be an indication of several other medical conditions, including Iron deficiency, anemia, and hypothyroidism.Some solutions that have been proposed include vitamin supplements, gelatin, glucosamine, reducing the use of nail polish, and ensuring proper moisture.

Causes of Brittle Nails:
Brittle nails are caused by a few different factors. One commonly cited cause of brittle nails is frequent hand washing or water usage. People who clean on a frequent basis will often have brittle nails, unless they take the necessary steps to protect themselves from being susceptible to such a nail condition.Another cause of brittle nails is rough treatment of hands and nails. Individuals who work with their hands such as in construction, artistry or other forms of manual labor will often have brittle nails. By identifying the true cause of brittle nails, one can be well on their way to resolving the issue and promoting healthy nails.



What to do about brittle nails:
The most common nail wreckers are harsh detergents and water, which can stress nail fibers. So be sure to put rubber gloves on while you clean or do dishes. Also, avoid using perfume lotions that usually contain alcohol if your nails are brittle. It will only make your nails worse. It may be possible that your calcium intake is low, as well.

Natural Nails:Strong,Sexy,Great & Healthy!

Tips to Keep Your Nails Strong and Sexy

When you write down your shopping list, as you punch a phone number into your cell, while you wash dishes, do the ironing, clean the windows, or do one hundred other things that women do on any given day – do you take notice of the condition of your nails? Our hands are such an integral part of our daily lives, and constantly, we risk their health and strength, often without even noticing, because of the hustle and bustle of our day-to-day activities. Take a few moments each day, or at least a few times a week, to monitor the condition of your nails – the color, the texture, the appearance of ridges or white marks. Make a greater effort to take good care of your nails, and you will be thrilled with the way they complement your wardrobe and your own personal style. Consider the following tips as a way to enhance the health and quality of your nails.

Great, Healthy Nails

Apply speed-dry nail polish when time is of the essence. Drink lots of water. Keep your body hydrated everyday to maintain healthy nails. Fortify your diet with FDA approved vitamins or supplements. Your fingernails count on you to be responsible with your health and your diet. Unless instructed otherwise by your physician, increase your daily doses of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, folic acid, protein, Vitamin B12, and zinc. Touch up your manicure on a daily basis to prevent chips and cracks. Your nails depend on you to maintain a healthy diet. Take in lots.

Nail polish tips

Finish with a clear topcoat to add gloss and sheen. Start with a base coat to strengthen and protect the nails. Store nail polish in the refrigerator to maintain a smooth consistency. Try not to store nail polish in a room that becomes cold. The nail polish bottles may break without warning, leaving you with a big mess.

To avoid breaking nails or brittle nails

Avoid using your nails as tools. This means no picking, scratching, digging, pinching, etc. You know who you are! Increase the amount of calcium in your diet. Use products containing alcohol, especially perfumed lotions, sparingly. These items can make nails prone to breaking. Wear rubber gloves when you do chores that involve continual submersion in water or contact with harsh detergents or chemicals.

Are your hands ready to the summer?

Groomed hands
Summer puts the body back on show, including hands and feet. Your hands work hard for you, so take care of them.Manicured hands are essential for a well-groomed appearance. The secret to a good manicure is the correct equipment, quality products and patience. Perfect nails should not be rushed.

Step-by-step guide to beautiful nails:
1. Remove old nail polish with a cotton ball dipped in acetone-free nail-polish remover.
2. Make sure you always file your nails in one direction only.
3. The fashionable nail shape right now is the 'squoval', a cross between a square and an oval. This shape has been proven to give nails the most strength to ensure they don't break easily.
4. Soak your fingers in a pampering nail soak.
5. Apply a cuticle cream according to the instructions on the packaging and gently push back your cuticles.
6. Apply a nail cream or nail oil and massage each nail and cuticle to improve circulation and growth, and relieve dryness.
7. Apply a good hand cream to your hands to help prevent premature ageing.
8. Get rid of any excess oil by cleaning your nails with an acetone-free nail-polish remover.
9. Apply a base coat.
10. Apply one coat of nail polish.
11. Wait until completely dry and apply a second coat.
12. Apply a topcoat once the second coat is completely dry.
Think about it:
When manicuring your nails, consider your lifestyle, habits and environment. For example, if you use your hands a lot – typing, working with children or nursing – rather go for natural, short nails. Also keep in mind any sport or hobbies you enjoy, and what would be best suited to those pursuits. If you live in a harsh environment or regularly work outdoors, your hands and nails will need a weekly regime of nourishing and soaking.
Good idea:
Microwave two plastic sandwich bags filled with some hand cream for three seconds. Put your hands into the bags for five minutes, then gently push back your cuticles with an orange stick wrapped in cotton wool.
Pampering nail soak:
1 cup of bottled water
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
10 drops lemon essential oil
Soak your fingers in this energising mixture for about 10 minutes.

Nail Tips. Care Questions & Answers.

*How do I avoid getting polish on my cuticles?
Instead of painting right from the cuticle, place the brush on the nail bed about 1/8" away from the cuticle and push backwards toward it, stopping just before the skin.
*That's too much work...how do remove polish from my cuticles?
Plan ahead. Paint your nails about an hour before bedtime, leaving the messy polish on. When taking a shower the next morning, the polish will soften and peel off. Any stubborn polish still left on the skin can easily be removed by rubbing it with a soft towel. Polish not dry yet? In a rush? Use a cotton swab and nail polish remover to do a quick removal.
*How do I keep my polish from peeling near the skin?
Lightly buff the top of your nail near your cuticle with a fine-grained file. This will take away the top oily enamel and allow better adhesion.
*My polish doesn't peel near the skin, it peels at the tips, what am I doing wrong?
It's usually one of these two things...
•You've used two or more coats of ridge-filler and followed with a couple coats of polish. To avoid peeling, stick to only one coat of ridge-filler, and wait until it's completely dry to apply the regular polish.
•You've painted a couple thick coats instead of a few thin ones. Always use thin coats, it gives better coverage, dries faster and lasts longer.
*I can't apply thin coats, my nail polish is just thick to begin with. What should I do?
If you really want your nail polish to keep well in the bottle, keep it in the refrigerator, this will extend its shelf-life.
*I keep getting those darn bubbles!
Two things can cut down significantly on bubbles: ROLL the bottle between your palms, instead of shaking it. Shaking just whips bubbles into the polish. Also, use only thin coats.
*Why does my polish keep cracking?
Try applying a thin clear coat of polish every other night to avoid this.
*My nails keep splitting in layers at the top, will eating gelatin and drinking milk help strengthen them?
No and no. These are just myths. Your fingernails are made of keratin, the same protein as hair. Have you ever seen conditioner brag that it has calcium in it? Probably not. What WILL help strengthen your nails is to avoid filing them as much as possible, and when you have to, file in one direction only. You know what happens if you keep bending a wire back and forth? The same thing happens to nails, just on a different level. Other tips... use gloves when washing dishes and doing other household chores. Keep exposure to harsh chemicals at a minimum, especially bleach.
*People say that you need different moisturizers for your nails than for your hands...why?
Well, back to the protein thing again. Would you use hand cream on your hair? Unlikely. The fact is that your fingernails absorb water 100 times faster than your skin does...and they lose the moisture just as fast as they absorb it. So considering how much hand cream you need in the wintertime, think how thirsty your nails are, and recognize that they need just as must tenderness (if not more) than your hands do.
*I work with food, so my hands are constantly in water. What can I do to keep my manicure nice?
I only see two choices really.
•Keep nails well-trimmed, and don't wear polish to work (not even clear, it'll just crack and peel).
•Get thee to a nail salon! In my opinion, acrylic is to fingernails what Godiva is to chocolate. Only nail enhancements will stand up to the beating your hands will take.

Caring For Your Cuticles & Nails

Cuticles
Your nail's cuticles (the skin that surrounds the hard part of your nail) keeps your nails healthy and protects them from fungal infections. Cuticles are quite sensitive to injury. Do not cut them or pick at them; this may damage them permanently. Instead, after a shower, bath, or after soaking your nails, use a soft wooden stick to gently push back the cuticle. Overgrooming cuticles may cause them to thicken so be sure to use gentle care when grooming.


Nails
· Cleaning - If nails are dirty, use a bristled nail brush to remove debris from around cuticles or from under fingernails. Remove all polish with nail polish remover; do not pick at polish as that can damage the surface of nails.
· Shaping - Nails should be gently filed with a fine emery board, never with a metal file that can cause damage. File in gentle, long strokes from corner to center; do not "saw away" at nails. Keep the emery board poised at a 45 degree angle in relation to the fingertip to prevent damaging the nail layers. Do not file deep into corners of the nail; this weakens the nail. In general, shorter nails are easier to maintain.
· Protecting - Do not use your nails to scrape or lift anything, or to pull anything open. Wear gloves when washing dishes and use nail and hand lotion daily to keep hands and nails moisturized.
· Polishing - You may wish to use only a ridge-filling colorless coat on your nails to give them extra shine and strength. If you polish your nails, use a ridge-filling base coat followed by color and then a protective top coat for the best results. Give your nails at least an hour to dry before using your hands.

Original posted by Miss Fashion

Nail Troubleshooting.

The most widespread nails problem and how to fight them.

• Dry, brittle nails - Moisturize often with a hand cream or oil. Eat more foods with essential fatty acids, such as eggs, meat, seeds, whole grains, and fish. Also, avoid overusing nail polish removers which contains acetone which can dry the nails and wear gloves when washing dishes.

• Chipping nail polish - Use quality nail polish; cheap nail polish chips more easily. When you polish your nails, be sure to use a ridge-filling base coat, two coats of colored polish, and a protective top coat. These coats keep polish from chipping and help protect nails.

• Nail infections - Nail infections may cause itchy, dry nails, blisters, and a loosening of nails. See your doctor for anti-fungal cream or tips.

• Bitten nails - Biting or picking at nails can damage them permanently. If you bite nails, coating them with anti-biting liquid can make you think twice about biting.

• Hangnails - These bits of dead skin next to the fingernail can be very painful. Trim the hangnail carefully, moisturize nails, and take Vitamin B and C supplements or eat more foods such as green leafy vegetables, peppers and citrus fruits.

• Ingrown nails - This painful condition occurs when the nail grows into the skin on the side of the toe. Soak nails in water. Run a soft rosewood stick between the nail and skin to separate. Trim carefully if needed. If nail does not improve, see a podiatrist.

Nail Care. Make your nails healthier.

Anyone can have strong, healthy, and well-groomed nails by following just a few simple rules. Your nails, like your hair, are made of the protein keratin, and consist of dead cells. They grow quickly (about .1 millimeter per day) and protect the skin at the ends of your fingertips and toes. Nails can also be an indicator of certain health conditions or vitamin deficiencies.

· White lines or spots can be a sign of a zinc or iron deficiency or protein deficiency. More rarely, these white patches or lines can signal liver, heart or kidney disorders.

· Thin, flat nails may indicate a Vitamin B-12 deficiency.

· Ridged nails may indicate an iron deficiency.

· Brittle, dry nails may indicate a calcium deficiency.

· Frequent hangnails may indicate a Vitamin C deficiency.

· Yellowish or discolored nails may indicate a Vitamin B-12 deficiency, or may indicate diabetes, allergies, liver problems, or poor health.

· Greenish nails may indicate infections in the nail bed.

· Bluish nail beds may indicate breathing problems or severe malnutrition.

Otherwise, healthy and well-manicured nails, short or long, should be smooth, without spots, hollows, or ridges. If they are unpolished they should be pinkish and clean. If they are long the ends, they should be curved and filed smooth.

Nails grow faster in young people. With age, nails may become thicker, harder, and may develop ridges. This is why caring for your nails becomes more important as you grow older.

Nails Care. Avoiding Skin & Nail Allergies.

Applying cosmetics can be a problem for women with sensitive skin when some cosmetic products can cause skin irritation and unsightly breakouts. Many of these women respond to the problem by avoiding make-up altogether.
But a leading dermatologist says some simple cosmetic suggestions and reminders can help protect women with sensitive skin.

There are some recommendatuions how to avoid Skin Allergies:

1. Choose powder when possible. Powder cosmetics are not only great at removing shine, they have very few preservatives and contain minimal ingredients that can cause skin and nail irritation. This means powder cosmetics are much less likely to cause problems for women with sensitive skin than their liquid counterparts.

2. Check sunscreen ingredients. Dermatologists recommend daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor 15 or higher. For women with sensitive skin and nails, this sunscreen should only contain the physical sunscreen ingredients zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Unlike chemical sunscreen agents which absorb UV rays, it is impossible to be allergic to physical sunscreen ingredients since they deflect the rays rather than absorb them.

3. Use products that contain no more than ten ingredients. Simply stated, the fewer ingredients in a product, the less likely it is that the product will cause a problem.

4. Avoid nail polishes. In addition to being easily smudged and chipped, wet nail polish can be transferred to a person's eyes and face before it dries. This casual transfer can cause problems for women with sensitive skin if they find the polish irritating or have an allergic reaction to any of the components of the polish.

5. Use foundations based on silicone. While powder is preferred to protect sensitive skin, women choosing a liquid foundation should look for one with a silicone base. Liquid facial foundations based on silicone do not cause acne, and silicone has a very low incidence of skin irritation.

Posted by Beauty Girl

Some Quick Nails Care Advices

• Removing Fake Nails In order to get rid of fake nails, you have to soak your nails in an acitone based nail polish remover until the fake nails peel off. If you try to get rid of them other ways, you may ruin your nails. Using fake nails will damage your nails but removing them incorrectly will make the damage much worse. Soaking is the only solution!
• Removing Fake Nails
• Ii is always suggested to go to a nail salon and have them soak the artificial nails off. They use acetone or a nail polish remover that has acetone in it. The technician can watch to make sure that you don’t soak too long and help you remove the nails. If you must do it yourself, then I suggest you purchase a polish remover that has acetone and a conditioner. You will need to soak them for a while and then gently peak the product off your nails.
• Artificial Nail Help
  If you consistently wear artificial nails it is recommended that you remove them and let your real nails breathe every three to six months. Your real nail is damaged and experts agree that they need at least one week to breathe.
• Feet Pampering
  After a long day on your feet they can ache. An inexpensive at home remedy is to soak your feet in a specially formulated foot soak. You can purchase this item almost anywhere. From Wal-Mart to your cosmetic store. Bath and Body Works has some excellent scents to choose from and they often have coordinating products to compliment your choice of foot soak.
• Quick Fix For Torn Nail
• Occasionally I will get a small tear in my natural nail and until recently I thought there was nothing I could do but kiss my nail goodbye. I found a quick fix brush on nail glue specifically to mend and repair small tears in nails. It is applied like nail polish and can not be seen under even clear nail polish or over nail polish either. It bonds the tear so your nail can keep growing without tearing off. This is a nail kit must.
• Dry Hands
  If you have dry hands try this moisturizing trick. You will need a pair of inexpensive rubber gloves and a creamy rich lotion (glycerine based are very good). Cover your hands in lotion (don´t be stingy), rubbing it in and put the gloves on. The gloves will make your hands slightly warmer and the longer you wear the gloves the more moisture your hands receive. I usually leave them on for thirty minutes then rub in what lotion I can and remove the rest with a towel.
• Applying Multiple Coats
  When you apply multiple coats of polish it is a good idea to wait thirty minutes for each coat to dry before applying the next coat. Even if it is advertised as a 2 minute dry time polish. This allows each coat to set and bond with the previous coat. It is especially important for the first coat to bond to your nail.
• Fill In Tip
  When you go to have your fill-ins, while your nail technician has your polish off it is a good idea for you to look and see if there is any discoloration under the artificial nail. There have been many cases where women did not know that there was a nail fungus underneath their fingernails until serious damage had been done. Always check, nail fungus can cause serious problems and cause infections in your nail bed if left untreated.
• Stregthening Nails
  To strengthen your nails, there are a couple of products out there: SCIENTIFIQUE and Natural NailTM Protein Treatment. You apply it to your nail tips and it helps bond nails and strengthens them. I haven’t tried them personally but I have heard good reports.

Some more of useful advices

Biting Your Nails Makes The Grow Faster

Nails Tip
Not that this will help with your nail biting problem, but I thought that I would share this little bit of information out of interest if nothing else... Apparently biting your nails makes them grow faster. You don't realize this obviously as the biting seems to ruin the effect...

A Few Things That Will Help
*Short Nail Beds

We are born with the nails that we have, there is nothing you can do about it... to a point. I happen to have short nail beds and the best colors for my nails are soft colors. Lavender makes them look longer, so be sure to stock up on this gorgeous color.

*Removing Polish

First of all, look for an acetone-free polish remover, which by the way, will not dry out your nails. Saturate a cotton pad and then press onto the polished nail.
several seconds and then draw the pad to the tip of the nail. Polish should come off with one stroke. The few seconds we give the polish remover is long enough to dissolve the polish and you are done in half the time.

*Saving The Nails

It is really easy to pick up some bad beauty habits and some of them might be costing you pretty nails. For a day, keep track of how often you use your nails as tools. Chances are you do so more often than you realize. Keep your list in front of you so that you will slowly begin to break the habits. It can be done... but you have to know about them first.

*Is This What Your Nails Are Craving?

If your nails are weak, splitting, fragile etc, the problem could be traced back to an inadequate water intake. Most people don't drink nearly enough. How much water do you really drink over the course of a day?

How to get great hair & nails - naturally - includes list of 20 top supplements for hair and nails - Health & Beauty Aids

As with skin, the beauty of nails and hair begins with good nutrition, adequate rest, and good personal grooming habits. And, although a beautiful head of hair and well-manicured nails are not necessarily essential to good health, when they look good, we feel good.

Sometimes, in our efforts to beautify our hair and nails, we may do more damage than good. Here, let us take a look at how we can make our tresses and tips look great, gently.

In an interview with Better Nutrition, Karen Hansen, a cosmetic-marketing consultant to the natural products industry, said that if you choose to paint your nails, it's especially important to keep your cuticles well moisturized. Both nail polishes and removers are very drying, so she recommends applying natural, penetrating types of oils which are thin in consistency to keep your cuticles moist.

As far as fake nails are concerned, Hansen's recommendation is to avoid them. "They're horrible. Not only do they weaken your own nail bed, but they can cause fungus infections to develop in many people, as well."

Basic nail care is the same for both men and women, according to Hansen. She advises investing in a few basic "tools" to keep nails looking good:

1) A good nail brush: First and foremost, nails should be kept clean.
2) Moisturize: Use a good hand cream and/or oil to keep your hands and cuticles moist.
3) File, emery board, scissors, clippers: Use one or a combination of these tools to trim and smooth nails. Just as the ends of hair need to be trimmed, overly long nails can look "scraggly," too.

Nails Health diet

I take a cocktail of drugs for a heart condition and for this reason I can’t take ginkgo biloba, even though it apparently can help to improve poor circulation (my hands and feet are a particular problem). I eat healthily and drink a glass of red wine every day, but wonder whether there are any specific foods that I should eat more of, or indeed cut out.


You’re right to avoid ginkgo biloba, because it cannot be taken with heart medication (it is always advisable to check with your doctor before taking any remedies and to make sure that any unusual symptoms are not related to your medication).
I just wonder if your circulation problems are linked to your arteries being a little clogged up with fat? If so, there are foods that may help to reduce this damage and, indeed, to protect the other blood vessels from hardening. Red wine is a good start, even if you are allowed only one glass a day, as it is rich in antioxidants such as flavonols and athocyanins, which help to reduce the likelihood of fat depositing in your blood vessels; you are better off being a drinker of one glass a day than of none at all.

Fresh garlic, which is in the shops and markets now, is rich in allicin, an antioxidant that can prevent fat from being deposited in the blood vessels. I’d include as much fresh garlic (it’s even better for you raw) in your diet as possible — the alternative, if your partner demands one, is to take a garlic supplement. The only really effective garlic supplements on the market are those known as real allicin products; look for brands such as Alliforce and Allimax (recommended dose about 180mg of allicin powder, usually one capsule per day). I think that garlic oil, aged garlic extract and garlic powders are inferior products with few healing properties.

All fresh fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants (including vitamin C, beta-carotene and selenium), which keep the arteries healthy, so make sure that you have your five portions a day. Your diet should be high in wholegrains (so plenty of muesli, porridge and wholegrain bread), as these are good for your heart. But you don’t need highly processed cereals; I’d choose a plainer, less salty and sugary option such as Weetabix, Shredded Wheat, porridge or a simple no-added-sugar muesli.

Include up to four portions of oily fish a week (a portion is 140g of the fish). Oily fish contain omega oils, which are great for helping to keep our blood fat levels in check (they increase the production of good high-density lipoprotein — HDL — which in turn keeps the bad low-density lipoprotein down, the end result being that our hearts and blood vessels are happy). Choose from herring, mackerel, sardines, salmon and fresh tuna.
You should really avoid fatty meats such as sausages and bacon, unless these are exceptionally lean and you grill them. Cheese, butter and creams, along with pastries and baked foods containing butter and other saturated fats, aren’t great for the arteries, but a little treat now and then is fine, I’m sure.

Vitamin E may help to maintain a healthy circulation but there is no need to take supplements — studies show that vitamin E in the diet is more effective. So take olive, safflower, corn and wheatgerm oil (watch the quantities if your weight is high, as these are also high in calories). Sun-dried tomatoes, almonds, hazelnuts and avocados are other good sources of Vitamin E.

A diet for weak nails

A lack of zinc and iron can make them brittle, says the nutritionist.

If one has terrible nails — they peel constantly, break and are quite soft. Nothing you have ever done has helped, not even a pregnancy. You try to eat as healthily as possible and include lots of dairy in your diet as well as lean meat, chicken and fish. What could you do that will improve their condition?

Brittle nails are often thought to be the result of calcium deficiency, but in fact the nail contains very little calcium and the problem is more likely to be caused by lack of zinc. Meat, shellfish, fish,crumbly cheese and eggs are all good sources of this mineral. While wholemeal bread, wholegrain cereals, nuts, seeds like pumpkin, and certain vegetables, eg, courgettes, marrow and asparagus, also contain zinc, these foods unfortunately also contain phytates, which reduce zinc absorption. Many women are unaware that taking the Pill can also affect the amount of zinc taken in by the body. As a lack of zinc can lower your libido, this may explain why some women say that they lose interest when they are on the Pill. (The same effect on zinc levels and libido can be observed with long-term use of the antibiotic tetracycline, which is used as a treatment for acne.) So the first step is to boost your intake of zinc-rich foods. It is also worth finding out if you have an iron deficiency. This can be pretty common after pregnancy, as your baby will have been draining your reserves. A lack of iron can cause iron deficiency anaemia: the symptoms include feeling tired (although with a baby, who doesn’t?), looking pale and brittle nails. Your doctor can do a simple blood test to check your levels of haemoglobin (the pigment in the blood that carries iron around the body) and your body’s store of iron, or ferritin levels. Incidentally, low ferritin levels also account for many women losing their hair. Increase the amount of iron-rich foods in your diet — this means lean red meat,liver,eggs, green leafy vegetables, pulses, lentils and dried apricots. Eating vitamin C-rich foods at the same time will help to ensure that your body absorbs plenty of iron (good sources of vitamin C include berries, oranges and kiwi fruit).Caffeine interferes with iron absorption, so try to avoid having it with meals. Also avoid excess alcohol, as brittle nails may, in extreme cases, be a sign of an unhealthy liver — though I doubt that this is true for you. I think that the main problem is that your pregnancy has drained you of your zinc and iron stores. And finally, many people have little white flecks on their nails — this can be a sign that the nail has received a knock, but it may be worth looking at your zinc intake, too.

Nails beauty. Winter care.

In the winter, especially, nails become brittle, rough, ridged and seem to peel. Does this mean I have a vitamin deficiency? What should we do to solve this problem?

Diets often change during the winter,and marginal deficiencies may show up. Insufficient protein seems to be high on the list,though the often-recommended use of gelatin does not seem to be adequate. However, I find that improving the digestion overall is the best single thing that can be done.

Consider a really good supplement of digestive enzymes, like Super Enzyme, by Twinlab, or something equivalent (read labels). Try one right after every meal (not before), and go to two if there's no problem (it's rare that there would be).

Eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and add high-protein foods like fish, meat, and especially whole eggs, which are high in sulfur amino acids. Cholesterol is almost never a problem as long as you don't break the yolk during cooking.

Keep your hands in good condition from the very beginning, and you will not have any problem with them in future!