Posted by Nancy Sabatelli on Oct.13, 2009

Healthy, Natural Nails

No matter what you’re doing, you can’t hide your hands! They’re always on display, so it’s important to keep your hands healthy and looking their best. Some women opt for expensive manicures at spas or salons. Don’t have the time or money? That’s okay! You can easily (and cheaply!) make your own nail treatments at home with simple, natural everyday ingredients.

What Are Nails Made Of?

On About.com, Heather Brannon, M.D., a family physician, explains that there are several nail components (1):

• Part of the nail starts under the skin, called the nail root. Here, you’ll see the lunula, which is the white, half-moon shaped mark at the base of your nail.
• The nail bed is the part of the finger itself that’s under your nail: it houses tissue, blood vessels and nerves.
• Your actual nail is known as the nail plate: it’s made up of proteins called keratin.
• The cuticle makes up the thin piece of skin between the base of your nail and your finger.
• Skin on the sides of your nail, (where painful hangnails can form), is called the perionychium.

Health conditions can affect the way your nail looks, MedlinePlus reports (5). Examples are:

• Lung, kidney or liver disease
• Circulation problems
• Cancer
• Thyroid problems
• Poor nutrition and diet
• Injury or trauma

Due to these (or other) factors, you could develop nail ridges, spots, thickness or brittleness. See your doctor if these symptoms become bothersome.

Exfoliating Scrub

Try this recipe to create an exfoliating scrub, according to Styles101.com (2). It will remove dead, dry, flaky skin:

• Two tablespoons of sea salt (fine texture)
• Two teaspoons of oatmeal
• One teaspoon of baking soda

Mix in a bit of water, so the scrub takes on a paste-like texture. Rub it over your hands and fingers, then rinse and pat your hands dry.

Strengthening Soak

This soak contains natural proteins and calcium to help strengthen and reinforce your nails’ structure, claims BecomeGorgeous.com (3):

• One tablespoon of honey
• Two egg yolks (beaten)
• One quarter cup of milk

Combine all ingredients together, and “soak your nails in the mixture for 10-15 minutes” (3).

Whitening Treatment

Are your nails darkened, yellowed or discolored? You can whiten them, simply using a teaspoon of lemon juice and two teaspoons of whitening toothpaste. Leave the treatment on nails for five minutes, and then rinse (3).

Essential Oils

Many people choose to add essential oils, like lavender oil or chamomile oil, to their nail routine. Boil water and add a few tablespoons of each oil. Wait a few minutes till the water cools a bit, then stick your hands in for 10 minutes and rinse. These oils have a softening effect on your nails, making them easier to file, smoothe and shape (3).

Moisturize With Olive Oil

Long used in traditional delicious recipes, olive oil is also beneficial and moisturizing for your nails and cuticles. Warm a few drops of olive oil in a bowl, but make sure it’s not too hot. Then, dip in your hands for about five minutes. Don’t rinse your hands after soaking them in olive oil: it will leave a slight residue, but this helps seal in moisture. You can also put on a pair of gloves afterwards for even more hydration (3).

Note that all these treatments are natural, using no preservatives. Therefore, they must be stored in a clean, dry container and refrigerated to prevent spoilage. They can last up to two weeks if properly stored (2).

Manicure Tips

For an easy manicure, follow these simple steps for pretty, polished nails, suggests Epigee.com (4):

1. Take off your old nail polish with non-acetone remover.
2. File nails into a slightly rounded square shape, (straight across the tips, but rounded edges).
3. Use a warm water and soap soak to soften your cuticles. 
Massage in some cream if you wish.
4. Gently push cuticles back with a special orange wood stick. Don’t cut your cuticles, because they could become irritated or infected.
5. Take a damp cloth or a cotton ball and wipe off your nails. This will remove any residue, so polish can adhere properly to your nails. Otherwise, if residue remains, polish won’t bond well to the nail, and it will chip.
6. Start with a clear basecoat, followed by two coats of colored polish. Top it off with a clear top coat to guard against chips.

On Yahoo! Health, dermatologist Leslie Baumann, M.D., recommends choosing nail polishes without three potentially-harmful chemicals: toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalates (DBP) (6). These chemicals have been linked to certain health problems, according to some studies. In addition, they can cause allergic reactions, with non-nail-related symptoms like swollen eyes or a red rash. Many popular nail polish brands have reformulated their products in recent years to remove these three ingredients.

Sources

1. Brannon, Heather. Nail Anatomy. (September 25, 2004). About. Retrieved October 2, 2009 from http://dermatology.about.com/cs/nailanatomy/a/nailanatomy.htm
2. Natural Nail Care Recipes. (n.d.). Styles 101. Retrieved September 28, 2009 from http://styles101.homestead.com/naturalnailrecipes.html
3. Homemade Nail Soaks. (2009). Become Gorgeous. Retrieved September 29, 2009 from http://www.bodycare.becomegorgeous.com/hands_and_nails/homemade_nail_soaks-1123.html
4. Do It Yourself Spa Treatments At Home: Facial, Manicure and Pedicure. (2009). Epigee. Retrieved September 29, 2009 from http://www.epigee.org/beauty/spa_treatments.html
5. Lehrer, Michael. Nail Abnormalities. (April 17, 2009). MedlinePlus. Retrieved September 29, 2009 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003247.htm
6. Baumann, Leslie. Beauty and Health: Chemicals in Nail Polish. (April 3, 2008). Yahoo! Health. Retrieved September 30, 2009 from http://health.yahoo.com/experts/skintype/12002/beauty-and-health-chemicals-in-nail-polish/

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Posted under Beauty, Spa Living.