My second issue with my nails is that I bite them when I’m nervous or bored and because of my nail polish allergy I can’t cover up the resulting yuckiness with pretty nail polish! Things like nail hardeners, false nails and nail biting solutions are also out the window as they contain many of the ingredients found in nail polish and so they give me the same allergic reaction. This has led me to research how I can get the best out of nails naturally, without any gimmicky, chemical ridden products. So today I’d like to share with you the things that have been working for me.
1. Nail Brush
The humble little nail brush has worked wonders for my nails! I use it to scrub my nails in the shower every morning which makes the tips white and clean. If my nails look clean and nice then it deters me from biting them.
Image from The Body Shop
2. Nail FilesPretty obvious but I now carry one with me at ALL times so that if a nail splits during the day I’m not tempted to bite it off, I can just file it!
Image from Find Me A Gift
3. Hand & Nail Cream
I also carry a tube of hand cream in my handbag at all times to encourage me to moisturise my hands and nails once a day. At the moment I’m using Nivea’s “smooth nourishing” cream for dry hands which I got as part of a nail care set for Christmas.
Image from Nivea
4. Lemons
This is where it all gets a bit strange! Every morning I cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice from one half into a mug of hot water and manuka honey which I then have as a cleansing morning drink. For more on this see my previous post on Manuka honey. The other half I squeeze into a bowl. I then dip cotton balls into the lemon juice and apply to my nails, similar to how you take nail polish of with nail polish remover. This has made my nails much stronger and super shiny.
Image from 10 Interesting Things
5. Nail Buffer
Speaking of shiny, I use a nail buffer on my nails about once a fortnight to get rid of any ridges and to encourage shine. You can find these in any chemist and they are only a few pounds. It’s important not to buff your nails too often or too vigorously. Remember we’re trying to make our nails healthier, not damage then further!
Image from Opal Londond
6. Milk
Warm some milk, put it in a bowl and soak your nails in it once a week. This strengthens your nails and adds calcium. Great for flaky, peeling nails!
Image from Mad Cow
7. Distraction Techniques
If your a nail biter like I am but don’t want to use harsh anti-biting solutions on your nails then why not try a distraction technique? I wear a hair bobble on my wrist and whenever I’m nervous or bored and have to urge to bite I just start playing with the bobble instead. Another method others use is to allow themselves one “bad” nail which they can bite if the urge gets too much. Most people pick a thumb! The idea is that you save your other nine nails and once you see how great they look when you don’t bite them it encourages you to start leaving the “bad” nail alone too.
Image from UK Beauty Tips
8. Stop Fannying About
Stop attacking your cuticles with those little wooden doom sticks! It makes then red and angry! Cuticles are their to protect dirt and germs from getting into your nail bed! If you are seriously losing sleep over having cuticles though then try a nice natural cuticle oil like this one from Spiezia.Rub it into your cuticles at night to gently soften them.
Image from lucyrose.biz
I am no nail expert but these tips have all worked for me and I am much happier with my natural nails than I used to be. I’ve gathered these tips after years (no exaggeration) of research online and of trial and error of various supposedly miracle nail products and natural nail care techniques. If your a nail polish or false nail addict why not give your nails a rest for a few weeks and try these tips?
Lisa x
