It’s no secret that our nails take a beating. They come in contact with almost every surface and are at the forefront of nearly everything we do daily. Most of us don’t have naturally super strong nails so why not take a little extra time to make sure you put your best nails forward.
In this quick guide, we cover the easy steps you can take to achieve healthy glowing nails that are ready for a set of beautiful press-on nails that will knock it out of that park on any occasion.
How to clean and prep your nails for a new set of press-on nails in ten easy steps.
Step One
Wash your hands with a moisturizing soap – Today’s cleansers are harsh, and most hand soaps contain a lot of the same chemicals as your degreasing dish soap. The truth is, gentle cleaners will cut through most dirt that we come in contact with throughout the day. We suggest investing in a moisturizing hand wash that lets you clean and hydrates your hands at the same time.
Step Two
Exfoliate your hands – Exfoliation helps to remove dry, dull, dead skin cells so that newly formed healthy skin cells can shine through. Removing dead skin cells also makes your hands feel soft and smooth while cleaning deep, leaving a great blank canvas for your next manicure.
Step Three
Try a moisturizing nail polish remover without the chemicals. Acetone is incredibly drying and can lead to cracked skin and a damaged nail bed. Switching to a natural remover that actually moisturizes over drys will help your hands and nails stay hydrated and strong.
Step Four
Use a nail brush to suds up and clean under the nail. Giving your nails a regular, thorough scrubbing, clean nails, and hands equals fewer germs, but it also will remove any leftover acetone from removing your nail polish, which will help keep your skin from drying out.
Step Five
Soak your nails in warm water – always soak your nails in warm water before working with them. This softens up the nail and surrounding cuticle so you can trim without any issues or potential pain.
Step Six
Apply a cuticle remover – a cuticle remover softens the cuticles around the nail so you can more effectively use a cuticle pusher to remove the dead cuticles and skin from around the nail.
Step Seven
Clip off hangnails – Clipping off hangnails and even just keeping your cuticles cleaned up regularly will help you avoid pain and discomfort down the road when a hand nail could possibly get stuck or rip.
Step Eight
Apply cuticle oil — if you don’t have cuticle oil, you can use almost any healthy cooking oil like grapeseed, coconut, or avocado oil. These oils are full of antioxidants and fatty acids that are good for the skin and the nailbed.
Step Nine
Apply a nail serum or keratin treatment to strengthen nails and help remove white spots. There are so many different types of nail serums on the market. Our favorites use Keratin to help strengthen the nail and the nail bed.
Step Ten
Apply your favorite hand cream – Moisturizing regularly will not only help keep your skin soft, but it will help you avoid those pesky hangnails and painful cracked skin or cuticles.
In conclusion, whatever your style or fashion sense, gorgeous, well cared for, and healthy fingernails are one of the best accessories to any outfit. Following a regimen like this, one will ensure that your nails stay strong enough to take on any task and are healthy and beautiful no matter what!