Nail care, such as manicures and pedicures, is a hugely, instantly gratifying service in itself, but you don’t get great, long-term results from just one service.
How do you get strong, healthy nails?
First, you have to understand what makes healthy nails. The nail is just an extension of the skin, only it’s one of the last parts of the body to receive nutrients on a cellular level. Healthy hair and nails require more of the good stuff — better nutrition and more water — and less of the bad stuff — chemicals and fillers.
You’re only as good as your tools, so if you’re building hair and nails with junk food and cheap products, then you can expect poor results. It’s the little things that really add up in the long run, so healthy hair and nails is all about building healthy habits.
It’s like eating — you can’t expect to lose or stay at a healthy weight if you’re not doing the right thing most of the time.
While a lot of people are willing to spend the money on good products for their face, the skin on your hands and your nails show aging just as much. Here are a few steps to help build habits that will give you the strong, healthy nails you want:
Scrub-a-dub-dub: Add a good, wholesome scrub to your routine, such as Arbonne’s Rescue and Renew Detox Scrub. It’s a treatment that is easy to do and helps build circulation in your skin and cuticles, as well as slow signs of aging.
Hydrate on the go: Keep a good hand cream in your car to apply when convenient. I’m in my car a lot, and if I’m at a stoplight, it’s my cue to apply a moisturizing and easily absorbed hand cream. Find your trigger or cue and apply Arbonne’s Shea Butter Hand Cream, which has a very emollient, hydrating consistency that leaves your skin pH balanced and more protected from environmental stress.
Think of products as nutrients: A lot of people spend the money on organic food, but then put products on their largest detox organ — their skin — that are laden with chemicals. If you are what you eat, then imagine your skin as another way to both detox and deliver the building blocks for healthy nails. A great way to give your body the nutrients it craves and remove the bad stuff is with Rescue and Renew Detox Lotion. It’s full of pure essential oils and herbs that speed cellular healing and renewal, and provide the nutrients that feed the skin, too.
That’s what I love about Arbonne’s products — when they take something away, they give something back in its place.
Give yourself a soak: According to Dr. Oz, your feet can produce around a half of a liter of sweat every day. All of those sweat glands are busy detoxing your body, and they deserve some much-needed pampering. The best way to do that is with Arbonne Rescue and Renew Detox Soak. Add this powerful blend of quick-dissolving sea salt with detoxing herbs and essential oils to a foot bath to help refresh and balance your skin.
Take time to repair: Once your skin has the building blocks it needs and the hydration it craves, focusing on repairing specific problems is key for building healthy nails and skin. The best way to deliver the nutrients that will fix dry and damaged cuticles and nails is with an easily absorbed oil such as Arbonne FC5 Skin Conditioning Oil. Applying the oil daily to hands and cuticles will give you great results thanks to its powerful formulation of active botanicals and bioavailable nutrients.
Want a personal consultation on the best products and applications for your skin and nails? Contact me now.