So this week I wanted to concentrate on essential hand and nail care for everyday life which is more relevant than ever with the constant use of hand washing and antibacterial hand gel. In this weeks blog you'll find information on how to safely remove gel polish & nail enhancements. How and why home gel nail kits are extremely dangerous and the reactions they can cause. I'll also go through some basic products that you can use to maintain good natural nail health.
You'll need to get yourself a safe removal kit. I have created my own Gel Removal kit - only £13.00 (if you'd like to order a removal kit from me, just drop me an email - you'll find the email at the bottom of this blog).
Step One - Using a 180/180 file, lightly buff the top coat until the nail is matte.
Step Two - Soak the cotton part of the foil wrap with remover, place this part on the nail and wrap the foil around your finger. Leave to soak 12mins.
Step Three - After 12mins, remove the foils and gently push off any lifted gel with the Wooden Pusher Stick. If you have stubborn parts of gel, lightly buff over again and re-soak.
Step Four - Once all of the gel has been removed. Use the Mini Buffer to lightly buff over the natural nail to make sure the nail is smooth. You can also use a Wooden Pusher Stick to gently push the cuticles back.
Step Five - Don't forget to apply Cuticle Oil twice a day.
If you are removing nail extensions follow these steps.
Step One - Cut down the length of the extensions to the tip of your natural nail.
Step Two - Using a 180/180 file, lightly buff the colour/design off.
Step Three - Soak the cotton part of the foil wrap with remover, place this part over the nail and wrap the foil around your finger. Leave to soak 12mins.
Step Four - Remove foils and gently push off any lifted gel/acrylic. Lightly buff over the remaining product with the 180/180 file. Soak, wrap again and leave for another 12mins.
Step Five - Leave a thin layer of product on the nail so you don't over file the natural nail surface. Lightly buff over with the Mini Buffer.
Step Six - Gently shape your natural nail with the file. You can also use the Wooden Pusher Stick to gently push back your cuticle.
Step Seven - Don't forget to apply Cuticle Oil twice a day.
Whatever you do, DO NOT pick/peel/bite your nails off!
Have you ever brought a cheap gel nail kit off of Amazon or Ebay and wondered why they are so cheap? You may think that painting nails is easy, but its not only the skill of painting nails that's essential. It's the knowledge of the chemistry of the products and the anatomy and physiology of the hand and nail.
The average price of a DIY Nail Kit is £89.99 (note this includes a lamp, 4 colours, prep and remover, base coat and top coat). In the professional industry you're looking at around £200 (excluding VAT), bottles of gel colour, base/top coats and strengtheners start from £15.99 per bottle. Each and every professional product should come with a MSDS (Material Data Safety Sheet) with all ingredients and the percentages of ingredients in every single product. However when I contacted a company selling a DIY nail kit on Amazon asking for MSDS for their products I was told they didn't need to have one. It is a legal requirement to have MSDS Sheets for every product.
Most cheap DIY nail products with have extremely high levels of HEMA (hydroxyethyl methacrylate) & MMA (methyl methacrylate). HEMA in very low levels will not causes allergies, but MMA should never be put on the nail or near living tissue! Most allergies will look like those in the pictures below.
This condition is called Onycholysis, a common medical condition characterised by the painless detachment of the nail from the nail bed, usually starting at the tip and/or sides. On the hands, it occurs particularly on the ring finger but can occur on any of the fingernails. It may also occur on the toenails.
Onycholysis can also be caused by some health conditions such as psoriasis and thyroid conditions.
Over the last year, we've subjected our hands and nails to constant hand washing as well as using strong antibacterial hand gels. Our poor hands and nails are dry, cracked and can also be flaky.
Below you'll find a few of my must have products to take care of your hands and nails:
- Q&Lu Bamboo Lotion
- Magpie Nourish To Flourish Cuticle Oil
- CND Essentials Rescue RXX
Q&Lu Bamboo Lotion
Q&Lu Spa Essentials Bamboo Lotion is a hydrating hand, foot and body moisturizer. Shea butter, grape seed oil, sunflower oil and bamboo extract allows for a relaxing massage without a greasy feeling. A proprietary blend of essential oils are fresh and calming for both men and women.
KEY BENEFITS OF Q+LU
- Designed to nourish and hydrate hands and feet, two areas which are the most vulnerable to dryness.
- Made with mint, lavender, basil and tea tree oils, which contain antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties to strengthen nails and relieve tired muscles.
Q&Lu Bamboo Lotion £17.95
CND Essentials RescueRXX
A highly effective daily keratin treatment that helps repair damaged nails that have been impacted by mechanical force and environmental effects, by using the power of keratin protein and conditioning jojoba oil.
- RESCUERXX™ helps to strengthen damaged and weakened natural nails that have been harmed by environmental or mechanical trauma.
- RESCUERXX™ will help to stop the perpetuation of further de-lamination and/or splitting.
- RESCUERXX™ has the conditioning properties of jojoba oil and sweet almond oil to nurture and soften the skin around the nail plate.
Clinically Proven Results
Customers who used RESCUERXX™ for 1 week, twice a day:
- 70% said nails felt thicker
- 80% said white surface patches were less noticeable
- 80% said the condition of the nails were noticeably improved
Customers who used RESCUERXX™ for the recommended 4 weeks, twice a day:
- 73% saw a decrease in splitting
- 80% saw a decrease in peeling
- 69% saw a decrease in white surface patches
CND Essentials RESCUERXX™ £20.95
Magpie Nourish to Flourish Cuticle Oil
Nourish to Flourish is a blend of high quality oils, enhanced with panthenol and vitamin E. The ingredients include oils to penetrate, condition and moisturise. A pleasing aroma and smooth application offering amazing results.
Magpie Nourish to Flourish Cuticle Oil £12.00
To order any of the above nail care products or removal kits please drop me an email.
I hope you've enjoyed this weeks post. You'll find a new blog post here each week about all things beauty related.
Next weeks blog, we have an exciting reveal so keep your eyes peeled. I'm super excited to share this with you all as I have been working on this for a while now.
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