Essential Winter Nail Health

Top Tips for Essential Winter Nail Health

At Essential Beauty Supplies, we believe that essential winter ‘self-care’ should start from your fingertips. Just like our skin, the colder weather affects the overall health of our nails too. And let’s be honest, there is nothing worse than hang nails, cracked, bleeding cuticles and chewed up looking skin, and let’s not forget how painful these things can be too.

It’s easy to forget about your hands and nails throughout the course of the year, so adopting a few simple hints and tips  for essential nail health which you can use all year round will help to aid glorious nail health.

Don’t go naked

We are often led to believe that giving your nails a chance to ‘breathe’ is essential for healthy, strong nails. This is in fact a myth. Naked nails are mani-enemy number one when it comes to nail health, especially during the colder months. Applying a base-coat, polish and topcoat to your nail will act as a ‘coat or armor’, protecting them from the risk of peeling and breakage.

We highly recommend ORLY’s Breathable range. The range uses advanced oxygen technology, which allows for oxygen, and essential hydration to penetrate through the nail, keeping it moisturised. The formula also contains Argan Oil, Pro-Vitamin B5, and Vitamin C which contribute towards strengthened and hydrated nails.

Avoid water

Avoid water, the best you can. Your nails are incredibly porous and absorb water like a sponge. As water is absorbed, natural oils from your nails are pushed out. Water exposure makes your nails incredibly weak and can even break the bond between the nail and polish; this leads to potential chips and breakages.

Top Tip: When applying nail varnish, always remember to swipe the tips. This will help prevent water from getting in between your nail and polish.

Moisturise

Cold, dry air is pretty much the worst for skin, hair and nails. Keeping moisture in nails and cuticles is essential for preventing splitting, peeling and breakages. Use a moisturiser several times a day, especially after water exposure, to help keep both your hands and nails nourished. We recommend ORLYs Argan Oil Handcream, or you could even try Outback Organics’ Hand & Body Lotion; enriched in Macadamia Oil to nourish and quench dry skin.

Top Tip: Don’t forget the cuticles! Applying a daily cuticle oil, like ORLYs Cuticle Oil Plus, keep your cuticles soft, and prevent potentially painful cracking.

File

With woolly scarfs and jumpers being our main go to wardrobe essentials, the risk of snags, breaks and tears are much higher.  Gentle filing to keep nail edges smooth, two to three times a week is key to essential nail health, with large emphasis on the word ‘gentle’.

Top Tip: Invest in a glass nail file, instead of a traditional emery board. Emery boards have a bit of a reputation of tearing the nails surface, which leaves the nail edge ‘open’, and at risk of dirt and water getting inside the nail. File in one direction, following the grain of the nail.