Nail Care 101: Your Guide to Gorgeous Nails

Keeping beautiful nails can sometimes be a lot of work. Whether you're the type of person who religiously paints their nails as a form of self-care or someone who's constantly picking and biting at their cuticles, we all crave healthy, perfectly manicured nails. Well-groomed nails make you look instantly polished (pun intended!) and can even make your hands appear more youthful. Sometimes achieving that stronger and healthier nail look is hard, but the Beauty Care Crew has your back! We've done all the leg work for you, creating this guide to stronger and healthier nails. First, we need to know what to look for in both healthy and unhealthy nails.

Signs of Healthy Nails:

Nail plates are a pinkish-white color
Cuticles are existent (so don't cut them!)
Nails and white tips are even lengths
A prominent half-moon-shaped white section (called the lunula) at the nail base

Signs of Unhealthy Nails:

Peeling or splitting nails could be dryness or the result of vitamin deficiency
Tiny white spots usually mean you're biting your nails or painting them too often
Horizontal grooves could be from stress, high fevers, or jamming your finger
Red, swollen skin around nails could be from removing or biting cuticles
Spoon-shaped nails could be a sign of iron deficiency or anemia

Nail Strengtheners: While we like to strengthen our nails naturally, sometimes you need a little extra help. Understandable! Nail strengtheners enhance the condition of the natural nail plate by offering protection and nourishment to the nails. The strengthener works as a protective, flexible film that reinforces the structure of the nail while also imparting vitamins and nutrients to the nail plate to promote growth.

Best strengtheners around!

Protect your nails with a base coat: When you're painting your nails at home, don't skip the base coat! This step both shields the nails from being stained by polish and helps the color look more saturated and opaque with just one coat. Even without color, strengthening varnishes leave a shiny hard coating on nails, reinforcing tips, making them appear thicker, and protecting against damage. And if you really want to take things to the next level, we suggest adding a coat of clear gloss between each layer to add extra shine and protection.

Here are a few Base Coats we love!

Cuticle Care: The cuticle has a very important purpose to serve, It seals the area at the base of the nail. So think twice about cutting or removing the cuticle, because it can break that seal of protection, leaving you vulnerable to bacteria and the possibility of infection. Maintaining healthy cuticles ensures that your nails stay healthy at the root, helping to build stronger and more resilient nail beds. Taking care of your cuticles also helps minimize those dreaded hangnails! If you need to push back your cuticles, we recommend doing so once per week after you shower (when the skin is soft) using a wooden orange stick! Finish by massaging your cuticles and nails with cuticle oil or treatment. These serum-like strengtheners are absorbed quickly and typically contain moisturizers to help rehydrate dry, and brittle nails.

Cuticle care we are obsessing over...

Supplements & Diet: Your fingernails are made of a protein called keratin, so just as with your skin or the shine of your hair, you can improve your nails by tweaking your diet! We recommend adding vitamins and supplements like biotin, Vitamin E, and fish oil to your daily regimen. It also wouldn't hurt to add protein-rich foods like beans, fish, and nuts! The one thing every expert agrees on, once you hit on the combination that works for you, you'll be rewarded with stronger, clearer nails!

With these tips and tricks, you can achieve stunning and healthy-looking nails day after day! Shop all these amazing nail products and so much more with Beauty Care Choices, we have a wide variety of nail care items that are sure to suit your specific needs and desires.