Nail Care Tips

Nail Care

• Take care of your nails between salon visits.
• File your nails regularly and always keep them short.
• If your nails are exposed to chemicals, moisture, water, etc, it could result in split peeling nails or allergic reaction. Wear rubber gloves to protect your nails or coat them with some cotton.
• Never use something like scissors for both for infected and non infected nails.

Artificial Nails

• Always get artificial nails applied by a good technician.
• Artificial nails would need manicure or refilling every two or three weeks.
• If you decide to remove them, appropriate solution is not difficult. Even when the artificial nails are removed, natural nails remain in the same condition.

Nail Tip Design                     

• Using glue could damage your nails, even if it is applied on polish layers.
• Ensure the last polish layer is dry before applying the next. Use layers of different colours.
• Keep on experimenting with nail tip design. You could use Chinese characters, apply small fake tattoos or create different patterns.
• You could use band-aids for applying design. Cut band-aids and stick them on top of a dry coat of polish. Contrasting color would look good.

For Acrylic Nails

• Keep your acrylic nail polished. Thick polish could cause bubbles and uneven application. So first add a drop of polish and then dilute it thinner.
• Before applying any acrylic layer, clean your nails. If the nails have remnants of cuticle oil, old polish or lotion, the new polish would not apply itself properly.
• For avoiding bubbles, remove the excess from the brush along the bottle's border.
• Lay a base coat to protect your nails and in the process, help helps the acrylic layer to stick in proper way.
• Use a nail stick to clean up the acrylic on the skin around the fingernail.

Sugar Waxing

You'll need:

• 2 cups of regular granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup of water (some people use distilled water, but tap water is just fine
• 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (remove seeds).

Technicalities

• A saucepan
• A plastic container or jar
• Dull knife
• Cotton strips (cut out an old t-shirt)
• Cooking thermometer.

Preparation

1 Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan.
2 Start with heating the mix up on low temperature, until the bubbles start showing up.
3 Using the thermometer, make sure the mix has reached 250F. When this happens, take it off and pour into the previously prepared container. Let the mix cool down.
4 Make sure the mix has cooled enough so it doesn't burn you.
5 Using the dull knife, spread the mix in the direction of hair growth.
6 Place the cotton strip, press with your fingers a bit and then pull in the direction opposite the hair growth.

To wash off, use warm water and soap, that will do it.

Homemade wax sugar waxing tips

Make sure the hairs are 1/4 inch or so long. If too short, you won't be able to pull them out.

This mix can be reused if you haven't used it all up the first time. Simply keep in the refrigerator and then reheat in the microwave when you want to use it.

Finally, to help pull out the hairs more easily, take a shower beforehand and use a body scrub to remove extra dead skin that sugar might adhere to.

Homemade Facial Mask

Face mask for dry skin

1. Take 1 tbsp olive oil and mix with 2 tbsp of fresh cream, leave it on the face for 10 minutes and then wash your face with warm water.

2. Mix 1 tbsp of honey with 15 drops of orange juice and 1 tbsp of fuller’s earth and add 1 tbsp of rose water. Mix well and apply on the face, wash off after 10 miuntes.

Face mask for oily skin

1. Mix a tbsp of honey with 1 egg white and apply thickly on the face and neck. Leave for 10 minutes and wash off.

2. Mix 2 tbsp of papaya pulp with 10 drops of lemon juice and leave it for 20 minutes and then rinse well.

3. Take fresh juice of any of the fruits (orange, sweet lime, watermelon or papaya) and apply on the face as a mask. This is very relaxing, it cleanses the skin, closes pores and stimulates blood circulation.

Carrot Facial Mask

Ingredients Needed:
2-3 large carrots
4 1/2 tablespoons honey

Directions:
Cook carrots, then mash. Mix with honey. Apply gently to the skin, wait 10 minutes. Rinse off with cool water.

Glowing Facial Mask

You will love your radiant skin after using this recipe...

All you need is:
1 tbsp fuller's earth
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp mashed papaya

Mix and put on face for 20 minutes then rinse off.

Honey Facial Mask

Perhaps the best facial mask is honey.

Place a cloth in warm water and apply to your face to open the pores. Smear on honey, and leave on for 15 to 30 minutes.
Rinse off with warm water, then use cold water to close the pores.
Use once a week.

Orange Yogurt Mask

Ingredients Needed:
* 1 tsp plain yogurt (I chose Balkan Style)
* the juice of 1/4 of an orange

Stir to mix and then dip fingers into mixture and smooth onto face. The sensation is both cool and relaxing. Leave on for a five minutes and then rinse. If you are feeling sluggish, this is the perfect mask for you.

* Yogurt will cleanse and nourish your skin
* The orange is full of Vitamin C and AHA's