Beautiful nails, the natural way....

Natural Nail Care.

With the explosion of all the artificial nail products in the beauty world, and every one looking for a quick-fix to beautiful looking nails, we seriously neglect our natural nails.

Yes, the path to beautiful, natural nails is a long and slow road but it is the best one to take if you want healthy nails. You need regular manicures and a home-care regime that can help the process on its way.

The Eponychium VS the Cuticle.

This picture shows the basic anatomy of our nails and a clear picture of the cuticle

The eponychium and the cuticle are often confused with one another.  The eponychium is the living tissue at the base of your nail that creates a protective seal with nail plate and the nail bed.  This seal helps to keep bacteria out and the nail matrix (where the new cells are formed) healthy.  One should never, ever cut the eponychium. Not ever your manicurist/nail technician should do this. Please stop them immediately should the want to do that.  It is outside of their field of training to cut living tissue!

The eponychium will shed a thin, colourless layer of dead skin that rides on the nail plate and appears  to grow from under the proximal nail fold.  Only this part is called the cuticle. It is this transparent film that is removed during a manicure and NOT the eponichium as well.

The cuticle should be treated as follows:

Apply a cuticle remover as per the products instructions. Use a cotton bud and gently push it back being very careful not to damage the eponychium. You can also gently push the cuticle back with your towel each time you dry your hands after washing.

Ever wondered why the skin around your nails is red, swollen and painful after having artificial extension applied? The technician damaged your eponychium, that is why!

  

While we all know how to do our own manicures by now, it is the aftercare which most of us ignore and then we wonder why, 3 days later, it does not seem as if we had a manicure at all.

 If you follow a few steps each day, you also can have happy, healthy nails:

It is a balance between moisture and oil, careful filing and no biting-EVER! Not your nails or the skin around them!  The water/oil balance in your nail plate help determine the healthy state of your nails. Too little water will cause your nails to break and too much water will cause your nails to expand and loosen the inter-cellular bond that exist between the keratin cells and your nails will peels in layers.

A good cuticle oil is vital to nail plate and eponychium health.  Look for a cuticle oil and hand cream that contains jojoba oil, Vitamin E and biotin. Use it each time after you washed your hands and just before going to bed. 

Cuticle removers usually contain a low percentage of fruit acids that gently dissolves the dead skin and make it easier to remove it. Use it at every second week and apply your cuticle oil after as a “cuticle mask” followed by your favourite hand cream.

Just remember, a beautiful nail is a healthy nail!

THERAVINE™ MOISTURISING PINOTAGE HAND OIL

http://www.agbeautysalon.co.za/beauty-products/theravine/theravine-moisturising-pinotage-hand-oil-forsale.html

A light textured oil to help moisturise and tone the skin.

What you need to know:

A 100% natural, fine textured hand and nail treatment oil

with an aromatic scent of citrus which will help improve texture, tone, nourish and protect against dryness and cracking.

Directions for use:

Apply to hands and cuticles when required. Apply before Hand Cream.

Ingredients:

Grapeseed Oil, Lemon, Grapefruit, Sweet Orange. 50ml