5 Tips For Healthier Nails

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Nails are a major focal point of the beauty industry, so having a healthy set of nails is essential now more than ever. Since the seasonal shift, and decline in temperature, exposing yourself to harsher weather conditions takes its toll, especially on your hands. Winter is the perfect time to adopt new nail care methods to give your nails a boost from the inside out.

I get asked if my nails are natural A LOT. It’s taken some serious commitment to my nail care routine, but growing nails is a process! Remember that it takes time, and can be a real challenge. It will probably take about three weeks to see results, but if you just dedicate a few minutes to taking care of your nails every day, you’ll start to see a difference.

Here are five tips to achieve healthier nails:

1. Keep your hands moisturized

This is the easiest way to be on your way to healthier hands, fingers and nails! I always carry hand lotion and some sort of cuticle balm in my purse. Some companies also make to-go cuticle oil pens, which work just as well, it all depends on your personal preference. I also tell my clients to put cuticle oil on every night. That gives it time to absorb and it’s less likely to rub off. It also helps to massage it into your cuticles to increase the circulation and stimulates the nail matrix (where the nail grows). CND Solar Oil is my favorite, and we use it at the salon I work at. It keeps my nails and cuticles healthy and it smells intoxicatingly good. If you can’t splurge on cuticle oil, get creative with your treatment by finding products around the house! You can use olive oil, coconut oil or even petroleum jelly.

Another tip for nail growth is to keep your entire body moisturized by drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated! This will do wonders for the overall health of your body, but will also benefit your fingernails and cuticles.

2. Keep your fingernails clean & dry

Try not to overdo hand washing and limit contact with chemical cleaners. You want to minimize water exposure to your nails. Constant wetting & drying dehydrates the your nail bed, which can cause nails to become brittle, dry, cracked or even start to peel. Wear gloves when washing dishes, cleaning or handling harsh chemicals. If you work in a field that requires a lot of hand washing, slather on some lotion to try and make up for it.

3. Don’t Use Your Nails As Tools!

“Your nails are like jewels, don’t use them like tools.” Essie Weingarten is totally right! Nails are handy for a number of reasons, but almost all of us guilty of abusing our nails. Avoid using your nails to open a box or a jar, or to scratch and pry off a sticker, or to open a can of Diet Coke. Basically anything that puts additional stress on the nail plate is NOT GOOD. Nails are there to protect the tips of your fingers from injury, and eventually, that stress could end in some serious nail damage. It’s a much better idea to use a real tool instead, otherwise you’re asking for trouble.

4. Take a vitamin supplement

Biotin is a B vitamin that is found naturally in a number of foods, but is also available as a supplement. It benefits your hair, skin and nails, may increase nail thickness and can help prevent nails from splitting and breaking. There isn’t a lot of scientific evidence to rate the effectiveness of Biotin and nail growth, but a lot of nail techs will tell you that it helps. Just make sure to talk to your doctor before taking any vitamin or other supplement.

Vitamin E is also extremely beneficial – you can take it in pill form OR apply it directly on your nails. Use a needle or pin to poke a small hole in the capsule and then rub the gel directly on the nail.

8 Ways to Keep Your Nails Healthy

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Most of us forget that like the rest of the body our nails too reflect our inner health and it is essential that we look after them to keep them strong and healthy. Besides a manicure once in a while, there are not many people who actually take nail care seriously and very often I have seen both men and women suffer from unhealthy, discoloured or chipped nails.

So let’s try and elaborate some of the nail problems that plague many of us and how we tend to ignore them. Nail care is obviously an integral part of hand and foot care. The nail plate from where your nail grows is several millimeters below the base of the nail and it takes about nine months for a new nail to grow - almost as much as a baby!

Nails indicate your state of health just as clearly as the condition of your skin, eyes and hair. Pale nails with vertical ridges indicate anaemia or extreme dryness from using too many detergents. Blue nails point to inefficient circulation and not enough oxygen in your blood. If your nails are thin and constantly breaking, this may indicate inadequate vitamins, minerals and protein as well as insufficient nail care.

  

Here are 5 quick tips to start taking care of your nails -

1. Strong Nail Diet

Calcium, gelatine and B-complex vitamins are vitally essential for healthy nails. Vitamin Dcures nail ridges, folic acid and Vitamin C cures hangnails and split nails. Nail ridges are cracks in the skin along the sides of the nails that can be particularly painful. Drink diluted cider vinegar to strengthen the nails and paint them with two coats of fresh lemon juice daily to strengthen them externally.

2. Cracked and Chipped Nails

These can be extremely embarrassing and I have seen many women apply nail polish to different nail lengths which look like a complete nightmare. Try the following remedies to keep your nails strong and smooth –

- Warm a little olive oil and use it to massage your nails thrice a week. Doing so will help in strengthening them.
- Never throw away lemon peels after you have squeezed out the juice. Instead, rub them onto your nails daily. This will help reduce yellowness and also make them shiny and smooth.
- Take 3 tsp of vodka with 1 tsp of lemon juice and store in a bottle and rub onto nails and cuticles daily.

  

3. Cuticle Softener

Fresh pineapple and vinegar helps soften the cuticles. Mash the pineapple and add vinegar to it. Dip the nails up to the cuticles in this mixture, massaging every now and then.
  

4. The Goodness of Papaya

Papaya contains enzymes that soften the protein tissue and are good for the cuticles. Mash papaya and add lemon juice and 1tsp vodka or vinegar. Soak your nails in this mixture for at least 20 minutes and massage into the skin regularly. This treatment needs to be done daily for atleast 7days for effective results.
  

5. Callouses and Brittle Nails

Warm 250ml of olive oil or castor oil, add half a cup of sage leaves and heat this mixture for 5 minutes. Let it stand for a while until cool, and then strain it. Rub it frequently into your nails.

There’s another remedy for damaged nail – take 125 ml honey, 1 egg yolk, 125 ml avocado oil or castor oil and 2ml sea salt. Beat the ingredients together and keep in a screw top jar in a refrigerator. Rub into the nails daily, leaving it on for half an hour before washing.

Now that you have some magical remedies to have healthy nails, conjure up these easy to do recipes and take care of them.

5 surprising ways to get great skin

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There's so much misinformation out there regarding skin care, not to mention plenty of old-wives' tales (some of which are actually right) and lots of well-intentioned bad advice. That's because skin care is tricky, and depends on your skin type. However, there are some tried and true rules — most of which violate at least a rule or two you may have heard elsewhere — that really do work for all skin types.

How have I learned the information below? From speaking with skin experts, makeup artists (natural and conventional) and testing out literally thousands of products over the last 10 years that I've been reviewing natural beauty products.

1. You don't need to wash your face with hot water to get it clean.

In fact, hot water can cause redness and irritation in people with sensitive skin, and for those with normal skin, it can still dry out delicate facial skin, leaving it more susceptible to all kinds of issues, from red, flaky dermis to acne. Wash your face with mildly warm to air-temperature water. It will get the job done without irritating your skin. The same goes for the rest of your body; it may feel good to burn it up in the shower, but especially as cool weather draws closer, this is guaranteed to irritate your skin.

2. Oil is good for your skin, not bad.

Many vegetable oils are old-school ways of moisturizing the skin that we have long ignored. (I can't be the only one who has heard stories of her great-grandmother lathering her hands up with olive oil and then wearing cotton gloves to bed). You can wash your face with coconut oil or slather it on after you've showered; same with sesame oil and olive oil (go with the smell you prefer). After using an oil a couple of times, you will notice that your skin — whether oily or dry — evens out and is either less oily or more naturally moisturized. Most new formulations of high-end beauty products contain skin-protecting oils because they work (use argan or sea buckthorn oils on your face if you want to start with a lighter lipid first).

3. You don't need to scrub to exfoliate.

Smashing strawberries or other fruits on your skin can be better than exfoliating. (Photo: schankz/Shutterstock)
Scrubbing with most drug-store brand cleansing scrubs is much too harsh for most skin types (more frequent and harder face-washing can actually exacerbate acne, so lighten up). Instead of using toxin- and chemical-packed scrubs in a tube, exfoliate naturally using fruit. As long as you are not allergic (obviously), rubbing the inside skin of a fresh mango, mashed strawberries, or fresh pineapple chunks directly on your face, leaving the natural, fruit acid AHAs on there for a few minutes, then rinsing off, is the best exfoliator you can get. This method may be a little too much for extra-sensitive skin, but works well for all other skin types.

4. What matters most for healthy skin is not what you put on it, but what you eat.

A healthy diet with lots of fresh fruits and veggies, lots of water, and maybe a skin-benefiting tea, minimal alcohol and plenty of sweat-drenching exercise will make skin glow more than any expensive cleanser or moisturizer. You'll feel great too.

5. Chocolate doesn't cause acne, but bread and pasta might.

Don't worry about chocolate causing breakouts. Pasta and bread might be the culprits. (Photo: Blue SkyImage/Shutterstock)
There have never been any conclusive studies linking chocolate-eating to acne, though there have been some that connect high-glycemic foods to breakouts.

What are the funniest/silliest skin-care myths that you have heard?

5 Tips for Baby's Skin

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There's a reason people can't resist stroking babies' faces and nuzzling the tops of their heads. An infant's skin is the ultimate blank slate, free of all the marks we accumulate over a lifetime. When we touch the smooth curve of a baby's forehead, we are filled with a sense of newness and possibility. But baby skin needs more than nuzzling. Sun, pollutants and the very process of living take their toll. But lest you be tempted to overdo it, remember -- with babies, less is best. "The basic rule is don't do anything to aggravate the skin," says Nelson Lee Novick, M.D., author of Baby Skin. "The less you wipe and irritate it, the better." Here's how to give that extra-special skin the protection it deserves.

1. A Bumpy Start
While many organs develop early in pregnancy, it takes almost the full nine months in the womb for a baby's skin to mature. "What we think of as normal skin is formed in the last trimester," explains Seth Orlow, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pediatric dermatology at New York University Langone Medical Center. Even so, a new baby looks less like someone in a Dove commercial and more like a kid who's crawled out of a Clearasil ad. Infant acne -- tiny pink bumps on a baby's face and chest -- usually occurs in a fifth of all newborns in their first month of life. The culprit is mom's hormones in baby's body after birth.

Baby That Skin: Unlike adult acne, infant acne requires no special care. Just keep your baby's skin clean and dry, and don't squeeze the pimples -- it could lead to scarring -- or apply any lotions or treatments. The acne should resolve after several weeks but may last longer in breastfed babies. If the problem persists for more than three months, worsens, or seems itchy or uncomfortable, it may be something different -- eczema, for example -- and you should contact your pediatrician.

2. Bath Basics
Ours is a culture obsessed with cleanliness, which means that parents tend to overdo it when it comes to bathing their beauties. Dips in the tub aren't advised until the umbilical stump falls off and until a boy's circumcision heals. Until then, a gentle sponge bath of the bottom and genitals is plenty.

Baby That Skin: When tub time does roll around, go easy on the suds, especially if your little one has a rash of any kind. Give your baby a tub bath twice a week until she starts eating solids and crawling -- getting dirtier. Soap can irritate baby's skin, so skip it or choose mild, scent-free products. Whatever you use, "Stick with it to limit the variety of chemicals you expose your baby to," advises Alfred Lane, M.D., professor of dermatology and pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine.

3. Wash and Wear
Babies, especially newborns, tend to have sensitive skin, so the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends washing new clothing and towels before using them. Although there are special "baby" laundry detergents, which leave less residue after washing, it's perfectly fine to use regular detergents.

Baby That Skin: Skin conditions are often genetic, so if you have sensitive skin, your baby might too. If your child develops irritation or a rash on body parts that his clothes come in contact with, your detergent could be to blame. Try switching to a milder baby detergent or one that is "free and clear" of allergens, dyes and fragrances.

4. Here Comes the Sun
Your first thought is probably to slather your little bundle in sunscreen. But for babies under 6 months, that's not a good idea. Babies have more skin surface than adults, so they receive a higher dose of chemicals. This increases the odds of an adverse reaction, according to Jennifer Shu, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician and co-author ofHeading Home with Your Newborn. Instead, keep babies under 6 months in the shade and use protective clothing.

Baby That Skin: When choosing a sunscreen, pick one with the highest sun protection factor (SPF) available, with SPF 30 being the minimum, Dr. Shu says. Look for the words "broad-spectrum" on the label. That means it will block both UVA and UVB rays. Try a sunblock with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which offer the best protection and are unlikely to cause allergic reactions. If your baby is older than 6 months, it's OK to cover her entire body with sunscreen.

5. The Bottom Side
Chances are you've already encountered a diaper rash -- and if you haven't, you will. The materials that keep diapers from leaking also prevent air from circulating, creating the perfect environment for a rash to breed.

Baby That Skin: The cleaner and drier baby's bottom, the less likely his skin will become irritated. Clean baby with water and a washcloth or baby wipe during every diaper change, then allow his skin to dry completely before applying a diaper cream that contains moisture-blocking zinc oxide. Also, give baby some diaper-free time on a towel a few minutes every day.

A clean face leads to healthy skin: 7 quick cleansing tips

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Having a clean face is vital for clear skin and I cannot stress the importance of cleansing enough. Here are seven tips for a clean face that will help put you on the path to clear skin in no time. We don’t just need to wash away the surface grime but we also need to slough dead skin cells!

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How to cleanse your way to healthy skin

• Cleanse your skin twice a day; every morning and every night before bed, no matter what. Just because your skin looks clean doesn’t mean it is; chances are it’s covered with invisible impurities that can harm the skin. Get rid of them.
• Avoid ordinary bar soaps and stick with facial cleansers that are gentle and designed for your skin type.
• Never dry your skin with the family hand towel! If it’s not clean you could be transferring bacteria onto your fresh, clean face. Try a quick sniff test – if your towel doesn’t smell like it’s fresh from the laundry then you might want to ditch it and grab a clean one.
• Only rinse with warm water, never with water that is too hot or too cold. Extremes in temperature may irritate your skin and cause damage.
• Exfoliate at least once a week. Gentle exfoliation buffs away dead cells on your face resulting in smoother, brighter skin. Just like a cleanser, make sure to find a scrub that’s suitable for your skin type.
• Invest in a facial once in a while. Just like you would go to a dentist for a teeth cleaning, your skin needs a deep cleansing too! Frequency of facials depends on skin type. Work with your aesthetician to determine how often a deep cleaning is needed.
• Be gentle when cleansing around your eyes. The skin around your eyes is the thinnest skin on your body. Handle with extra care.

Do you already do all these things? Good for you! We’re all busy and sometimes it’s the simple things that start to slip but a clean face and clear skin will help give you confidence.

Let me know your top cleansing tips in the comments section below – I’d love to hear from you.

ULTA coupon code: 3 Easy Tips for Getting Perfect Eyebrows

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Want perfectly groomed eyebrows? We share our top perfect eyebrow tips, with the pros and cons of waxing, plucking, threading, and tweezing, plus tips on finding your natural brow shape.

Did you know that your eyebrows can change the entire way your face looks? Whether you're happy, sad, confused or angry, your brows will usually convey your mood first.

In order to keep this major facial feature looking its best, many girls (and well-groomed guys!) opt to use techniques to maintain and shape the brow area. If this seems like a daunting task to you, I promise it's not. Below, I'll give you three easy tips for getting perfect eyebrows:

1. Figure out which method works for you.

There are three common methods for eyebrow maintenance. I've tried all three, so I thought I'd share my opinion on each in order to help you choose the right method for your own eyebrows. If you want to learn more about each one, as well as some pros and cons, read on:

Waxing

This is one of the most common methods of hair removal. If you're going to get your eyebrows waxed, make sure you go to a licensed esthetician or cosmetologist who is specifically trained in waxing or hair removal. This assures that you will be getting the best possible service with someone who knows how to work with your natural brow shape.

Waxing is the fastest method of hair removal and can keep hair from growing back for two to six weeks. I personally don't find waxing painful, but I know that it can be for some. Another thing to keep in mind with this method is that wax can easily irritate sensitive skin and, if kept too hot, can also potentially burn your skin. Cost is also a factor to consider and can vary depending on where you live.

Threading

Threading is a method of hair removal that originated in India, where-- as the name suggests-- a thin cotton thread is used to remove hair. The process is similar to tweezing, except multiple hairs can be removed at one time. If you're curious, you can check out a video about threading . This is another method where you need to find someone who is a specifically trained practitioner.

This is the most precise method of hair removal and will not irritate your skin. I did find threading to be slightly more painful than waxing, but it was worth it because my brows looked so great! Again, cost is a factor to consider and unlike waxing, threading is not as widely available across the country.

Pros: Precision, Great for sensitive skin, Long-lasting
Cons: Cost, Pain, Unavailability

Tweezing

Tweezing is a great choice if you're looking to save money, but it may take some practice to become a pro. Plucking is virtually painless, albeit a bit time consuming, as you have to maintain the brows every few days. If you're going to tweeze, I recommend investing some money in a great pair of tweezers . They may seem expensive, but high-quality tweezers are more precise, which will give you a cleaner brow in less time.

Pros: Inexpensive, Painless
Cons: Time consuming, High maintenance

2. Find your eyebrow shape.

After you've figured out your preferred method for eyebrow maintenance, now it's time to find your natural eyebrow shape. This chart shows the five basic eyebrow shapes most people have naturally:

Once you find your eyebrow shape, use it as a guide for maintaining your eyebrows. The first step to having great brows is to follow your natural shape when you get your eyebrows groomed. Don't try and change your shape (i.e. flat to angled) because then your eyebrows can look strange and out of place.

The next step is to find your natural arch, with the help of the diagram below:

B corresponds to where your natural arch is, while A and C refer to where your eyebrow should begin and end. Following this diagram is essential for well-maintained and natural brows.

If you decided to use waxing or threading, just tell the practitioner to follow your natural shape and arch-- they'll know what to do. However, if you want to pluck your eyebrows yourself, check out this video by one of our favorite makeup gurus, Michelle Phan, on tweezing to achieve natural-looking brows:

3. Keep it natural!

As I mentioned earlier, the key to having great eyebrows is to work with what you naturally have. That means following your basic shape and natural arch. Of course, accidents do happen, and if your eyebrows get too thin or over-plucked, don't underestimate the power of a great brow pencil orpowder. They are also great products to own if you have naturally sparse or light-colored brows.

Just remember, eyebrow trends may come and go, but looking well-groomed, natural and polished is always in style.

What do you think?

How do you groom your eyebrows? What methods have you tried? Do you have any great tips that you would like to share? Be sure to leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!

ULTA coupon code 20% off entire purchase 2016: 7 Essential Waxing Tips

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1. Before waxing let your hair grow to one-quarter of an inch and, if necessary, do ask for a trimOne quarter of an inch is the perfect length to get waxed. Any shorter and it won’t get pulled from the root, and if it’s longer you’ll be pulling at the hair without properly removing it. This can be painful so if you need a trim ask for it.

2. Use exfoliating scrub on the areas you’ll be waxing before you start
Getting rid of dead skin layers through exfoliating allows any trapped hair to be freed so they can be better pulled from the roots during waxing.

3. Getting waxed before periods? Maybe better to wait!
From around five days before your period till the end of your period, you will be very sensitive and will have a low pain tolerance. It’s advisable to avoid waxing during this time. However sometimes in cases of emergencies, you may still need a wax, just ask your professional if she minds. Three to four days after your period is the perfect time as a woman’s pain tolerance is maximum at this point.

4. Post wax care for 24 hours: avoid tight clothing, direct sun exposure and scented lotionAll these factors can cause irritation so it’s best to avoid them as newly waxed skin is more likely to burn and have a reaction to chemicals. For example, body lotion containing alpha hydroxyl acid can burn and cause tingling, whereas direct exposure to the sun or a tanning bed can lead to irritation. The best you can use is natural oil, aloe vera or Calendula cream.

5. Once you’ve started waxing, stop shaving.
Shaving makes your hair grow densely and unevenly so the first wax won’t be perfect. But after around four consecutive waxes the hair should be growing at an equal rate and the process should be less painful as well. It’s important to not shave after you’ve waxed to prevent hair from growing densely. You’ll only see the best results through committing to waxing.

6. Choose an experienced professional for your first time.An experienced aesthetician can give you confidence and good orientation to start you in this world.

7. For extra sensitive skin, ask your esthetician for a cold compressCold compresses can help soothe and cool down your skin and might be necessary for you the first time you get waxed. So ask your esthetician for it. It can simply be cold water or it can be a rose water toner to calm down your skin.