PRETTY HANDS ARE ALWAYS IN SEASON
You would be forgiven if you thought winter is the only enemy against hand and nails; summer can affect the feel and appearance of your skin and nails as harshly as the winter season. From Gardening to Swimming, to the regular upkeep of manicures with your favourite nail technician, we neglect the everyday steps we can take to help keep our hands looking and feeling their best. Well manicured hands accentuate your overall appearance. We all know the villains of beautiful hands - pesky hang nails, chipped polish, dry cracked skin, and lastly, dry and weak nail beds! However, we know these are all issues that can easily be fixed. We never like to leave you all in despair; it’s just not how we work at Moroccan Natural.
6 TIPS TO RESCUE HANDS AND NAILS
1. MOISTURISE WITH GREAT OILS
Your hands deserve as much care and importance as your face, and any other part - maybe even more! We do almost everything with our hands, from the washing up to cleaning, texting, pumping iron at the gym and loads more. The constant use of our hands can lead to calluses, that do not only look unappealing but feel awful! They’re hard to ignore as everything seems to graze against calluses and remind you of their presence. Moisturising with gentle, hydrating creams will help ease the appearance of calluses, but we recommend taking this further with essential oils like Argan Oil on a daily basis (find out more about Argan oil here).
If you suffer from dry, cracked skin, or may have been gardening far to much already, we recommend using Lanolin for 'Gardeners Hands'. Lanolin is a thick wax produced from sheets wool, to fight against dry skin and retain healthy moisture. For best results, fight against Gardeners Hands by first applying our African Liquid Black Soap over dry area to cleanse the skin and leave skin feeling smooth and firm. Use a dry towel to soak up remaining moisture before applying a small amount of Lanolin and rubbing in gently. Carry out this process twice a week for best results.
2. USE GENTLE, MOISTURISING HAND WASH
Often times, we neglect to give our attention to the type of hand soap we use, as long as our hands are clean. Cleanliness is important, but most hand soaps are filled with chemicals that will dry out the skin almost instantly. Try opting for hand soaps that have moisturising properties to give your hands an extra touch of TLC every time you wash your hands.
3. APPLY OIL DAILY TO DRY, BRITTLE NAILS
Some of us have been blessed to have lovely, gorgeous nail beds with beautiful healthy nails to match. The rest of us…not so much. We have to work our way to beautiful nails, but that’s okay. Today’s product market is FILLED with all kinds of products to help your nails look their best, from Nail-Hardners to combat against weak, brittle nails, to base coats acting as a shield between chemicals and your precious nail bed, and of course, our favourite - Cuticle Oil. Cuticle Oil helps soften cuticles and its high Vitamin E content locks in moisture for healthier nails, avoiding brittleness and breakage. It’s a favourite for all nail lovers, and can be found in any high street beauty retailers.
Argan Oil is much like its Cuticle Oil counterpart, rich in Vitamin E and antioxidants, and helping restore nail health and vitality. Apply daily for best results. Find out more about Argan Oil here.
4. EAT PROTEIN, NUTS AND IRON
Our health and appearance is almost always synonymous with our diet as our choices, good or bad, will be reflected in our outward appearance. Protein lies at the heart of the health of our skin, hair and nails as all rely on proteins like keratin, collagen and elastin. Having a diet full of protein from meats and legumes will help to ward off wrinkles, keep healthy looking skin and firm, nails strong and healthy and hair shinning. Many protein rich products are also full of iron; responsible for giving your body vitality to keep you moving and avoid dry, pale and malnourished-looking skin. Nuts are also beneficial as they contain healthy fats that the skin and hair need to shine and retain moisture. Keep your hair, skin and nails in the best condition by having a diet full of lean meats (or if you’re vegetarian, chia seeds, soy, chickpeas etc.) leafy greens, and mixed nuts as a snack.
5. MINIMISE ACRYLIC NAIL TREATMENTS
Fake nails look incredible, and with all the wonderful nail art all over social media, it’s difficult to not be pulled in by the hype. From time to time, it’s a wonderful treat, for yourself or with the girls - but its effects on your nails are not worth the risk. The harsh chemicals wear down the enamel of your nail bed, the process of taking them off is even worse. Soaking your finger tips in acetone is a recipe for disaster if you’re a regular at your favourite nail salon. If you must wear fake nails, we suggest trying nail-friendly falsies. Check with your local nail salon if they offer “Gel Nails”. Gel Nails offer the acrylic look without the use of Acrylic nails, relying solely on a thick layer of Gel Nail Polish. It may be a little more pricey than its Acrylic counter part, but take it from us, it is not worth the risk. Recently, a collague at Moroccan Natural had her first full set, and the results lead to a split nail bed in 3 nails. Needless to say, she will not be getting an full set again anytime soon…
6. ECO-FRIENDLY NAIL POLISH
For all our green friends, yes, it’s finally a thing! If you’re worried about the damaging chemicals found in nail polish, many on the nail business have produced nail polish lines that are nontoxic! It’s difficult to create polish that is entirely chemical free (but Ella+Mila are working on it!), but many brands like Ella+Milla, Butter, LVX, JINsoon, Essie and even NARS have released a range that is nontoxic! This is a step forward for the nail industry and we cannot wait to see what’s to come next.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this weeks post! Take care of those lovely hands and let us know how you all get on!
With love,
The MN TEAM
For all things Moroccan Natural, visit our Twitter page @MoroccanNatural, Instagram @Moroccan_Natural or find us on Facebook @ Moroccan Natural.