We need a cuticle in order to protect the nails from the penetration of bacteria and foreign bodies, which is why caring for the cuticle at home is not only a beauty procedure, but also a health one.
If the cuticle is unhealthy and neglected, often inflamed, then it can cling to the nail in the growth zone, preventing it from growing and creating grooves, bumps and cracks on the nails. When the cuticle grows too much, it dries out and forms burrs through which infections can easily penetrate to the nail growth zone.
In addition, we often injure the cuticle even when we do a manicure in the salon: because of this, the nails become thin and become covered with grooves. This can be corrected and prevented with proper cuticle care.
So, when doing a manicure, it needs to be steamed well and softened with the help of special tools. If you soften the cuticle constantly, it will never dry out and crack, while provoking the formation of hangnails. In addition, this way you can slow down its growth, which means that it will not grow to the nail plate and will not stretch along with it as the nails grow.
But there are other rules for caring for the cuticle.
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- When applying cream for hands and nails, do not forget to lubricate the cuticles with it. Moisturizing comes first.
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- When doing a hygienic manicure, push back the cuticle not with an iron pusher (and certainly not with the edge of a nail file), but with a wooden or plastic stick. Do not forget to soften it before this.
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- Never cut the cuticle with ordinary nail scissors – they are too rough for such a delicate skin.
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- If during a manicure you still damaged the cuticle, cover it with a band-aid.
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- The same should be done if she exfoliated at work or while studying. Do not bite it off, but seal it and treat it with an antiseptic when you come home.
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- In order for this skin to always be tender, you can sleep with an oil mask on your hands. Having lubricated the palms, fingers, nails and the backs of the hands with sunflower oil, we put on cellophane gloves on our hands, and warm them with woolen ones on top. In the morning, the skin around the nails will be smooth and soft.
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- If the cuticle is inflamed, it can be treated with tea tree oil or orange oil.
Cuticle massage
It will help prevent delamination of the nails. Such a massage is performed with a soft brush and olive oil. If the skin is too rough, you can add a little lemon juice. With exfoliating nails, it will be useful to conduct a two-week course of such a massage.
After the procedure, you can warm your hands – this will enhance the effect.
“Shop” cuticle care products
Most often, cosmetic companies offer cuticle oil and cuticle pencils.
Cuticle oils
They necessarily contain salicylates, aliphatic hydrocarbons and ionol, which have antiseptic properties and save from fungus.
Vitamins (E and A) and lecithin are required. But the main benefit of cuticle oil is essential oils. They heal wounds and contribute to the rapid tightening of cracks and burrs on the cuticle, save from infections. Tea tree, thyme and rosemary oils make the cuticle more elastic, while sandalwood, cedar and pine strengthen it. But they are also strong irritants for the delicate skin around the nails, so they are generously mixed with base oils – avocado, jojoba, almond, wheat germ oil, etc. They also moisturize the cuticles very well.
It is applied to well-washed and dry skin of the hands, used drop by drop, and massaged slowly, carefully treating the nail folds and the nail bed.
Cuticle pencils
Essentially the same oil, but a little thicker and you can always carry it with you.
There are also capillary pencils that dissolve the skin and allow you to quickly remove it.
Home remedies for cuticle care
There are a lot of them too. So, you can use lavender oil as a cuticle treatment. It is mixed with wheat germ or apricot oil, heated and rubbed into the cuticle and nail bed.
Wheat germ oil can also be used in combination with tea tree oil. It needs quite a bit – about a teaspoon. Mix with two tablespoons of wheat and use for a whole month.
You can also use castor oil to treat cuticles. Pour a few drops of iodine into the vial with it and the remedy is ready.
Homemade cuticle cream is made from petroleum jelly and calendula flowers. We heat the mixture in a water bath and insist overnight.
Baths for cuticles can be prepared from different products, for example, from liquid soap and apricot oil. First, lubricate the fingers with oil, then lower them into a bath of warm water, liquid soap and the same apricot oil. After 20 minutes, the cuticle can be painlessly pushed back or trimmed. Apricot oil can also be used to make a cuticle cream. It needs a part of oil and four parts of lanolin. Dissolve in a water bath and pour into a jar. It lasts for a long time, but it works no worse than branded oils.
