How to Maintain Healthy Nails and Cuticles at Home

Professional manicures can help keep your nails and hands healthy and pretty (it's also very relaxing!). But keeping up with the maintenance at home is just as, if not more important. 

Whether you have acrylic nails, shellac, regular polish or love bare nails, proper maintenance and upkeep will result in healthy nails! 

Need some advice? We've got you covered! 

How To Get Healthy Nails Naturally 

The signs that indicate that your nails are unhealthy may be discolouration, brittleness, bleeding, slow growth, swelling and redness around the nails, thinning and flaking, nails separating from the skin and swollen, separated cuticles.

The best course of action is to start making changes inside and out to ensure your nails are back to being strong, long and shiny in no time! 

Nutrition

First of all, let's talk about your general health because it affects your nails the most. Adequate water intake and a healthy diet influence your nails' strength more than anything else!  

Iron, Magnesium, Omega-3, Zinc and B Vitamins are essential, so eat dark green leafy vegetables, quinoa, almonds, cashews, peanuts, edamame, black beans, eggs, cauliflower, mushrooms, lean protein and sweet potatoes to get all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water daily for adequate hydration and more in summer. 

Care for Your Cuticles

Your nails grow from an area beneath the cuticle called the nail matrix, or nail root. The cuticles protect the matrix and the new nail as it grows, from bacteria and infections.

Caring for your nail cuticles is very important, but remember - no at-home cutting of cuticles or pushing them back. This may cause damage and expose you to infections.

The easiest way to care for them is to soak your hands in warm water for around 10 minutes a few times a week to soften the cuticle and then apply cuticle oil or hand cream to moisturise them and prevent dryness or injury.  

Moisturise Your Hands

Caring for your hands is just as important, especially with all the excessive use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers that cause skin dryness. 

Always apply lotion or hand cream on your hands and nails after washing or sanitising your hands. This will keep them hydrated and prevent skin from cracking and flaking.

Take Biotin Supplements 

As long as you eat a healthy, varied diet, you shouldn't need any dietary supplements for nails; however, if your nails are prone to breaking and splitting, you may want to consider taking Biotin, which has been shown to help strengthen and grow nails. Always consult with your doctor first.

Use Natural Breathable Nail Polish 

A natural, healthy nail polish and acetone-free polish remover can help you nurse your nails back to life and prevent splitting, cracking and discolouration. 

Our non-toxic Breathable Super Food Infused Nail Polish boosts your nail health, is enriched with organic superfood ingredients and helps stimulate nail growth with a long-lasting smooth nail finish. The formulation is 82% derived from everyday vegetables such as potatoes and corn and is a clean beauty choice for healthy nails! 

 

Breathable Super Food Infused Nail Polish

Learn More About Breathable Super Food Infused Nail Polish

 

Trim Your Nails 

If your nails are weak and tend to break, keep them on the shorter side to avoid snagging and breaking even further. Trimming nails regularly also makes them look neater and is more hygienic. Use a gentle nail file for buffing to prevent breakages and injuries.

Wear Gloves When Working

Too much exposure to water, detergents and soaps may damage and weaken nails. That's why it's best to wear protective gloves while you do housework. 

This includes washing dishes, doing laundry, cleaning and gardening. It will also help protect the polish and keep dirt out of your nails. 

Forget Acrylic Nails

While acrylic manicures may look pretty, the cost of that is too high as the procedure can cause the nails to peel, leading to brittleness, breakages and even infections. Besides that, the UV light which is used during the manicures damages and ages your skin.

The best choice is to say goodbye to acrylic nails forever and opt for healthier manicures! 

Protect Your Nails

Stop doing it right away if you're using your hands to open jars or scratch things off surfaces. This weakens the nails and causes breakages and splitting. 

Another thing that will help protect your nails is swapping those toxic nail polishes for natural, breathable products that don't damage the nails or cause discolouration.

Our Nail Polish Kit includes the non-toxic Breathable Super Food Infused Nail Polish and the Dual Base & Top with Celery Seed Extract.

 

Coogee Beach Nudes Nail Polish Kit

Learn More About Coogee Beach Nudes Nail Polish Kit

 

The nail polish boosts your nail health while wearing stunning colours, and the natural nail hardener which strengthens and boosts your nail health whilst wearing coloured nail polish. The non-toxic nail polish base is enriched with organic superfood ingredients, which help to stimulate nail growth and repair damage while providing a long-lasting smooth nail finish. 

A protective base coat and top coat also creates a barrier between your nails and the nail polish and helps the polish adhere, allowing the colour to last longer.

How to Do an At-Home Manicure

Doing an at-home manicure is easier than it may seem, and if you're using natural, non-toxic products, you do not need to take breaks between your manicures.

Here are a few simple tips for a quick at-home manicure!  

• Clean your nails with non-toxic nail polish remover. 
• Clip, file and buff your nails
• Moisturise your hands and cuticles and wait a few minutes to let it soak in.
• Apply a base coat.
• Apply your first coat of colour. 
• Apply your second coat of colour.
• Apply a topcoat 
• Clean up around the nails and let the nails dry.

 

Mani-Pedi Essentials

Learn More About Mani-Pedi Essentials

 

For a holistic approach, we recommend our Mani-Pedi Essentials, which includes the protective base and top coat and Natural Nail Polish Remover infused with Kiwi Fruit, Rose Water, Aloe Vera, Calcium, Pro-Vitamin B5 and Vitamin E. It is strengthening, healing, nourishing and odourless, acetone and acetate free and infused with SuperFood ingredients to exfoliate and nourish the nail while effectively removing nail polish.