My Nail Care Routine

I have been asked by multiple people to write a post about how I take care of my nails, so here it is! I'm sorry that it has taken me so long! I'm going to include all my moisturizers and why I like them, but since my nails are natural, I'm also going to include some of the nail treatments I use as well. First is a photo of all my moisturizing/hydrating products in the order that I generally use them:

1. Remove+: I LOVE Zoya's Remove+. It works just as well as pure acetone, but doesn't dry my nails and skin out. Plus, the flipper container is super convenient. I plan on using the flipper bottle to make a knock-off remover (8oz acetone and 1 tsp glycerin) when I finish the Remove+ that's in it. The homemade version is much cheaper and super easy to make, but just as effective. 

2. Hoofer's Choice: I bought this cream at CVS when I first started doing my nails a lot because I was using normal polish remover and it was really drying my cuticles out. I ended up really liking it, so I still use it now for extra moisturizing. After I remove my polish, I rub a small amount of this cream into my cuticles and let it sit for a little while (maybe 5ish minutes, or however long I can sit there patiently). Then, I gently push my cuticles back with my nails (I know I'm not supposed to use my nails as tools, but it's so much easier). Before I start painting again, I wash my hands with soap and water and towel dry them, making sure to wipe all the cream off my nails. 

3. Julep Essential Cuticle Oil: I'm not shy about my love for this product. It has a rollerball cap, which means it is virtually mess-free and it smells soooo good! I generally use this about 20 minutes before I'm ready to go to sleep; I apply it and then lay in bed on my computer for a while to let it have some time to soak in. 

4. Avon Intensive Moisture Lotion/cotton gloves: Fun fact: my mom used to sell Avon, so we have tons of this stuff laying around, luckily for me! This is a really, really thick lotion that is perfect for dry winter skin. Right before I go to sleep (after the cuticle oil), I squeeze about a dime-sized amount of lotion in my palm and rub it into my hands and nail area. Some nights, I wear a pair of cotton gloves to bed to help moisturize even more, but I don't always do that.

1. Nail Envy - Sensitive & Peeling: A while ago, I started having a problem with my nails peeling at the tips. It was really frustrating because my manis would only last for a day or two without chipping. Someone suggested NE - S&P to me and I'm so glad I decided to try it. I used it as a base coat under my manis and it stopped my peeling completely after a few weeks.

2. Nail Envy - Original: After my peeling stopped, I decided I wanted to try to grow my nails longer than I usually do and I asked for Original Nail Envy for Christmas. I haven't used much of it yet but it seems like it makes my nails stronger while I'm wearing it at least.

3. Julep Nail Therapy: I have a couple bottles of Nail Therapy, so I've been using it as a base coat under most of my manis and it seems to work pretty well for maintaining healthy nails as well.

1. Zoya Anchor: When I really want my manis to last, I use Anchor for my base coat. It obviously works very well with Zoya polishes, but it extends the life of most of my other brands as well. I bought this bottle with my last voucher from Bloom.

2. Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat: Hands down the best top coat I've ever used. SV dries super quick (like in minutes) and leaves the most glossy, gorgeous finish on any mani. It's only downfall is the shrinkage it causes with some brands, notably Zoya.

3. Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat: The Zoya-shrinkage-problem was remedied by this Sally Hansen top coat. It doesn't dry quite as fast or glassy as SV, but I'm still very happy with it. Thanks to Pam from Pam's Girly Bits for suggesting it to me!

So, there it is. Kudos to you if you actually read the whole thing! I hope this answers most, if not all, of your questions, but if it doesn't, please feel free to send me an e-mail at thenailnetwork@hotmail.com and I'll answer it as quickly as I can. I might even start an FAQ page if there is enough interest. 

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