Many may be surprised to learn that despite writing about beauty products, trends, and treatments, trips to the nail salon are not enjoyable for me. While I appreciate the appeal of a professional manicure, the cost, time commitment, and potential damage are deterrents. Consequently, I have taken it upon myself to master nail care at home. Given the daily strain my nails endure from typing, I often opt to forgo polish and focus on achieving a clean manicure look. Any tips on preventing polish from chipping are welcome.
Over the years, I have adopted various tips and tricks to forgo polish and maintain a clean, healthy nail style.
3 Steps to Mastering the Clean Manicure
Step 1: Start with a Clean Base
First and foremost, clean nails are essential. Nail polish typically conceals any lingering dirt, making upkeep a crucial aspect of achieving a clean manicure look. Therefore, keeping a nail brush handy is immensely beneficial. The two-sided SPARITUAL Toe & Finger Nail Brush, with its specific bristle lengths and comfortable beachwood handle, not only ensures clean nails but also gently exfoliates the hands and cuticles, facilitating better moisture absorption in the following step.
This two-sided nail brush with bristles of various lengths and a comfortable beachwood handle is perfect for keeping your nails clean and healthy, while also providing gentle exfoliation for your hands and cuticles.
Step 2: Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize
Achieving a naturally beautiful nail look necessitates maintaining glowing skin and nails. Pampering is not limited to your face alone. I find the Butter LONDON Champagne Fizz Manicure Candle ideal for a soothing at-home spa day, providing a super moisturizing hand treatment. For daily maintenance, the SpaRitual Citrus Cardamom Vegan Moisture Balm, rich in avocado seed oil, rosemary leaf oil, and rose hip oil, works wonders for cuticles, while the JUARA Coconut Illipe Hand and Nail Balm, with its rich hand cream-like texture, provides additional hydration.
This 100% vegan candle is made with a natural skin-softening blend of soybean and coconut oils, ensuring a soothing and conditioning massage treatment for your hands.
This organic and vegan moisture balm, enriched with avocado seed oil, rosemary leaf oil, and rose hip oil, helps prevent moisture loss and promote overall cell vitality.
This conditioning and hydrating balm, containing coconut oil and illipe butter, nourishes your cuticles, nails, and skin, helping diminish age spots, strengthen brittle nails, soften rough cuticles, and reduce the appearance of dry lines around your knuckles.
Step 3: Smooth It Out
After cleaning and moisturizing your hands, achieving a smooth finish becomes more manageable. The Dr. Dana’s Nail Renewal System, comprising three simple steps, helps in this regard. The Glycolic Prep Pen exfoliates the nail bed and cuticles, while the Tri-Grit Priming Wand removes damaged nail cells. A basic buffing block, readily available at pharmacies or beauty supply stores, can be used to further smooth and add a shine to the nails. Wrapping up, filing your nails into your desired shape precedes using the Deep Hydrating Pen to provide additional moisture.
With this three-step kit, which exfoliates, hydrates, and strengthens nails, you can ensure glossy, healthy-looking nails without the need for polish. The entire process only takes 10 minutes and results in healthier nails and cuticles.
Optional Step 4 (if you want to glam it up)
Should you desire a glamorous nail look without the risk of chipped polish, Lauren B Nail Wraps serve as an enjoyable solution. Easy to apply and gentle on your nails, these wraps, made of real gel polish, offer durability and shine without the drawbacks associated with gel salon manicures, such as exposure to UV light and chemicals. Additionally, they eliminate the potential risks of skin and nail cancer associated with UV light. The Nude Gradient Gel Nail Wrap, a 100% gel polish nail wrap, is a particularly subtle and appealing option, with various colors and designs available to suit different styles.
With these 100% gel polish nail wraps, you can achieve the look and feel of gel nails without the need for a salon visit, all while avoiding the exposure to harmful UV lights and chemicals. This subtle nude color is just one of the many colors and designs available from this brand to match various styles.
The Takeaway
You don’t need long acrylics, fancy nail art, or vibrant colors to ensure your nails look good. If a professional manicure is your favorite way to treat yourself then go for it! But if you want to simplify your beauty routine, then making it a point of regularly cleaning and smoothing out your nails, while keeping your hands nice and moisturized, will do the trick.
