Best At-Home Manicure

For those of you who find themselves short on time and aren't able to get into the salon - or of course our Amazing Nail Boutique , for your absolute favourite hand treatment, I have some excellent tips for maintaining your hands and nails between salon visits.

In this first of three posts, we will discuss at home manicure kits - what should be in them, then in the second post - step by step instructions and how to's for one of the best manicure treatments around and then in the third post; different receipes you can create at home to make it an extra special event (or even to treat friends).

Today's post is the first step, which is why to invest in your own personalized manicure kit, how to take care of it and what it should have in it. Remember these kits are strictly for your at home personal use - do not bring these kits to the salon. The nail professionals in the salon have their own professional equipement that they are both comfortable with and that has been properly disinfected and/or sterilized.

Your kit should include;

- A Glass or Crystal File - unlike cheap, disposable cardboard emery boards that shred the free edge of your nail plate, these fantastic files are a small investment in the beginning (anywhere from $9-15.00 CDN), but pay for themselves in long time use and in the way they seal the free edge which helps keep nails from splitting and peeling this in itself keeps your natural nails looking stunning. These files are re-useable so make sure you clean and disinfect them (thoroughly spray with isopropyl alcohol and let sit for 5-10 minutes) before putting them away - it doesn't matter if you are the only one using it - your bacteria multiples just like everyone else's and you don't want weeks of bacteria growth on your file next time you pull it out to file your nails!

- Lint Free Cotton Pads - these have a variety of uses including removing polish and cleaning your brushes. Make sure they are lint free or you will drive yourself crazy picking off tiny fragments of cotton from your polish. I often also used papertowel that I have torn in small squares.

- a wonderfully moisturizing Cuticle Oil. If you are short on funds and are unable to invest in a high quality professional cuticle oil, use a small amount (3 table spoons) of olive or almond oil with a couple drops of vitamin e oil added.

- Cuticle Pusher. For those who are inexperienced start with an orangewood stick or a plastic cuticle pusher. For the more experienced among you go for the sharper metal variety, just keep in mind they are sharp and can hurt the inexperienced user. Remember the cuticle is actually that thin layer of dead skin that sticks to the nail plate - not the living tissue at the base of your nail - leave that alone - never push, cut or tear this skin - it is a seal that surrounds your nail plate and prevents dirt and bacteria from getting into your nail matrix which could cause an infection and lead to permanent damage (by the way this is one of my biggest peeves in this industry - clients who insist on nail professionals cutting their skin and the nail professionals who do! Keep this is mind - Nail professionals are not surgeons - who are the only folks you should be letting cut your skin! Also remember what happens generally when you cut skin - scar tissue forms and scar tissue is thicker than normal skin which this in itself defeats the purpose of cutting the skin in the first place isn't it?)

- Terry Cloth Towel. These are excellent for gently exfoliating the cuticle and dry skin on your hands

- Base Coat. High quality base coats are a must. Their job is to aid in the adhesion of the polish to help it last longer and also prevent the polish pigments from staining your nails. There are a huge number of them out there so choose from a reputable company. Like polish, avoid ingredients such as formaldehyde and toluene. We love Cuccio's Forte Nail Strengthener - clients rave about how flexible and long their nails grow after just a short time .

- Polish. Choose your polish careful as it will be the lasting result of all your hard work. As with base coats avoid formaldehyde and toluene in the ingredients list. There are now some excellent vegan polishes on the market. In our nail boutique we use SpaRitual.


- Top Coat. Top coats are designed to protect your nails and your maintain your polish.

- Polish Remover. There seems to be some debate over whether you should use an acetone based or non acetone based polish remover. In my experience acetone (one of the world's safest solvents - when handled properly) tends to work faster and a lot of companies are putting in additives such as fragrance and oils to non-acetone polish removers making them even less effective. Yes, acetone will temporairly dehydrate your skin and nails but only until you wash them with some soap and water. So I suggest use what works the most effiecient and that for me is acetone based removers.

- Moisturizing Hand Cream. Again another instance where reading labels often comes in handy. High price tags don't neccessairly mean a better product. Choose a cream that provides long lasting moisture

- An Exfoliating Scrub. We'll talk in Post 3 about creating some amazing scrubs right from your kitchen cupboards.