Hello everyone! Sorry I have not done a post in quite a while ( I only did one post for the month of August.) I ran into some health issues in the month of August that put me out of commission for a while, I had to take two weeks off of work because of this health issue, one thing about it made it hard for me to see that is one of the reasons why I only did one post last month. Now I am feel better and want to get back to posting to the M.M.M blog.
For this week I decided to an updated nail and hand care routine, it has been a while since I have done a post like this, and a few things have changed and some have stayed the same, so I wanted to update all of you on that.
Nail and Hand care routine
First we will start off with the cuticles. I do this step after I have cut and filed my nails.
Blue Cross cuticle remover
For clean looking nails it is important to clean them up by removing the cuticles. My favorite protect to use is Blue Cross cuticle remover, this protect is runny so I put a little in a small dapppen dish (meant for acrylic liquid) and take a Qtip, dip the Qtip in the remover and then put it on all the nails, then staring with the thumb nail I a put a little more or the remover, and repeat for each nail.
OPI Pusher Plus and Dexterity tool
Then I take my next favorite tools the Pusher Plus and gently (that's the tool that has a scoop on it) push the cuticle back. Once that is done I take the Dexterity tool (the tool with a point) and gently kind of scrap the cuticle off, with out scraping the nail (if that makes any sense?) Once you have all the cuticle off it is important to wash your hands well with soap and water to make sure all of the cuticle remover is off, other wise the product will keep working on your cuticles, which you don't want.
Just an extra step I do, once I have washed my hand, I take a orange/ wooden cuticle pusher and go over the cuticles again just to make sure I have got all the cuticle. This is just and added step I do, it is not necessary, sometimes well a lot of times I like to do extra things for my nails.
I personal only give myself a manicure once a month (and do a polish change ever week), this includes removing cuticles/ pushing them back and cutting and filing my nails. I feel like that is all I need to do, I know a lot of people get manicures once or ever other week. This is just what I personally do.
*Very Important!!*
The cuticles are dead clear tissue that stick to the nail plate and are okay to remove. A lot of people get the cuticle mixed up with the live tissue (technical nail is the eponychium) you should NEVER cut the live tissue this could cause an infection, which no one wants. If you do not know what you are doing when it comes to trimming/ cutting your cuticles, I strongly additive you not to cut them, just use a cuticle remover (like the one above) and push them back.
I do know how to cut the cuticles (I am a licensed nail tech), but I pretty much don't cut my own cuticles only if their is a small piece that is being stubborn, other wise I just use cuticle remover and push them back.
OPI Pusher Plus Ebay $24.00 This is a pricey item, but you can really use any kind of metal pusher.
I got my pusher plus from nail tech school, it came in our kits along with the dexterity tool.
OPI Dexterity Tool Ebay $24.98 another pricey tool, you can always just use a wood cuticle stick as well.
CND Solar Oil
Another important part about cuticle care is moisturizing them, which I feel not enough people do. I probably moisturize my cuticles and hands a lot more then the average person would, but I feel like that is the main reason why my hands and nails looks so good.
My absolute favorite cuticle oil is CND Solar Oil, I love this stuff! I had the problem of my nails peeling very badly, I could peel the whole tip of my nails off. Then my nail tech teacher suggested CND Solar Oil and this stuff is amazing! my nails no longer peel.
I apply this oil twice a day in the morning and at night, on the cuticles and under ever nail, then rub it into my nails.
Nail Butter
This is another one of my favorite cuticle care items, I have told all of you about this product before, Nail Butter I have gone through quite a few jar of this stuff and it is amazing. If you have dry skin around your finger and cuticles this stuff works great for that. I do mainly have that issue in winter time, but I use this stuff year round.
In the spring and summer time (when the weather is warm) I apply this just at night time after the CND Solar Oil. All you need is a very small amount and you apply that to the cuticle area then rub it in. In the winter time I apply this twice a day in the morning and at night.
Nail Butter.com This can only be purchased online. $24.00 in Lemongrass and Gardenia. Don't forget to sign up for their email updates at the bottom of the page for deals and discounts.
Yes to Carrots Body Butter
I know what you are thinking you use three lotions! Not all at once, putting lotion on your hand is also very important in keeping your nails and hands looking and feeling nice. Lotion for me is one item that is always changing for me. I prefer using thick body butters on my hands. My all time favorite is Yes to Carrots body butter, sadly I can not find it at any store. I found it on Amazon but it an add on item only and Target.com sells it as well, but I feel like the shipping makes it cost a little more then it should.
Bath and Body Works Coco Shea Coconut Body Butter
Another body butter that I have recently been try is the Bath and Body Works Coco Shea Coconut Body Butter. If you like coconut you will love this, it just smells like coconut not a million other things like Bath and Body likes to do with their products. It moisturizes well, which I was a little afraid it wouldn't because a lot of their lotions just have a nice smell and that is all.
This also comes in honey and cucumber scent as well.
Zoya Qtica luxury lotion
This lotion I only use every so often, this lotion was sent to me by Zoya, I do really like it it smells good and moisturizes your hands and skin well. This lotion comes in a variety of scents unfortunately Mandarin Citrus is not available on the website. The other scents are Guava passion, Lemongrass Ginger, Colada Sparkle, Mandarin Honey, Exotic Mango, Lime Zest, Lemon Dream, Grapefruit Surprise and Pomegranate Lime.
Qtica Overnight Intense Hand Balm
This last lotion I have only used in the winter time when my hands get very dry. If you have very dry hand this lotion/ balm will be great for you. I would only use this at night time because it is a very thick lotion/ balm and would probably be to much for day time use.
Also in the past few months since I have become a nail tech I think I have developed some kind of contact dermatitis on my hands because I keep getting rashes on my hands. So now I have been use a scent free lotion on my hands, Cerave. Which does work well and keeps your hand moisturized, so for all of you that have sensitive skin Cerave works will too. Also just because I love the body butters shown above I still sometimes use them on my palms and finger and Cerave on the tops of my hands, I know that is kind of weird.
Yes to Coconut body scrub
Last item on my hand care routine is the Yes to Coconut scrub. I have been using this for a while now and I still love this product. This helps to keep your hand soft and moisturized. Before I would put this all over my hands but because of the issue I stated above I only put this on my palms and finger, then with a nail brush I brush this into my nails and under the nails, then wash it off. I do this before I polish my nails only, I also use to do this after I removed my polish too but not any more.
The last items are just some extra things.
CND Stickey Base and Revlon Extra Life No Chip Top Coat
Just thought it was worth mentioning again about the base and top I use. I have been using the Revlon top coat forever, which mean I love it, It helps to extend the life my polish. I only wear regular polish no Gel or Shellac because I like to change my polish every week and these products help my polish to last a week, even though I am a nail tech. I also have another tool that helps my polish last as well, when I am doing other peoples nails.
CND Stickey base coat is my favorite base coat, it does what it says it helps your polish to stick to your nails. Finding a good base coat was a struggle but I found a good one that I will stick with.
As stated above my polish last for me about a week, but this may not be the same for everyone, it depends I how hard you are with your nails and just your body. I also touch up my nails at lest every other day to every day, with polish if needed and top coat mainly on the tips of my nails.
Last but not last is a little tool that helps me to look like I polish my nails perfectly.
Elf Angled Liner brush and Concealer brush
The Elf Concealer brush was my go to brush for cleaning up around my cuticles and sides of my nails after I polish my nails. But then they changed the way the brush was made (shown above) and I didn't really care for it as much.
So then I found the Elf Angled Liner brush and this brush is amazing, mainly for cleaning up the cuticles and it helps to get a nice clean line.
These brushes are meant for makeup and the bristles are synthetic which means they are plastic and with time acetone will melt/ eat away at them, but these brushes are very cheap so it really is not a big deal.
TwinkledT Number 2 Clean up Brush
TwinkledT Number 6 Clean up Brush
These two clean up brushes are very recent to my collection, I have only been using them for a few month and I already love them. These are actual clean up brushes mean for cleaning around the cuticles and sides of the nails. The bristles are Kolinsky which means they are acetone safe. Out of the two brushes I do use number 6 more then number 2. These brushes come in three sizes 2, 6 and 12. I do have all three, the largest brush number 12 I use a work to clean up polish on clients nails.
Out of all of the clean up brushes I use the TwinkledT Number 6 brush and the Elf Angled Liner brush the most.
To clean up my nails I use pure acetone (the strongest one) I put it in a small dapppen dish dip the brush in the acetone, dab the excise, you need to make sure you don't have to much on your brush and then clean up near the cuticles and the sides of the fingers. I wait until my nails are fully dry to clean them up, this just seem like a better way because the polish is dry so it does not smear when you are trying to clean up your nails. But when I clean up clients nails I don't have time to wait for their nails to fully dry, so I go right in and clean them up.
Also the leftover acetone I soak up in a small cotton ball and then throw that in the trash. You do not want to put acetone down the sink because the acetone will eat away at your plastic pipes.
Now all of you know all my searches, well for nail and hand care. I know this was a long post but I hope it was informative and hope all of you learned a lot and maybe even give these products a try.
Here are the links to my old hand and nail care post.
See you next time for more nail fun!
Hibiscus Flower Nail Design 
