So let's talk about your cuticles...

So let’s talk about your cuticles.

Fascinating, I know.

But honestly, what’s the point of having lovely, sparkly, beautifully painted nails, with cracked, ragged, rough and otherwise ugly cuticles surrounding them?

I don’t know about the winter weather where you are, but in the dry, cold area I live in my hands need extra TLC about now.

My routine cuticle care comes down to a few simple steps, and today we are starting with...

Step One: Get the dead skin out of there (Ewww, gross, I know)

So, how do I get the nasty skin off? Well, they make really sharp, really expensive tools for that.

They scare me.  

Cheaper versions tend to be dull from the beginning, or dull quickly. If they are not sharp enough, they tend to tear the skin. It’s probably not the WORST thing in the world to have a torn cuticle, but it’s pretty terrible. Particularly painful if you are like me and wash your hands about 50 times a day.

So say you have a really nice expensive pair. And you haven’t misplaced them. (Who, me?) And that your kids didn't try to use them as guinea pig nail trimmers. (Not  my kids!) But if you have them, and they are not lost, and they are nice and sharp…. it is still really easy to cut too deep. And there will be blood. And it is also painful.

So if you go there (and I usually don’t go there) ….For heaven's sake, be very careful!

What I typically do is start with  this:

 (I usually buy it at WalMart, but you can get it here)

Just put it on, rub it around, and wait. Two minutes is usually good. Then I scrape along the sides of my nails with a very cheap and easily available tool. My thumbnail.  High tech, baby. Rinse off and dry. Ta-daa! Repeat as needed. I use it about once a week.

If  you find that your cuticles need a little more work (When it’s cold or I’ve been gardening, or I’ve been a slacker and waited too long between manicures for the green stuff to do its job… ya.) then I have a little secret I'll let you in on.... I use these (Grab them wherever… Walmart, Target, Sally’s, Family Dollar). 

Yes. On. My. Cuticles. 

Everyone has these, right? 

**Public Safety Announcement**

It works better if your hands are dry. Not wet. Not damp. And especially NOT right after the green stuff. Got that?

  Dry. Skin. Only. 

Like using this: 

Have you ever seen the aftermath when someone used one of those babies on wet feet? 

No bueno.

Don't do it.

 It's like torture-by-cheese-grater! I'm pretty sure it violates the Geneva Convention.

And that's it! My next post will be on maintaining that pretty new baby-soft skin.

In the meantime, I think Andrea has some sneak  peek stuff planned. 

We are also working on the whole water-mark thingy... then you will see lots and LOTS of actual photos of our actual nails. Promise! 

Questions? Comments? Bring it on!!

*heart my nails* - Heather