Easy Home Manicure

Your hands and nails can speak volumes about you. If healthy and well manicured, they add polish to your appearance, while cracked, rough hands and nails detract from even the most impeccable grooming. Why not try giving yourself an easy home manicure?

1. Remove old polish.
   Try to avoid polish removers that contain acetone, a solvent that removes the natural oil from nails and damages the surface of the nail.
2. Wash nails.
   Scrub gently with a soft-bristle brush to remove nail polish remover residue.
3. File.
   Work from the outside in and then from the inside out, filing toward the center from each side. Never use a back-and-forth sawing motion.
4. Soak.
   Soak fingertips in warm water for five minutes, just long enough to soften cuticles.
5. Push back cuticles.
   Using a soft, moist towel or a wooden orange stick, gently clean the cuticle to remove dead skin cells and dirt.
6. Trim hangnails.
   Clip carefully with small, sharp scissors.
7. Moisturize.
   Massage nutrient-rich natural cream into the cuticle and nail area.