Article by BR Natalie
You know you need to take better care of your hands when your dad buys you a huge pump of anti ageing hand cream. And then proceeds to ask if you're using it every time you speak. True story.
I fully expect my hands to show the signs of wear, tear and age. That's life, right? Although I'd prefer it if they'd accurately reflected my age of 29 and not 59.
After chatting with Beauty Review's resident Beauty Therapist and Nail Technician (affectionately known as BR Zoe) I've found out anyone can beautify their hands in just 5 minutes a day. And I'm going to undertake the 5 minute hand challenge over the next month and hopefully rewind the time showing on my hands.
This routine isn't a manicure, but rather giving your hands some much needed love, so when it comes to painting your nails, you have a beautiful canvas to start!
It's probably best to do this in the evening when you've finished using your mitts on the heavy duty chores
1. Cleanse
Give your hands a good wash (in the shower is fine), remove any dirt from under your nails using an orange stick
2. Moisturise
Using your favourite hand cream - take your time and massage it in to your hands. Through regular massage you'll improve your skin, stimulate circulation and grab a little me time.
Begin by interlocking your fingers and squeezing as you rub your fingers together. You'll feel your fingers getting 'thinner' when you're doing it right! Knead in between the bones of each palm using the thumb of the other hand. Finish by pushing your thumb in a circular motion from the back of the wrist up your forearm.
3. Cuticles
Apply a little cuticle oil to each nail and allow to sit for 30 seconds to a minute. Rub it in to each cuticle whilst gently pushing your cuticles back. Resist the urge to snip your cuticles unless you absolutely must - it's easy to snip too much and cause a tear.
Most nail polish brands have a cuticle oil - Essie for example, but if you don't like oils check out Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream or Lush's Cuticle Butter.
4. Apply a nail reinforcer to suit your nails
If you don't wear nail polish everyday you'll want to make sure your natural nails look their best. Nail reinforcers not only strengthen your nails, they also leave a nice protective finish to your nail, which will help prevent daily staining.
Most nail strengtheners and reinforcers work by daily application. You apply one coat, once a day for a week. Remove and start again. Reinforcers are generally better than hardeners, as these can cause the nail to be brittle.
To repair nails that have suffered damage from acrylic nails, try Orly Naitrition.
For dry nails try a hydrating strengthener like Essie Millionails.
If you struggle to grow your nails try Sally Hansen Nail Growth Miracle
A note on washing your hands.
The average woman washes her hands around 10 times a day. Take advantage of this 'hand time' by doing it right.
Unlike doing the dishes, where we use hot water and detergent to remove oil and grease, we don't want to strip our hands of their natural oils. Use warm water and a gentle soap or cleanser. Antibacterial soaps aren't necessary and can dry skin. They also can kill good bacteria on the hands and encourage bad bacteria that resist antibiotics. Rinse hands well and pat dry, don't rub.
Other small things you can do during the day to help your hands:
1. Stop biting your nails! Yes it will take will power, but bitten nails (and even worse, bitten skin around the nails) is not only unsightly, it's putting your hands through daily trauma. Minor trauma yes, but trauma nonetheless. I should point out I, BR Natalie, am a nail biter. The only time I have not been a nail biter was during pregnancy, when the very thought of it repulsed me. Just as my daily sickness stopped as soon as Milky Chops was born, so did my nail biting aversion.
2. Use washing up gloves whenever you do the dishes, clean your car or use chemicals.
3. Spend a couple of dollars on a pair of cotton gloves from your local pharmacy. Popping these on after moisturising at night will help your skin absorb and make the most of your hand cream.
4. Keep disposable gloves handy - these are great for handling food that can irritate your skin (such as onions and tomatoes)
5. In the winter always wear gloves. Not just to keep your mitts toasty, but to prevent the cold air from drying out and chapping your skin.
6. Whenever you're out in the sun use SPF on your hands. It's true that your hands are one of the first places to show the signs of ageing, and sun exposure replicates these ageing signs and causes lasting damage.
So there we have it - a 5 minute hand routine and some tips to look out for your nails throughout the day. I'll be following both the routine and the tips beginning Easter Monday. I'll take before photos and post updates weekly to our Instagram feed over the next month. (@beautyreviewnz).
Over to you - do you follow a hand care routine or are your hands looking a little worse for wear? What is your top tip for beautiful hands? If your hands aren't your finest feature why not give the routine a whirl with me?
Really good tips, must start following these, now that Winter's coming, my hands get really dry.