Sea salt soak for brittle nails

• 2 tbsp. – fine grain sea salt
• 2 drops – lemon essential oil or some lemon juice
• 2 drops – frankincense essential oil (optional)
• 2 drops – myrrh essential oil (optional)
• 2 drops – wheat germ oil (optional)

Add the ingredients to a small bowl of warm water. Soak your nails for 10 to 15 minutes, two times a week and then apply hand cream. You will notice the result very soon.

Beer, oil and apple cider vinegar nail soak

• 1/4 cup – apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup – olive oil
• 1/2 cup – beer

Heat olive oil (warm to touch). Mix well with beer and apple cider vinegar. Soak your nails for 10 to 15 minutes. Enjoy your strengthened and nourished nails.

Cayenne pepper mask for brittle nails

• 1 tsp. – hand cream
• 1/2 tsp. – cayenne pepper
• 10 drops – water

Mix the ingredients well, apply to nails for 15-20 minutes, rinse. Leftover mixture can be kept in a fridge. Use 1-2 times a week.

Black currant nail mask recipe

• 1 tbsp – black currant
• 1 tbsp – wheat flour
• 1/2 tbsp – cream

Mash black currant with back of spoon until pulpy. Mix well with cream and flour. Apply the mixture on your nails, put on cotton gloves, leave it for 2 hours, then rinse.

Herbal nail treatment recipe

• 1 tbsp – dry chamomile flowers
• 1 tbsp – dry peppermint
• 2 tbsp – wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp – olive oil
• 1 cup – water

Pour boiling water over the mixed herbs. Allow steeping for 1-1 ½ hours, then strain. Blend well with flour and olive oil. Apply the mixture on your nail for 30 minutes, rinse.

Hot oil treatment for dry and splitting nails
Heat olive oil (warm to touch). Add some drops of lemon juice. Soak hands and nails for ten minutes. Put on gloves after the hot oil treatment and leave them for 20 minutes or overnight for best results.

Vitamin E oil helps strengthen and nourish nails and cuticles. Squeeze the capsule of Vitamin E oil and apply to your nails nightly. Massage in to help increase circulation to the nail bed.

To whiten your nails, soak your nails in water with lemon juice or lemon slices for about 10 minutes. It works!

And do not forget about basic nail care tips:

• Avoid prolonged exposure to water. Water dries your nails out, leaving them weak and more prone to breaking.
• Wear cotton-lined rubber gloves when you are cleaning and using chemicals.
• Do not remove cuticles from your nails – it can lead to nail infection. Apply some cuticle balm or oil and gently push back the cuticles, with the help of an orangewood stick.
• Never pull off hangnails, as it usually results in ripping living tissue. Clip the hangnails off, leaving a slight angle outward.
• Always file nails in one direction (from corner to center): filing back and forth can cause splits.
• Avoid acetone polish removers.
• In case you wear nail polish, avoid products with toluene, sulfonamide, or formaldehyde. Make sure to give your nails a break from time to time and leave them without polish for a few days.
• Avoid abusing your nails. Don’t use your fingernails as tools to pick or scratch things.
• Don’t bite! It is extremely destructive for nails and cuticles.
• Eat a healthy diet, containing plenty of fruits and vegetables, nuts, fish, whole grains and eggs. Nutrients that may be beneficial in treatment of nail problems: protein, calcium, vitamins A, B, C, D and E, folic acid, iron, and zinc. Drink plenty of water.

• Brittle nails might indicate that your diet is deficient in vitamin A.

• Dry nails suggest a lack of B vitamins.

• Splitting nails are associated with a lack of hydrochloric acid used for digestion.

• Hangnails might indicate a lack of protein, vitamin C, or folic acid in your diet.

• Horizontal ridges (from side to side) might indicate severe physical or psychological stress.

• Vertical ridges (from tip to base) are associated with a tendency towards arthritis, adrenal weakness, kidney weakness, hormone imbalance and protein deficiency.

• Thick nails might indicate circulatory problems.

• Thin nails might indicate that your diet is deficient in sulfur-containing amino acids.

• Nail beading (bumpy nails) suggests arthritis.

• A pale nail bed is associated with iron deficiency, anemia.

• White nails might suggest liver disease.

• Half-pink, half-white nails might be associated with kidney disease.

• Bluish nails might indicate circulatory, heart and lung problems.

• Yellow nails are associated with digestion problems, diabetes or fungal nail infection

• Brown nails might suggest chronic renal failure.

• Black vertical lines or spots on the nails might indicate digestive/intestinal or kidney ulcer.

Be sure not to underestimate these signals, and let your doctor know about them.

Reference: Petty, L. and Lindvall, A. (2005). Living Beauty.

If your nails are flaky, include evening primrose oil in the diet or as a supplement. The oil contains the essential fatty acids necessary for the structure of the cell.

Too little iron in the diet can lead to thin, flat nails. Increase your iron intake by eating foods such as lean red meat, dried fruit and nuts and green vegetables.

Getting enough calcium, iron, zinc, protein and vitamins A, B and C is important as well.

Massaging a nail cream or oil into your nails every night helps the fingertips retain moisture. If you use one infused with lavender, it could help you fall asleep, too.

The citric acid in lemon juice works as a natural bleaching agent for discoloured nail tips. Dip a cotton swab in lemon juice and work it under the nail, then rinse after ten minutes for super-clean nails.

Brushing your fingertips with toothpaste can remove nicotine or ink strains.

A couple of days a month give your nails some time off polish so they can breathe. Buffing during this time will give them a natural shine and boost circulation.

Avoid filing your nails as much as you possibly can. If you file, do it in one direction only.

Wear gloves when washing dishes and doing other household chores. Keep exposure to harsh chemicals to a minimum.

Reference: Floyd, E. (2005). 1001 little health miracles.