How I Do It: Cuticle Care

Hello all!  Sorry I haven't been posting frequently - I had been caught by the fervent storms of finals, packing, moving, unpacking, and organizing.  Now that I'm finally settled down again, I can breathe for a bit before I'll have to repeat that cycle all over again...

But when I first started this blog, my first request was for a post on how I take care of my cuticles...and this request was made back in January, so obviously I'm very good at time management.  Ha.  Anyways, I'm here to let you all know that even I sometimes slack off in the field of cuticle care.  This is what my hands look like when I haven't taken care of my cuticles for at least a week:

BOOM.  SCARY PICTURE OF MY NAKED NAILS.  But now you can see how bad my cuticles are when I get lazy, and how stained my nails are because I'm painting on them all the time...such is the life of a nail artist.  You thought I had perfect nails?  Now you're wrong.  Eat that.  With a side of Nutella.  And fries.

But don't worry about me.  I fix my cuticles often enough :) but if you want to learn how I take care of them (and maybe get a few tips and pointers along the way), then read on after the jump!

There will be pictures along the way so you guys can see progress, not just read about it :)

You will need:

• cuticle softener - I use Gel Cuticle Remover by Sally Hansen
• orange stick or cuticle pusher
• paper towel
• bowl of warm water
• nail clippers or cuticle clippers
• sugar scrub - I use 60 Second Manicure Hand Scrub by Bath & Body Works
• lotion - I use Ultra Healing by Jergens
• cuticle oil - I use Cuticle Oil by Beauty Secrets

Please note that this photo isn't inclusive of everything I listed.

Step 1: soften your cuticles using the cuticle softener.  Mine says to leave it on for at least 2 minutes but no more than 10 minutes, so I usually aim for 5-7 minutes.  And there's no reason to be scared of the product, so I apply it very liberally.

Step 2: wash off the cuticle softener and push back your cuticles.  I usually scrape away the cuticle softener with an orange stick, wipe it on the towel, and then wash my hands.  I then push back the cuticles with the orange stick.

Step 3: clip off the cuticles with the nail clippers.  Or you can use cuticle clippers.  Or heck, you can even skip this step!  I personally prefer clipping off my cuticles because it gives my fingers a cleaner feel and I like that over not trimming them at all.  A lot of other nail artists out there prefer to just moisturize their cuticles and push them back as need be.  If at any point I find it's harder to push back my cuticles, I just soften them in the bowl of water.  Just dip your fingers in warm water for a few minutes and the cuticles should be soft again :)

Step 4: wash hands with the sugar scrub.  This helps get rid of any more dead cuticles or small particles of skin you missed while clipping said cuticles, and helps contribute to an overall smoother finish (and soften skin...ooh la la!)

Step 5: dry hands and apply lotion.  Do not skip this step.  Keep those hands moisturized.

Step 6: apply cuticle oil to cuticles and rub it in.  This is also an important step.  Your cuticles need some way to stay hydrated!  If you don't have cuticle oil, you can just apply more of your lotion at your cuticles and rub it in.  Or use olive oil.  Or even lip balm or chapstick - moisture is key!

This is what my nails look like once I'm finished :)

This entire process takes me around 1 hour for both of my hands.

You can skip parts of this - for example, the sugar scrub can be skipped since it's actually just a way for me to treat myself.  And again, it's not necessary for you to clip your cuticles.  That's just a thing I do.

Other parts can be altered - for example, you can omit the bowl of water and just place your hands under running water.  Or if you don't have an orange stick or cuticle pushers, you can use your finger nails to push back your cuticles, if they're long enough.

If you don't have a cuticle softener, the best time to take care of your cuticles would be right after a shower or right after you wash the dishes (by hand) - anything that requires you to have your hands be in physical contact with water for an extended period of time will soften them, and then you can just start from there!

A word of caution though - sometimes I accidentally cut myself while clipping my cuticles, and I start bleeding.  It's not fun.  This has happened less and less now, as I've been cutting my cuticles for about 2ish years now, and all that experience has helped me learn how I should deal with myself.  So if you cut yourself while doing this...I'm sorry.  I hope you don't have hemophilia.  And don't paint your nails until that cut is gone!  That's important for health and safety reasons.

If you have any questions, please let me know!  And if some parts were a bit unclear or if you want me to explain it to you in a different way, please let me know!  If you're genuinely interested in cuticle care, I don't want this post to confuse you in any sort of way.

That's it for now.  Since I'm on summer vacation, I'll be able to post a lot more frequently :) stay safe out there, kids!