Nail Care Discussion.

I recently checked out the messages I've received on my facebook page and answered a few of the questions I've been sent. 

One of the questions I received asked me about my nail care routine and what products I use on my nails, which I thought would be a good question not just to answer for one person, but to share for all my blog readers! 

I have a fairly simple routine when it comes to my nail care, thankfully my nails are naturally pretty strong and grow fairly fast, so I mostly focus on keeping my cuticles looking nice. 

When I thought about the products I use on my nails, three of the ones I came up with were cuticle products. No matter how nicely your nails are painted, bad cuticles can totally ruin a manicure.

The first product I use is Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover. I used Orly Cutique for a while, which is a stain and cuticle remover, but I like this one better. I'd say I use this once every week or to (and I almost always break it out before doing someone else's nails!) I just put it on my nails, wait around thirty seconds and then push my cuticles back with an orange stick and they look so much nicer right away.

The next product is Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream. This has a really nice lemon scent, and I like to keep it in my purse to put on whenever I notice my nails getting a little dry. It's the perfect size for taking around with you, and it works great.

The last cuticle related product is cuticle oil. This is critical in my nail care! I'm currently working on a giant bottle of it that I got at Sally's Beauty Supply, but I've liked all the ones I've tried about equally. I always put cuticle oil on when I'm completely done with a manicure. I usually clean my nails up with acetone, which of course is terribly drying, and it's very important to counteract that.

The only other product I have to talk about is Seche Retain. You hear a lot about Seche Vite topcoat (which I also love) but I never hear too much about their other products. This is a basecoat and treatment that promises to help keep your nails strong and durable. I often don't use a base when I'm doing nail art, but when I do use a basecoat, it is always this. I can actually notice a different in my nails when I use it, enough so to make my repurchase it multiple times!

Those are all the products I'm using to keep my nails looking and feeling healthy. I did take biotin for three or four months, but I stopped a couple of months ago and haven't decided if I'll start it up again. I had trouble deciding just how much of a difference it made in my nails, and I don't think they feel any weaker now that I've stopped taking it. You can read about what kind of biotin I took and what I thought while I was taking it here and here.

What are the most important products you use to keep your nails healthy?