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Nutrition for Healthy Nails

GuestPoster — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:57:51 +0000

Ensuring we are consuming the correct nutrition is the foundation for healthy nails. Although taking care of our nails by trimming and filing them correctly and avoiding bad habits like biting and picking them are important too; eating the right foods helps build healthy strong nails from the onset. Having healthy nails will also ensure that we have pretty toes and pretty feet. So which nutrients do we need to consume for our nails on a daily basis?

Protein
Proteins matter because protein is matter! Every solid thing in out body is made up of protein and nails are no exception. Nails are made up of laminated layers of a protein called keratin. Protein deficiency is rare in the developed world but it can occur. White lines across the nails are a sign of inadequate protein in the diet. To ensure we are consuming enough protein we need to eat foods like lean meats, fish, beans, pulses, whole grains and eggs at least twice a day.

Sulfer
Sulfer helps to produce stronger nails by increasing nail flexibility. This helps to prevent nail cracks from occuring. Fish, egg yolks, cabbage, broccoli, kale garlic and onions are great sources of sulfer.

Vitamin C
Collagen cannot be created without vitamin C. Although collagen is actually made up of amino acids, vitamin C is required as a chemical co-factor in its creation. Collagen is essential to healthy skin hair and nails. It is basically a glue that holds the proteins in skin hair and nails together. Without collagen the nails can become weakened and brittle. In severe cases of vitamin C deficiency a condition called scurvy can result in which the skin actually begins to fall apart and nails fall off. This can eventually lead to death! Now a very rare condition, scurvy was once a problem for sailors on long journeys without fresh fruits and vegetables. So ensuring that we have an adequate intake of vitamin C daily is very important for overall health and avoiding weak nails. Oranges, papayas, mangoes, tomatoes, kale, spinach and broccoli are all great sources of vitamin C.

Zinc
Low levels of zinc in the body leads to white spots in the nails. Zinc is an essential mineral which is needed for 100′s of important chemical reactions in the body and is found in almost every one of our cells. Blackberries, cashews and avocadoes are good sources of zinc, while oysters are an exceptionally high source of this mineral.

You can tell these are healthy nails.

Go for a Juice or a Smoothie
Daily homemade juice recipes or smoothies is a great way to get an abundance of sulfer, vitamin C, protein and zinc into your diet.

Healthy Toenails Juice
2 cups of blackberries
2 kiwis

Peel kiwis and wash blackberries thoroughly before juicing. This juice is especially high in vitamins C and zinc.

Healthy Nails Green Smoothie
1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder
2 cups of kale
1 cup of spinach
1 cup of water

Blend everything together and serve. This is the ultimate healthy nails smoothie. It provides protein, zinc, sulfer and vitamin C benefits.

Home Pedicure, Beauty and Spa Ideas

GuestPoster — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:59:32 +0000

When you are looking to save some money on your regular spa dates, think about having your own “spa” at home. You may pamper and primp yourself for a lot less money than you will typically spend at an expensive day spa or beauty salon. You can even have a friend do the work so that it is more relaxing. Or, make a “girls’ night” out of it by having your friends pamper you in turn for you pampering them.

For your nails, set up a home pedicure or manicure station. Pick a favorite arm chair where you can be comfortable, and spread out your nail supplies. You will want nail polish remover, nail polish, nail files, nail clippers, lotion, and cuticle clippers.

With these supplies, you may start your nail treatment to attain pretty toes. If choosing to do a pedicure simply take off your ladies shoes, and soak your feet in a bowl full of warm, soapy water before working on your toenails.

Next, clip your nails, and then file them. It is good to make sure that each nail is about even, and that the tips are rounded. From there you can treat your cuticles by adding a bit of lotion and then pushing them down or clipping them. Once your cuticles are finished, rub lotion over your hands to soften them. You can then add your colored nail polish (unless you are doing a French pedicure). It is important to put at least two coats on when you are painting toenails, waiting a little while in between the coats. Finally, add some clear nail polish over the top. This will ensure you and all your girlfriends will have some pretty feet to show off when wearing some cute ladies sandals.

Look at this convenient home manicure kit!

You and your friends can also spend much of the time sharing and exchanging favorite beauty and makeup tips. Sometimes some of the best tips come from friends and acquaintances who know your current beauty habits and may have some good advice to help improve your look.

For your face, a facial mask may be a good idea. Find a good one at the drugstore and follow the directions on the container. These usually require you to spread the mask over your face and leave it on for about ten minutes. Afterward you can take a warm, damp cloth and use it to remove the mask. This will leave your skin soft and your pores clean. Getting a monthly facial is one of the most recommended beauty tips of spa professionals.

If you want to dye your hair, you will definitely want a friend or family member to help out. First follow the directions on the package, covering as much of your hair as possible. Afterward, have a partner touch up parts that you may have missed so that you have an even color.

Portable Manicure Tables

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:30:57 +0000

When choosing a career, the first thought that comes to our minds is do we want to sit in an office all day long. With a career in cosmetology you don’t necessarily have to do that. You can choose to go into this industry and travel to peoples homes who can not make it to the nail saloon or hair stylist. Also, even though you are not in something like cosmetic surgery (where the surgeons are making a fortune because cosmetic surgery prices are through the roof!), you are still in a potentially very profitable business – if you market yourself well and have great customer service.

With a portable manicure table you can do procedures in the home or else where that you could not normally do as well with out. A portable manicure table allows the customer to feel at ease while making your job much easier as the height is just right and some porttable tables can be adjusted to the height that they go to. You will be able to sit at the correct height and work without feeling that you need to keep bent over a smaller table that you happen to have on hand that is not meant for manicures.

The Encore Portable Manicure Table

A manicurist is a good paying job and is in high demand with all the people who want to have manicures and pedicures. You can set your own schedule with you working on your own or and you don’t have to worry about reporting to a manager who overseas you at work. There are multiple reasons why working on your own is best for some people. You can set your own price to include the cost of the supplies and the gas that it cost to get from your home or business to their location. These all factors that will pplay into whether or not this is the right option for you.

Once you have chosen that this is the profession for you, you will be able to purchase a portable manicure table that can go any where you want it to. Once you purchase your table and the supplies that you need to perform this job the only thing left is to find clientele. A fairly simple thing to do with the internet these days.

Home Pedicure, Beauty and Spa Ideas

Best Nail Care Products

admin — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:11:05 +0000

Basically, these are the top five sellers for all the boring nail care products that nobody wants to talk about (i.e. – topcoats, basecoats, and nail polish removers). So why am I talking about them? BECAUSE THEY ARE IMPORTANT! Ladies, if you want to your nails to shine and sparkle, you’re going to need more than just a great nail polish. You’re going to need quality nails products to supplement them.

Now, this isn’t an actual review of each individual nail product (after all, there isn’t too much to say about topcoats, basecoats, and nail polish removers). Here we are just going based on the wisdom of the crowds. These are the top five bestselling products for topcoats, basecoats, and nail polish removers (information from Amazon.com). Hopefully this information and these professional nail products will help you on your way towards pretty feet! =)

Remember: for tips and tricks on the most effective way to use these products, be sure to read the painting toenails and home pedicure articles. These topcoats are particularly effective for the French pedicure as well.

TOP TOPCOATS

1.    OPI Rapidry Topcoat
2.    Essie to Dry For Topcoat
3.    Trind Topcoat
4.    Zoya Armor Topcoat
5.    Orly Won’t Chip Topcoat

TOP BASECOATS

1.    Zoya Anchor Basecoat
2.    Trind Basecoat
3.    Essie Protein Basecoat
4.    OPI Designer Series Basecoat
5.    NARS Nail Basecoat

TOP NAIL POLISH REMOVERS

1.    Trind Nail Polish Remover
2.    OPI Expert Touch Polish Remover
3.    Zoya Remove + Nail Polish Remover
4.    Orly Slip It Off Nail Polish Remover
5.    Soy Polish Remover by Priti

Everyone has differing opinions on which ones are actually the best nail products, and while they are all different, it is a pretty safe bet to say they are all quality products. After all, if they weren’t, they wouldn’t be on the top seller lists! Best thing to do is try out each nail care product until you find the ones that work best for you. Combine your pretty toes with some spray tanning and you will have some great looking legs. Since this will be the case, you best put away your ladies shoes and put on some sexy ladies sandals instead!

Best Nail Polish Brands

admin — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:05:48 +0000

Did you know that nail polish has been around since 3000 B.C.? People have wanted pretty toes since the beginning of written history…and possibly longer!

Well in the modern world, the tradition continues when women do a home pedicure. Here are some of the top selling collections of nail polishes today, and a little bit of information about them.

Different companies may make them, but they all share one common trait: quality. Each nail polish collection has great liquid consistency, a wide range of colors, dries quickly, and is resistant to smudging and chipping.

All of these are amongst the top sellers in the nation, and the top sellers never lie! Of over 500 different nail polishes, these are the best nail polish brands.

OPI Nail Colour

An overwhelming number of people agree: OPI makes top-quality nail polish. Women love that it dries fast, lasts long, and hardly ever chips…not to mention it has a WIDE range of colors. It is also widely agreed the OPI produces the best nail polish colors. And reading the names of the colors is half the fun!

Here are some fun examples from the Sephora and South Beach collections:

Mr. Right Now
I’m with Brad
Brunette on the Internet
Skinny Jeans
How many Carats?
Because I said so
Paint my Moji-Toes Red
Clubbing Til Sunrise
Party in my Cabana
Collins Ave.

The most popular OPI collections include Sephora, Brights!, Classics, and South Beach.

Essie Nail Polish

Essie Nail Polish is another popular brand across America. Essie nail polish colors stay on the safe side, spanning from extremely light pink to a deep and dark red. If you’re looking for a good, solid nail polish of very high quality, but one that is not quite as flashy as OPI, this is it.

Zoya Nail Polish

This is another brand of nail polish with a loyal following, and with good reason. It comes on smooth, lasts a long time, and has a great collection of very “girly” colors. One fact about Zoya that sets it apart from other brands of nail polish is that it is free of the toxic chemical found in other nail polish brands, DBP.

About DBP: DBP is a toxic chemical (dibutyl phthalate) used to make nail polishes last longer. Other nail polish brands such as OPI, Essie, and Sally Hansen do contain a small amount of DBP, however, the actual risk associated with DBP in such small quantities (i.e. – the amount found in nail polish) has not been proven. Whether there is an actual risk is still widely debated, but a lot of pregnant mothers or mothers with small children have opted to use a nail polish brand that is DBP-free.

Zoya makes quality products, so if you are someone who wants a DBP-free nail polish, this is the company to buy from.

Those are really the biggest three brands overall. If you use any of those brands, you really can’t go wrong in your quest towards pretty feet. Plus judging things like which brand makes the best nail polish color is too subjective; you have to try them on your own and decide which you like best. Other honorable mentions include NARS, Avon, China Glaze, Sally Hansen, and NYC.

Best Nail Care Products