Pretty Nail Art

how to take care of your hands

Steps

Part 1

1. Wash with a moisturizing hand soap. It’s important to keep your hands clean, but using an antibacterial hand soap can dry out your skin. Instead, wash your hands with a moisturizing soap that contains hydrating ingredients, such as shea butter, olive oil, or aloe vera, to avoid stripping the natural oils from your skin.
   • When you wash your hands, avoid using hot water, which can also dry out your skin. Wash with lukewarm water instead.
   • Don't worry about washing your hands too much - it's important to wash regularly to keep your hands as free of germs as possible. At the very least, you should wash your hand before you eat and after you use the bathroom. You should also wash after changing a diaper, interacting with animals, or any time that your hands appear dirty.
2. Clean under your nails with a nail brush. Even if you wash your hands regularly, there may be dirt and grime under your fingernails that doesn’t rinse away. While you’re washing your hands, use a good quality nail brush to gently scrub beneath your nails and remove any dirt that may be stuck there.
   • When you use the brush, hold it in a downward direction so it’s perpendicular to your nails. Move it along the entire nail, scrubbing back and forth to remove the dirt and debris.
   • After scrubbing your nails, rinse away the soap, water, and dirt as you normally would.
3. Keep your nails trim and well shaped. You'll have an easier time keeping your nails clean if you groom them properly. Use nail clippers to keep them at a length that you like, and file them with a crystal nail file or gentle emery board into a neat shape, such as a square or oval.
   • It's also a good idea to use a cuticle remover and cuticle pusher to keep your cuticles neat. The cuticle is the thin hand of skin around your nail. The remover softens the skin, so you can easily push it back with a metal cuticle pusher or a wooden orange stick. Never cut your cuticles - the skin may get infected.
4. Exfoliate your hands weekly. Use a hand scrub once a week to buff away the dry, rough skin and keep your hands soft and healthy. Wet your hands with lukewarm water, and massage a small amount of the scrub over both of your hands, working in circular motions. Rinse it off with warm water, and apply a hand cream.
   • Wash your hands with the moisturizing soap before exfoliating.
   • You can purchase hand scrubs at the drugstore, beauty supply store, and other stores that sell bath products.
   • If you prefer, you can mix up your own all-natural hand scrub with ingredients from your kitchen. Combine equal parts of sugar and olive oil, and use it to scrub the dead skin from your hands.