My Nail Care Routine Tutorial

I have had several requests for a nail care routine, so I made one :). First, I want everyone to know that painting and caring for my nails is a hobby. I am not a professional and I don't claim to be one. Everything I do is based on trial and error for me personally, but I hope you will find some of these methods and tips helpful for you. Make sure to give my video a thumbs up after you watch it please-it will really help me out!

Also, I like my nails short, so I file them about every other time I paint my nails. So that ends up being about once a week. I do this entire routine about once every two to three weeks.

Here are the supplies I used in my tutorial:

PRODUCTS USED:

ZOYA Nail Polish Remover: This is the best nail polish remover I have ever used. I don't buy it all the time, but most of the time. You can buy this on Zoya.com, Amazon or Ulta. If I do buy a generic brand from Target or Walmart, I always buy the one that is moisturizing. 

Cotton Rounds: I prefer these over cotton balls. :)

Dr. G's Antimicrobial Callus and Cuticle Remover: I really love this cuticle remover! It's such a huge bottle, and has lasted for a long time, so I haven't really tried any other brands. I have heard that the Sally Hansen brand remover is good too. I bought this one at Sally's Beauty Supply, but you can also get it on Amazon (link above).

Tweezerman: My most favorite cuticle pusher. I have tried several. This one works best for me. :)

Nail Tek Crystal Nail File: I mostly use a crystal nail file. Sometimes I use nicer regular nail files, but I find that I get less nail peeling if I use a crystal file. 

Buffer Block: I think any brand of this will do. I like to use the buffer to smooth out the edges of my nails. I also buff the tops of my nails about once a month.

CND Solar Oil: I have tried several cuticle oils, this one is my favorite, and it smells SO good! I apply this carefully after each manicure. Using acetone for clean up is very drying and this helps a lot. I also use it as part of my nail care routine which you will see in the video tutorial below.

Click on the link below to see my nail care routine! I would love some feedback, and let me know if you have any questions about my methods or the products. :)

Nail Tutorial: My Nail Care Routine

-Go Polished

Proclaiming my love for Aquaphor

I am going to take a minute here and tell you about my most favorite product for my nails-Aquaphor! 

I have loved this product for over 10 years. I use it for so many different things. I have only been using it on my nails and the skin around my nails for about 3 years.

Let me tell you how I first fell in love with this product. Several years ago I used to be a habitual lip bitter/ lip peeler-gross I know, but it's the truth. I tried SO many different lip balms and chapsticks, even vaseline, and nothing worked. Finally my friend gave me a little sample bottle of Aquaphor. I applied it to my lips 3-4 times a day and every night when I went to bed. I made sure to not pick my lips and was determined to stop this bad habit. Who likes to talk to people when they have dried cracked lips?! It was embarrassing at times. Within a few weeks my lips were healed and no longer cracked or peeled. So, there wasn't a need to do any picking so...I didn't. Habit gone! Seriously...gone! So that's how I first fell in love with Aquaphor. :)

I have always been into nail polish, but three years ago I really started to enjoy painting my nails often and looking online for fun new colors. I knew I needed to do something for my nails I had been neglecting. Ugh, I guess that leads me to reveal another bad habit (please tell me I am not alone people)-nail peeling and skin picking around my nails. Not to the point of my fingers being red and sore all the time, just enough to know that I didn't have nice nails and I figured I probably never would. I started with just applying Aquaphor to my nails and cuticles every morning and night. They started to heal and once again I stopped picking! Now I have Aquaphor on my nightstand, in my car, in my purse, and in my kitchen. I will never stop using it. I apply it to my lips and nails (and heels, elbows and baby bums)- All. The. Time. (Especially in the winter).

There are other things I did to take care of my nails as well, like wearing gloves when cleaning my house (4 kids=lots of cleaning), wearing nice thick gloves while working in the yard (one of my favorite things to do), never using my nails as tools, and keeping them painted to prevent nail peeling. All these things combined helped me so much!

While my nails aren't perfect, they are SO much better! They still tend to peel in thin layers at times, although not as much as they did. I have come to realize they always will, it's just in my genes, and that's okay, because I discovered that I can have nails that look nice if I just give them a little extra care and keep them painted. Best discovery ever! This might sound silly, but there is just something wonderful about having pretty colors on your nails. Am I right?!

So, if you are struggling with any of these habits or problems, give this product a try, and let me know how it goes. Even if you don't have any of these problems, I feel like my cuticles are so much softer and easier to push back.

*This post is not sponsored. I bought this product with my own money. All opinions are my own. :)

-Go Polished