Healthy Ingredients for Better Looking and Healthy Nails Curated By Mikara Reid

Take a closer look at your fingernails.

Do you like what you see? Well, I know just how annoying it can be when you have weak and brittle nails that are always breaking and chipping. And the COVID-19 situation is not even making things better.

Both our social and economic statuses have been adversely affected. And as we try to comply with the national directives of social distancing, we are not able to visit the nail salon as often to get our nails attended to. But with the proper fingernail care, you can take care of such undesirable nail conditions.
Generally, when you have your nails looking healthier and better, they will not only improve your overall outlook but also boost your self-esteem. Maintaining healthy- and better-looking nails comes down to practicing proper hygiene and self-care such as manicures and pedicures.

And despite the challenges we are facing due to the pandemic, we cannot afford to overlook the importance of our nail care. That said, in this article, we will cover a list of ingredients that, when used and combined, will help us grow strong and healthy nails. We don’t want to have long and unkempt nails as they are just potential carriers of bacteria, not to mention they are very unattractive.

How Can You Tell If You Have Healthy Nails?

You can quickly identify a healthy finger and toenails. That’s because they are smooth with a pink nail plate and white tips. They don’t have any ripples or spots. What’s more, the nails are made up of keratin, a fibrous and robust protein substance that grows from the base of the nail.

Ingredients for Healthy and Better-Looking Nails as Curated by Mikara Reid:

Listerine

Listerine contains potent antibacterial and antifungal properties as a mouth wash. However, Listerine could also be used as a foot soak. It will help you kill the bacteria on your feet as an alternative home remedy for foot fungus. And this foot soak will leave your feet with a refreshing odor.

Garlic 

Garlic is very rich in selenium, which helps to promote nail growth. Therefore, you could rub your fingernails with a sliced piece of garlic, or you can also make a garlic oil that you can use as a mask.
Massage the oil on to your cuticles every night then washes off in the morning. The massage will stimulate blood flow, which will help to deliver nutrients to the nails. Also, you can soak your finger or toenails in raw garlic chopped up in warm water.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E also helps to strengthen and add moisture to not only the nails but also the skin. That keeps your nails from yellowing. However, if you don’t have the natural oils or just don’t want to use it on your nails, I have a quick hack for you.

You can get the Vitamin E capsules, cut them open, and smear the vitamin E on the cuticles and nail beds. Let the oil sink on your cuticles and nails for at least 10 mins. In just a short while, you will notice significant improvement. The secret is to be consistent with your routine.

Apple Cider Vinegar

If you are suffering from any fungal nail infections, apple cider vinegar won’t disappoint. It has some powerful antifungal treatment properties. The fact that the ACV is acidic helps to neutralize the alkaline environment, which tends to encourage fungal growth. You can soak your nails in the apple cider vinegar at least twice a day.

Natural Oils

There is a wide range of natural and essential oils that you can use to moisturize, treat, and heal your cuticles. These are oils that you can also use for your other beauty regimes as well. The best part is that these natural oils don’t have the chemicals, toxins, and drying agents we have in the over-the-shelf products. The oils include cotton-seed oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, olive oil, coconut oil, argan oil, vitamin E oil, castor oil, and sesame seed oil.

Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, is a liquid that has high oxidation properties. Typically, hydrogen peroxide has many uses, including bleaching, disinfectant, antifungal, and antiseptic functions. More importantly, hydrogen peroxide is present in most chemical reactions in our bodies. Also, you can find hydrogen peroxide readily available in freshly squeezed veggies and fruit juices.
We are going to focus on its antifungal property for healthy nails. To be more specific, hydrogen peroxide helps to get rid of the fungus in the feet. When you soak your feet in hydrogen peroxide, the fungus that grows there will die due to high levels of oxygen concentration.
The treatment helps to maintain your healthy natural nails. However, it only works for some people, and it will require time and persistence.

Black Tea

Black tea has been with us for centuries and with good reason. This delicacy not only quenches your thirst, but it also has medicinal values. In fact, if you can’t afford to go for those fancy pedicures, then black tea might be your go-to option.

What’s more, soaking your feet in black tea will help eliminate foot fungus and treat any toenail bacteria. Besides treating bacteria, black tea also helps to dry out your feet and reduce sweating by closing foot pores. You can soak your feet daily to achieve the desired outcome.

Goat Milk

It sounds like an absurd solution, but yes, goat milk works wonders for your nails. Goat milk brings life to your nails by giving them the much-needed strength. But for you to get the best from your goat milk, make sure you purchase it from a local vendor. On top of that, goat milk also has several benefits for your skin in general.

Epsom salt

I must say, Epsom salt is the hands-down ultimate ingredient if you are looking into improving the health and look o your nails. You need to soak your feet or hands in Epsom salt at night then wash it off in the morning. For ultimate efficiency, you can do this at least twice a week.

Essential oil

If you want to keep your nails strong, healthy, and encourage their growth, you need to consider essential oils. The oils have moisturizing and healing properties that quickly absorb to the skin, making the ideal nail and cuticle care regime.

My personal go-to are Jasmine, Lemon, and Eucalyptus. These oils are quite efficient, and on top of that, they come with multiple purposes. Other essential oils that you can use for your nail care include tea tree, clove, lemon, ylang-ylang, jasmine, lavender, eucalyptus, and wild oregano oil, among others.

Caffeine

Caffeine helps stimulate cell regeneration so your nails can grow long and healthy. So lucky for you if you are a coffee lover as there is actually an effective way to use products that are caffeine-infused to improve the health and look of your nails.

Chlorogenic Acid

Chlorogenic acid is found in the green coffee extract. It is an antioxidant that generally helps to improve how your hands feel and look. That is because chlorogenic helps to reduce the damage of your nails caused by free radicals. Also, it helps to hasten the development of new cells giving you healthy nails.