Amazing Hand And Nail Care Tips For Brides-To-Be!

Your nails and hands are one of the most neglected parts of the body, yet at a wedding they are photographed the most. For your mehendi, for your ring – everything is going to be captured on camera. So instead of your dry skin and not-so-great nails, why not have amazing looking hands and flawless nails with these simple tips and tricks

Image via Shashank Issar Photography★ 4.3

Include A Hand Cream In Your Bag

If you suffer from dry hands, start applying a hand cream that suits your skin type. We tend to wash our hands throughout the day which makes them dry and flaky, so topping them up with a hand cream really helps! Massage these into your hands as well as in and around your nails so that it gets under the epidermis and hydrates all layers of the skin.

At- Home Manis

If you a DIY kind of a bride, at-home manis are your best fix. All you need is a home manicure kit, which are easily available online and a few products that will last you for a long time. Make sure you are getting a manicure atleast once a month – at home or salon – to keep your talons wedding ready! A manicure isn’t only about polish, it helps to get rid of dead skin, gives your nails a squeaky clean treatment and the cream massage is great for your hands.

Avoid Hot Water

While hot water gets rid of the entire gunk, it also over-dries your hands. So use lukewarm water to wash or for you at-home manis so that your hands remain clean as well as moisturized.

Image via Summiyya & Arnav's Real Wedding

Masking

Yes, you heard that right – there are hand masks too. But we love a DIY version so here is what we recommend. Boil one small potato and leave it to cool. Place it in a bowl and mash it. Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil or sweet almond oil. Mix well and apply the mixture on your hands. Leave it for 15 minutes and wash your hands with warm water.

Exfoliate

While we use our hands to exfoliate our body, we forget to exfoliate our hands! Once a week, scrub your hand with an exfoliator to remove dead and dry skin. Go around the nail bed and between your fingers to get rid of any dead skin that is accumulated. You can also DIY your own scrub with brown sugar and honey. Don’t forget to slather on some hand cream after you are done!

Cuticle Oils

These really help in hydrating your nails, especially if you have been really painting them or going all in with gel paints. When finding cuticle oils, look for Vitamin E, coconut oil, almond oil or jojoba oil in the list of ingredients, as these are the most effective for hydration. Cuticle oils are able to penetrate deeper into the skin than hand creams, and so are great if your nails are particularly dry or brittle.

Image via Project Fireflies★ 5

Glove Them Right

If you cant stop doing household chores, do them with thick rubber gloves. The use of haldi is very high in Indian households, which ends up staining your nails. Use gloves or a spoon specifically while handling foods that stain. Even dishwashing bars and liquids can be extremely harsh on your skin, so pack the gloves right in!

Eat Right

Consume avocado, nuts, ground flaxseed, and evening primrose oil to get the right vitamins to keep your nails strong and healthy!

Overnight Treatments

Don’t have time for all of this? Take 1-2 teaspoons of your favourite oil – extra virgin olive oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, castor oil or coconut oil and massage it on your hands for 15 mins. Slip on a pair of cotton gloves or old socks and go to bed. You will wake up with hydrated and nourished hands and nails.

Give Them A Break

Most brides opt for extensions or gel nails for the wedding week – so give them a break before it. Go paint-free for at least 15 days before your get your final wedding mani.