Baths for strengthening nails as a home remedy for maintaining the health and beauty of the skin and nail plate, the healing properties of procedures, existing contraindications, useful ingredients, recipes for nail baths. Baths for strengthening nails are useful procedures that can heal not only the nail plates themselves, but also the entire skin on the hands. It is known that the face and hands are the calling card of any woman, which is why proper care of them is so important. Baths make the hands not only attractive, but also fight various nail problems (delamination, brittleness, discoloration, slow growth). The composition of the mixture is selected depending on the problem that exists in each individual case. This article contains information on the benefits of mini water procedures, as well as the most effective home recipes.
Useful properties of nail baths
Every day, each person's nails are exposed to harmful external influences, which leads to a deterioration in their condition. Such factors include weather conditions, for example, severe frost, the use of household chemicals during home or professional work, fungal infections.
Also, problems can be caused by a lack of care: refusal to use gloves in contact with cleaning and detergents, lack of manicure or improper implementation of it, insufficient nutrition of both nails and the body as a whole, frequent nail extension procedures, coating with ordinary varnish, shellac, the use of low-quality products for the care and design of nails.
Everything described is fraught with the development of persistent problems with the nails, such as thinning of the plate, its stratification, yellowing or tarnishing, changes in the structure (the appearance of tubercles), fragility, slow growth.
Modern stores offer a huge amount of cosmetic products for nails, the composition and price of all of them are different. Many products can really help with hand care, but not all. Indeed, even under quality control conditions, it is difficult to be 100% sure of the composition declared on the package. In addition, creams, scrubs, masks also contain hazardous substances that are necessary at the production stage and to extend the shelf life.
Another option is the use of homemade folk recipes to create the most useful water mixtures for treating nails and hand skin. In this case, it is possible to take exactly those products and substances that are really necessary and are guaranteed to be fresh and nutritious. The most effective in the context of home care are nail strengthening baths. Their beneficial properties entirely depend on the ingredients selected and their quality characteristics.
By doing water mini-procedures with useful components, you can get an excellent result, which is manifested in the following:
- Improved Nutrition with Nutrients … The baths, depending on the selected ingredients, due to the aqueous medium, supply vitamins and minerals to the matrix, which are necessary for the correct formation of the nail plate.
- Acceleration of the growth of the nail plate … Almost every recipe contains the ingredients necessary to normalize the metabolism inside the skin cells and the root of the nail, which contributes to the establishment of all life processes.
- Acquiring shine … It is known that nails can absorb water. And water, in turn, is an integral part of the nail plate. It is necessarily present to a greater or lesser extent between the layers of keratin. Dry nails look lifeless, dull. Hydrated ones, on the other hand, exude a healthy glow.
- Thickening of nails … The thickness of the nails is genetically determined. But under certain conditions - external or internal, i.e. for health reasons, the plates may become thinner. If the reason for this is poor nutrition, lack of nutrients, dehydration due to improper care, exhaustion after building up or using another type of nail art, then baths are the very first and most effective way to return the former thickness of nails.
- Normalization of the structure of the nail plate … Delamination and brittleness are common problems. The best way to solve it is aqueous solutions with beneficial ingredients.
- Getting rid of the fungus … Some of the ingredients are active in the fight against fungal microorganisms, i.e. have the ability to slow down their development and spread. In the fight against this ailment, it is imperative to adhere to the systematic.
After completing the required course of taking baths, the nails become healthy, which means their beautiful appearance and the absence of fragility, delamination.
Contraindications to the use of nail baths
Not everything that is useful is equally safe for all people. This also applies to nail baths. The ingredients and rules used for aqueous mixtures justify a few contraindications to the use of this method of hand care.
So, the absolute prohibition is not the procedure itself, but the use of certain components that can cause allergic reactions. It should be understood that this depends on the individual characteristics of each organism. A lemon allergy, for example, is extremely rare, but a negative reaction to honey is more common.
When buying this or that cosmetic product, the allergic person carefully reads the composition, but, as already mentioned, there are a lot of excipients that can also lead to undesirable consequences. In this sense, home baths become even more valuable because each person is able to assess the need for a particular substance and the safety of its use for himself personally. This is how individual recipes are created.
It is not advisable to carry out the procedure in the presence of serious damage to the nails and skin. Any pathological conditions require consultation with a doctor and the appointment of adequate treatment.
Some of the ingredients in the baths can dry out the skin. But this fact cannot be considered a reason to refuse such a procedure. To restore the water balance, it is enough to use a moisturizer or oil.
Bath recipes for strengthening nails at home
Many natural products can improve the condition of nails, but the most effective are vegetable oils, salt, iodine, lemon, herbs. Almost every ingredient can be found in every kitchen. There are many recipes for making healthy solutions. Many of them are simple, i.e. consist of only two components, for example, water and salt or water and iodine. But an even larger set includes a combination of several components at once, which adds even more value to water procedures. Let's consider the most effective combinations for strengthening nails.
Baths for strengthening and growing nails with vegetable oils
Thin and weakened nails can be strengthened with vegetable oils. Olive oil is considered the most popular and valuable, but ordinary sunflower oil or more rare types - apricot, grape, peach or avocado oil - are used with similar success.
Do not forget about the beneficial effect of essential oils, which can enhance and expand the effect of the baths. For example, tea tree oil can help fight fungal infections of the nails.
Lavender, rosemary and ylang-ylang oils help fight the depletion and stratification of the nail plate. Lemon and bergamot oils will help to whiten yellowed or gray marigolds.
We present to your attention the most popular options for nail strengthening trays with vegetable oils:
- Oil and salt bath … For preparation, use 100-120 ml of warmed vegetable oil. Add 40 g of salt. After dissolving, take a bath for 20 minutes. After the procedure, there is no need to use a cream, it is enough to blot your fingers with a paper napkin and put on cotton gloves for a couple of hours. The effect of this recipe is smooth, beautiful nails.
- Oil-vinegar bath … Heat 100-120 ml of apple cider vinegar to about 40 degrees. Add the same amount of lukewarm oil (sunflower or olive). It is necessary to mix thoroughly to get a more or less homogeneous mixture. The exposure time is up to 10 minutes. After the procedure, it is enough to blot your hands with a dry paper towel.
- Oil bath with honey and eggs … Use 60 ml of olive oil, slightly warmed in a water bath, 40 ml of honey. After smoothing and cooling the mixture, add the beaten chicken egg. Stir again. The duration of the procedure is up to 15 minutes. After that, you just need to rinse your hands with warm water. Applying the cream is optional. The frequency of the procedures is every 3-4 days for 3 weeks.
It is advisable to heat the oil in a water bath.
Baths for strengthening nails with salt
Salt, whether sea or table salt, has more or less beneficial properties that are used to improve the condition of the skin and nails. In particular, this product is used to improve the growth of the nail plate and get rid of its delamination.
At the moment, the market offers a wide variety of salt options for both cooking and body care. The best salt for cosmetic procedures is sea salt, because it has a more varied composition. Ocean or sea salt contains iodine, fluorine, potassium, sodium and other trace elements. It perfectly nourishes the skin and nail root, which accelerates metabolic processes at the cellular level and leads to an accelerated growth rate. It also promotes wound healing, whitening and strengthening of the nail plate.
Here are some recipes for effective salt baths for nails:
- Simple salt bath … For cooking, use 250 ml of slightly warmed water and approximately 40 g of salt. You don't have to wait for the salt to completely dissolve and lower your palms into the bath, touching the grains of "white gold" with your fingers, thereby dissolving them. The exposure time is up to 15 minutes. If the skin is prone to dryness, then the duration should be reduced to 8-10 minutes. The frequency of application is up to 3 times a week. To restore water balance after the procedure, you must apply your favorite hand cream and wear cotton gloves.
- Salt bath with soap … Ingredients: warm water (250 ml), liquid soap (5 ml), salt (20 ml). For cooking, you need to combine all the components and achieve uniformity. The exposure time is from 15 to 20 minutes. This procedure perfectly restores nails.
Try to choose products without artificial additives, such as colors that improve the natural color of salt, or flavors that give a more pleasant aroma. Aromatic oils can be used to improve the smell.
Tray recipes for strengthening nails with gelatin
Gelatin is an excellent product for strengthening nails. It is such because of its composition. Gelatin includes vitamins, amino acids, trace elements. It is processed collagen, i.e. a protein that is so necessary for the whole body.
Gelatin is credited with a lot of useful properties, including strengthening nails, improving appearance, improving metabolic processes, improving growth, increasing elasticity, etc.
We suggest that you familiarize yourself with examples of nail baths, which include gelatin:
- Classic gelatin bath … For this option, you only need two ingredients: water (200-250 ml) and gelatin (1 tbsp. L.). To prepare the solution, you can use any convenient method, for example, pour the required amount of gelatin powder into warm water, stir and leave to swell, followed by complete dissolution. Some powders do not dissolve well in warm, gradually cooling water, so it is worth placing the ingredients in a water bath, at which the temperature will be maintained for a longer time, which will speed up the dissolution of the main ingredient. It is worth remembering that you cannot bring to a boil, because very high temperatures destroy the nutrients of the composition. A manicure should be done before the procedure. The exposure time is 20 minutes. After the bath, there is no need to wash your hands with soap, just wipe them with a napkin.
- Gelatin nail bath with honey and lemon … Honey (5 ml) and lemon juice (20-30 ml) are added to the previously prepared gelatin mixture (10-130 ml). The exposure time is 20-25 minutes. The effect is strengthening and whitening.
- Gelatin herbal bath … To get rid of delamination of nails, half a glass of gelatin solution is mixed with the same volume of chamomile water infusion. The exposure time is up to 20 minutes. After the procedure, the rest of the mixture is washed off with warm water.
- Gelatin and vitamin bath with oil … The gelatinous solution is mixed with rosemary oil, vitamin A, vitamin E, taken in the amount of 2 drops. The exposure time is 15-20 minutes. This procedure allows you to replenish the supply of nutrients and, in turn, soften the skin around the nails, stimulate their growth.
Baths for strengthening nails with iodine
Iodine for many is an indispensable tool for the health of nails. Probably every fifth-grader knows about its beneficial properties. The value of its use is justified by world statistics, which indicate that about 75% of the world's population suffers from iodine deficiency.
This chemical element has many useful properties. In addition to the fact that it has a beneficial effect on the state of the central nervous system, the heart and blood vessels, it is also credited with improving metabolism, establishing fat, protein, water-salt and carbohydrate metabolism in the body, which steadily affects the health of the nail plate.
Iodine is able to penetrate deeply into the nails and strengthen them. Most often, alcohol tincture is used for this purpose, which, when applied directly, can lead to skin burns and partial dehydration of the plate. That is why the most acceptable use case and a more gentle method is to mix the beneficial element with water to make baths.
We offer several recipes for home use:
- Salt iodine bath … Main ingredients: 20 g of table or sea salt, 250 ml of warm water, 3-4 drops of iodine solution. First you need to prepare a saline solution, and then add iodine to it. In such a mixture, you can place not only your fingertips, but also the entire palm. Due to the small amount of iodine, the solution does not have coloring properties, as happens with direct external treatment. The exposure time is from 15 to 20 minutes. Frequency - no more than every 3 days, i.e. up to 2 times a week.
- Orange iodine bath … This recipe combines two very important ingredients - iodine and vitamin C. Water and freshly squeezed juice are taken in equal proportions, about 100-120 ml. And only then the preparation of the solution ends with the addition of an iodine solution in the amount of 3-4 drops. The exposure time is up to 15 minutes. Frequency - up to 2 times a week.
- Iodine-oil bath … Only 3 drops of iodine and 5 drops of fresh lemon juice are added to vegetable oil heated in a water bath. The exposure time is selected at will and depending on the individual characteristics of the skin and nails - from 15 to 25 minutes.
As a result, if iodine deficiency is the cause of deteriorating nail health, a positive effect will be noticeable in a couple of weeks. The nails will become stronger, more elastic.
Effective Lemon Nail Strengthening Baths
Lemon is a very valuable product because it is a source of vitamins and therefore helps to strengthen, whiten, cleanse nails, makes the skin of the hands smooth, tender and beautiful. For this reason, it is also often used for nail care.
We offer two recipes for nail strengthening trays with lemon:
- Lemon salt bath … It is used to strengthen and whiten nails. The cooking method is simple. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and soda to 250 ml of water, then add up to 5 drops of iodine and 20-30 ml of fresh lemon juice to the solution. The duration of exposure is up to half an hour. Use a moisturizer after the procedure.
- Complex lemon bath … Ingredients: fresh lemon juice (10-15 ml), vegetable oil warmed up to 40 degrees (100-120 ml), iodine solution (3 drops), vitamin A solution (5 drops). The procedure takes 10 minutes. After that, you need to do not wash the solution off your hands for some time. it continues to be beneficial. In order not to get your hands dirty, you should wear cotton napkins on them.
Lemon slows down the growth of the cuticle slightly, so using it can increase the time from one manicure to the next.
Baths for strengthening nails with herbs
Herbal infusions are used by people not only for the treatment of many diseases, but also for maintaining the body, saturating it with nutrients. Herbal infusions are taken orally and used externally. Baths are effective for nourishing and restoring nails.
Several recipes for decoctions that are useful for nails:
- Herbal bath number 1 … The composition in the same amount (about 5 g) includes rosemary, chamomile, burdock root, St. John's wort. The herbal mixture is poured over 400-500 ml of boiling water. Allow to cool to a pleasant temperature for your hands and take a bath for 12-15 minutes. Such procedures can be done daily for two weeks or every second day, but for a month.
- Herbal bath number 2 … Ingredients: alder seedlings (3 g), nettle (3 g), black elderberry (7 g), creeping wheatgrass rhizomes (5 g), shepherd's purse (3 g), boiling water (250 ml). This solution is insisted for 6-8 hours. The exposure time is 20 minutes. After straining, this product can be taken orally to improve the condition of nails and general health.
- Herbal bath No. 3 … The composition in the same amount (20 g) includes burdock root, St. John's wort, plantain, chamomile flowers and 1 liter of boiling water. Time for infusion is 60 minutes. Then add castor oil (3-5 drops) to the solution. The exposure time is 30 minutes. The daily procedure significantly strengthens the nails, they become harder, less brittle and grow faster.
- Herbal bath No. 4 … Ingredients: calendula, chamomile, cornflowers, St. John's wort, lemongrass in equal amounts. All ingredients are poured with boiling water (250-300 ml). With daily use, such a solution helps to get rid of inflammation and strengthen the nail plates. The exposure time is up to 15 minutes.
How to make a bath for strengthening nails - watch the video:
It is worth remembering that the condition of the nails depends not only on external factors, but also on the general state of human health. Many diseases can cause deterioration in the structure and color of the nail plate, which is why it is important to monitor your health, take the necessary measures in time for a speedy recovery and in no case forget about replenishing nutrients through proper nutrition and giving up bad habits.
