Shecky’s

A season of cold weather has wrecked havoc on your nails, causing split skin, hangnails and uneven tips. Totally gross, but all is not lost. With a little bit of care and love, your nails will be ready to embrace the cool colors of the upcoming season. Follow these five steps for flawless fingers!

Give your hands and nails a good, gentle scrub. This will help get rid of dead, hardened skin, plus it feels fantastic! In a circular motion, start with the back of your hands and slowly make your way down to the nail beds. With your thumb, massage the nails and cuticles of each finger. Try a vitamin-infused scrub, such as Yes to Carrots Feel the C Pampering Spa Manicure ($16.99). The carrot seed oil, fresh carrots, pumpkin and dead sea salts remove dead skin and leave your hands silky and nourished.

Give your hands some much-needed moisture. Choose a cream—not a lotion—specially formulated for your mitts. Creams are usually jam-packed with hydrating agents and are quickly absorbed by the skin. We adore Aveda’s Hand Relief ($19). Squeeze a small amount onto fingertips and rub hands together until the cream is a bit warm this will give the moisturizing ingredients a boost. Then, pat the back of your hands and fingers until absorbed. By patting, (not rubbing) you’ll keep your skin from being pulled in opposite directions and losing its desired tautness.

Now, how about those cuticles? They work full-time to keep foreign agents from penetrating your body, so you know they deserve it. Never cut them, as this is an open invitation to microbes and infection. Instead, push them back gently with an orange stick. Then, offer up a daily dose of moisture with a cuticle cream or oil. Once applied, let it sit for a full minute before massaging into the cuticles. Try Hand Perfection’s Nail & Cuticle Treatment ($22). With tons of fortifying omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A and E, this oil will restore moisture to your cuticles with just a few swipes.

Go au naturel for a week or so. We’re not talking the full Monty here, but give your nails a break from polishes and darker winter colors, which can stain your nails. Meanwhile, restore some of your natural brightness by soaking bi-weekly in a safe (read: non-brightening) agent. Try Talika’s Instant Manicure Instant Whitening And Coating Oxygen Treatment ($33). Like an Alka-Seltzer for your nails, this product is purifying, cleansing and effervescing.

Give your nail room to breathe…and some reinforcement at the same time. Drop your ordinary base coat and substitute it for one with strengthening properties, such as Duri’s Rejuvacote ($14). This formula contains soy and wheat protein as well as keratin to help your nails grow stronger and healthier.  Apply a coat on clean dry nails and repeat once a week.

-Evie Maciel