Manicure & Pedicure at Home

1. Shape the nails in oval or square
2. Soak hands & feet in soapy water for 10min. Rinse off then
3. Gently dry hands & feet with a clean towel. Rub the cuticle area of each finger with the edge of the towel.
4. Gently push back the cuticle of each nail with a cuticle pusher or orangewood stick
5. Apply a good amount of hand lotion to each hand & foot and massage it into your skin one by one.
6. Wipe any extra lotion off of the hands & feet with a clean, dry towel
7. Apply polish or clear coat. Let the polish dry, then apply the second coat.

How To Have Great Skin

Skin & Hair
Great health is first noticed on the outside of your body with your skin and hair. Learn how to look after your outer nutrition for a healthy glow no matter your age.

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How To Have Great Skin
Great skin is something that nearly everyone can cultivate. Our skin is affected by our:

• Genes
• Inner nutrition - what we eat and drink
• Exercise
• General health and well-being
• Emotional health, and
• Outer nutrition - how we take care of our skin

While we can't alter our genes, we can improve our skin by making the necessary adjustments in the areas we can influence. Read on to discover the basic components of a healthy outer nutritional plan for your skin. If you seriously want great skin the very first thing to do and wear a hat and good quality sunscreen when out in the sunshine. Having said that, let's move on to understand the next three basic foundations to great skin.

If you want your skin to look and feel great, careful cleansing is very important. This should be done first thing in the morning and last thing at night to remove pore-clogging dirt. Don't cleanse enough and you could find yourself prone to spots. Cleanse to often and you could be stripping away essential oils and be susceptible to dry skin or even eczema. Understanding your skin type (normal, dry or oily) and using a cleanser to match is the best foundation for great looking skin. Remember to rinse your face with warm water after using a cleanser, as any residue will continue to work on the skin if not completely removed.

Our grandmothers used soap and water…isn't that good enough? Soap is not very good at removing makeup because it does not contain enough oils to dissolve the staying power that most cosmetics have today. Remember the 'tight' feeling after your have washed your fact with soap? Soap can be very drying on your skin and may wash away essential oils. Another reason not to use soap is that it is not matched to the natural balance of our skin. Soap is generally alkaline, whilst skin is naturally acidic.

The second step to great outer nutrition for your skin is to tone. Toners are designed to remove any last traces of cleanser, while also helping to tighten and refine pores and prevent the build-up of dead skin cells. After toning your skin should fee and look revitalised and refreshed, and ready to be moisturised. Again you will need to apply a toner that matches your skin type.

The third foundation step is to apply moisturiser to help restore the moisture loss caused by the drying effects of sunlight, central heating, wind, cold and pollution. A good daytime moisturiser would contain a sunscreen and will be easily absorbed into the skin. At night you should use a richer, more nourishing cream, as this is when your skin more readily absorbs moisture.

Despite the plethora of products on the market and the myriad of additives…. the most important ingredient of any moisturiser is water! If water is just splashed on the skin it will not say there. Moisturisers are basically oil and water emulsions which contain a humectant (a substance added to another to make it moist), which attracts water and helps 'fix' it in the upper layers of the skin.

Moisture that is lost firm the skin needs to be replaced quickly so that the surface of the skin is kept both soft and smooth. The living cells in the layers need water so that they will not shrivel up and die. A moisturiser can protect the skin by providing a barrier between the skin and the external environment. It also prevents the loss of moisture from the deeper layers of the skin.

Should people who have oily skin use a moisturiser? Moisturisers are particularly recommended for people with dry skin but everyone can benefit from using a moisturiser. You simply need to ensure that you choose the correct moisturiser for your skin type. People with oily skin should choose a moisturiser that hydrates their skin whilst helping absorb any excess oil.

Avoiding allergens

There are plenty of steps you can take to cut down on allergens in your home. Time to open the windows and get cleaning...

Some basic rules
Take the following immediate actions to cut down on allergens in your home:

• Keep your home dry and well ventilated.
• Open windows regularly and keep vents open, particularly in kitchens and bathrooms. A useful guide is to open windows for at least one hour, twice a day.
• However, if you suffer from hay fever, you should keep the windows closed as much as possible during the peak of the pollen season.
• Don't dry clothes indoors, especially in your bedroom or living room.
• If you have central heating, turn it down by a few degrees.
• Increase the ventilation if your home is very humid - a dehumidifier might help.

House dust mites
Household dust is a great breeding ground for house dust mites and may also contain animal dander and mould or mildew spores. There are various ways to keep a lid on house dust mites:

Choose wooden or other hard vinyl floorings instead of carpets, and fit roller blinds, which can be wiped clean, rather than curtains.
Remove cushions, soft toys and other fabric accessories.
Avoid indoor houseplants, as they are also dust traps.
Don't use woollen blankets or feather bedding in your home. Try synthetic pillows and acrylic duvets instead.
If you can, buy a high-filtration vacuum cleaner. Most standard cleaners stir up dust as you clean and release most of the dust back into the air in your home.
Always wipe surfaces with a clean, damp cloth, as dusting will just spread the allergens further.
The most beneficial action you can take is to buy barrier covers for your bedding

The most beneficial action you can take is to buy barrier covers for your bedding. These are designed to prevent house dust mites and their tiny droppings escaping from your pillows, mattresses and duvets. They are made from a soft micro-porous material, which is comfortable to sleep on. And wash your sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases once a week in a hot wash (60°C), then iron your sheets and bedclothes with a hot iron, which will help to kill mites.

If your child is unhappy about giving up soft toys, machine wash them instead in a hot wash once a fortnight. Then place the toys in the freezer for 24 hours after which they should be thoroughly dried.

On a final note, acarosides are chemicals that kill house dust mites. They are expensive and only offer temporary benefit, and the dead mites still have to be removed from carpets and furnishings by intensive vacuuming.

Pets in the home
Another priority is to remove pets from the home. If this is too traumatic, then try the following:

Keep pets outside as much as possible or limit them to one room only, preferably one without carpeting.
Don't allow pets into bedrooms, as dander can remain airborne for long periods. The cat dander allergen can also be carried on clothing to school or work.
Wash your pets regularly - fortnightly if possible.

Female animals produce less allergen and castration will reduce the production of allergen by male cats and dogs.

If you are allergic to cats and are visiting the home of a cat owner, ask them not to dust, sweep or vacuum on the day you arrive. Disturbing the dust could make your allergy worse as stirred-up cat allergen can remain in the air for over 24 hours. You might want to take anti-histamine medication if entering a cat-inhabited home.

Your Nail Problems Solved

We all know that beautiful, strong, well-groomed nails are the finishing touch for a chic look. And they're no problem if you were born with perfect tips.

But for most of us, pesky nail problems make the perfect manicure just out of reach. To help you fix your biggest nail woes and be on your way to gorgeous hands, check out our solutions.

The problem: Your nails break, peel, or just won't grow. The culprit: While the length to which your nails will grow is largely genetic, skipping growth-enhancing nail products can make the problem worse.

The solution: According to Skyy Hadley, manicurist and owner of As U Wish Nail Spa in Hoboken, New Jersey, nails need combination treatment to grow their longest and strongest.

"Use a nail protein for one week, then a nail strengthener the next. Alternating the two will build nail strength," she explains. And, of course, be gentle with your tips: Avoid using them as tools or soaking them in water for too long.

The problem: You have white spots dotting several nails. The culprit: Some attribute these common white spots to calcium deposits or vitamin deficiencies.

But they're more likely caused by "stress, trauma to the nail, too-strong polish, or pregnancy," says Hadley. The solution: The only way to treat the spots: Allow them to grow out. In the meantime, keeping your nails polished will help camouflage the spots.

The problem: Your polish chips as soon as you apply it. The culprit: Oil or other debris left on the nail plate before applying polish. Even the tiniest swipe of moisturizer can cause nail polish to chip and peel.

The solution: Clean the nail plate before applying polish. "Use pure alcohol," suggests Hadley. Or try a nail cleaning product like Seche Prep ($5 for one ounce); both methods cleanse and dehydrate the nail, making polish stick better.

The problem: Your cuticles split and hurt. The culprit: Cutting them! "When you cut your cuticles, you expose them to bacteria and make them likely to split," says Hadley.

What's more, bacteria can cause painful infection. The solution: Lay off the cuticle nippers. To help nurse cut or split cuticles back to health, Hadley suggests applying a conditioning cuticle oil that contains Vitamin E and tea tree oil to soften and heal. Use the oil once or twice a day until cuticles are soft and healthy again.