OPTIMAL HEALTH REVEALED IN NAILS AND CUTICLES

Strong, healthy nails and cuticles have always been associated with peak health and privileged fortune. Beautiful hands and feet send a universally understood, unspoken message that communicates comprehensive well being and adept grooming. Today, more and more people are turning to what used to be the secret of only natural health practitioners and stylists who needed to keep clients camera ready ⏤ easy to use, vitamin-packed natural skin oil blends formulated to strengthen and condition nails and cuticles.

THE APPEARANCE OF STRONG, HEALTHY NAILS AND CUTICLES

Healthy cuticles are loose, pump and supple, and healthy nails are smooth, uniform in shape and color. But as nails grow from the area at the base of the nail under the cuticle, sometimes they develop harmless vertical ridges. Nails can also develop white lines or spots due to injury. These eventually grow out, but not all nail irregularities are normal. Nails that curl, or are dented, ridged, or unusually colored may be indications of underlying health concerns that require attention. Consult your doctor or dermatologist if you notice swelling, bleeding or pain around nails, separation between a nail and surrounding skin, changes in nail shape such as curling, or obvious changes in nail thickness or color. Serious illness cannot be masked in nails, but many less than desirable nail conditions can be avoided through proper care.

CONDITIONING NAILS AND CUTICLES

Eat a balanced, nutritional diet and practice good nail and cuticle hygiene by using high quality, well maintained scissors, clippers, and sanding files. Do not pull hang nails or cut cuticles. Trim nails straight across, then round the tips in a gentle curve. Finally, use unrefined 100% all natural, synthetic-free moisturizing oils that are naturally vegan to strengthen and condition nails and cuticles. The challenge of do-it-yourselfers is sourcing quality ingredients.

COMMERICAL V SMALL BATCH MANUFACTURERS

Many commercially available nail and cuticle oils are formulated with vegetable filler oils. Vegetable filler oils feel good and are better than synthetically-formulated cosmetic creams, but they lack the nutritional load of natural oil powerhouses. Without a specific oil's Certificate of Analysis (the document that follows a commodity through it's wholesale distribution journey), it's impossible to identify an oil's origin or chemical composition. The C & A documents country of origin, distillation process, and resulting chemical breakdown. An oil's chemical composition changes with plant type and hybrid, soil and weather, even the altitude at which the plant grows. Choose the highest quality oils available. Volume distributors rely on low cost natural oils, synthetics, preservatives, natural by-products, oils with longest shelf lives, and fragrance.

Fragrance is proprietary so manufacturers are not required to disclose the individual ingredients behind that catchall word. As more and more informed consumers rely on Chemicals of Concern watch lists, fragrance categories grow. Some say "fragrance" has become the dumping ground for everything manufacturers don't want consumers to see.

In the upside-down world of cosmetic marketing, high quality products are not always more expensive at retail. Small batch artisan formulators continue using the high quality ingredients preferred by informed consumers. Aromatherapists and 100% all natural formulators do not use fragrance. The expensive costs associated with cosmetic brand marketing, distribution, and storage are restricted to big industry players. Small batch production budgets focus less on marketing and the more on desirable, high caliber ingredients that enhance formula efficacy. The general rule is: shop "small" and find superior products at lower costs.

REFINED V UNREFINED OILS

An oil's natural vitamins and minerals will be stripped along with color and scent if an oil is refined. Buy virgin, organic, and unrefined from trusted sources to insure an oil's therapeutic integrity.

AVOID SYNTHETIC INGREDIENTS

Skin is permeable. Why would you put anything of your skin that you wouldn't put in your mouth? Avoid oils and creams that include synthetic ingredients. Cosmetic moisturizers are often formulated with alcohol that's designed to lift, or evaporate, causing a soothing, cooling sensation that feels good now but dries nails and cuticles over time. Other synthetics, like petroleum-based ingredients, lubricate but provide none of the vitamins or minerals found in naturally vegan, therapeutic-grade pure plant oils. Organic, unrefined plant oils are filled with the building blocks of life. Humans have evolved on Earth with plants, and the human body secretes enzymes that break down plant chemicals to use and nourish. Plants are both medicine and building block to the human body.

PACKAGING AND APPLICATION MATTERS

Conscientious formulators use glass or metal packaging for products applied directly to skin. Unintended leaching from plastic jars or bottles is common, and these bleeds are easily avoided by packaging in glass or metal. This is especially true in formulas containing highly concentrated essential oils, or liquids and creams meant to be consumed over a period of weeks or months instead of days. Cap brush applicators are convenient and helpful for nail and cuticle products. Oil can be applied directly to the base of the nail at the cuticle without touching finger pads. In a practical sense, oil can be applied throughout the day and not interfere with a hand's busy work schedule.

SUMMARY

• Condition nails and cuticles as part of your normal health routine, like teeth brushing
• Do not use synthetic creams or oils on skin or nails
• Look for nail and skin superstar oils
• Insist on therapeutic grade oils that are organic, unrefined, and cleanly processed
• The task of curating therapeutic oils based on the truest expression of their health attributes is an arduous task ⏤ rely on trusted sources
• Shop "small" for highest quality products at lowest cost 
• Cap brushes are convenient and encourage frequent oil application

FIVE NAIL AND CUTICLE SUPERSTAR OILS FOR HEALTHY NAILS AND CUTICLES

The following five oils are nail and cuticle superstars ⏤ they each provide attributes key to overall nail and cuticle conditioning, and skin and nail health.

BLACK CUMIN OIL UNREFINED ORGANIC

• Black Cumin is known as "love in a mist" and the "blessed seed." It's an herb with healing characteristics that have been well known in the Middle East for more than three thousand years. The personal doctors of Egypt's pharaohs used cumin extensively, and a blend containing cumin was found in pharaoh Tutankhamen's tome. The Christian Prophet Mohammad wrote that black cumin oil cures every illness except death. In the Middle Ages, black cumin oil was used to treat Black Plague. But buyer beware, not all black cumin oils are the same. It's a complicated oil. Only the best is grown for, and is distilled to keep, its amazing healing components. Shop for only organic Egyptian black cumin seed oil that's been harvested properly then cold-processed for the preservation of its active ingredients, notably Nigellone. The benefits of black cumin oil are too numerous to mention. It is an immune system-boosting superstar. Black cumin oil benefits fungal infections, healthy veins, insect bites, joint pains, scabies, psoriasis, wounds, eczema, even Neurodermatitis, the severe and chronic form of eczema. Black cumin oil benefits nail and cuticle strength, smoothness, health and appearance.

VIRGIN CHIA OIL UNREFINED ORGANIC

• Virgin Chia Seed Oil is the richest botanical source of 18:3 n-3 fatty acid currently known. That's great news for nails and cuticles because omega-3s are known to be powerfully anti-inflammatory when applied topically, and integral to maintaining healthy skin and nails. Chia's skin-plumping, ultra-hydrating properties make it an ideal cuticle moisturizer. Studies show that topically applied chia seed oil can even help prevent the itchy, dry skin associated with underlying medical problems like kidney disease.

ALMOND SWEET OIL UNREFINED ORGANIC

• Even in ancient times, sweet almond oil was considered a gift of nature, valued as a non-irritable, soothing unscented skin oil. Almond is one of the most versatile, multipurpose skin care oils available. It's an excellent skin lubricant, nourishing, softening and moisturizing. Almond oil is commonly used to benefit skin that's turning over dead skin cells, or that's dry, sensitive, irritated or inflamed. That's why almond oil is the favorite of massage therapists. Almond will not block pores. It's composed of olein, linoleic acid, glucosides, proteins, minerals, and vitamins A, B, and E, which are all great for nail and cuticle health. Organic sweet almond oil improves troubled nails and skin, enhances healthy nails, and plumps cuticles that are already in great shape.

JOJOBA OIL UNREFINED ORGANIC

• Jojoba oil is known as "Queen of the Desert" for its well established and comprehensive skin healing powers. The oil is actually a liquid wax with absorption properties very similar to skin's sebum. Its fatty acid profile is almost identical to ours. Jojoba penetrates the skin deeply and quickly, and is naturally rich in Vitamin E which gives it excellent storage abilities. Vitamin E translates into well lubricated, supple skin. It creates a barrier that defends skin from the elements, making it an oil with protectional attributes that benefit overexposed, at-risk areas like cuticles.

EVENING PRIMROSE OIL UNREFINED ORGANIC

• Evening primrose oil has been called the most sensational preventative discovery since Vitamin C. It contains the pain relieving compound phenylalanine and is increasingly being used to treat everything from chronic headaches to aging, acne, obesity, alcoholism, heart disease, hyperactivity in children, symptoms of menopause, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia. Wow! The oil has a high concentration of a fatty acid called GLA which is responsible for its exceptional healing and pain relieving qualities. Few other plants contain this substance at all. It's superior anti-inflammatory qualities benefit psoriasis, rosacea, itching, nerve damage, diabetes-associated nerve damage, arthritis, and joint pain and swelling. Properties in evening primrose oil are essential for healthy cell structure. We love it in our Nail Cuticle Conditioner because Evening Primrose improves nerve function and the elasticity of cuticle, plus it regulates hormones that benefit nail strength and health. Its abundance of preventive and therapeutic qualities make organic unrefined evening primrose oil an essential component in a Nail Cuticle Conditioner. 

 SHOP NOW ⎪ sammysoap Nail Cuticle Conditioner

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All information contained within this site is for reference purposes only and not intended to substitute for the advice given by a pharmacist, physician, or other licensed health-care professional. sammysoap products are for external use only, and as such, effects of ingredients vary. sammysoap products have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health condition or disease. Before using any essential oil product, read our page Essential Oil Safety located in the footer section of the homepage. Contraindications are also listed in Essential Oil Safety. Even pure, natural ingredients cause some individuals to develop an allergic reaction. As with any product, discontinue use if you experience discomfort or other indications that the product may not be appropriate for your individual body chemistry.