Not every girl can boast of strong he althy nails. But the situation is easy to fix even at home. A lemon will help. For nails, this is a real find that will help solve many problems.
Benefit
The chemical composition of lemon is rich in vitamins and trace elements. Also there are phytoncides, pectin compounds, acids and other substances that are very useful. Due to this, it has an antiseptic, bactericidal and detoxifying effect. Benefits of lemon for nails:
- strengthens, eliminating delamination and brittleness, makes the nail plate more elastic;
- restores natural color, eliminates yellowness and restores he althy shine;
- cares not only for nails, but also for the skin around them;
- moisturizes and softens the cuticle, preventing its excessive growth;
- accelerates nail growth;
- promotes faster recovery of the nail plate after building up or applying gel polish;
- treats fungal infections earlystages.
Indications
Of course, applying lemon to nails is always good, but when is it especially needed:
- delamination;
- slow growth;
- brittleness;
- manifestations of a fungal infection;
- yellowing of the nail plate;
- nail condition after manicure with gel polish or extensions.
Baths
This is the most popular nail treatment for both hands and feet.
- Strengthening nail bath with lemon. Pour warm water into a small container and add the freshly squeezed juice of one lemon. Running time: 20 minutes. After that, wipe your hands dry with a towel and grease with a nourishing cream.
- From delamination. For half a liter of water, take fresh juice of 1/2 lemon and a handful of s alt, preferably sea s alt. Mix everything until the crystals are completely dissolved and immerse your hands in the solution for 15-20 minutes.
- Whitening. You will need natural apple cider vinegar and lemon juice, 30 ml each, which must be diluted in 1/2 liter of warm water. Keep your hands in such a bath for 10-15 minutes.
- For growth. Pour water at a comfortable temperature (0.5 l) into the container. Add: juice of half a lemon, 100 ml of milk, 20 g of honey and a tablespoon of sea s alt and apple juice. Apply 2 times a week for 20 minutes.
- From brittleness. Heat half a glass of olive oil and add a tablespoon of lemon juice and 5 drops of rosemary essential oil to it. Dip your fingers in the composition for 15 minutes. After the handget wet with a napkin, no need to wash.
- To restore. Take glycerin (100 g), mix with honey (1 tablespoon) and lemon juice (2 tablespoons), add 3 drops of iodine. The resulting mixture needs to be slightly warmed up. Best in a water bath. Dip your fingers in it for a quarter of an hour.
Masks
With the help of masks, you can take care not only of the face or hair. Nails also need care and attention.
- You can strengthen and give a he althy glow with a simple procedure. To do this, take a lemon and cut it in half. Dip your fingertips into the fruit pulp so that your nails are completely hidden. Hold for 10-15 minutes. Then rinse your hands with water and apply a nourishing cream. You can make such a mask to strengthen nails with lemon no more than 1-2 times a week.
- A mixture of lemon juice and honey, taken in equal amounts (about 1 teaspoon each), will help nourish dull nails. Apply the mask generously on the nails and the area around. Leave on for 15-20 minutes and then wash off.
- Damaged nail plates will help restore the following composition: lemon, cucumber and aloe. Squeeze out the juice from these products and mix together 1 teaspoon each. Apply the mixture with a brush, wait until it is absorbed and dry and repeat. Do this several times. After 20-30 minutes, wash off the lemon nail mask and apply a moisturizer.
Whitening and firming
If there is no time and desire to dobaths and masks, you can use the easiest way to use lemon for nails. Every day, the nails and the area adjacent to them must be lubricated with lemon pulp and rub the juice into the nails. It is enough to do the procedure once a day. After 2 weeks, take a short break for 7-10 days and you can repeat the course again.
Lemon against fungus
Lemon effectively fights fungal nail infections in the initial stages. Citric acid, having antifungal and antiseptic properties, is able to destroy the colony of the fungus, gradually reducing it.
There are several ways to treat nail fungus with lemon. But, in any case, you first need to prepare the nails, for a more effective effect.
To do this, it is recommended to make a hot bath for 10-15 minutes with the addition of laundry soap and soda (1 tablespoon per 2 liters of water). This solution well softens the upper coarsened layer of the skin of the feet, which is then easily removed with a pumice stone. When the legs are ready, you can start the procedures:
- Compress. Apply small pieces of lemon to the affected areas and fix them with a band-aid. You can use socks with fingers for convenience. Keep the compress all night. By morning, the nail and the tissues adjacent to it soften and become pliable. And it will be possible to eliminate the lesions additionally. Recommended course: 8-10 treatments.
- Juice treatment. For two weeks, rub lemon juice into infected nails until completelyabsorbency.
- Mask with turmeric. Mix a teaspoon of turmeric and lemon juice into a thick paste. Apply the resulting substance to the diseased nail and cover with a bandage on top. Keep 15 minutes. Gradually, the exposure time is increased to half an hour. Course 14 days.
- Vinegar bath. For a liter of water at a temperature of 40 °, take the juice of 1/2 lemon and a tablespoon of 9% vinegar. Keep your feet in the resulting solution for at least 10 minutes. Repeat the procedure until he althy nails grow completely.
- Means with iodine. Mix 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil and 2 tbsp. l. lemon juice. Add 3 drops of iodine. With the resulting composition, generously lubricate the nails and the skin around them daily for 2 weeks. Remove residues that do not absorb with a tissue after 20 minutes.
- With tea tree oil. It can be taken instead of iodine in the above recipe. Proceed in the same way.
Massage
Lemon peel can also be used for nail care. After all, it contains a large amount of essential oils. Massage the nails with a lemon skin for 1-2 minutes with the outer side, squeezing the juice out of it. You can do this procedure daily. It enhances blood flow, which ensures the healing of the nail plate and its rapid growth.
Cream Enrichment
It is very convenient and useful to add lemon juice to hand cream. Take a single portion of the product and drop 2-3 drops of juice into it. Apply to the skin of the hands in an even layer, paying particular attention to the nails.
How to use lemon essential oil
Lemon ether cannot be used in its pure form, you can get burned or irritated. It is added to any base oil and rubbed into the nail plate. To prepare the mixture, take 10 ml of almond, peach or grape seed oil and add 3-5 drops of lemon ether. Apply 1 drop to each nail and rub until completely absorbed. You can do this daily.
Contraindications
There are quite a few reasons why the use of lemon is impossible, but you should not ignore them:
- Allergy. Unfortunately, a negative reaction of the body to citrus fruits is not so rare. And even its external use will bring a lot of unpleasant moments. This is the case when the use of lemon is contraindicated.
- Wounds and injuries on the skin. With its regenerative ability, lemon helps wounds heal faster. But the acid in the composition will make its use a real torment. Therefore, it is first worth assessing the degree of damage and the desire to endure inconvenience. If the wound is large, then it is better to postpone the use of lemon until complete healing. Small cracks and wounds are not an absolute contraindication, but it will pinch.
Use Tips
A few simple rules, following which will help you achieve the desired result faster:
- Before proceeding with the procedures, it is necessary to wipe off the nail polish, otherwise the beneficial substances will not be able to penetrate the nail plate.
- All manipulations should be fun. If adiscomfort, burning sensation is felt, it is better to stop the procedure and wash your hands.
- Use lemon for nails regularly, at least once a week.
- Be sure to use hand cream at the end.
- Lemon can be replaced with essential oil, which has the same qualities and properties as the fruit.
- Do not abuse lemon treatments, as acid can destroy nails with frequent use.
Judging by the reviews, lemon for nails is a very effective tool that helps maintain the beauty and he alth of nails.