A good nail care routine is a small habit done daily, not a monthly fix. In the morning, one click of oil across your cuticles and nails and a short massage takes about 20 seconds. At night, use a glass file only if an edge has caught. Once a week, shape, push back softened cuticles and check for splits. With filing, it takes about two minutes.
- Morning: one click of oil across the cuticles and nails, then a short massage. It takes about 20 seconds.
- Night: a pass with a glass file, but only if an edge has caught.
- Once a week: shape, push back softened cuticles and check each nail for splits.
- Gloves for wet jobs protect the routine more than any product can.
What is a good morning nail routine?
A good morning routine is one click of oil across your cuticles and nails, then a short massage to work it in, and it takes about 20 seconds.
It goes on before the day's water and keyboards get to your hands, so the nail starts the day hydrated. If you only keep one step of this routine, keep this one.
- Click the pen once. One click is enough for all ten nails.
- Brush it across the cuticles and over each nail. Include the free edge, where splitting starts.
- Massage it in. Press small circles around each cuticle until the oil has gone in.
If a new pen is slow to start, how to use a cuticle oil pen, and what to do when it will not start has the fix.
What should you do for your nails at night?
At night, give your nails a pass with a glass file only if an edge has caught, and leave the rest.
The file is for catches, not for routine. A caught edge snags on sheets and knitwear, and a snag turns into a split. Smooth it with a glass file in one direction, from the outer edge towards the middle, on dry nails, and move on. While your nails are recovering from damage, I'd oil twice a day, morning and night, so the second oil goes on now, with the longest quiet stretch of your day ahead of it.
What should you do once a week?
Once a week, give your nails a few extra minutes to shape, push back and check, and the rest of the week stays quick.
- Shape. Use a glass file in one direction and keep the length even.
- Push back. Do it when your cuticles are soft, after a shower or after oiling, and never cut them.
- Check. Look at each nail for splits, thin patches and anything that looks different from last week. Catching a split early is easier than growing out a deep one.
If it came on suddenly, hurts, is discoloured, thickened or lifting, see a GP, dermatologist or podiatrist.
What undoes a nail care routine?
Water, detergent and picking undo the routine faster than oil can put it back, and gloves take care of the first two.
A nail swells when it is wet and shrinks as it dries, and doing that again and again is what splits and peels it. Gloves are the least glamorous part of this routine and the part that protects most.
Do
- Wear gloves for dishes and cleaning.
- Dry your hands properly, then oil.
- Use a glass file, in one direction.
Don't
- Use your nails as tools to open tins and lift lids.
- Pick at polish or peel off gel.
- Cut your cuticles.
If length is your goal, how to grow long natural nails has the full plan.
Where should you keep your pens?
Keep a pen wherever your hands are, because the routine only works if the pen is within reach when you need it.
One in the handbag, one on the bedside table, one by the kitchen sink, one on your desk, one in the gym bag, one by the bathroom basin, one by the sofa and one spare for a friend. That is the 8 Pen Pack logic: eight pens, eight places.
The 8 Pen Pack is eight Nail Growth and Strength Serum pens, and postage is free over A$50. I used the serum on my own clients for years before I offered it to anyone else.
What is the healthiest thing for your nails?
The healthiest thing to put on your nails is a good oil, and the healthiest thing to put on your hands is gloves when they are wet.
Oil hydrates the nail and keeps the cuticle soft, and gloves stop water and detergent undoing the work. Everything else is optional.
Myth: Healthy nails need a long, complicated routine.
Fact: About two minutes a day with one oil and a pair of gloves does most of the work.
- Within days
- Most people notice softer cuticles.
- One to two weeks
- Most people notice visible growth. A fingernail grows about 3 mm a month, and results vary.
- Two to three months
- The nail you can see was made two to three months ago, so give the routine this long before you judge it.
- Four to six months
- A full new fingernail has grown through.
Nail Serum Pen Pack | 8 Twist Pen Bundle
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Eight pens for eight places, so the two minute routine is always within reach.
Add to cartSweet almond oil is a nut derived oil; people with nut allergies should talk to their doctor first.
Questions people ask
What is a good daily nail care routine?
A good daily nail care routine is one click of oil across the cuticles and nails each morning, then a short massage, which takes about 20 seconds. At night, a pass with a glass file only if an edge has caught. Once a week, shape, push back softened cuticles and check for splits. Wear gloves for wet jobs. With filing, it takes about two minutes.
What is the healthiest thing to put on your nails?
A good oil on clean, dry nails and cuticles every day is the healthiest habit I know. It hydrates the nail and keeps the cuticle soft. Add gloves for wet jobs, which protect more than any product can. Most people notice softer cuticles within days, and twice a day is fine while your nails are recovering. Results vary.
How often should I file my nails?
File once a week to shape, plus a quick pass at night only if an edge has caught. Use a glass or fine grit file, in one direction, from the outer edge towards the middle, on dry nails. Sawing back and forth rips the layers of the nail open instead of smoothing them.
