Tired of spending your summer nights touching up your smudged manis and pedis? Get to the root of how the summer season affects your nails and the daily measures you can take to lock your looks in.
Nail-Biting Reasons for the Summer Scaries
We love summer, but our nails don’t. From the harsh impacts of pool chlorine to the way sunscreen interacts with nail lacquer, these are four of the major things that can induce the summer scaries in your favorite nail techs.
Sunscreen & Nail Art Don’t Always Mix
The last thing you want after paying extra for a sizzling nail look is to watch it melt away a few hours later. Unfortunately, making sure your skin is UV-safe can come at the cost of keeping your nails lacquered up.
Several of the same ingredients in nail polish remover are also used in many sunscreens, meaning they can soften your polish and even lift your artificial nails from the nail plate. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to ensure your July manicure lasts.
If you’re applying acrylics or regular nail polish at home, you can adhere them to a stable surface and spray or apply the suntan lotion to see if there’s a reaction. Similarly, you can use liquid sunscreen to try and avoid contact with your nail art.
Make summer magic with a photochromic nail polish that changes color in the sun.
Pools Sap Your Nails of Much-Needed Moisture
Chlorine is just as bad for your nails as it is for your hair. The drying chemical can leach into your nails, leaving them brittle and prone to cracking.
Now, maintaining your mermaid-ready manicure just means applying a nail oil like and a moisturizing lotion like Burt’s Bees after every swim.
Adding a top coat barrier before hopping in the pool is another way to protect your nails from chlorine.
Spray Tans Might Stain Your Nails
You’re not the first person to forgo tanning under harmful UV rays. But everything comes with a cost, and the dihydroxyacetone in spray tans can leech into your nail’s keratin, leaving stains behind.
Much like with chlorine, adding a top coat like essie’s before your appointment is a good way to start. However, it’s not always enough. You may want to add a thicker protectant, like petroleum jelly, to really ward off any seepage.
Wipe off your nails immediately after your session to limit their exposure to the tanning solution.
Gardening Can Leave Your Nails Dry & Brittle
The summer might be filled with soul-nourishing outdoor activities, but what’s good for the soul isn’t always good for the nails. Gardening can do a whammy on your pink summer manicure, with soil and weeds easily chipping away at your pretty polish.
Additionally, working with your hands exposed to the elements can be very drying all around. Those acrylic nails won’t stand a chance against an unsuspecting rock in the soil, either.
The solution to Mother Nature’s pesky problems? A short, bright manicure equipped with top coat and slathered in oil and moisturizer after calling it quits for the day.
Healthy Hands Make for Marvelous Manicures
Protecting your summer fingernail and toenail designs starts with healthy hands and feet. As long as you keep your nails oiled up, your hands and feet moisturized, and your mani-pedis given the full base coat and top coat shebang, your nails will last all summer long.
