You probably don’t know this yet about me, but I am a huge stickler for sanitation, made even more paranoid about it because of my husband’s near fatal battle with MRSA last year. One of the truly great reasons for doing your own nails is the avoidance of bacteria that will thrive in a salon unless very stringent precautions are in place and followed. Did you know that the procedure for sanitizing a pedicure bath is very intensive and time consuming, and that many salons out there are not doing it properly? The jacuzzi type footbaths are nearly impossible to keep disinfected because of their plumbing. Anyhow, about disinfectants:
You can purchase your disinfectant at the beauty supply (the one you will find most readily is called Barbacide), or you can use rubbing alcohol. The advantage of the beauty supply disinfectant is that it will not cause your tools to rust, where alcohol can. Be sure and follow the directions that come with your particular disinfectant, and if you use alcohol, soak your tooks in it for 10 mnutes, and then rinse them off with water and be darned sure you dry them off completely. Then, store them in your tupperware container. Also be sure to spray your surfaces (pedicure tubs) after using them as well–let the disinfectant/alcohol sit for 10 minutes (or according to package directions) then wipe down with a clean paper towel and store. You don’t have to worry as much about your own bacteria, your body is used to dealing with it, but a good disinfecting routine will never hurt you, and might just protect you if you were to cut yourself at some point. Be absolutely sure to disinfect if you are sharing your tools with anyone, even a family member. You want to do it to protect them as much as yourself.
Artificial Nails,
Cautions,
Manicures,
pedicures,
Sanitation,
Supplies
For the paraffin treatment, purchase a block of paraffin at the grocery store for next to nothing. If you have never seen it, go to the section with the canning supplies. I will tell you how to put this all together a bit later, but use the oil from your basic spa manicure, and if you wish, go to the health food store and purchase a tiny bottle of essential oil to add to your paraffin bath to scent it. Peach and lavender are used in the salon most frequently and are the safest. If you venture out beyond these oils, make sure that the oils you choose will not be irritating to the skin. Hopefully the salesperson at the health food store will be knowledgeable enough to help you here, if not, find another store or do your own research.
The new Press N Seal wrap is GREAT for this, and a whole lot less messy to work with by yourself, but any will do. You can also use gallon size plastic food storage bags. These will be used to protect your heated mitts and towels from paraffin and lotions and oils, and to keep the good stuff going into your hands and feet rather than anywhere else!
The facial supplies are almost identical to the treatments you will receive at the spa. Use what you have lying around in your “unused beauty drawer (make sure it hasn’t gone rancid though!)”, or make this a good excuse to try something more luxurious than what you have been using. Your skin will thank you! Be sure that if you use products for acne, that you try something else for your hands, as these are medicated and not intended for the luxury moisturizing that your hands need.
The salt and oil are used for a scrub similar to what you receive with a spa manicure at WAY less than you pay for at the spa. More about this when we get into the spa treatments!
Brand and color are your preference. I have found that if you use a quality base coat and a quality top coat, then you can use whatever brand of colored polish that you choose. My preference is Jessica or OPI, but truly, just about any of them will do. Make sure that the polish doesn’t need any more than two thin coats to look its
best. I have used the cheapest drugstore nail polishes on clients in the past with great results, but sometimes polish intended for little girls is watered down so much that to get good color coverage you need three or four coats. You want to avoid this polish completely.
You will need a quality base coat specific to your nail type, the color of your choice, and a top coat. Jessica Nail Systems have released their line to the public now, and in my opinion their treatment base coats are the very best. Jessica can be purchased through the link above, or at many local drugstores. Nailtiques (a professional product, supposedly available in salons only, but I find it in the drugstores almost all of the time now) is a great product too (albeit expensive!). NailTek is less expensive, but just as good as Nailtiques, in my opinion. The most important thing is to get a base coat specific to your nail type. If your nails are prone to peeling get a treatment for dry nails, if they are thicker than a normal nail and not very flexible, choose a treatment for brittle nails. Of course, if you have those often sought after “perfect 10,” then choose a base coat for normal nails. I always recommend you purchase another base coat for normal nails to use every other time you polish, as treatment base coats tend to overcorrect
if used all of the time. I also recommend Seche Vite topcoat for all nail types, if you are not willing to pay for that professional only product (again, you can find it at the drugstore most of the time), you can get Out The Door, which is pretty close, at your local beauty supply and a lot of drugstores.
Choose a good rich lotion that is meant for very dry, even cracked, skin. Neutrogena makes a great one, Cetaphil cream (above, from Drugstore.com) is great for sensitive skin (and is non scented for sensitive noses). I have become a fan of Zim’s Crack Cream (which is really an oil rather than a cream) recently. My father in law swears by Neutrogena. I have always liked Nivea as well. For a more luxury experience, look for rich body creams made by perfume manufacturers in the department store. I use Calvin Klein Eternity body cream when I can get it in a gift with purchase package, or buy unscented Cetaphil cream and add some of my favorite perfume to it. Never underestimate the power of fragrance. Go with a lotion with no fragrance before you use something with a fragrance that is not soothing and sensual.
This is - bar none - the best cuticle remover on the market. Blue Cross is super inexpensive, but can, again, be a bit hard to find. Again, Sallys Beauty Supply carries it, and you can sometimes find it in a drugstore. This is an inexpensive product, and the best one made. Don’t even bother with the drugstore varieties, they are worthless and will dry your cuticles out in the long run.
Manicures,
pedicures,
Supplies
