Best Non Toxic Nail Salon in Houston

When you’re worried about your nails, naturally gorgeous doesn’t mean just pretty. It means perfect.

Nails are a daily staple of women around the world, and sometimes our beauty routine can get stressful. Walking into a beauty salon or going to the nail salon in general can be terrifying, as well as potentially painful. To make the day a little less stressful for you, we’ve rounded up some ways you can clean up your hair and your nails, plus some recommended products.

So if you’re thinking about taking some time out for your nails, keep these eight tips in mind.

1. Eat green vegetables. Veggies from most vegetables are associated with beautiful nails, so make sure you’re cutting your veggies in this order: carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and cruciferous vegetables. Don’t eat these before bedtime! Their nutritional value is negatively impacted by solid fats and sugars, and as a result you might get a great hair week by simply cutting these vegetables from your diet.

2. Limit your alcohol intake. If you’re dealing with tired, cracked nails, then you might be more likely to drink. Keep this in mind when planning what you’re going to drink, and will be an unpleasant change to your day. Remember, these things don’t just affect your eyes. Nails can do a little double duty, too.

3. Restate your nails. If your nails are sometimes dry and brittle, make them a little more tender with this simple tip. Instead of rubbing your fingers across your nails, gently tap each nail on a counter or surface to restate them. Take this tip with you for your car, in your suitcase, and all around your home, because you can’t relax if your nails are anything less than perfect.

4. Anise oil. Adding a tiny amount of anise oil to your manicure has been proven to lighten up your nails and give them a glow. It also helps your nail bed heal faster. So if you want to smooth out a dark patch or protect your nails from the sun, try using anise oil for your manicure.

5. Shampoo out your rings. Do your nails need to be cleaner when you’re wearing rings? Most nails would say no, but if they do need extra cleanliness, I recommend removing the rings with a mild natural cleaners like soapy water. This will act as a cleaner to your nails as well as the root. Then you can place your rings in the back of a glass and head home.

6. Drink less coffee. Coffee may be the main perk of coffee, but it isn’t the only caffeine you need to consider. The excess caffeine in coffee could decrease your nail health. To make sure your nails don’t suffer from too much caffeine, limit your coffee to a cup every now and then. Regular coffee has around 400 mg of caffeine, whereas strength coffee has up to 1,000 mg of caffeine, so you might want to keep those caffeine levels about the same.

7. Cut down on hair cuts. When you are talking about an emergency appointment to get your nails done, cutting your hair is probably not an option. But if you are leaving a salon in a bad mood, you might want to consider cutting your hair down instead. Cleaving your hair or getting a blow dry is a more relaxing option, and it can also make you look better.

8. Never cut off your nails, even if they’re in bad shape. It’s not glamorous, and it’s not pleasant. Nails that have grown out too many times from ingrown hairs or are sporting extreme pigmentation can become untruly and unattractive. This is the last thing you want to look at when you get ready for work. Stop and cut your nails and make them a little more dramatic.

This article originally appeared on Cosmopolitan.com.