how to care for your nails

The clearer the cleanser, the more it may dry out your skin. Also avoid soaps that contain the harsh chemical triclosan (often marked antibacterial ) and instead look for naturally antibacterial ingredients such as tea tree oil or eucalyptus.

Hot water makes skin dry by taking away sebum; cold can cause a constriction and then a dilation of capillary vessels, leading to redness, explains manicurist Mie Kitabayashi of Beverly Hills Chi Nail Bar.

Oils are the best way to get moisture into the skin, according to manicurist Kimmie Kyees, who recommends Sally Hansen Dry Chapped Hand Creme ($6, at drugstores), which contains safflower seed oil.

If cuticles are dry and torn, any manicure will look old, says L Oreal Paris global nail artist Tom Bachik. However, cutting cuticles can open you up to infection and make them look worse, warns Illamasqua manicurist Fleury Rose. Exfoliate hands with a body scrub, then nip only hangnails that you can wiggle. Soften other cuticles weekly with Be Natural Cuticle Eliminator ($6, sallybeauty.com), says manicurist Miwa Kobayashi, of L.A. s Sally Hershberger salon. Then push them back with an orange stick.

It s a step most of us wouldn t think to do, but it s important: High amounts of alcohol can dehydrate skin and nails, making polish chip faster, says Sally Hansen manicurist Tracylee. Just wait until the sanitizer has dried.

Your hands can wrinkle and spot just as fast as your face. Kitabayashi mixes Shiseido Extra Smooth Sun Protection Lotion SPF 38, ($34, shiseido.com) with lotion. Sunscreen alone can be drying to hands, she says. To even out spots, Rose likes L Occitane Immortelle Brightening Hand Care SPF 20 ($30, usa.loccitane.com), which contains Bellis perennis (a daisy plant) extract.

Bachik uses L Oreal Paris Revitalift ($20 and up, at drugstores) its retinol improves elasticity during his clients manicures. To conquer crepeyness, apply it to the backs of your hands at night.

Smooth on CND Almond Illuminating Masque ($22.75,cnd.com for salons), then place hands in plastic bags and top with a warm towel for five minutes. Heat helps the mask penetrate, Kyees says.

The cuticle is the natural barrier to fungus and bacteria and once you breach that, protection is lost, she says. This will not only make cuticles look worse red, swollen, and ragged but may also land you a nasty infection that harms the nail bed and leads to permanent nail damage. And while cutting cuticles holds the most potential for harm, pushing them back can cause problems as well.

The take home message here is that a lot of them do more damage than good, says Stern. She reminds us that these products are not studied clinically, so most claims are not backed up by science. Unless nails are exceptionally weak and fragile, she says, most people don t benefit from a nail hardener. Healthy nails are flexible nails, she says, so to keep yours from breaking, avoid anything that makes them more brittle.