If you want your cuticles to look cuter, soft and clean always, a manicure might help. But, manicure can only keep your finger nails in shape and beautiful and cannot avoid bacterial growth on your fingertips.

Cuticles play an important role in maintaining our hand hygiene by keeping away dirt and bacteria entering the nails. Badly maintained cuticles may lead to infections, fungal growth under the skin layers. If you are removing your cuticles while doing a manicure, stop it right away. Instead, give your cuticles enough nutrition in the form of cuticle creams.

Benefits Of Cuticle Cream

Cuticle cream is primarily employed for moisturizing and softening the layers of dead skin cells surrounding the fingernails and toenails. It is usually smeared on the nails before a manicure or pedicure. The formula helps to gently push back overgrown, dry, or ragged cuticles which can then be shaped according to preference. This process not only safeguards your hands by helping the skin around the nail grow stronger and healthier but also promotes the health of the nails and cuticles while bestowing the fingers or toes with a more pleasing appearance. 

The formulation of cuticle creams usually comprises a combination of vegetable or essential oils and are also infused with vitamins for additional benefits to the skin. When made at home, the ingredients used help moisturize and nourish the skin so that it is less prone to cracking or flaking and also the creamy formula softens any calluses present on the hands or foot.

The presence of essential oils in the cuticle cream also acts as a barrier for the nails and impedes the entry of any bacteria from getting inside the nail, thus preventing any other infections from getting inside the body while eating with hands. The cream also furnishes a go-to remedy for hangnails as it gradually softens them so that they are less prone to pain or bleeding.

Cuticle creams or cuticle butters come in the right combination of vitamins and minerals and keep the nails healthy. While there are many cuticle creams available in the market, you can make your own by using essential oils along with some natural ingredients.

Beeswax, Apricot Cuticle Cream:

Ingredients:

50 grams beeswax

100 ml apricot oil

1 tbsp honey

Method:

Melt beeswax in a double boiler method. You can also microwave it for 15 seconds at equal intervals till it melts.

Stir in apricot oil and honey.

Pour the mixture in a glass container and allow it cool and solidify.

Use it daily.

How It Works:

Beeswax heals cuticle cracks while apricot oil improves the elasticity of the skin. Honey is known for its antibacterial properties and it protects the skin from fungal infections.

Coconut and Cocoa Butter Cream:

Ingredients:

50 grams cocoa butter

50 ml cold pressed coconut oil

Method:

Heat cocoa butter and coconut oil together on a low flame.

Stir well and store in a container.

Allow it cool completely and solidify.

Use it daily.

How It Works:

Cocoa butter is known for providing hydration and nutrition to the skin and it forms a protective barrier on the cuticles and prevents the growth of bacteria. Coconut oil heals wounds and it reduces inflammation.

Petroleum Jelly and Olive Oil Cream

Ingredients:

50 grams petroleum jelly

½ tsp olive oil

5 ml fresh lemon juice

Method:

Melt petroleum jelly in a double boiler method.

Stir in olive oil and lemon juice. Let is solidify.

Store it in an air tight container.

How It Works:

Petroleum jelly provides instant moisturization, olive oil nourishes the skin and lemon juice helps in fighting bacterial growth.