Nails are one of the first things people notice about you. The appearance of your nails says a lot about a person believe it or not, so it can be embarrassing when you have yellow-stained, dirty nails.
I’m sure you’re thinking that you can just cover it with a coat of nail polish and the problem will be solved. Unfortunately, nail polish can only do so much in making your nails look flawless.
Like anything else, you have to keep what’s under the surface clean and hydrated.
Great. Now you’re probably rolling your eyes thinking that there is ANOTHER beauty product out there that you have to spend money on in order to have nice looking nails.
Hold your sighs. There is an easy fix to this problem, and it’s my favorite DIY nail care routine! The best part is that you probably have these items in your cabinets at home: baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, lemon/lime and a toothbrush.
You know how baking soda and peroxide are a popular alternative for whitening your teeth? Well, it’s the same for whitening your nails!
It gets rid of any uneven color that has developed over time, and exfoliates and cleans your nails of any yellowing, dirt buildup or left over nail polish.
Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda can be a very effective stain remover, and the acidic properties of lemon/lime juice can help dissolve away stain particles in your nails.
Keep reading for the step by step process for this DIY nail whitening routine!
Soak your hands with warm water and lemon/lime juice
Add the juice of one lemon or lime to a bowl of warm water. The acid found in lemon and lime juice strips away stains from a hard surface; that’s why it works perfectly on your nails.
Soak your nails for 5 minutes, then rinse with warm water. Make sure to rinse well in order to remove all the lemon/lime juice. Any residual juice can actually dry out your nails, which is not what you want!
Create a paste
The next step is to create a paste with the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Think of this next step as a mask for your nails. It’s no difference to using a mask to exfoliate your face so that it looks it best; you need to exfoliate your nails so that they can look their best as well.
When you think of it this way, it makes sense, right?
Mix the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide together to create a paste-like consistency. The recommended amount is one teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide to two and a half tablespoons of baking soda.
Honestly, I always have to make more, so play around with the measurements yourself. Add a little bit at a time until you get the consistency you are looking for.
If it seems to be too runny, add more baking soda.
Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate!
Once you’ve achieved the right consistency, take your toothbrush, and scoop a good amount of the paste onto the brush. Make sure to use a new toothbrush and not the one you use on your teeth.
Rub the paste in circular motions on your nail for 30-60 seconds. You want the entire nail to be covered with the paste. This exfoliates your nail as well as rubs off any unwanted dirt, stains or color.
After you are done exfoliating the nail, let the paste sit on your nail for 2-3 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water.
Everyone’s nails are different. Depending on what kind of job or lifestyle you have, you may need to leave this paste on longer in order to achieve whiter looking nails.
That’s okay! You can use this remedy as often as you want until you get the results you desire.
Once your nails are white and looking beautiful, make sure to keep up with this routine so your nails continue to stay healthy and clean.
You won’t have to clean them weekly. Try once every 6 weeks.
This is such an easy remedy, and takes no more than 10 minutes to do! Not only is it a timesaver, but it will also keep your nails looking healthy and clean!
So, go ahead and try this on your nails. You won’t be disappointed!
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