Your nails end up taking the brunt of daily wear and tear. It’s no wonder why they sometimes get cracked and brittle. There are several easy steps you can perform from home to strengthen your nails and get them looking healthy and strong.

• Whiten your nails (similar to whitening your teeth)

1. Mix one teaspoon of baking soda, coarse salt and lemon juice together with enough hydrogen peroxide to make a thick paste.
2. Leave the whitening paste on your nails for approximately 20 minutes.
3. Wash the hands with warm water and rub olive oil over your nails to help restore healthy nail texture and shine.

• Cod liver oil – I know it may sound rather repulsive at first, but make it in orange and mint flavor for a refreshing scent.

1. To moisturize nails on a weekly or daily basis try using cod liver oil. It’s cheap, easy, and available at almost any drug store. I prefer the orange flavor.
2. Rub a dab of cod liver oil onto each nail and massage into the nails. Allow the oil to set in for about five-ten minutes and then rinse off with warm water.

• Sought out polish- when you need a quick fix hit the store and pick up OPI nail envy. The Nail Envy line was created to improve and strengthen the fingernail with several options for different nail types.

The Mayo Clinic suggest taking some precautionary measures to give your nails some extra care:

• Don’t abuse your nails. Don’t use your fingernails as tools to pick or pry things apart, you could be causing some serious damage.
• Protect your nails. Wear cotton-lined rubber gloves when using heavy cleaning soaps ro chemicals. This is usually half the cause of damaged nails.
  
• Don’t bite your nails or pick at your cuticles. Doing so can damage the nail bed. Even a minor cut alongside your nail can allow bacteria or fungi to enter the nails bed and cause infection. Your nails grow slowly, therefore an injured nail can retain signs of injury for several months.
• Moisturize frequently. Nails need moisture just like our skin does. Apply a moisturizer each time you wash your hands or are use harsh chemicals.
  
• Make time for routine nail maintenance. Trim fingernails and clean underneath the nail on a regular basis. Never pull off hangnails! Pulling off hangnails usually results in ripping living tissue. Instead clip hangnails off, leaving a slight angle outward.

Soon enough you’ll be showing off your nails to everyone!