Spoil yourself or your mom this Mother’s Day with these nourishing at-home salon-style manicure and pedicure, compliments of the caring therapists at Steenberg Spa.
With the current sanitising regulations under quarantine, your hands may be in dire need of extra care with constant washing, so treat yourself or your mom (if you are under lockdown together) to this rejuvenating hand treatment with these expert tips from Steenberg Spa.
To begin your at-home mani or pedi, you will need the following: non-acetone nail varnish remover, nail file, granular scrub, orange wood stick or cuticle pusher, moisturiser or oil, base coat, top coat and the nail varnish of your choice.
Step one: Begin by removing all the colour from the nails using the nail varnish remover.
Gel polish removal needs extra care – see instructions below.
Step two: Clean the hands/feet with soap and water.
Step three: Trim the nails, making sure you leave a little extra length for filing into shape, taking care to file in one direction only to avoid breakages. The toe nails are much stronger, however, and can be filed in both directions.
Step four: Using a granular scrub and concentrating on the hard areas of skin and the nail and cuticle area, begin to scrub away gently. Wash and rinse with warm water.
Handy tip - you can make your own scrub using brown sugar and a little olive oil.
Step five: Using a towel or face cloth, while drying the hands and feet, apply pressure to the cuticles and push them back. Move over the cuticle area in circular movements with the towel to remove any dead skin cells. If you have a wooden manicure stick you may also use this to push back the cuticles.
Step six: Massage the oil or moisturiser into the hands or feet, concentrating on the cuticles and areas prone to develop hard skin. Any remaining cream can be used on the elbows or knees.
Step seven: Remove any cream or oil from the nails using a cotton disc soaked in warm water. The nails need to be clean and dry before applying any varnish. Watch out for any leftover cotton wool ‘fluff’.
Step eight: Apply a base coat to protect the nail from the varnish and any colour stains. It also ensures longer lasting varnish.
Step nine: Apply the colour as two thin coats instead of one thick coat to avoid smudging and a longer drying time. Apply up to three thin coats if necessary.
Step ten: Finally, apply the top coat to seal in the colour for a lasting finish and for additional shine.
It may take up to 60 minutes for all the layers of the nail varnish to dry completely so sit back and relax with a good book or your favourite movie or series. If you are treating your mom, surprise her with a gentle neck and shoulder massage while you wait for the nails to dry.
The nails will be dry to the touch after 5 to 10 minutes, but the underlying layers will still be wet. For varnish that may have landed on the skin, don’t panic, wait two hours before washing with soap and water. Use a towel to gently rub away the excess varnish and reapply your moisturiser.
How to remove gel polish
To begin you will need the following: cotton wool, tin foil, a rough nail file and acetone (you can source this from your local pharmacy, off the shelf nail varnish removers will take much longer).
Preparation: Cut tin foil into shape, around 5cm x 10cm for each finger. Prepare cotton wool into individual pieces to place on the nails. If you have cotton discs cut them into quarters and split them in half (you will have 8 pieces), 2 cotton wool discs should be enough.
Step one: Remove any shine off the gel using your nail file. This is to break the top coat so that the acetone may reach the gel underneath. Take care not to file too hard and watch out for those cuticles.
Step two: Take one of your quartered cotton wool discs and drench it in acetone. Place this on the nail and wrap one of your tin foil pieces (shiny side inside) tightly around your nail and finger. Repeat until all the nails are covered.
Step three: Depending on the type of gel used, wait 20 to 30 minutes before doing a quick test to see if it may be removed. Remove the tin foil and cotton wool on the first finger that you wrapped. If the gel has started to peel away you may continue removing it all. If not, repeat the above procedure and reapply. Test after 15 minutes.
Step four: Remove excess gel by gently scraping it away with your nail file. If you really feel like spoiling those cuticles, this is the ideal time to use your cuticle pusher or wooden manicure stick.
Step five: Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water to neutralise the acetone.
For more information and updates, follow @SteenbergWines on Twitter or @SteenbergFarm on Facebook and Instagram. Enquire about their Mother's Day vouchers that you can redeem after lockdown: www.steenbergfarm.com
Vouchers can be purchased by emailing: spa@steenberghotel.com
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