When you think of healthy hands, you’re most likely considering your muscles and joints. But what about your nails? Our nails actually play an important part in keeping our hands safe and healthy. They protect our fingers from bacteria by acting as a strong shield. That means that the stronger and healthier our little shields are, the more they are able to do their job.
There are several ways to keep your nails in good shape, and one of those includes incorporating essential oils into your routine.
Bitter Orange
Do you find yourself biting your fingernails or cuticles? Try combining a few drops of Bitter Orange with a carrier oil (such as Argan) and gently massaging into your nail bed. The sharp taste of the mixture will deter you from biting away. Bitter Orange also helps alleviate anxious and stressful feelings, which may help you resist bitting your nails in the first place!
Lemon
This oil acts as an antiseptic to prevent bacterial growth on skin and nails. Lemon can also help strengthen nail beds and stimulate nail growth. It adds some much needed shine to dull nails as well.
Oregano
Much like Bitter Orange, this oil is a wonder for helping to prevent nail biting. Additionally, Oregano acts as an antibacterial and anti-fungal for nails that are bitten or come into contact with other germs, to help keep you healthy.
Tea Tree
As you are likely well aware of, Tea Tree is a total powerhouse in fighting bacterial and fungal infections. Often used in Athlete’s Foot and other applications, this oil attacks germs and helps protect nails and cuticles.
All these oils must be diluted with a carrier oil before topical application and gently massaged into nails and cuticles. Read more about the importance of diluting oils here and check out our dilution chart here.
Please note that this list is designed to help you start your journey and is by no means exhaustive. Refer to our individual Essential Oils A to Z entries for more in-depth discussion of each of our 100+ essential and absolute oils. Check out our “Head to Toe Series” archives here.