Skip the Salon: 16 Natural Nail Tips

From removing fungus to perfecting your polish, these all-natural nail hacks will have you looking salon-fresh without leaving the house.

Healthier Nails

1. At-Home Hot Oil Treatment
Hot oil manicures are hot at nail salons to help revive and condition dry, damaged nails. But you can save money by creating your own at home! All you need to do is mix equal parts sunflower, olive, castor, and almond oils together, then heat the mixture for 15 to 20 seconds. Break open a vitamin E capsule and add it in. Carefully test the mixture to make sure it isn’t too warm before dipping your nails in to soak up the moisturizing oils. Enjoy until the oils cool, massage some of the oil into your hands, then rinse.

2. Fix a Broken Nail
If your nail has broken too low for comfort, you can make a simple patch to cover it until the nail naturally grows out. Just cut a small piece from a tea bag and apply with nail glue.

3. Do Away with Dirt and Grease
Working in the garden or under the hood of the car? To make nail cleanup easier afterward, scratch your nails on a bar of soap first. An old toothbrush combined with dishwashing liquid works well as a fingernail cleaner after the fact.

Powerful Nail Fungus Fighters

4. Rub Out Fungus
Head to your medicine stash for this remedy: Use a cotton swab to apply a mentholated vapor rub, like Vicks, to the nail twice a day. If used consistently, it should eliminate the fungus. How it works: Rubs like these contain the antifungals camphor and eucalyptus oil.

5. Kick it with Cornmeal
If you’re a savvy gardener, you might know that cornmeal has long been used as a way to fight fungal diseases on flowers and lawns. Many people swear by that antifungal action for their nails. And there’s no harm in giving this safe, all-natural treatment a try. Just pour some cornmeal into a shallow pan, mix it with water hot enough to dissolve it into a paste or mush, and let it cool for about an hour while you do other things. When you come back to it, add enough water to cover your feet or hands and then soak in it for an hour while you watch Netflix.

6. Serve Your Nails a Spot of Tea
But not just any tea will do! Pau d’arco is the type you need. It’s made from the bark of a South American tree that contains antifungal compounds. If you can’t find it your local grocery or health food stores, Amazon has options. Use two tea bags steeped in warm water to create a nail bath. Then soak your feet or hands twice a day for 20 minutes.

7. Oil the Fungus Away
Certain oils have antifungal properties. The best bets for nails: oregano oil or tea tree...

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