From Dull to Bright Nails

As the Spring months draw near and Summer following right behind, we know we are all thinking about those strappy little shoes and showing off our toesies. But as many like me fear, our nails are just too darn dull looking. So for me being the fan of the more natural look for pedicures, I did some experimenting/researching for how to get a brighter nail from stuff I just had laying around the house.



My find: Well three different things actually. Lemon juice, baking soda, and denture tablets (yes, I did have some in the house, thanks to my father).

The lemon juice was probably my favorite pick. Not only did it brighten the nails, but it left it with a nice, pleasant scent. To use this method, simply pour some lemon juice into a shallow bowl and soak nails in the juice for 15 minutes. Rinse nails, and dab dry with a towel. For toenails, you can apply the lemon juice to a cotton ball and swab over the nails and under the tips of the nails. If you prefer, you may also use lemon extract or a lemon essential oil diluted in water.



For using baking soda, I simply just added enough water to some baking soda to create a paste. Then using a nail brush, I brushed the nail bed and under the nail with the paste. I let it set for about a minute or two, and rinsed.

And lastly, the denture tablets: As you would do with dentures, simply dissolve half to a full sized denture tablet into a shallow bowl of water, and then soak your nails for about 10 to 30 minutes. I went for about 20-25 (got distracted with timing lol). You may rinse your nails of any suds that may form from the foaming action of the tablet with water, but I just simply took a towel and dried my nails off.



I know I didn't go into much detail as to why you get the brightening effect from using these methods, and that is because I don't really know that much of why you do. Like I said before, this was all done through self research. I also used toothpaste, which worked like the baking soda paste, but it was not one of my top three. I also tried just soaking in milk. It softened my skin, but didn't give me the brightness I was looking for.  I encourage you to try these methods to see which one works best for you. I also encourage you all to do your own experiments and research at your homes (on the side of caution of course), to find something that may work for you other then the ones I mention.

Anyways, that wraps up this blog post. I hope you try some of these ideas for yourself. Let me know what you think!

Time to break out those sandals, and dig your toes into the sand! Cheers to Spring/Summer!

~Angel

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Alternative Uses For Baking Soda

You all know that baking soda is used for well...baking. But did you know that it can be used for a lot of other things as well? Like perhaps...cleaning, deodorizing, or whitening teeth? But that's just the basis of them all. I'll go into more depth of how you might be using baking soda for more than those delectable goodies.

 One way to use baking soda is for whitening teeth. It's abrasiveness targets plague on teeth enamel to gently lift up surface stains and help whiten the enamel of your teeth. It also helps freshen your breath with its deodorizing abilities. To use: Simply sprinkle some baking soda onto your toothbrush with toothpaste and brush as recommended by your dentist. OR you can use it as a gargle/mouthwash, just dilute a bit into a cup of water and gargle for 30-60 seconds to neutralize bad breath.

Another use for baking soda is for removing product build from your hair. Just as it lifts and removes stains for teeth, baking soda does the same thing with product build up. It simply acts as a "stripper" for your hair. To use: Blend together a palm full of shampoo (or more as needed for length of hair), and about a tsp. of baking soda, shampoo as normal, and condition if necessary. This has been known to leave hair a little dry, so I recommend doing this only when absolutely necessary. I have oily hair, so I use this about every other day or so and condition regularly between and during uses.

You can also use baking soda to prevent sweat stains on blouses and clothes. Simply sprinkle the armpits or garment with baking soda after applying deodorant, or with the deodorant itself. The basic property of the soda cuts down on the acid of sweat, and helps to block moisture flow from seeping into fabric.

 Another common use for baking soda, is as a washing detergent for clothes. As for many years with the  use of either liquid or powder detergent, people have been adding baking soda into the wash to help remove stains and eliminate odors in our laundry. It works quite well I might add, and does harm fabrics like bleach does. Just add about a cup to each wash load in your washer to help brighten clothes and eliminate odors.

One last common household use for baking soda is of course as I mentioned before: a deodorizer. We use this in my house quite frequently. You  can sprinkle a little onto pet stains to help eliminate odors, sprinkle into litter boxes, onto carpet before vacuuming, in laundry, or just open a box and use in the refrigerator to eliminate odors from smelly foods (this also helps to prevent some foods from absorbing the taste/odor qualities of other smelly foods such as an apple with an onion).

As you can tell there are multiple uses for baking soda, and the uses go far beyond the scope that I mentioned here. If you have any suggestions for how to use baking soda, feel free to leave a comment below.

As always, have a wonderful day! :)

~Angel

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