Technique

Is it OK to put tea tree oil in the soak to soften dry cuticles?

October 14, 2005 | Bookmark +

I do a lot of natural nail manicures and I like to put a few drops of tea tree oil in the soak to soften dry cuticles. Is this effective or is it too diluted? Does it have any other positive effects?

Answer

First, let’s make sure we are using the proper terminology. Cuticles are the dead skin that tightly adheres to the nail plate. The living tissue at the base of the nail plate is called the eponychium. Soaking either of these parts of the nail in water will cause them to become softened, because that’s what water does to skin. You don’t need to add any oils to achieve this. There is nothing wrong with putting a few drops of tea tree oil into the water, but it probably will not have much effect other than to make the water smell “medicinal.” But I would refrain from adding too much, since people sometimes develop allergic reactions when overexposed to pure tea tree oil. -- Doug Schoon

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How can I prevent lifting when my client's hands are constantly in water?

I have a client who is in the medical field so her hands are constantly in water. She has me keep the length of her acrylic nails short. No matter what I do, she always has at least one nail that comes off, and she always has lifting and gets water under the acrylic. I prep the nails correctly, I have a cuticle bit to clean the cuticle area, and I wipe the nail with alcohol, dehydrate the nail, and prime the nail. What should I do?

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