The first place nails tend to chip is the edge, so be sure to take your topcoat right to where it attaches to the cuticle, at the side of the nail.
With yoga and Pilates classes reopening, there will generally be a requirement to take your own mat. Disinfect it before taking it to a public class, and always place it the same side down on the floor.
Go a bit more nuts. One brazil nut supplies the daily recommended adult allowance of selenium, a health-protective mineral.
Ditch the Zoom, pick up the phone. Psychologist Matthias Mehl from the University of Arizona has researched the impact that conversation has on our mood, and found that happier people had about twice as many meaningful conversations, with less small talk. Make time for proper chats with friends, over the phone – maybe even that dust-gathering landline phone – in the good, old-fashioned way.
If nails are stained from polish, try rubbing them with the pulp of a fresh lemon to whiten them and make stains less noticeable.
From our genius podiatrist friend Margaret Dabbs: ‘When you suffer from cracked heels, it’s tempting to reach for a rich balm, but it will just sit on the surface, weakening the skin tissue and making future splits more likely. Instead, apply a thinner product that sinks in. (If the cracks appear black, have a soak in the bath.)’
In order to cleanse properly, you need to have your chest and décolletage exposed. Always get undressed before cleansing, and sweep cleanser upwards from chest to face, and upwards towards hairline. Massage well before removing. There’s no point cleansing in the v-neck shirt you’ve been wearing all day, because it just doesn’t allow enough access.
When you’re buying concealer, test the shades on the blue vein on the inside of your wrist. (NB At the moment, you can’t try shades in store, but on counters where there are consultants present, they should be able to hygienically apply to you with a Q-tip.)
It sounds weird, but Ayurvedic medicine recommends a practice called tongue scarping to remove the coat that appears overnight, which contains what they call ama (or toxins). Using a tongue scraper, gently comb your tongue from back to front several times. Wash and rinse the scraper well, between sessions. Doing this before you brush your teeth is thought to stimulate the digestive response and get the body thinking about its first meal.
Carly Giglio, bareMinerals Global Artist, has this great hack for beach days: ‘Add 1-2 pumps of liquid bronzer into each application of SPF, mixing well into your hand before you apply. You can do this for both face and body to be protected and glowing. Add a little to your foundation to keep from having to purchase a new shade in the summer months. (BAREPRO Glow Bronzer is, of course, perfect for this.)
It is boring enough travelling through airports right now, with the new hygiene protocols, but being stopped at security because your electronics have become macramé-d round each other is at least an avoidable extra hold-up. When cables, chargers and plus are haphazardly jumbled together, security has to spend time determining what they are and manually check bags. So to speed things up, take time to lay all your electronics flat, in your hand luggage, so they can easily be identified.
If you suffer from super-dry nails, switch out coloured polishes for clear. Polish remover is rough on nails; clear polish shows wear less readily, and comes off much more easily with less of the drying remover product than layers of coloured lacquer – never mind glitter and shimmer…
Tempted by the #nohairwashchallenge? According to trichologist Anabel Kingsley, it’s a bad idea. ‘Your scalp is simply an extension of the skin on your forehead. It’s a living tissue that sweats, produces oils and shields skin cells. Like the skin on your face, it needs to be cleansed frequently to be kept in optimal condition.’
If you use paint/varnishes/other toxic materials in the house – even the ‘greener’ ones – herbalist Michael McIntyre recommends drinking mint tea, during and afterwards.
Those beauty salons and complementary therapies which are back in business are often now adding a PPE charge to their services. We say: pay it gladly. Behind the scenes these practitioners – who have been deprived of an income for months – are having to work double-hard sanitising everything within sight and often doing huge laundry-loads at night in order to provide clean towels etc. Worth every penny, we think.
If you have highlighted or single-processed hair (permanent or semi-permanent dyes), use products intended for colour-treated hair every time you shampoo, to maintain colour vibrancy and strength. Hair that has been chemically treated is not only more prone to damage, but regular shampoos have concentrated cleansing agents that strip colour from the open cuticle of the hair, making brunette turn brassy, red hair dull, and blonde hair fade.
If a lipstick colour’s too strong from the tube, try a lip-stained look: apply a few dabs of rich, creamy-textured lipstick onto your fingertips, then press the colour into lips for a natural-looking, long-lasting stain that won’t bleed.
Ideally, synthetic make-up brushes should be cleaned every other day – weekly, minimum. Apply a gentle eye make-up remover to the bristles, wipe them clean with a paper towel, and then wash with a basic facial soap and water. Natural bristle brushes hold onto grime and bacteria differently, so you only have to wash them once a month.
Feeling the jitters from too much caffeine? Quitting overnight is often too much, so we like this advice from Liz Earle: ‘I redress the balance by swapping rocket-fuel espressos for a gentler cup of decaf or weak tea. I don’t go col turkey and give up caffeine altogether, as I find the withdrawal headaches are too debilitating and don’t respond to painkillers (not good for the system, in any case). My less draconian detox regime involves cutting down on coffee and strong tea by one dup a day, until I’m down to one small mug at breakfast. Only then, ater a week or so of gradual withdrawal, will I give it up altogether.’
Almond oil makes a brilliant quick, natural, affordable body treat. We don’t often advise applying products to damp skin, but it’s a good trick with oils. Use straight from the bottle onto a body that’s fresh from the shower or bathing.