Vermont Bee Balm
This is my newest and greatest and very best discovery in a long, long time.
Hyperbole?
Maybe. But this is, honestly, THE best potion for nails, cuticles and hands.
I have had such problems with my nails. Dry skin, in general, very dry cuticles and then cracking, splitting nails were the order of the day earlier this year. I go to THE BEST manicure woman and, believe me, she tried. We tried everything. I’ve never used acrylic nails or gels. We glued, we mended, we filed, and we filled. To no avail. They only seemed to get worse.
So I went cold turkey.
Nothing. No manicure, no glues, no polish. Zero. For six long weeks.
And you know what? They gradually got better!!!!!
Thanks to Vermont Bee Balm which I put on 3x each day, my nails began to look normal. Here they are after two months with one coat of base.
And here, finally, finally with some Essie …… I have waited a LONG time to get back to some color!
I am certainly NOT a very good hand model!!
The color is “Fishnet Stockings”
Another favorite color of late is “Chubby Cheeks”
You can get this nice size tin in Original or in Orange Butter Balm. The original is just about fragrance free and I definitely prefer it. The Orange Butter actually smells a bit like chocolate/cocoa (my opinion!)
This is olive oil and Vermont beeswax. That’s it. The consistency is a thick almost solid mass. They say to drag your thumbnail over the top…actually you sort of “push” the nail forward. It doesn’t take much, believe me. My one tin will probably last close to a year, and I use it twice a day now.
And…for those of you who are wondering
just which coat I kept……..
It’s the Boden Sally Coat!
It’s cute, it’s different, love the snaps in front, and it fits perfectly. Happiness.
Let us know if you have a favorite nail or skin care cream: we would love to see your comments!
What a good idea. Many, many years ago I tried acrylic nails, but they drove me crazy. I felt like I had a hoofs on my fingers. Now I keep my finger nails relatively short, as it makes typing and projects so much easier, and save the bling for my toes.
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I agree with keeping them short…better for so many reasons. I do love all the Essie colors, bling and all!
Thank you! I’ll try some…and Fishnet Stockings. Love it.
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Don’t you just love the names? Fun to think them up I guess!
I would also try Butter Nail Polish, it is completely natural and so much much better for your nails, I used to use Esse, but once I switched to Butter I will never go back. It is a London based company but I know it is sold in Nordstrom in the USA and also online. They have some fabulous colours. I use a base coat, then two coats of colour and then the clear top coat otherwise it tends to lack shine, then it really lasts well. Just an idea! xx
Susan: Yes, I have tried the Butter line. I like the base coat a lot, but actually I’m not crazy about the polish. It’s been a while and I can’t quite remember. I think maybe it streaked? I do have an orange that I wore on toes a lot this summer. It’s expensive…and I just love all the Essie colors. But thank you for this, for all my readers! Oh, and I also tried another natural line from Whole Foods. It was very thick and I didn’t stay on long. I must say, that with my new healthy nails, the polish last SO much longer. It’s amazing. I get at least 8 days now with no chips at all where I used to get 4 at most…
Thanks for the info, Libby. I too have been suffering from very dry skin and brittle nails. I will try the bee balm.
I now take Biotin to strengthen my hair and nails and believe it is making a difference.
We are using and loving a product that Joan of the blog, For the Love of a House recommends, natural Thayer’s Witch Hazel (NOT the witch hazel we are used to at the pharmacy with alcohol). Both husband and I spray it on after bath or shower. I also use it on my feet before bed. Amazing results as my feet have been cracked and dry all of my adult life and I am constantly trying to baby them, especially in sandal weather. Here is the post in which Joan shared her recommendation
http://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2015/03/ten-favorite-winter-things.html.
I also use Butter polishes.
Happy winter! I think we are finally getting some rain this afternoon! First since the beginning of August.
Cindy: Well, I tried Biotin. Six months. And I didn’t think it did a thing! Yes, I remember reading about Joan’s recommendation. But I had, at that point, just started with Bag Balm on my feet. It works really well, but oh man is it greasy! So I’ll try the Thayer’s. Thank you! Dry skin etc. is never ending, isn’t it? And seems to get worse the older we are! I also find that CeraVe works very well: have you tried it?
Yes, I hope we will get some rain this week and/or next. My new pansies were so thirsty: i had forgotten all about watering them for the last three weeks! Poor things….
I had my FIRST GEL manicure about 3 months ago!Looked like a reverse FRENCH manicure this last month with the new growth!
But I will not be doing again as it cannot possibly be good for your nails………..
PLus, the take off time is TOO LONG!
I have a dry patch in between my fingers………perhaps I will give this ago.I have gone ring less and moisturize but NOTHING seems to be working!
XX
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Of course, I am no doctor….but if the dry (is it itchy?) skin is under rings…it might be mild excema. I had it off and on for ages, and the only think that worked was low dose of a steroid/cortisone cream for a few days. Clears it right up. If that is what you have?
I agree, gels just cannot be good for nails. It actually felt great to “go without” for weeks; so much easier. Hmmm: maybe I should go without hair color too? No, I don’t think so!