To Gel Manicure or Not To Gel Manicure
The holidays are coming, and my nails just recovered.
Growing up the daughter of a hairdresser, I caught on early to the idea of self-care. I know, I know, self-care isn’t just bubble baths and monthly massages, but getting pampered by my Mom and her coworkers developed my sense of what centers my chakras when I’m feeling bombarded by life.
One habit I developed was taking good care of my feet. Every week, my poor, eczema-riddled chapped heels would get a good scrubbing, and, after a bath of heavy moisturizer, I would paint my nails in every color of the rainbow.
I did that for many years until I discovered that nail polish contained formaldehyde.
At the time, I was unaware there were other options, but that one tidbit put me off of nail polish as a whole. I stopped my comforting nail painting routine unless it was a special occasion… like my wedding.
Nowadays, there are plenty of 10-free, 12-free, 16-free, smarter, safer nail polish options, so a few months ago, I wound up at the nail salon with my Mom, marveling at all the new technology in nail care.
While getting my first pedicure in ages, I was convinced that getting a gel manicure was the way to go for my unadorned fingers.