Alright. Time to get real here for a minute, ladies. I love cooking big delicious meals and fabulous desserts- but it definitely comes at a cost for our nails, am I right??

Kneading dough, scrubbing dishes- it takes a toll on your hands! I never keep long nails because the idea of stuff under my nails grosses me out and doesn’t seem even remotely sanitary, but even with my shorter nails, sometimes it’s fun to add a little color!

In the past when I’ve painted my nails, it’s lasted maybe 24 hours. If I’m lucky. And do absolutely nothing. I don’t know about you, but mama ain’t got time for that! It’s so frustrating to spend the time painting your nails for an event or holiday (or just for fun!) and have it chip and fall apart within a day!

That’s why I’ve come to LOVE Olive and June nail polish. I know this is going to sound salesy, but I’m serious- I’ll never paint with another polish again! Even with doing dishes and changing diapers and doing all the mama things, I can get at least 3 good days from my polish. Sometimes I can even go for a week! This is a picture of my polish after 4 days last week.

That may not seem impressive, but I definitely can’t get my polish to stay that long with other brands, especially when I’m busy doing all the mama things! I’m tellin’ ya, if you haven’t tried Olive and June polish, it’s worth a shot!

There’s some other helpful things you can do to keep your nails safe in the kitchen as well- and probably the number one thing is to wear gloves!!

I noticed last summer that my nails were suddenly super brittle and peeling like crazy. My diet hadn't changed and I was concerned about why my nails were suddenly falling apart. And then it dawned on me that I was handwashing all the dishes- and it was definitely taking a toll on my nails! Wearing gloves while doing dishes can seem a little cumbersome, but it really will protect your nails from all that extra moisture and chemical exposure that they do NOT need.

Speaking of moisture, it’s also good to keep some good quality lotion in the kitchen! Washing your hands constantly after prepping and cooking and washing can definitely take a toll on your hands and it’s wise to keep them properly hydrated with some good quality lotion. Maybe you don’t personally care about having soft hands, but I know when my hands start drying out they start itching like crazy and it drives me nuts!!

It also doesn’t hurt to give you nails a little extra TLC. Jojoba oil and Vitamin E can do wonders for your cuticles (or you can buy cuticle serums), and a biotin supplement can definitely help with keeping your nails strong! There are also nail strengtheners (Olive and June has one) that can help keep your nails grow healthier and stronger if they’re suffering. I used this last year for my pool nails and it made a huge difference in the repair and growth of my nails!

Again, I know nails aren’t the most important thing, but sometimes it’s fun to be girly! And just cuz we’re baking and cooking and scrubbing in the kitchen doesn’t mean we can’t look cute while doing it, too! ;)

    Camille Hoffmann
    Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
    Email the author! camille@dvo.com