The ingredients are simple! You just need some baking soda and some hydrogen peroxide. It doesn't matter how much or how little you pay for these. I had some brand name baking soda and some Rite Aid peroxide on hand so I decided to use them. So, don't feel bad about getting off brand products if you're on a budget! Just make sure your peroxide is 3%. If you can't find 3% listed on the front, check the active ingredients list; hydrogen peroxide should be listed there as 3%.
You'll need a bowl or a cup. I've tried both and found I preferred the bowl but will go with a slightly smaller bowl next time. You'll get a whiter look if you have something to scrub your nails with. I used an old, soft toothbrush.
The original instructions said to make a paste from 1 teaspoon of peroxide and 2 1/4 teaspoons of baking soda. However, I found this mixture was too runny to call a 'paste' so I simply dumped in more baking soda and peroxide until I had a suitably thick paste, as seen in the picture above. Keep in mind that your body heat will cause the paste to melt slightly.
Simply wash your hands and nails of the remaining paste and they should be noticeably whiter. I recommend putting on a good hand and nail cream after this.
Here are my nails before ... very yellow at the tips especially around my nail line ...
And here are my nails after two whitening treatments done over two weeks, one a week.
From some of the other recipes I found during my search you can add a small amount of lemon juice to this mixture to speed up whitening. I didn't have any lemons on hand so I couldn't try this. I will say that I had a small amount of pain and irritation under some of my nails after soaking them. The irritation faded quickly but I'm not sure how adding lemon would affect this. Certainly don't use this, with or without lemon, if you have any cuts or open wounds on or around your hands!
I would love to know if you try this recipe and if it works for you. I would also love to know if you know of a better one!
OMG!!! I will give it a shot this weekend!! But I'll apply using some disposable gloves (the ones the dentist uses) so I can watch TV more comfortable for 30 minutes... LOL
ReplyDeleteThat's a really great idea! I'll have to remember that for next time. :)
DeleteWhat a great idea! I so rarely leave my nails naked that I didn't realize until today how yellow they had gotten :{ I will definitely give this a try!
ReplyDeleteI'm the same way. My nails almost always have polish on them. But when I started cringing I knew they were getting bad, lol. Good luck whitening! :)
DeleteI don't see the difference on the before and after pictures. Sorry author
ReplyDeleteI don't see the difference on the before and after pictures. Sorry author
ReplyDelete