Banish Bacteria & Improve Nail Health
This Simple Tool Banishes Bacteria and Improves Nail Health
On a daily basis, you rely on your fingernails for a lot of small, but important tasks. Imagine opening a soda can without them or simply scratching an itch. Fingernails serve many purposes, but they can also harbor staphylococcus aureus and streptococcus pyogenes – two types of bacteria that often lead to nail infections.
In a world where hand hygiene is more important than ever, you may think that using antibacterial spray or washing frequently will be enough to keep germs at bay. Those two techniques kill a lot of bacteria and eliminate excess grime, but one thing they can’t do is dislodge trapped dirt and debris that has wedged itself in between your fingernail and the nail bed.
Put Down the Letter Opener
We won’t ask you to admit to trying these things, but many people use inappropriate tools to remove dirt under their nails. Letter openers, car keys, and paper clips may work, but the risk of injury far outweighs the benefit. A nail brush will keep your nails clean without harming the tender skin underneath.
Buy a Quality Nail Brush
That advice sounds a little simplistic, doesn’t it? But in reality, nail brushes vary in quality, density, and effectiveness. Stiff bristles may push dirt further under the nail, and rough bristles can injure the fragile skin surrounding the cuticle and the nail bed. Acca Kappa makes two different nail brushes, including our Beechwood Nail Brush featuring hundreds of clusters of short and long tufted, natural bristles in a dual-sided, hand-finished, unvarnished beechwood brush.
We also proudly offer a fan favorite eco-friendly Biodegradable Nail Brush made from renewable resources, such as cellulose acetate (or bio acetate) which is a type of vegetable fiber that gently removes dirt without damaging the nail bed and is “highly biodegradable in soil and seawater,” so it’s better for the environment.
“We have been using this nailbrush for years. Best nail brush ever!”
– 5 Stars from Rebecca P.
Practice Good Hand Hygiene
Remember when you learned to sing the “Happy Birthday” song last year during the COVID-19 pandemic? We all discovered just how long 30 seconds is when washing our hands. To thoroughly clean under your nails without damaging them, make sure to wet your brush and your hands first. Dry brushing may be good for your body, but it can injure fragile cuticles and push dirt even deeper below the nail’s surface.
- Wet your brush and your hands thoroughly.
- Apply your favorite bar or hand soap to the bristles and gently move the brush back and forth along the underneath side of the nail.
- Repeat with each finger then rinse thoroughly.
Baby Your Brush
Your tools are only as good as the care you give them, so treat your nail brush with love, and it will last longer. After every use, thoroughly rinse the bristles with cold water to remove residual dirt and soap, and then set the brush bristle-side down on a soft towel to dry. Store your brush in a dry location, not the shower or on the sink, because moisture can degrade the bristles and reduce the longevity of your brush.
Take care of your hands and your tools, and they’ll take care of you.
