It's been a little more than eight weeks since we've all been asked to practice social distancing and quarantine in our homes, which means the responsibility of grooming yourself has fallen completely into your hands—including your regular manicure trips to the salon.

So, as you try to replicate the technique of your trusted nail technicians, don’t worry. Doing your own nails at home isn’t impossible. Sahara Singh, an MBA student, is doing the same. “I usually get my nails done once in two or three weeks, depending on my schedule. However, due to the lockdown, I’ve been doing it at home with the help of YouTube tutorials,” she says. Like Sahara, thousands of people have been doing at-home manicures, in turn igniting the new hashtag #quarantinenails.

But, if you're not feeling confident enough to try your hand at a DIY professional manicure, now's a good time to give your nails a break and let your natural nails strengthen up. Cora Jyd, the founder of The French Nails, a nail salon at Durbarmarg, says, “With nowhere to go, this is a perfect time to enhance the strength and growth of your nails.” To do so, Cora suggests, “Dip your nails for 10 mins in either olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil or flaxseed oil. These oils are rich in omega 3 and 6, the essential nutrients for our cuticles.”

Whether you're the type of person who religiously paints their nails as a form of self-care or someone who's constantly picking and biting at their cuticles, we all yearn for healthy, perfectly manicured nails. Following proper care for the strength and growth of your nails and caring for your cuticles is just as important. So, Kritika Khawaunju, an independent nail artist, suggests the following easy steps to cuticle care:

Step 1: Dip your nails in warm water for 2 mins.

Step 2: Apply hair conditioner on your nails and leave it for another 2 mins. Wash it off with warm water.

Step 3: Use your own nail to push the cuticles of the other hand and vice versa. Start from the mid-section and push it upwards. This removes dead cells lifting up the cuticles.

Step 4: Cut the cuticles little by little using a nail cutter.

Step 5: Trim down your nails and shape them according to your choice. Apply coconut oil.

Not only do you have to worry about your nails, but your hands are also an essential part of nail care. Now more than ever, washing your hands is being more enforced, which can result in drying out your skin. With the constant hand washing and sanitising, it’s also imperative to keep hands and nails hydrated during the coronavirus crisis. Keeping that in mind, Kritika recommends an easy guide to keeping your hands soft and hydrated.

Step 1: Deep cleansing

Take a bowl and fill it with normal tap water and add around 4-5 pumps of hand-wash in it. Also, add two capfuls of apple cider vinegar lastly add half a teaspoon of salt. Mix everything with your hand and gently massage your hands. Massage your hands for at least a minute.

Step 2: Exfoliate

Take 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon of raw milk. Mix everything well and simply massage your hands with it. Do it for about three minutes and rinse it off with normal tap water. Towel dry your hands.

Step 3: Brightening hand mask

Take 2 tablespoons of gram flour (besan), 2 pinches of turmeric powder and 2-3 teaspoon of rose water. Mix them well and apply the paste all over your hands. Let it sit for 10 mins and rinse it with water.

Step 4: Moisturise

Take 2 teaspoons aloe vera gel and 2 vitamin E capsules. Mix them well and apply it on your hands. You can simply use your daily moisturiser if you don’t have the aloe vera gel at home.