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For this week’s body-care conversation, Glossy sat down with Kim Truong (218,000 Instagram followers), a nail artist born in Vietnam and now based in Los Angeles. Truong has created nail designs for some of today’s biggest stars, including Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Kerry Washington, Dua Lipa and A$AP Rocky. She often uses her platform to advocate the importance of clean nail-care products and general care for hands, which are among the first body parts to show signs of aging.
After Truong moved to the U.S. as a child, she spent much of her early years watching her mother work magic on clients’ nails as a manicurist. The profession’s techniques and freedom of expression reeled her in. So when she was old enough to get her nail technician license, she wasted no time.
Now a manicurist, Truong said she’s learned a lot about nail and hand care while on the job. Among the most common missteps her clients make are not giving their cuticles sufficient care and improperly removing nail gel. Both can impact the health and appearance of nails and hands, she said.
“The best advice I can give is to not take gel [nail polish] off yourself. If you can, get it done professionally,” she told Glossy. “And you need to apply cuticle oil daily.” Not only does cuticle oil promote nail growth, but the ingredients in the product also help keep skin moisturized and reduce hangnails. The cuticle oil Truong currently uses is nail-care brand Gitti‘s Exfoliating Cuticle Gel & Restoring Nail Serum, which is set to launch to the public on September 14.
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In addition to using cuticle oil and protecting your fingernails, Truong recommended wearing sunscreen and keeping hands moisturized to delay the aging process of hands.
“I love to apply sunscreen on the back of [my clients’] hands because people forget about that,” Truong said.
In terms of additional hand care, Truong broke it down:
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“You should be washing your hands daily. After, I love to mix a little bit of oil with my lotion and add Supergoop’s unscented sunscreen on top of that. You have to really be diligent because, once you wash your hands again, the product will be removed. It’s really important to always moisturize after washing. Exfoliating is also a good idea — but not too much, because the skin is thin on the back of the hand. Also, if you have a really good face cream, you can put those serums on the back of your hand. A lot of the face stuff is also anti-aging, so it’s great for your hands, too.”
Shop Kim Truong’s Holy Grail products below.
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