The Japanese manicure is a 400 year old nail care treatment very popular in Japan. It’s also known as the manicure p. shine, named after the company that commercially developed it. It’s the perfect strengthening treatment for weak, brittle nails, and a really relaxing beauty ritual. You can have a Japanese manicure at a salon, or do it yourself at home if you are so inclined.
In the simplest terms, a Japanese manicure consists of applying a special paste onto your bare nails, with a special powder to seal it in. But it’s actually so much more! There is a whole ritual for a Japanese manicure and it’s a very relaxing experience.
The products used on a Japanese manicure are all of natural origins. The paste (known as p. shine paste) is a mix of vitamins A and E, bee pollen, keratin and silica from the Sea of Japan. It has a characteristic green colour, and also contains different oils such as jojoba, bamboo, ylang-ylang, and red tea.
The other vital component of a Japanese manicure is the p. shine powder, which contains among other things diatomaceous earth and beeswax. It’s used to seal the nutrients from the paste in and give the nails a slight pink sheen.
No metal tools or solvents are used at all. Only ceramic nail files and traditional deer skin polishing units and oils. The cuticles are pushed, not cut, and even the desinfecting liquid is made from natural and gentle ingredients such as beeswax. This makes it a very gentle type of manicure designed to make your nails stronger and healthier than before.
The end result is a pearlised shine and healthy and natural looking nails. For best results, you should have several Japanese manicures, about three weeks apart tops.
If you choose to go to a salon to get a Japanese manicure, expect a fair bit of ritual in the overall experience. It is supposed to be relaxing for the mind and the body, and a hand massage always helps!
The first step is to remove any old nail polish and cleanse and disinfect the nails with a warm fluid that contains beeswax. The nails are then filed and shaped to the desired length. You use a ceramic file for this, not a metal one.
Afterwards, it’s time to take care of the cuticles. Cuticles are softened using a jojoba oil blend, and pushed gently with a wood or ceramic cuticle pusher. This is much more gentle on the nails than cutting the cuticles.
Afterwards, the green paste is massaged into the nails and buffed firmly into the nail bed. This paste strengthens the nail bed and helps the nail become stronger. You’ll use a dedicated deer or calfskin cloth for this, usually green, to avoid mixing it with the one used for the powder.
The second step is buffing the Japanese manicure powder sealer. This prevents the green paste from washing away, and gives the nails a glossy pink color. The powder is buffed with a pink deer or calfskin cloth.
This process can be repeated two or three times, depending on how damaged the nails are and the type of treatment.
To finish, a hand massage with essential oils encourages blood circulation and relaxes the hands. The process usually lasts less than half an hour.
This natural treatment is particularly good for those with weak or damaged nails. If you are a recovering gel addict and your nails feel brittle, expect to see amazing results from the first application.
The products in this kind of manicure contain a whole lot of beneficial ingredients.
However, due to the Beeswax and Lanoline the Japanese manicure is NOT VEGAN.
Eventually the cream and powder polish will wash out, particularly if you wet your hands a lot. After a week you may notice the shine starts to dull and it doesn’t look like you just painted your nails anymore. If you want, you can just buff and clean your nails and apply another manicure again.
Otherwise, the protective film will stay in your nails for about two weeks. There is no removal process, the Japanese manicure will just slowly wash away with no need for nail polish removers or anything.
It has no side effects, so there is no real reason to wait in between treatments if it has faded. If you wash your hands very often it will go away quicker, so ideally use gloves when doing the dishes to protect your nails.
If you can’t live without color in your nails, worry not. A Japanese manicure is compatible with nail polish. However, you should wait a day or two before painting your nails. After the Japanese manicure your nails will be more oily than usual. Wiping all the nutrients with an acetone soaked cotton ball is not worth it.
As you can see, a Japanese manicure is totally worth your time. Even if you are a fan of acrylic of gel nails, a restoring treatment like this will help them stay in better shape. And if you prefer the natural look you’ll love the finish of this kind of manicure.
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