After a long time, I had a delicious fish curry prepared with turmeric. It adds to the flavour of any dish, but let’s not forget that the warm spice has an intense yellow colour. Since I ate the fish curry and rice with my hands, it left that yellow colour on my nails. I used a soap and washed my hands many times. But the stubborn colour refused to leave my nails. Then my mom gave an orange peel to me. She said that an orange peel is good for whitening nails! I decided to dig more about using orange peels on nails.

Health Shots reached out to Dr Sandeep Babbar, Medical Director and Dermatologist from Revyve Skin, Hair and Nail Clinic, Faridabad, to find out if orange peels are good for nails.

Health benefits of orange peel

When we eat an orange, we dig our fingers into the fruit and remove the outer skin that shields it. Dr Babbar says the orange peel has many health benefits!

• It is a natural exfoliator and reduces black spots.
• It is a good source of vitamin C, which helps to maintain healthy skin and the immune system.
• It heals blackheads, dead skin cells, acne and blemishes.
• It helps to make your face look brighter. To get rid of tan or for added glow, you can add milk or curd to the peel and apply.
• Since orange peels are rich in vitamin C, it might help to reduce wrinkles and boost collagen formation in topical applications.

Orange peels can be safely used as part of a regular skin care routine. He says that an orange peel and turmeric mask is great for eliminating tan. All you need is one tablespoon of honey, one tablespoon of orange peel powder, and a pinch of turmeric.

But he warns that women with sensitive skin should exercise caution while applying it topically because it might irritate or trigger allergic responses.

Orange peel for nails

Thanks to vitamin C, an orange peel can be helpful in eliminating stains on nails. If you have discoloured or yellow nails, you will require something that serves as a whitening agent, and an orange peel is exactly that. An orange peel’s explosion of antioxidants can give your nails nourishment and strengthen them.

How to use orange peel for nails

You can whiten your nails by just rubbing some orange peel on them and improve their appearance, suggests the expert. You can also try this method –

• Take a small container and make a thick paste of orange peel powder and water.
• Use a gentle toothbrush to apply the paste on the portion of your nails that are discoloured.
• After applying the paste on the nails, give it 10 minutes to dry on its own.
• Use warm water to wash your nails and repeat the steps twice a week for best results.

If you want, you can also go for orange peel manicure and pedicure at a salon.

Dr Babbar says oranges aid in the synthesis of collagen, which is a key substance that contributes to the vitality of nails and helps in nail growth. The anti-inflammatory qualities of orange can also to prevent infections. So, you can also use orange juice for nails. Just soak your nails in a bowl of orange juice for about 10 minutes and then rinse it with warm water.

So, whether it is peel in its original form or powder version or the fruit’s juice itself, using orange can be really good for your nails.