Most people know how to treat their skin, hair and nails. But “knowing” in the beauty world is often a practice in misinformation or overly general advice. That is, we may know what to do, but we don’t know how to do it or how to do it properly.

It’s time to finally know what we think know with real secrets and actual truths about beauty maintenance. From skin irritants to manicure-pedicure preparation to getting the most out of your hair, these are beauty secrets that every woman should know.

Your skin cleanser might be making things worse

Cleansing can irritate even healthy skin whether sensitive or problem skin. The solution to cleansing without further irritation regardless of skin type is to look for a gentle cleanser that dissolves dirt and excess oil without leaving the skin feeling tight or tingly. This means a cleanser without detergents, alcohols, fragrances, irritants or ingredients that block pores. The best irritants are lemon, mint, cinnamon and essential oils.

However, genetics play a big part in achieving a perfect enviable glowing skin though they genetics need help. It comes in the form of exfoliation. Exfoliating your skin allows skin-care serums and creams to perform better through improved penetration hence brightening the skin.

 Warning: Those with active acne should only exfoliate with salicylic acid, pending approval from their dermatologist.

Retinoids are the best things your aging skin isn’t using

First developed to treat acne, retinoids, or retinols, are chemical derivatives of vitamin A that can smooth out fine facial lines. They help thicken both the epidermis and dermis, exfoliate dead skin cells, speed the turnover of keratinocytes and increase production of collagen and hyaluronic acid, a carbohydrate that occurs naturally in the body and serves as a lubricant for joints, muscles and skin. But retinoids also increase the skin’s sensitivity to the sun. It’s good to use them at night for optimal benefit.

Net photo: Using sweet scrub
Want sweet skin, try a sweet scrub.

Regular facials are essential to maintaining healthy skin and at-home facials can work just as well as pricey spa treatments. There a number of ways to get pro treatment at home, but look first to sugar, one of nature’s great skin-sloughing agents. Applying a sugar scrub in gentle circular motions, followed by a lukewarm wash and pat-dry, can do wonders for your skin. Follow with a light steam by boiling a pot water, removing it from the stove and standing over it for a few minutes.

The body scrub you haven’t tried

Faces often get preferential scrub treatment, while our poor bodies are neglected. From scuffed-up feet to dry, scaly skin on your legs, elbows and arms, our bodies can take a beating. Oftentimes, our daily scrubs are the culprit, however there’s an easy feel-like-new remedy and it might be in your kitchen. Mix coconut oil, kosher salt or sugar, and some minced basil into a paste, and scrub away. Again, steam helps. But doing this regularly helps even more.

Better soak for your manicure and post-pedicure wrap

For a better manicure, mix shower gel with the warm water and soak your hands in the solution for five minutes, the result is newly soft manicured ready cuticles. For pedicure, even a pumice stone can’t remedy all of the dry, gnarly foot problems from a full day on your feet.

Try this: rub petroleum jelly on your feet and wrap them in cellophane. Leave it on for 15 minutes and you will have baby soft feet.

To hydrate hair correctly, avoid the root

Deep conditioning is obviously important to fight dry or frizzy hair. Whether you use a restorative conditioner or simple olive oil, apply olive oil and sit in the sun. Start with the tips of your hair and work your way up to mid-shaft. But avoid your roots: the scalp produces natural oils to help on the near end of things. Conditioning treatments could prevent them from helping.

That’s not dandruff you are treating

What many people think of dandruff is simply a dry scalp but the dandruff shampoo might be the problem. Dandruff is a result of not rinsing your hair properly and residue build up from the bad product. If dandruff isn’t going away, try rinsing your hair a bit more thoroughly or upgrade your hair product.

Your short hair might make you look old

Cutting your hair too short could be risky if you are trying to maintain a youthful look. Having a little visible hair behind the ear will soften your neckline and make you appear a bit younger.