Tips & tricks

The Tips & tricks section of The Body Optimist rounds up the beauty hacks that make everyday life easier: nail care, DIY recipes, quick fixes, solutions to small annoyances like chafing or puffy eyes, and feel-good rituals. It’s practical advice that’s easy to try at home, so you can feel good in your body just as it is.

What you’ll find in the Tips & tricks section

• Nails and hands: filing, moisturizing, taking breaks between manicures, and the everyday mistake that weakens nails without you noticing.
• DIY beauty: homemade recipes for face, body and hair, with the precautions that go with them, like this homemade anti-chlorine recipe for pool days.
• Quick fixes: keeping gloss in place through a meal, taming a cowlick, choosing the right brush, making your perfume last.
• Everyday annoyances: chafing, sweat, sunburn, chapped lips or a red nose in winter.
• Well-being and beauty: facial self-massage, sleep, stress and the link between skin problems and mental health.

How do you take care of your nails every day?

Healthy nails mostly need gentleness and moisture. Always file in one direction with a fine glass or emery board, rather than sawing back and forth. Push back your cuticles after a shower instead of cutting them, then massage your nails and the skin around them with an oil or hand cream. Apply a base coat before dark polish to limit yellowing, and take breaks between gel manicures, which should be removed without scraping. A nail that suddenly changes color, lifts or develops deep ridges is worth showing to a doctor.

Are DIY beauty products a good idea?

Homemade beauty products can be a good idea, as long as you make them carefully. Use clean utensils, make small batches, store them in the fridge and use them up quickly: without preservatives, any mix that contains water gets contaminated fast. Some popular ingredients belong nowhere near your face, like lemon juice, which irritates skin and makes it more sensitive to the sun, or baking soda, which is too abrasive. Essential oils are potent and can trigger allergies: never apply them undiluted, and avoid them during pregnancy unless your doctor says otherwise. Always patch test first.

Our approach

A tip is only worth it if it’s simple, safe and fits your daily life. We favor accessible habits that don’t require pricey tools, and we flag the bad ideas that go viral on social media. Chafing and sweat are covered without embarrassment: they affect every body and deserve practical solutions, not shame.

Our articles to get you started

• Keeping lip gloss in place during meals: the trick for longer-lasting shine.
• Making your perfume last from morning to night: a simple technique to extend the scent.
• What to do first after a sunburn: the step that helps soothe your skin.
• Adding volume to fine hair without teasing: a gentler technique than backcombing.

Frequently asked questions

How do you prevent thigh chafing?

The most effective solution is to create a barrier between your thighs: anti-chafing shorts or slip shorts under a skirt or dress, lace or silicone thigh bands, or an anti-chafing stick or balm. Choose breathable fabrics to keep skin dry and, if irritation sets in, clean the area gently and apply a soothing cream.

How do you make perfume last longer?

Fragrance lasts longer on moisturized skin: apply an unscented lotion first, then spray on pulse points such as your neck, inner wrists or the crook of your elbows. Don’t rub your wrists together, and keep the bottle away from heat and light, which break down the fragrance.

How do you get rid of puffy eyes in the morning?

Cold is the fastest fix: cool compresses, spoons chilled in the fridge or an eye cream kept cool, applied for a few minutes. A light massage from the inner to the outer corner helps drain fluid, and sleeping with your head slightly raised limits puffiness. Swelling that persists, hurts or comes with redness is worth getting checked by a doctor.

Keep exploring: browse the whole Beauty section, our face and body care routines and our makeup techniques.