How To Whiten Your Nails With Toothpaste

Keeping a manicure in tip-top shape throughout the trials of everyday life is harder than it looks. And as tempting as it sounds to instantly nix our manicure at the first signs of chipping, we're faced with two options.

First: Drop what we're doing and make a beeline for the closest nail salon. Second option: Grab the nail polish remover and cotton balls. (We're all busy, so door number two often wins out.) But as soon as we scrub off our classic OPI Big Apple Red or cheeky Essie Wicked, we're left with disaster—in the form of stained, dingy, yellow nails. We've had enough!

While sporting a chip-free, glossy manicure at all times is certainly ideal, it's not practical. We need to be able to transition from polished to natural nails with grace, and yellow nails just do not scream grace. Here's everything you need to know about why your nails are yellow and how to fix it in just 10 minutes.

Why Nails Yellow

There are several reasons your nails can become yellowed or discolored, like smoking tobacco, applying self-tanner, fungal infections, bruising, some health conditions (like psoriasis), and harsh chemicals in nail polish removers.

Stained or yellow-tinted nails can also come from the pigments used in darker nail polishes, even bright reds. The longer the pigment is on your nails, the more noticeable the staining is. If you, like the British royal family, stay true to the one and only nude color that ever needs to exist, Essie's Ballet Slippers, you might not suffer from this side effect.

Even so, it never hurts to have flawlessly white nails if you need to step out polish-less. No matter the motivation, fear not because there's an at-home remedy for stained nails that we think every Southern woman should know, regardless of polish preference. And this secret hack for whitening your nails, we are happy to report, can be found in your bathroom right now.

It's time to break out the toothpaste.

How To Use Toothpaste To Whiten Nails

Whitening toothpaste, especially those that include baking soda, will have your nails runway-ready in just 10 minutes. Here's what to do:

1. Remove your manicure with the appropriate nail polish remover.
2. Then, layer the toothpaste on your nails and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Once time is up, grab a nail brush or toothbrush and gently scrub the nails under warm water.

C'est tout! Your nails will be visibly brighter and whiter. If you are dealing with a severe case of staining, you can repeat the process over the course of a few days.

After this easy nail detox, you'll be able to step out polish-free until your next manicure appointment. Because, whether OPI Bubble Bath or Lincoln Park After Dark, we think life's too short for a naked nail all the time.

Other Methods To Whiten Your Nails

Instead of using toothpaste, you can also try soaking your fingers in sea salt, hydrogen peroxide, or vinegar. (Make sure you dilute these with water and moisturize your hands afterward.) 

If you don’t have any nicks or cuts, you can also soak your fingers in lemon juice, or you can make a baking soda paste with lemon juice (or water) to scrub your nails. Some folks even suggest dipping your fingers in denture cleaner! 

For all these methods, just like toothpaste, it is recommended to keep your chosen cleaner on your nails for about 10 minutes. 

How To Prevent Staining

There's an equally easy way to prevent this yellowing problem from the jump: If you have a steady hand and choose to paint your nails at home, a base coat will always help minimize staining, making it more than worth the extra few swipes. Otherwise, we wish you a chip-free, sans-stain manicure!