The Truth about Cuticles that no-one told us before!

Clean girl nails mean clean girl cuticles - but what does that actually mean? Are you supposed to cut? Scrape? Push? And if so… where?

This is where most people go wrong. The skin at the base of your nail is often misunderstood, mislabelled, and overworked - which leads to redness, infection, and ragged cuticle lines.

Let’s clear it up properly.

Understanding cuticle care starts with knowing what’s what:

• The Matrix: Made of cells that create new nail layers. Located underneath the eponychium and not visible.
• The Eponychium: Living skin that covers and protects the nail matrix.
• The Proximal Nail Fold: The fold of live skin at the base of the nail plate.
• The Cuticle: Dead skin pulled from the underside of the eponychium that sits on the nail plate.

That band of skin at the bottom of the nail plate that everyone loves to clip? That is not the cuticle.

The correct term is the keratinised proximal nail fold. It is a protective barrier that prevents germs and bacteria from entering the nail matrix.

Cutting it compromises that seal — which is why over-cut cuticles often become sore, red, or infected.

The cuticle is the thin layer of dead tissue that sits on the nail plate itself. It’s not living skin, and it’s safe to remove — when done correctly.

• The eponychium is living skin that seals and protects the nail matrix.
• The underside of the proximal nail fold has a sticky texture that attaches to the nail plate.
• As the nail grows, it pulls the underside cells with it.
• Those pulled cells stay stuck to the nail plate.
• These dead cells become what we call the cuticle.

For some people, this releases naturally. For others, the seal is stronger — which is why the cuticle can stretch thinly across the nail plate.

Push & scrape — never cut.

Using a cuticle softener helps hydrate and loosen the skin, making it easier to gently push back the proximal nail fold and remove the dead cuticle safely.

• Apply cuticle oil and hand cream daily.
• Push back the proximal nail fold every 4–7 days.
• If anything hurts — stop immediately.
• If the entire cuticle line is red, you are pushing or scraping too much.

Healthy cuticles should look calm, hydrated, and intact — not raw or inflamed.