A quick search for the hot oil manicure technique on Instagram throws up clips of strange-looking wax gloves, essentially petrolatum, enveloped around hands to deeply moisturise nails and cuticles, but treatments using greener ingredients are gaining popularity, too. "A hot oil manicure usually consists of submerging your fingers and nails into a bowl of heated essential oils with the exact blend of these oils tailored to your particular nail ailment," explains Ama Quashie , session manicurist. "Think of it like rehab for your nails." At Ama, hot oil treatments include a rich blend of shea butter, jojoba, organic coconut oil and vitamin E, which are warmed up and dabbed onto hands, nails and cuticles. A warm mitten is applied while the oils absorb, leaving hands, nails and cuticles moisturised and supple. But the best part is the brilliant shine, almost like an inbuilt gloss, without a single scrap of polish.