Since your feet have the task of supporting the entire weight of your body, taking care of and pampering your feet can go a long way toward making you feel more comfortable and attractive year round. Your feet are huge pressure points on your body and taking care of them will be great for relieving stress and improving your overall mental health. Unfortunately, professional pedicures can end up being quite expensive, and they sure do add up. These are some simple, affordable, and effective steps that will keep your feet looking and feeling soft and groomed every day between pedicures.
Step 1: Soak your Feet in Warm Water
Begin your foot pampering treatment by soaking your feet in a bowl of warm water for at least ten minutes. This step cleans your feet, helps to relax your entire body, reduces tension in your foot muscles, and softens dead skin cells to prepare your feet to be exfoliated. As an optional step, you can add various ingredients to the bowl of warm water to gain some extra benefits. You can add a teaspoon of tea tree oil, which can help rid your feet of smelly bacteria, or a tablespoon of witch hazel to cleanse your feet. Half a cup of Epsom salts will help ease any muscle pain and stiffness in your feet.
Step 2: Exfoliate to remove Dead Skin
Dead skin can make your feet look and feel dry and flaky. Exfoliating your feet can help get rid of this problem. After your feet are all softened up from the foot soak, use your favorite foot scrub to remove the dead skin. You can also make your own luxurious foot scrub using equal parts sugar and/or salt mixed with olive or almond oil. Thoroughly work the scrub into your feet using small circular motions.
Step 3: Smooth away the Ridges
Especially if you have a lot of calluses, your feet are bound to be bumpy and rough from using them so often. After exfoliating the dead skin off your feet, buff away the bumps on your feet with a damp pumice stone or lava rock and a dollop of your favorite body wash. Make sure you are being gentle with your feet to avoid irritation.
Step 4: Groom your Toenails
It’s actually very important for us to keep our toenails properly groomed to avoid breakage, ingrown toenails, and other irritations. Use a strong nail clipper, then follow up by using a high quality nail file. If you have ridges on your toenails that you would like to get rid of, you can use a nail buffer.
Step 5: Apply a Moisturizer and Massage your Feet
Now for the fun part: moisturizing and massaging your feet. After spending time removing the dead skin on our feet, it is important to apply a moisturizer to keep your feet from getting dry and flaky again. Apply your favorite moisturizer (you can also use coconut, olive, or almond oil as a more natural option) and work it into your feet with a massage. Spend quality time on the massage, as it can do wonders for relieving muscle tension and overall stress.
Integrate these steps into your routine, and you will not believe how amazing your feet look and feel!
This article was written by Briar McLachlan, fashionista who believes that pampering yourself should be a part of your daily routine. She recommends checking out www.t4spa.com for a great deal on a pedicure chair for your home or business.