Let's face it - time, money, and plain old will-power is enough to stop us getting a professional pedicure. And yet there is nothing nicer than sitting back and enjoying a foot treatment.
Instead, put aside some time one evening for an easy and relaxing home pedicure:
Wash feet and scrub toe nails with warm, mild soapy water.
Massage an exfoliater into the skin. Rinse.
Use a foot file on the soles of your feet and heels to remove dry skin. Use the gentle, less abrasive side to carefully go over any bumps on your toes that need softning.
Apply cuticle remover. Leave for a few minutes and gently push back cuticles with an orange stick. Rinse and pat dry.
If you have specific problems to target use your nail tools properly according to the instructions to remove hard or dead skin, file or clean.
Use a toe separater cushion to give toes apart while applying polish. Apply base coat to protect), color, and top coat (for high shine and professional finish), waiting in between each coat for it to dry.
When polish is just dry to the touch, apply a tiny drop of oil - baby oil or olive oil is fine - massage into the cuticles lightly and you will have a perfectly dry manicure very quickly - the oil protects the polish hard much better than any quick-dry spray you may think you need. (If you are having a salon pedicure, take your own nail polish, you then have the exact color at home for easy touch-ups).
Remember, try to avoid soaking your feet in hot water the day after a pedicure. Hot water makes your freshly applied polish peel more easily.
Massage a foot cream into your feet. Cream designed especially for feet is richer and thicker than regular body cream. It penetrates the harder skin on our feet giving a luxurious softness.
Before you go to sleep at night, rub vasaline around each nail bed, and then mix a dollop of vasaline into your foot cream and massage all over each foot.
Slip on a pair of thin, regular cotton socks for the night. Check out the results the next morning!
When you do use nail varnish as part of your foot beauty routine, always use a base coat under your varnish so your nails don't turn yellow. Using a pail color in the summer will also be healthier for your natural nail color - and shimmering pinks, peaches and cream give toe nails a healthier glow than darker colors.
But try to give your toe nails a break from wearing polish all the time, and let the natural sunlight get them. Finish off your pedicure by buffing your nails instead to give them a natural glow - they will be a healthier color and grow quicker when given a well earned rest from polish occassionally.
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As seen in Oprah’s Magazine!