hen you think of pampering yourself or skin treatments do your feet come in a step behind? Many people underestimate or simply forget the importance of taking care of their feet.
Your feet carry you around all day - they deserve some pampering now and then, don't you think?
Foot maintenance is important not only in the summer, but year-round. Luckily, with the wide range of products and home remedies available foot care has been made easy.
If all this sounds complicated, don't worry - it's not. In just 20 minutes a week you can have supermodel-worthy soles. Just follow the seven steps below and before you know it you will be loving every precious minute.
Seven Steps for Super Smooth Soles:
- Soak: Place your feet in a plastic bowl of warm water with a few drops of chamomile (softening) and lavender (healing) essential oil blended into the water. After 10 minutes of soaking, remove and lightly dry your feet with a towel.
- Soften: Apply cuticle softener (see below), wait a minute then gently push back the cuticles using a rubber ÒhoofÓ stick or an orangewood stick wrapped in absorbent cotton. Don't push your cuticles back so far that they reveal the little moon as you may damage the nail bed.
- Smooth: Grab a Pumice Stone or any foot scrubber, soak it in water for a minute, then rub the dead skin off of your soles to make them soft and smooth.
- Pamper: Massage your feet with an exfoliating paste (see below) then apply a rich moisturizing cream or oil (don't forget your toes) to exfoliate, moisturize, relax and help flexibility.
- Prep: If you are going to apply polish, gently wipe all oil or cream residue off the nails, roll up a paper towel and weave it through your toes to separate them.
- Polish: Apply polish from the bottom of the nail s to the tips, starting in the center. Don't let the polish get on your cuticles or skin as it is extremely drying and will make your cuticles look rough.
- Finish: After applying polish, take a Q-tip dipped in nail polish remover (get the gentlest kind you can find) and remove polish from spots where it doesn't belong, like the sides of your toes and on your fingers.
Voila! You should now have super smooth soles. Follow this relaxing routine once a week for proper foot maintenance. Every other week you should skip the polish to let your nails breath and to avoid having your nails turn yellow.
RECIPES
Natural Cuticle Softener:
Mix one egg yolk with one tablespoon (that's a soup spoon) of pineapple juice; then add five drops of lemon juice and one drop of pure lemon essential oil (if available.) Soak nails or toes in this for 15 minutes, or apply directly to cuticles, then gently push cuticles back with an orangewood stick.
Foot Exfoliating Paste:
Drop 1/4 cup hazelnuts or almonds in a blender or coffee grinder until coarsely ground. Mix together 1/4 cup of dry oatmeal, 2 tablespoons of honey, 3 tablespoons of cocoa butter and the nuts until you get a thick wet paste. Rub into hands and/or feet. You can also apply this paste and cover your feet with thick socks to leave overnight. Just remember to rinse it off in the morning before going to school!
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