How to give yourself a pedicure

Let’s face it. We neglect our feet during the winter and revive them during warmer weather. With summer just around the corner, it is important to make sure your feet look great for your favorite pair of sandals. Here our some great tips to soften your feet and have them glowing in no time with just a few pedicure supplies. Some pedicure supplies you will find useful to use all the time. Your feet will be as radiant as your smile. And, you will save money by skipping a pedicure at the salon! Don’t miss out on the secret to beautiful feet.

What you will need for your pedicure: If you do not have all of these things, don’t worry. You don’t need everything, and I’ll show you how to find useful pedicure supplies around your home!

Pedicure Supplies:
foot basin or foot bath, towel, nail file, pumice or ped egg, foot soak, foot scrub, lotion, cotton socks, nail clippers

Optional Pedicure Supplies: Pampered Toes, nail polish

1. Foot bath The first and most important thing on the list of your pedicure supplies is the foot basin. If you have ever had a foot bath before, you know how relaxing it can be. Find a flat tub big enough to place your feet in. You can find one at any store that sells Tupperware. I have even seen them at dollar stores. Pour two capfuls of foot soak into the foot basin. You can find foot soak at your local store or you can use apple cider vinegar or baking soda as a substitute instead. Fill the tub with hot water. Soak your footsies for at least 15 minutes. The foot bath is one of my favorite pedicure supplies because it is the foundation to your pedicure.

2. Scrub a dub, dub Next on the list of pedicure supplies is the foot scrub. Take your foot scrub and massage your feet with it. What you are doing is exfoliating your feet. This is the secret that transforms dull, tired feet to radiant and glowing feet. Sally Hansen has great pedicure supplies including foot scrubs that smell delicious! Some people like minty-fresh feet while others prefer flowery scents. I switch it up and use whatever I am in the mood for. If you do not have a scrub,mix half sugar and half water in a bowl. You can also use salt. Both work great. Add cinnamon or honey to make it interesting and to awaken your senses. You have plenty of options for homemade pedicure supplies at home!

3. Dry skin intervention We are halfway through the pedicure. Rinse your feet off in the foot basin. Dry your feet off with the towel, but make sure your feet are still damp. Take your pumice stone or file and work on the trouble areas. Trouble areas are where dry patches of skin accumulate-usually at the heels and on the balls of your feet. Take the pumice stone and go back and forth over your dry skin. I prefer pumice stones with a handle because I feel like I have a better grip and more control. However, the Ped Egg is one of the best pedicure supplies I have ever used. It removes calluses and dry skin like nobody’s business with very little effort! The Ped Egg is similar to pedicure supplies like pumices and foot files, except that you actually see results.

4. Flexibility As you get older, your feet may take a turn for the worst. One of the reasons why is because we neglect our feet. It is important to maintain the structure of your feet and keep them straight. You don’t want them to start to curve with time. After drying your feet, use one of the recommended pedicure supplies, such as Pampered Toes.
Pampered Toes is a cheaper version of the popular yoga toes and works just as well.

5. Moisture Water is vital to living and guess what? Our feet like it too! This has helped my itchy, dry skin the most. Best of all, water is one of the pedicure supplies that you can simply ‘find around the house’. I apply Jergen’s Shea Butter lotion to my tootsies. It is super moisturizing. I also like Mary Kay’s extra emollient cream, Kerasil and good old petroleum jelly.

6. Dress your toes We are down to the last two pedicure supplies on our list. Clip your nails and apply 2-3 coats of nail polish.

It is important to pamper you feet. I try to give myself a pedicure once a month. I always use basic pedicure supplies like my foot bath and Pampered Toes. If you give yourself a pedicure often, you do not have to go through all of these steps each and every time. For instance, I do not always need certain pedicure supplies like my nail clippers. If you give yourself a pedicure regularly, your feet will not be as dry so you can skip the pumice stone from time to time. Sometimes all you need is a good foot soak to soothe your feet and make you feel relaxed. If you are rushed for time, pedicure supplies I would recommend is just your foot basin and maybe a foot scrub to soften the skin.

The Remington paraffin spa is a thermal device that uses wax and oil to target trouble spots on your body. It is a very effective method which uses heat to relieve foot pain, muscle stiffness, sore joints, muscle spasms, arthritis and increase circulation. It can also be used as treatment for physical therapy. Externally, paraffin spas are great for manicures and pedicures because they have the ability to treat dry, cracked heels leaving the skin feeling incredibly silky. Manicures will look smooth and polished with this application. I recommend the Remington paraffin spa because it is definitely one of the better paraffin spas on the market and it is more affordable compared to other brands, which can cost over $100. Remington is a trusted name and the great thing about this spa is that it is for your hands, elbows and feet. This product also comes with a 2 year warranty, cotton hand mitts, 60 disposable plastic liners and 4 lbs. of citrus aromatherapy scented wax.

The process of paraffin spas is simple. First, wash your feet. Second, dip one foot in the paraffin spa. Let the wax dry a little. Dip the same foot again. Dip your foot several times to build up a thick coat of wax on your skin. Your Remington paraffin spa comes with disposable liners. Cover your foot with a plastic liner. This whole process traps in heat, which penetrates deep to soothe pain, increase circulation, and heal cracked feet. Repeat using your other foot. The process takes about 20 minutes. For more info on soft skin and circulation, you can find out about skin brushing at  http://www.naturaldetoxes.com/what-is-skin-brushing-it%e2%80%99s-a-natural-detox/

Remington HS-200 Paraffin Spa for Hands and Feet

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The Ped Egg Phenomenon

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The Stuggle with Plantar Fasciitis

Battling Dry Skin With Salves 

The secret to soft feet is moisture. The single most thing you can do to help your feet is lotion them at least once a day after a shower. Lotions and creams provide moisture and penetrate deep into the skin. Your feet should show improvement within several weeks. Jergen’s Shea Butter lotion is very moisturizing and absorbs into the skin. If your skin is very dry, apply lotion to your feet several times a day. You may not need to do this as often during the summer. For products that specifically target dry feet try Kerasil. Kerasil is an ointment that comes in a tube. It absorbs into the skin so well no one will even know you have dry skin. Kerasil is very effective but can get costly over time. Petroleum jelly is inexpensive and it works wonders on rough, dry feet. Before bedtime, put a generous amount of petroleum jelly over the entire surface of your feet, including between your toes. Then wrap both of your feet in saran wrap. Put cotton socks over the saran wrap. When you wake up in the morning, your feet will be noticeably softer. Repeat this process as much as necessary until your feet become baby soft.

Battling Dry Skin With Oils

Oils are great at sealing in moisture. Mix a capful of coconut oil with 1 quart of water to your foot basin and soak feet for 15 minutes. The oil will make your feet silky smooth instantly. You can also use olive oil. While oils have the ability to soften your tootsies within moments, it is important to remember that their purpose is to seal in moisture. Oils should only be used on wet feet so the oil can seal in the water. Applying oil to dry skin will not help at all and will actually block moisture from your skin.

Battling Dry Skin With Temperature 

Temperature has a lot to do with how dry your feet are. For example, during the winter our feet are noticeably dryer than they are in the summer. Heat can also dry out your skin. Turning on the heat during the winter is comforting but very drying to your skin. This is because the heat sucks up all moisture in the air. One way to replace the lost moisture is to get a humidifier. Humidifiers provide moisture by releasing water droplets into the air. A cheaper option is to wear socks even while sleeping during the winter. The socks will protect your feet and prevent them from being exposed to dry air.

All photos belong to their original owners

1. Foot splash Fill a basin with warm to hot water and pour a capful of foot soak in the tub. I will sometimes substitute oil for foot soak because it leaves my skin feeling very soft afterwards. Now soak your footsies for at least 15 minutes. This will soften the skin on your feet.

2. Scrub a dub, dub Take your foot scrub and massage your feet with it. This is the secret to transforming dull, tired feet to radiant and glowing feet. If you do not have a foot scrub, mix half sugar and half water in a bowl. You can also use salt instead of sugar. Rinse your feet and dry them with a towel.  

3. Moisture knows best Water is vital to living and guess what? Our feet like it too! This has helped my itchy, dry skin the most. I apply Jergen’s Shea Butter lotion to my tootsies. It is super moisturizing. I also like to use Mary Kay’s extra emollient cream, Kerasil, or good old petroleum jelly.

4. Dress your toes Dry your toenails with your towel really well. This will provide a nice, non-slippery platform to apply your nail polish to. Apply 1-2 coats of nail polish. 

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