In this month of February we need to pay special attention to loved ones. We also know that a little self-care goes a long way so love your feet and give them an at-home-treatment.
The current fashion for exposed toes and near naked feet, demand perfect grooming – soft, smooth soles and neat polished nails. So follow our expert advice and work your way, step-by-step, to healthy, buffed up feet with an at-home-pedicure.
Do supplement your at-home-treatments with a professional PodPed™ from Supplefeet, if you prefer to leave it to the professional, try one of our clinic treatments. We famously incorporate a intensely nourishing wax treatment into our pedicures for ultimate results.
The five – step DIY pedicure
1. PREPARE
First, remove all traces of nail polish with an acetone-free nail polish remover. Next, fill a bowl with some warm water and add a handful of sea salt or a foot soak. Dip your feet in to soften as well and clean the skin, and relax for five minutes. After soaking, take out one foot and, while wet, massage in a foot scrub between the toes and around the heels. Repeat with other foot. Once finished ensure all the scrub, along with the dead skin, is washed away.
Supplefeet Tip: Use a foot scrub every day, when showering, to prevent the build-up of hard skin.
2. CARE
Towel-dry your feet, particularly between the toes. Then, rub the soles and edges of your feet with a buffer or foot file. Concentrate on the rough areas that accumulate on your heels, the balls on your feet and the sides of your big toes. Beware of over-rubbing, though – hard skin is the body’s natural protection, cushioning your feet against pressure to prevent soreness.
Supplefeet Tip: If you have excessive amounts of hard skin you need a PodPed™, or buff first when your feet are dry – so you can get a sense how hard the skin is – and then buff again after soaking.
3. SHAPE
Next, apply cuticle cream or oil around the base and sides of your toenails and leave for five minutes. Using a hoof stick, gently push back each cuticle, on all sides, with tine circular motions. Cut each nail straight across with nail clippers, file any rough edges smooth. With the aid of a nail buffer, rub over each nail plate from side to side to smooth out any ridges.
Supplefeet Tip: Always follow the natural contour of the nail, not too long nor too short.
4. MASSAGE
Give your feet a good rub using revitalising foot cream. Look for the ingredients such as Shea butter, urea and aloe vera, as these will help to nourish the skin of the feet.
Work the cream into the soles, kneading with your fists and applying pressure in between your toes with your thumbs. Massage up the legs, too, as they contain the muscles that work the feet. Continue massaging until the foot cream has been completely absorbed.
Supplefeet Top tip : The skin on the feet is much thicker than elsewhere on the body, so you need a cream with a rich consistency rather than a body moisturiser, which can be too watery and cause soles to slip.
5. POLISH
Wipe away any remaining lotion from the toenails and remember to insert toe dividers. Paint each nail with a base coat to prevent the polish staining. With your chosen colour paint each nail, starting with one stroke up the middle of the nail. Repeat on the either side to achieve a perfect curve at the base, without touching the cuticle. Apply a high shine top coat and leave your nails to dry for at least 20 minutes. If you do run on to the surrounding skin, dip a cotton bud in nail polish remover and carefully wipe away the extra polish.
Supplefeet Top Tip: Rub Olive oil or Solar oil daily to nourish the nail and promote shine. You can also reapply a clear top coat every other day to ensure that your pedicure will last.
And finally, foot pain is not normal so see a Supplefeet Podiatrist to get a full assessment and to sort out your foot problems and concerns - 020 8367 9292.