Spotting Tootsie Happy Feet...
Odds are you're not taking good care of your feet on a regular, and yes there are times when I skip a few feet pampering sessions myself in the month. I must say I am fortunate to not have problematic feet. I’ve always made sure my nails look neat while I was growing up and used that food scrub as often as I could. It’s only after I was a young lady and living in the US that I got hooked to bi-weekly pedicures. I came to realise that monthly pedicures are simply not enough to keep them callous-free and soft, and I love me some soft feet and pretty toes. Here are a few simple tips I use on my foot care routine.
I think of foot care just as I think of my hair – they both need to be washed: It must be done regularly. To be honest I have a thing about feet and hair and both just have to be clean. Just as one exfoliates the face and body, your feet are no different you need to at least do this three to four days per week. On my foot spa days I was always told to take just a few minutes to scrub off any rough spots and calluses would never feature, and well that advise has worked wonders for me especially since I wear more open toe shoes living in SA than before.
Some of the things I do and use:-
1. I invest in foot butters that help in slowly and gently wearing down dry patches for those of you who have them but works just as well to keep them at bay for those that don’t.
2. Never use a razor to shave off skin and I see this happen at many foot spas in South Africa although I always tell those that do it as being a No, No because the body usually reacts to such abrupt skin removal by growing even denser calluses – now that’s something no one wants – I am just not a fan of those blades tearing away at my skin no hand can be that steady to shave off skin evenly I always say.
3. I need my feet feeling moist and silky smooth, so I make sure I moisturise them with the butters I invest in and Shea is what I mostly stick to although cocoa butter is another option. I use normal socks for the most part although not as much in the summer months, but an alternative is the cotton socks. I never knew this little trick piece of information but apparently thick, fluffy socks may feel cosy and comfy, but they draw moisture away from your skin, so avoid them – I can’t say I have many thick socks but let’s just say I haven’t really strayed away from them. I just apply ample moisturiser. I just can never get enough of my socks, socks, socks and The Body Shop has awesome cotton socks you might want to try out.
I found this at-home Vanilla Latte Pedicure, developed by Perillo and the Sweet Lily staff online and simply had to share word for word what they wrote. Let’s just say I have tried this out a few times and it’s fun to use.
Sweet Lily Vanilla Latte Pedicure
The Soak: You'll need 1 gallon of warm water, 4 cups of fresh brewed coffee, and ½ can of whipped cream. Combine in a small basin or tub.
The Scrub: You'll need 1/4 cup fine sea salt, 1/4 cup of jojoba or olive oil ( you just can’t get away from EVOO I listed it in my hair oil post as well) , ½ teaspoon of fresh ground coffee beans. Mix in a small bowl.
The Steps:
1. Remove any old nail polish with soy based or non-acetone remover.
2. Trim and file nails to desired shape and length, making sure to round the edges to avoid ingrown nails.
3. Submerge feet in the coffee and whipped cream soak for about five minutes. The caffeine in coffee is a great toner, while the lactic acid in the whipped cream helps to naturally exfoliate dead skin.
4. Gently push back cuticles with a wooden orange stick. You can purchase them in packs of 10 at any pharmacy.
5. Apply a scoop of the coffee bean salt scrub in circular motions to feet, paying extra attention to heels, between toes and calluses. The sea salt acts as a natural cleanser and antiseptic, while coffee beans gently exfoliate.
6. Rinse feet under warm water, then towel dry.
7. Massage lotion of choice into the skin, again giving extra TLC to rough patches and calluses.
8. Remove excess oils from the nail with a bit of non-acetone remover on a cotton ball.
9. Apply one coat base, two coats of your favourite polish (I just purchased Essie Cute as a Button that I will be wearing on a regular this summer), and one coat top. Let’s just say I am spotting happy feet at the moment!!!
Share your foot story if you dare (wink).... We all need happy feet in our lives to get us from point A to B.
I think of foot care just as I think of my hair – they both need to be washed: It must be done regularly. To be honest I have a thing about feet and hair and both just have to be clean. Just as one exfoliates the face and body, your feet are no different you need to at least do this three to four days per week. On my foot spa days I was always told to take just a few minutes to scrub off any rough spots and calluses would never feature, and well that advise has worked wonders for me especially since I wear more open toe shoes living in SA than before.
Some of the things I do and use:-
1. I invest in foot butters that help in slowly and gently wearing down dry patches for those of you who have them but works just as well to keep them at bay for those that don’t.
2. Never use a razor to shave off skin and I see this happen at many foot spas in South Africa although I always tell those that do it as being a No, No because the body usually reacts to such abrupt skin removal by growing even denser calluses – now that’s something no one wants – I am just not a fan of those blades tearing away at my skin no hand can be that steady to shave off skin evenly I always say.
3. I need my feet feeling moist and silky smooth, so I make sure I moisturise them with the butters I invest in and Shea is what I mostly stick to although cocoa butter is another option. I use normal socks for the most part although not as much in the summer months, but an alternative is the cotton socks. I never knew this little trick piece of information but apparently thick, fluffy socks may feel cosy and comfy, but they draw moisture away from your skin, so avoid them – I can’t say I have many thick socks but let’s just say I haven’t really strayed away from them. I just apply ample moisturiser. I just can never get enough of my socks, socks, socks and The Body Shop has awesome cotton socks you might want to try out.
I found this at-home Vanilla Latte Pedicure, developed by Perillo and the Sweet Lily staff online and simply had to share word for word what they wrote. Let’s just say I have tried this out a few times and it’s fun to use.
Sweet Lily Vanilla Latte Pedicure
The Soak: You'll need 1 gallon of warm water, 4 cups of fresh brewed coffee, and ½ can of whipped cream. Combine in a small basin or tub.
The Scrub: You'll need 1/4 cup fine sea salt, 1/4 cup of jojoba or olive oil ( you just can’t get away from EVOO I listed it in my hair oil post as well) , ½ teaspoon of fresh ground coffee beans. Mix in a small bowl.
The Steps:
1. Remove any old nail polish with soy based or non-acetone remover.
2. Trim and file nails to desired shape and length, making sure to round the edges to avoid ingrown nails.
3. Submerge feet in the coffee and whipped cream soak for about five minutes. The caffeine in coffee is a great toner, while the lactic acid in the whipped cream helps to naturally exfoliate dead skin.
4. Gently push back cuticles with a wooden orange stick. You can purchase them in packs of 10 at any pharmacy.
5. Apply a scoop of the coffee bean salt scrub in circular motions to feet, paying extra attention to heels, between toes and calluses. The sea salt acts as a natural cleanser and antiseptic, while coffee beans gently exfoliate.
6. Rinse feet under warm water, then towel dry.
7. Massage lotion of choice into the skin, again giving extra TLC to rough patches and calluses.
8. Remove excess oils from the nail with a bit of non-acetone remover on a cotton ball.
9. Apply one coat base, two coats of your favourite polish (I just purchased Essie Cute as a Button that I will be wearing on a regular this summer), and one coat top. Let’s just say I am spotting happy feet at the moment!!!
Share your foot story if you dare (wink).... We all need happy feet in our lives to get us from point A to B.
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