At last, it’s time dust off our sandals and flip flops again. Before we put them on though, first we need to set to work on our feet. For months, they’ve barely seen the light of day, hidden inside winter shoes and sneakers. In this article, we reveal what you need to do to get beautiful feet that are ready to face the world once more.
How to get beautiful feet again
The foot bath
Start with a foot bath to get your feet ready for summer once more. To do this, prepare a bath—preferably heated to 98 degrees Fahrenheit and containing around 10 percent Dead Sea salt—and then simply leave your feet to soak for 10 to 15 minutes. The heat and salt will lift away the dead flakes of skin, leaving your feet looking as good as new. A foot bath like this is also the best way to prepare your feet for the pedicure that’s to come.
Removing callused skin
Once you’ve done with the foot bath, it’s time to deal with those unsightly calluses. The bath will have softened them so you can remove them safely. A pumice stone is ideal for this, as it can be used to get rid of the excess skin. Electric callus removers are also perfect for the job. Usually, these even allow you to set the speed, letting you choose the right intensity level for your feet.
The pedicure
Once you have beautiful feet again, you can set to work on your nails. First, spend some time on your cuticles. You can either push them back with a wooden cuticle stick or treat them with cuticle remover. Simply apply the cuticle remover and leave it to work for a while. The cuticle can then be pushed back easily. Don’t remove too much though, as your cuticles are designed to protect against bacteria getting in at the base of your nails.
Once you have removed the cuticles, it’s time to trim and shape your nails. To do this, you will need a pair of nail scissors and a nail file. Trim your toenails to whatever length you prefer. You may need to use nail clippers as well as nail scissors. But beware! Trimming your toenails too short can lead to ingrowing nails, which can be very painful, which why it’s better to cut your toenails straight rather than round them off. Once you have trimmed your nails, you can shape them with a nail file.
Caring for your nails
We usually only pay attention to our nails when we paint them. Yet nail varnish damages your nails, so you should look after them regularly as well. There are lots of ways to do this:
- Nail oil: This provides your nails and cuticles with high-quality oils, giving them a beautiful shine at the same time.
- Cuticle cream: As the name suggests, cuticle creams are specially formulated for your cuticles, moisturizing them to prevent them becoming dry and cracked.
- Nail cream: Nail cream tackles brittle nails and cracked cuticles head-on. Ideally, apply at night before going to sleep and leave to soak in overnight.
- Nail serum: This is simply applied to the nails, strengthening them thanks to ingredients such as caffeine and protein. It also moisturizes your cuticles at the same time.
Painting your nails
Once your nails have been given the care and attention they need, it’s time to paint them. If you’re planning to use a colored varnish, it may be best to apply a base coat first. As well as stopping the color of the nail varnish from penetrating the nail, it also makes it easier to apply your nail color. When applying nail varnish, there are four steps for getting it right:
- Start with the brush at the base of the nail.
- Sweep the brush down the middle of the nail at a shallow angle, applying very light pressure.
- Then paint the two side edges in exactly the same way, from cuticle to tip.
- Once you have painted all ten toenails, leave the varnish enough time to dry.
Looking after your beautiful feet on a daily basis
You’ve lavished your feet with care and attention after the long winter months, making them fit for summer. But that doesn’t mean you can now neglect your beautiful feet again for months on end. It’s particularly important to moisturize your feet regularly—preferably daily. Creams with a high urea content or allantoin are especially good for this. You should use a cream like this to moisturize your feet at least once a day. Preferably even morning and night. Your feet will thank you for it.
Besides all these tips on looking after your feet, you should also follow the tips below for beautiful feet:
- Avoid walking in high heels all the time to spare your feet.
- Walking barefoot is also good for your feet.
- A cold foot bath at the end of a long day can also help you relax. If you don’t have time for a foot bath, refreshing foot sprays or foot deodorants also help.
- From time to time, pressure marks, sores, and even blisters can make our beautiful feet look anything but beautiful. Thanks to our pjuractive 2SKIN, that’s a thing of the past. Simply apply the anti-chafing gel to the areas of skin most at risk for protection that lasts hours, preventing the rubbing that leads to sores and blisters.
- And do you know what else is good for your feet? Putting them up once in a while. After a tiring day, your feet will thank you if you give them a little rest.
All in all, that’s quite a few tips to help you get beautiful feet. We hope you have lots of fun wearing all your favorite summer shoes—now finally with beautiful feet 🙂
Images: shutterstock_109236152