Perfect Home Pedicures

The warm season is here, and we’re all excited to wear our brand new sandals and open-toe ballerinas. Make sure that your feet are worthy of them by following our guide to a perfect home pedicure!

What to have on hand:

*An orange stick for your cuticles
*A nail cutter (sturdy enough for your toe nails)
*A toe separators (to keep your polish away from neighbouring toes)
*A nail file
*Nail polish remover (acetone-free) and cotton balls
*A buffing block
*A base coat, a coloured nail polish and a top coat
*Moisturizer with SPF protection
*A foot scrub
*A pumice stone
*A foot bath or tub filled with lukewarm water
*Lavender or mint essential oils

Step 1: Off with the old polish!
Start by removing any trace of old polish from your toe nails with some remover and a cotton ball.

Step 2: Bath time
Fill up a plastic tub or a foot bath with some lukewarm water, then add a hint of lavender essential oil to relax your feet, or mint essential oil for a cooling sensation. Another option is to add a mild liquid soap to the water. Soak your feet for about five to ten minutes at the most; this will soften your skin, cuticles and nails, which will make the following steps easier.

Step 3: Scrub-a-dub-dub
Ideally, you should exfoliate your feet using a special scrub about once a week. This will allow you to free your skin of any dead cells, and help foot creams and moisturizers penetrate more deeply. Because the skin on your feet is ten times as thick as on your face, there’s no need to be gentle— so go ahead and scrub vigorously. If your feet are especially dry, use a sugar-based scrub; this ingredient will help your skin’s outer layer to retain water. However, if your feet are prone to sweating, use a salt scrub, which will absorb humidity. Don’t forget to rinse your feet. thoroughly after you’re done.

Step 4: Save your sole
While your feet are still damp, rub the soles, as well as the bottom of your toes, with a pumice stone to remove any calluses. We recommend doing this about three times a week. If your calluses are very thick, use a medicated corrector, which you can find at most drug stores. Do not, however, remove them with a callus cutter (instrument with a small blade); they’ll come back twice as thick-- the pumice stone should do the trick. Dry your feet off with a clean towel. Don’t forget to dry the area between your toes, too; when moist, this area is prone to bacteria.