Pretty feet speak volumes about your self-care routines and overall health. In the worries and hurries of everyday life, we often neglect our feet. The hard work our feet do can range across walking, jogging, and running every single day.
Consider problems such as shoe bites and tired feet, and you will realize why your feet need care or attention. Take care of your feet from the comfort of your home, with 100% natural ingredients. Carry out a step-based method for performing a pedicure at home. Here’s how you should go about it!
DIY Pedicure at Home
Items Required
You will need a reliable and hardy pumice stone. Apart from this, you will need warm water, nail file, cotton pads, plus cuticle creams. You will also require moisturizer, foot scrub, cuticle pusher, foot filler or corn cutter, nail paint remover, nail polish you want to apply, Epsom salts, nail cutter, and a fresh towel.
[ Read: Side Effects of Nail Polish ]
Steps for the Pedicure
Step 1: Remove Nail Polish Previously Applied
The first step towards starting a pedicure is removing old nail paint remnants. Dab the nail polish remover on cotton pads and massage the nails to remove the paint.
Step 2: Trim and File Your Nails
Then, prepare your nails for the pedicure. Trim your nails using a nail cutter. Be wary of the edges, so that you do not clip the nail too deeply. Then, shape the nails using a filer. Try to file the nails in a single direction. Backward and forward movement generally weakens nails.
[Read: Nail Symptoms About Health]
Step 3: Apply Cream on the Cuticle
Cuticle creams soften nail cuticles. Before soaking the feet in warm water, apply the cream on the nails. You can also try homemade creams comprising olive oil and coconut oil, rather than store-bought cuticle creams. Coconut oil also softens the nails and averts dryness. Olive oil penetrates the nails and skin to boost healthy nails(1) and cuticles.
Step 4: Soak the Feet in Warm Water
Relax and soak the feet in moderately warm water in a small tub. This is easily the most relaxing and comforting part of the pedicure. Soak the feet for 15 minutes and use Epsom or bath salts. Add two tablespoons of vinegar to this mixture as well. Epsom salts and vinegar will hydrate your feet. Baking soda and lemon can rejuvenate the skin by exfoliating it, too.
[Read: Natural Remedies for Smelly Feet]
Step 5: Remove the Dead Skin Cells
Take each foot at a time and dry this using a towel. Push back the cuticles and trim them using a cuticle pusher. Buffer the heels to exfoliate the dead skin for best results. If you are facing hard skin or cracked heels and calluses, use a corn cutter to remove these. Try a foot filler or pumice stone for brushing out the rest of the skin cells accumulating and darkening the feet’s skin on the sides and the sole.
Step 6: Scrub and Massage the Skin on Your Feet
Once dead skin cells(2) are removed, soak the feet in freshwater to remove dirt and grime. Dry your feet using the towel. Next, apply an excellent foot scrub using homemade materials like milk, gram flour, and turmeric, or purchase a foot scrub from a store.
How to make a Great Homemade Foot Scrub
Take 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, 4 tablespoons of sugar, and two-three drops of tea tree essential oil. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice and honey each. Mix these ingredients and form paste with the sugar granules. You can also add powdered oatmeal or walnut shell to the ingredients.
Exfoliate your skin without using harsh chemicals. Massage the fingers, ankles, heels, and soles of the feet using the scrub. Make sure you consider the skin between the toes.
Step 7: Moisturize Your Feet
Once the dead skin cells are scrubbed, wash your feet, and dry these. Then, apply a moisturizer and massage the feet with the hands. Use a deep moisturizer to hydrate different parts of your feet, including the sides and the heels, especially when the weather is dry.
You can also make foot moisturizers at home using shea butter, lavender essential oil, coconut oil, almond oil, and olive oil.
[Read: Removal of Dead Skin From Feet]
Step8: Put Fresh apply
The next step is to apply a beautiful nail paint of your choice. Using a toe separator is recommended while applying nail paint, for it prevents smudging. Go for nail art, if you are really interested. You can even paint thin, even layers of nail polish at home for a professional look.
Once the task is complete, add the final touches. Wipe the smudges with a cotton pad dipped in nail polish remover. Apply a shiny coat on top of the nail using the nail shiner to get a glossy, salon-like finish.
[ Read: Natural Treatments for Toenail Fungus ]
Pointers for a Home Pedicure
If you have dead skin or chapped heals clogging the feet, consider rubbing the feet using a pumice stone two times per week, while bathing. It reduces dead skin cell accumulation and ensures feet remain soft and glowing.
Keep nails free of nail polish, occasionally, as excessive nail paint can cause nails to become unhealthy and brittle. Always consult a physician if you have injuries, wounds, or cuts on the feet. Let the wound heal completely before opting for a pedicure.
Avoid indulging in pedicures at fish spas, as these can be unsafe for the feet and your health.
Clean the nails using acetone and file them all the time for well-groomed feet. Always use honey or cream on nails. Use lemon to remove tan. Try a loofah to remove dead skin cells. Remedies for tired feet cracked heels, and chipped nails abound, but a pedicure is beneficial for your health and ups your beauty quotient in remarkable ways.
