Sandal season is officially here, and it means that it’s time to get your feet looking beautiful, pampered and polished. While I often stop by at the nail salon to get my pedicures done, there are so many new products out there that getting your at home pedicure is easier than ever. In case you need some foot care tips, I put together a list of tips and tricks that I use while doing my at-home pedicure.
Exfoliate Your Feet Weekly
Similar to skincare, proper exfoliation is essential for keeping your feet look and feel smooth. By scrubbing and massaging your feet with an exfoliant, you remove the dry skin cells build-up and prepare your feet for moisturizing.
While there are many scrubs dedicated to the feet area, there is no need to spend a fortune on these products. In my opinion, body scrubs work not worse than foot scrubs. The key here is consistency.
Personally, I have a two-days a week in-depth beauty routine (Wednesdays and Sundays) where I do all of my favorite treatments such as facial masks and peels. I make sure to dedicate one of those days for exfoliating my body and feet. While such routine takes just a few minutes per week, it does make a difference to the way the skin on my feet looks.
Recommended Products
This body scrub features a thick, oily consistency. And smells divine! This body polish exfoliates and hydrates your skin at the same time. You don’t need to apply lotion after that.
For a deeper calluses removal treatment, try this 60-minute treatment. Be prepared though that your feet will be peeling for a few days after using the treatment.
Use Hydrating Foot Masks
After exfoliating my feet, I love to put on a foot mask instead of applying a cream. I don’t like wearing slippers or socks at home, so it’s torture for me to sit with my feet up for 10 minutes waiting when my foot cream absorbs into the skin.
Instead, I prefer using feet masks that come in the shape of plastic socks. It’s a double-layered product that deeply hydrates your skin and also prevents you from rubbing your feet and waiting for when the cream is absorbed.
In my experience, foot masks hydrate and nourish your skin on a completely different level. I noticed that if I use a foot mask weekly, I don’t need to apply a foot cream throughout the week which is a major time-saver.
Recommended Products
Karuna Exfoliating + Foot Mask
This high-end feet mask gently exfoliates and hydrates your feet (no peeling though).
This more affordable foot mask features a minty, refreshing scent and deeply nourishes your feet.
DIY Foot Mask Recipe
1. apply a thick layer of body butter.
2. wrap your feet with a plastic wrap.
3. put socks on and leave for a few hours.
Keep a Pumice Stone in Your Shower
That’s a tip I wish I used more often myself. While I do not mind exfoliating my feet weekly, I often forget about rubbing it with a pumice stone… it just feels too ticklish for me!
One of the reasons I prefer doing a pedicure at home is because I just can’t stand other people tickling me in public. I make weird faces and creepy laughs. I feel awkward when my pedicurist is making jokes about my inability to handle the tickle!
Saying so, I lately picked this pumice stone on Amazon that features a bit less textured surface, so it doesn’t feel that ticklish while I remove dead skin from my feet with it. Perhaps, give it a try if you are experiencing the same ticklish situation as me.
Recommended Products
Tweezerman Step-Two-It Foot File
This is a double-sided pumice stone with a handle. It’s convenient to store and use.
If you are looking for a more automated tool, this best-selling electric file is the way to go.
Extra Tip
I love using a salicylic acid-based face wash while rubbing my feet with a pumice stone. That way I ensure that there is no gross bacteria build up on the pumice stone as salicylic acid has fungicidal properties to it.
Incorporate Bath Salts Into Your Feet Routine
If you are a runner or just regularly workout at the gym, this tip is for you. Usually, my feet feel super tired after a workout, especially when I do biking exercises. It also doesn’t help that I wear heels every single day.
When I feel that my feet are sore and tired, I make sure to take a salt bath for my feet only. Depending on the cause of tiredness, I will add Ultra Epsom Salt (after a workout). Or lavender-scented bath salt (relaxing after a full day of wearing high heels) to it. I try keeping the water temperature not too hot, so it doesn’t make my skin overly dry.
I also make sure to apply rich foot cream and a cuticle oil after the bath to keep my skin and nails hydrated.
Recommended Products
Bath salts by Kneipp are the industry’s standard. Their formulas that are super relaxing and high quality.
Sky Organics bath bombs made out of all-natural oils and essential oils. These smell so delightful!
Extra Tip
Add a few drops of Shea Moisture Argan Oil to your foot bath to ensure additional hydration.
Pick Your Nail Polish Wisely
This tip is more of a fashion-related. While it’s essential to use high-quality nail polish and never skip a base coat. It’s not less important to think about the shade of a nail polish you are choosing.
Personally, I’m a bit OCD about having my pedicure match my shoes. Usually, I’ll go for either barely-there shades (Essie Vanity Fairest and Go Go Geisha are my go-to). or a navy undertone black (Essie After School Blazer is my all-time favorite).
By picking a muted black and white palette for my pedicures, I ensure that the majority of my shoes will be a perfect match.
Recommended Products
This new line of gel-style nail polishes offers salon-style coverage. Also, they have so many cure shades.
If you are looking for a clean beauty nail polish brand, consider Sundays. The shade L01 is my go-to shade.
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These were my at home pedicure tips to use while getting ready for the sandal season. I hope you were able to find some of them helpful and learned a few new tricks on making your pedicures at home. Please let me know in the comments if you use any of these tips and feel free to share yours.
These are all great tips – my feet are really in some need of some love.
http://ohduckydarling.com
Me too! Pumice Stone is so essential! I can’t wait for you to try a foot mask as these have dramatically changed my pedicure routine! Please let me know how it goes – I wonder if a foot mask technique work out for you!
Thanks for reading, Cattleya! Yep, exfoliating is such an easy and effective procedure! The best part is that you can use your regular body scrub and achieve similar results!
Thank you for reading! So glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much, Shelby! I actually can’t stand chipped nail polish too! I have a nail polish removing wipe in my wallet just in case – because I just can’t concentrate on anything if my nail polish chips!
Foot masks are so easy to use! I hope you have a chance to test these! If not, try applying a petrolatum gel on your heels (aka Aquaphor) and wrap your feet with a plastic wrap for 15 minutes. Such homemade foot mask is super effective too! The best part is that it costs nothing and you can repeat it as often as you wish!
Agreed: exfoliation is everything when it comes to foot care!
Exfoliation is essential! Think about this way: you are using facial scrubs all the time, but why you are not exfoliating your feet? My pedicure situation has dramatically changed since I started exfoliating!
So glad you learned about foot masks, Elizabeth! Please let me know if you end up trying one – I wonder how these work for you!
Yes I totally agree! A bit weird to use but the results are so amazing!
Thanks for reading, Bella!
Thank you for reading! Yep Essie nail polishes are so amazing! My favs in fact!
So glad you enjoyed it, Shireen! It’s hard to believe but I came out with this idea myself just a few months ago and I’m loving it!
Agreed! In my humble opinion any footwear looks so much more stylish if your pedicure is on point!
Have a lovely day, Jessica! ❤️
It’s such a good one! All natural and smells amazing!
Foot masks are the best! And so easy to use!
Thank you so much for your kind words, Adele! You are absolutely right: I put a lot of work and love into my blog as it’s my absolutely favorite thing to do! In fact blogging never feels like work as I enjoy it so much!
I feel that flip-flops are the worst for your feet! Not only these do not provide any support for your feet, these are actually ruining the appearance of the heels! I avoid wearing flip-flops at any cost!
I do pedicures more often in summer – as well as exfoliation and foot masks that I mentioned in this post.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Shannon! Please let me know if there is any other topics you’d like me to write about!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed these! In exception of nail polish, all the tips are appropriate for men too! My dad loves to do feet masks as he hates the tickle of a typical pedicure too. BTW he prefers exfoliating masks ever since I introduced these to him.
Thank you so much, Amanda! Go glad you enjoyed the tips!
It’s been so cold in NYC too so technically it’s not a sandal weather yet :) But I think it’s better to start taking care of my feet earlier than later! So when summer finally arrives I’m 100% ready!
I hope you are having a wonderful day! Xoxo
I like your tips! Your sandals are so cute too. I am realizing lately that I have neglected my foot care throughout this past winter which has been long here in NW Washington. The sun is now coming out and I am now preparing my feet too. :)
http://www.lipstickisalife.com/
Wow! These are great tips, especially for summer! Time to wear sandals. I wonder if there are good treatments for men, too. :-)
G&D Blog | gdblog.net
These are awesome tips!! Usually I get pedis more frequently in the summer but it’s hard in between to keep your feet flip flop and sandal ready! Great tips :) xoxo
Shannon | http://www.prepavenue.com
I have never actually heard of foot masks.. I need to start looking after my feet more having read this! By the way I am completely in love with your blog here, well done on all your hard work with it! x
adelelydia.blogspot.com
I would love to try the sugar scrub actually! Thanks for sharing your tips girl!
http://www.thequinoxfashion.com
I love these tips! It’s definitely important to take good care of your feet especially since sandals are the common choice of footwear for summer.
Jessica | notjessfashion.com
Oooo! Love the tip about using a salicylic acid based cleanser for feet! I didn’t even think about that but will give it a try!
Great tips! Thanks for sharing! Love the polish colors!
Thanks for sharing these great tips!
Hugs Bella, http://nouw.com/bellss // Instagram: bellaskoog
Omg foot masks are the best! They definitely always feel a bit strange but that feeling after is so good!
https://www.bunnybernice.com/single-post/2017/05/18/Intimate-In-the-Streets-and-In-The-Sheets
I never heard of foot masks before. I’ll have to check that out!
Elizabeth | Confidentlyelegant.com
This is great, I really need to follow these steps in-between my monthly pedis. Especially the exfoliation!
I never heard of foot masks, but it does make sense – not sure if I’ll ever use one though. But the exfoliating is important and will make them shine!
Great tips! I never actually thought to do a foot mask! So simple. I do feel much more awesome when I paint my nails regularly though instead of letting them chip.
Thanks for the tips! Very helpful for beautiful feet :)
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com
I love this post! This is something I definitely need to do. I never thought about exfoliating your feet regularly. Thanks for sharing!
x. Cattleya
alittlecattleya.com
I love a good scrub for my feet every now and then but I always use a Pumice Stone. Never tried a foot mask though maybe it’s time with the nice weather coming up. Great tips!
https://mihabalan.com/2017/05/18/5-ways-combat-feeling-tired-exhausted-struggeling-focus/