After a winter of closed toed shoes, it’s finally sandal season. And the best way to get into the spring spirit is to give yourself a luxurious do it yourself pedicure of course!
Here are the secrets to the perfect DIY at-home pedicure:
Soak your feet
Soaking your feet not only feels amazing, it cleans your feet and softens dead skin cells. Add a teaspoon of tea tree oil to the water, a capful of witch hazel and a half cup of Epsom salts. For a little aromatherapy add in a few drops of peppermint or lavender oil. Soak your feet for 5 to 10 minutes.
Scrub away dead skin
Slough off any rough spots with exfoliants like sugar or salt crystals. Massage each foot for a few minutes. Start at your heel and work your way out to your toes, ankles and calves using tiny circular motions. Rinse off with warm water.
Buff bumps away
Smooth away any calluses with a wet pumice stone or lava rock. Lightly scrape your heels using a back and forth motion. Be gentle—the key is to abrade only the top layer of skin. Don’t rub your flesh raw!
Trim and file
Clip each of your nails straight across and use an emery board underneath the edge to gently shape and smooth each nail.
Moisturize
Lather up your soles with a moisturizer made especially for your feet. Massage a quarter-size dollop of moisturizer in a circular motion all over your feet and lower legs.
Polish up
Time to polish! Insert toe separators or roll up a paper towel and weave it through your toes. Then, apply a clear basecoat that contains protein, vitamin E, and/or calcium to help strengthen brittle nails and prime them to hold onto the polish longer. Now you’re ready to apply color—apply two coats, let them dry and finish with a top coat.
For more helpful beauty tips and answers to your questions, check out My OBGyne’s blog for hair growth, clear skin tips and more!