Bare feet and open-toed shoes are hallmarks of summer living, and a perky pedicure is a luxury many of us look forward to in the warm months. The pandemic has some salons still closed—or perhaps you’re staying clear of them—but there’s no reason you can’t take the time to enjoy an at-home treatment that will leave your feet as refreshed as your spirit.
Soak
Whether in a bathtub, a basin or a bucket, soaking your feet is a way to signal your body to relax, restore and luxuriate in a quiet moment of self-care. Add Epsom salts or scented salts or a few drops of essential oil to the water for an extra softening, relaxing feeling. Use water that is warm or even cool, but never hot (it can dry out your skin).
Brush
After 15-20 minutes of soaking, your feet will have softened and will benefit from a rejuvenating brushing with soft bristles or a callous file. Be gentle and be sure not to scrub too hard at calloused areas like the base of your big toe or the back your heel. Just massage in gentle circles to release dead skin and freshen up your feet.
Trim
Keeping toenails trimmed serves a number of purposes. For one thing, it looks nice and neat, and gives you the feeling of being cared for every time you catch a glimpse of your tootsies. It also helps prevent cracking, tearing and in-grown nails from causing problems in both the comfort and health of your feet. Use a clean stainless steel nail clipper to trim your toenails straight across, snipping or buffing a slight rounding to the ends.
Moisturize
Your fresh and clean feet need one more gift to look and feel their best—a smooth slathering of a richly moisturizing lotion or cream. Since you soaked and buffed your feet, your pores will be open and ready to receive the benefits of a hydrating lotion. Massage the cream into your skin with gratitude for giving yourself this moment of pampering.
Rest
Having taken the time to care for your feet, now it’s time to relax the rest of your body. And what better way to do that than to kick back and—not to put too fine a point on it—put your feet up?
