Let’s be honest: out of all our body parts, feet are probably the most gross. But it’s not their fault they’re stuck in shoes all day, have roughly 250,00 sweat glands and are forced to carry our entire body weight. And now that winter has rolled around, the yuck factor is bound to get worse – that is, unless you do something to stop it. So, take off your socks and slippers every once and while and treat your feet with these four easy steps.
#1 Give them a soak
If the thought of getting your feet out in the cold air doesn’t sound appealing, you’ll be pleased to know the first step is to soak them in warm water to soften any hard skin. To make the experience a luxe one, you can use a foot spa like HoMedics Foot Spa with TRU-HEAT, but a bucket filled with warm water will also do the trick. For tired (and possibly a little stinky) feet, add a foot soak like Nutrimetics Sole Revival Foot Bath to the water to revitalise feet and leave them lightly scented – this one smells like peppermint and tea tree. Delightful.
#2 Follow with a good scrub
Now that your skin is nice and soft, use a scrub or foot file to work away any dead and excess skin (hint: you’ll usually find it on the heels and balls of your feet). You can keep your feet in the warm water so they don’t get cold. It’s also easier to do scrubs this way, because any mess will go straight in the water, which you can just drain later.
bh’s favourite foot scrubs:
- LUSH Stepping Stone Foot Scrub
- Sea Siren Sealicious Hand & Foot Scrub
- The Body Shop Peppermint Cooling Pumice Foot Scrub
#3 Trim and file
Another great thing about soaking your feet from the start is it makes your toenails much easier to cut. I personally prefer to use scissors (bh recommends: QVS Toenail Scissors) to trim, because they give my toenails a curved shape, rather than square. I also like to give them a quick file to ensure the edges are smooth and not ragged. If I have untidy cuticles, I’ll also use a slender, pointy pair of scissors like Manicare Cuticle Scissors to trim off any excess skin.
#4 Hydration, hydration, hydration!
Lastly, apply a heavy duty foot cream to lock in all that softness and smoothness (and your efforts!) . If you’re heading to bed, pop a pair of socks on right away so the cream can nourish your feet even more deeply as you snooze.
bh’s favourite foot creams:
- Scholl Velvet Smooth Night Mask
- JERGENS Foot Cream
- Nutri-Synergy NS-8 Foot & Leg Moisturiser
- AHAVA Dermud Intensive Foot Cream
What is your typical foot care routine? Have you tried any of the products mentioned above?
