Sooo.... long time no post. Things have been slightly crazy for me lately, but I wanted to put an end to my blog hiatus!
I am going to show you my essential tools and products for the perfect at-home pedicure. I do have dry skin and I like to keep my feet looking nice and smooth. I try to do this routine at least twice a month, and it has been working wonders for me!
If I am going to be repainting my toenails, I remove my nail polish and then I start off with this scary device. This tool really helps to exfoliate rough areas and to smooth out any deep cracks or dry patches. PLEASE BE CAREFUL! It can be very easy to overdo it with this tool and that is extremely painful. I have the best results when I start out with dry feet. I have tried it with damp feet as well, but I find that I get a better and more controlled result when my skin is dry. I use the metal side on my heels, and the outer edges of my feet and toes. Anywhere where your skin is particularly dry and cracked. I work slowly to be sure that I am not taking away too much skin. Once I have finished, I run my feet under warm water and then use the file-like side of the tool. This texture works well to refine the skin and smooth out anything that may have been left behind.
If I am repainting my toenails, this is when I will trim and file my nails. I like to use a straight nail clipper instead of a curved one because my toenails are very square. Next I push back my cuticles. Once I have pushed back my cuticles I take my cuticle clippers and VERY CAREFULLY remove any dead skin around my nails while keeping my cuticle intact. Do not fully remove your cuticles, only remove dead skin, and make sure that you do not cut too deeply.
Next I like to either soak or scrub my feet. If I have time and feel like pampering myself, I fill the bottom of the bathtub, the sink (I have a large counter space that I can sit on), or a large bowl with warm water and some bath salts. This is a nice extra step that makes your DIY pedicure more like a spa experience. Whether or not I soak, I always use a heavy scrub. My favorite is Ocean Salt by Lush. This is a coarse scrub that gives me the best results. Any coarse scrub will work, and you can even make your own. I like to thoroughly scrub all over my feet and between my toes.
After I have dried my feet, I apply avocado oil. This is a very rich oil that I buy from Whole Foods. It absorbs well into the skin and provides moisture. I concentrate this on my heels and my cuticles.
On top of the oil I like to apply a rich moisturizer. You can skip this step if you don't have dry skin, but I like to bring as much moisture as I can into my skin. I like to use my CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. I love this and I also use it on my face. It is a really wonderful moisturizer that sinks into skin and actually works. I apply a thick layer of this all over my feet, concentrating on my heels.
Next I carefully slip into some fuzzy socks and then relax. I try to leave the socks on overnight or for at least a few hours.
When I am ready to paint my toes, I wipe them with rubbing alcohol to make sure that there is not any remaining residue from the moisturizers and then put on my toe separators and start painting! The toe separators are a must for me because they keep my toes from smudging each other, and they remind me that I have wet nail polish on my feet. It may sound silly, but I hate waiting for nail polish to dry and I always find myself wanting to complete a million tasks immediately after I paint my nails. I leave the toe separators on until the nail polish is completely dry so that I do not accidentally smudge the polish.
Let me know if you give this a try or if you have any DIY pedicure tips!