DIY Pedicure - Cosmetic Treatment of the Feet & Toenails
The Complete DIY Pedicure
Taking care of your body is important, but your feet require maintenance too. Pedicures are especially popular during the summer months, when sandals are the footwear of choice for many. It’s favored by women for the cosmetic appeal, but there’s more to pedicures than what meets the eye.
Believe it or not, pedicures benefit your health through preventing infection and stopping sores or ulcerations before they form. Top it off with a sleek nail polish, and you have a treatment that benefits your style and your health.
Unfortunately, there comes a cost to the treatment—after booking an appointment at a spa, you often find yourself with a bill that, for some, just isn’t in the budget. Why spend the extra cash every single time when you can do it at home for free?
What You’ll Need
There’s an initial fee when you decide to do a pedicure at home. You’ll need the correct products first before you dive in headfirst to the process.
Epsom Salt
Epsom salt is known as a natural remedy for ailments and has numerous health benefits. The soothing mineral can reduce inflammation and helps muscle and nerve function when absorbed by the skin. For this reason, it’s used as a soak or scrub, and sometimes even dissolved into drinking water.
Foot File
Foot files are used to scrub away the dead skin and soften calluses for a soft, smooth finish on the bottom of your feet. Files come in a wide variety of different grains, but for the tough areas on the bottom of your heel, you’ll want a coarse grain. Files can be found at any supermarket or beauty boutique, but if you’re looking to try something special, then consider picking up a device like Silk’n Pedi Callus remover. It uses battery-powered technology to turn the grain, shortening the time you spend filing and producing a smoother finish. Not only does it make filing down calluses easier, it’s much more sanitary than your usual variety of tools.
Foot Scrub
Exfoliating scrubs use granulated ingredients to do away with any remaining dead skin. They come with additional ingredients that moisture your skin. You might not realize it, but the skin on the bottom of your feet is dry! There’s plenty of scrubs on the market if you’re looking to make a purchase, like Lush’s Ocean Salt or Julep’s mint condition pedi crème.
Manicure Kit
For your nails, you’ll want to make sure you have a nail clipper, a nail file and a cuticle pusher. Usually, these products are already available at home, so you don’t need to make a special purchase. It is, however, an essential part of the process, so make sure you have what you need before you begin.
Cuticles
You’ll want to ensure you have a cuticle softener and remover, a cuticle nipper, and a cuticle pusher, too. It’s suggested you use a metal pusher for tough cuticles, and a wooden one for soft ones. The softener softens your cuticles, but it also moisturizes the skin and strengthens it to prevent against any damage.
Nail Polish
To top off your pedicure, you might want to pick up a polish. You’ll want a clear polish—if not for looks, then to protect your nails and give a soft, subtle shine to their surface to complete the pedicure. If you do decide to go with a polished look, then make sure you have a set of toe separators.
Moisturizer
There are moisturizers intended specifically for your feet, but if you aren’t interested in picking up another product, any deep moisturizing cream will do.
DIY Pedicure: A How to, Step by Step
- Soak your feet.
The first step to any pedicure is to soak your feet. Fill a small basin up with warm water and add 1/2 cup Epsom salt. Give it enough time to dissolve, and then soak your feet for 5 to 10 minutes. This treatment is relaxing, but it’s main purpose is to soften calluses, so you can move on to the next step.
- File Calluses.
Remove your feet from the soak. While your feet are still wet, take Silk’n Pedi device to the calluses to file down the thick layers of skin. If you’re using a file, this might take a bit longer, but the same steps still apply. You might want to switch to a fine grain file for the softer areas of your feet, but it’s up to your personal preference.
- Exfoliate with a Foot Scrub.
After scrubbing with the foot file, rinse your feet and pat them dry. With your scrub of choice, apply a generous amount to your foot. Massage the product into your skin with small, circular motions. Pay extra attention to the areas where the skin is rough, such as the balls of your feet and your heels. Don’t rush through this stage—if you don’t massage the product into your skin, you won’t achieve the same smoothness you would if you took your time. Once finished, thoroughly rinse your feet and pat dry.
- Shape Your Nails.
Clip your nails straight across and drag your filer underneath the edge of the nail to gently shape it. After the edges are smoothed down, you can proceed to the next step.
- Cuticles
After soaking your cuticles with a drop or two of cuticle softener for 1-2 minutes, rinse the product off, and gently dry the area. If your cuticles aren’t soft enough, then repeat the first step; if they’re hard or dry, they’re tougher to push back, and you run a risk of tearing the skin. With the pusher angled at 45 degrees, gently slide it toward the base of the nail to push away the softened cuticles. Depending on your preferences, you can clip any skin that it pushed back, but it isn’t necessary. If you do decide to, only clip white skin, and be careful not to nip any live tissue.
- Polish.
To complete your pedicure, put separators on both feet and sit somewhere comfortably, where your toes are easy to reach. Apply a thin base coat and allow it to dry before applying 1-2 coats of color. Be careful not to apply thick layers, because it takes much longer to dry.
Conclusion
If you want to go the extra mile, then you’d apply your moisturizer now. Pedicures require some patience, but the result is worth the effort. This ends our complete DIY pedicure guide! We hope you learned something new.
