5 Simple Ways to Have Beautiful Feet
“Neglected throughout the winter, your feet deserve more attention this time. Nourishing, repairing, exfoliating… there are many ways to have smooth and soft feet. To achieve this, it is essential to make the effort to regularly moisturize your feet or perform exfoliation, for example.”
Excessive sweating, corns, thickened heels due to calluses, or cracking… it must be admitted that feet have particularly suffered during the winter. Hidden in boots and closed shoes, they have lost their softness and beauty! With the arrival of warmer weather, it is high time to take care of them.
1. Thoroughly Wash Your Feet
Just like brushing your teeth or removing makeup every night, washing your feet is also recommended. To have healthy feet, avoid hot water as it can weaken them. For their maintenance, use an antibacterial soap and a brush with bristles. If you don’t have a bristle brush, you can use a worn toothbrush. Regularly scrub your feet with the brush and antibacterial soap using lukewarm water. Don’t forget to clean meticulously under the nails and between the toes. When you’ve scrubbed well, dry your feet carefully with a towel. This way, you won’t risk developing fungal infections.
Pro tip: Every week, soak your feet in a mixture of baking soda and lukewarm water. If needed, this treatment can be repeated twice a week for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Exfoliation – An Effective Remedy for Calluses
Calluses, or hyperkeratosis, are caused by recurring friction due to wearing ill-fitting shoes or poor foot posture. While it’s necessary to file away damaged and callused areas, you should do it gently. Otherwise, calluses will come back quickly. Therefore, limit foot exfoliation to a maximum of 2 times a week. Note that this procedure should be done on dry feet and done gently. For a gentle exfoliation, simply add brown sugar to your daily exfoliating cream.
If, after moisturizing and exfoliating, your feet still have calluses, here’s what you should do: rub your feet with a pumice stone or a file, then moisturize!
3. Proper Hydration for Soft and Smooth Feet!
To nourish dry foot skin, opt for a moisturizing and lipid-replenishing cream. Creams containing shea butter, glycerin, avocado, and coconut are recommended. To effectively get them absorbed, give yourself a little massage from the heel to the toes. However, be careful not to apply between your toes to avoid moisture-related issues. Before applying moisturizing cream to your feet, take the time to wash them thoroughly. For this, feel free to use a washcloth, a bit of shower gel, or Marseille soap.
If your feet are extremely dry, cover them with a nourishing treatment. Wrap them in cotton socks overnight. It must be admitted that this technique is not very aesthetic, but it is very effective.
4. Regular Nail Trimming
It is true that having long nails is a sign of femininity, but not for the feet! Long toenails tend to accumulate dirt easily. To prevent this, cut them following their contour. This way, you can avoid ingrown toenails.
Even if your feet are perfectly moisturized and callus-free but your toenails are very long, yellowed from dirt, or ingrown, it’s a disaster! To remedy this, go for a pedicure. Before the classic nail polish application, nails are first polished, cared for, cut, and filed. For satisfactory results, have a pedicure session at least once a month.
5. Get Rid of Bad Odors
It is better to opt for talcum powder sprays to treat smelly feet. While they are convenient, anti-perspirant sprays sometimes tend to dehydrate the feet. If you don’t have a talcum powder spray, why not make your own recipe for odor control? To do this, add a few drops of peppermint essential oil or two tea bags to your foot bath. This treatment should be done twice a week as it provides an astringent effect. If you don’t have talcum powder, cornstarch will do the trick. Finally, note that wearing socks made of natural fibers is very effective in getting rid of smelly feet.
