Summer is here and many of us are looking for ways to get ready for the warm weather that brings about visits to the pool and beach, but we don’t always have lots of time to spare to go for a professional pedicure.
So how do you get feet that look like you’re fresh from the nail shop without spending lots of time or money?
With these creative hacks of course!
- Consider a Listerine soak—this is a hack I’ve seen floating around the Internet quite a lot lately and it’s also gained a lot of attention on Pinterest. So what is it? Create a soak using a cup of Listerine and a cup of vinegar combined with two cups of water. Soak your feet in the mixture for about 10 to 15 minutes and then use a pumice stone or foot filer to take off the dead skin. People swear by this remedy for softening up their feet for summer and getting rid of the winter dead skin.
- If you want a professional polish look it can be challenging when working with your own toes, but to make cleaning up mistakes easy surround your cuticles with some Vaseline. It will be easy to take off any polish that misses your nails and ends up on your skin.
- If you want a natural look but your nails have a yellow tone to them whether it’s naturally occurring or from using dark polishes, just use a mixture of water, baking soda and lemon juice. You can use this mix to either soak or scrub your nails. Peroxide also works great as a scrubbing material.
- Here’s a really unique one—use beer to make your foot skin softer and more baby-like. Just soak your feet in a bowl of beer because the yeast in the beer works to soften your skin. This is great if you have really rough heel skin or callouses.
- Moisturize your feet using oils like olive oil or coconut oil. You can add some oil to your feet before you head to bed, add a pair of socks and when you wake up you’ll have baby-like feet.
- When you’re giving yourself a full pedicure for the best results you can follow the steps in the same order they do at the salon. That means start by soaking your feet (you can use one of the ideas mentioned above or even use something like Epsom salts). Then it’s time to scrub…this is a great step to follow the Listerine soak. Next, trim and file your toes. Professionals recommend clipping your toenails straight across for a look that’s fresh, clean and can prevent in-grown toenails. Next it’s time to add moisturizers and then massage your feet a bit if you want. Finally it’s time to polish– make sure you don’t forget your base and top coat for a professional finish. Choosing bright colors can be attention-grabbing for summer, but if you want a fresh and natural look you may opt for a neutral shade.
How do you naturally and easily get your feet ready for summer?