Nothing beats soaking your tired feet in a bucket of warm water after a long day. For those who are familiar with the feeling, we show you how to take it five steps further; for novices, here’s something you must experience first-hand to truly understand the joy of a foot spa:
Step 1: Soak Your Feet
It’s as simple as dipping your legs to your calves in a bucket of hot water (little warmer than lukewarm). You could add bath salts, a dollop of moisturizer and some liquid soap if your feet are dirty or heels are cracked. This will improve blood circulation and also relax you.
DIY With Essential Oils: Add three drops of essential oils like lavender or lemon to lukewarm water. Soak your feet for 10-15 minutes before you towel dry.
Step 2: Nail It
Once your feet are dry, use your manicure set to clip the nails, scrape the dirt and push back the cuticles (only if needed). You could also buff them for some shine and even tone. Clean nails will reduce the risk of infection, nail chipping, and discomfort when you wear close-toed shoes.
Step 3: Exfoliate
Now that the skin is soft, you can exfoliate the heel, sides and the ankles to scrape away the dead skin. While exfoliation improves blood circulation, don’t over-scrub or you may erode the new and healthy skin tissues. Use a foot scrub, pumice stone or foot sponge instead of a commercial blade exfoliator.
DIY Foot Scrub With Sugar: Make a scrub with 2/3 cups of granulated white sugar and 1/3 cup of brown sugar in a bowl. Mix in ½ cup of olive oil and 1tbsp of vanilla extract.
DIY Foot Scrub With Coffee: Mix 4tbsp of ground coffee, 3tbsp of oatmeal, 3tbsp of Epsom salt, 3 tbsp of olive oil and 2 drops of lavender oil.
Step 5: Moisturize
It is important to nourish and re-hydrate the skin to bring the spa treatment full circle. This will prevent cracked heels, moisturize your skin and keep it soft, long after you’re done.
DIY Moisturizer With Coconut Oil: In a pan, heat ¾ cups of coconut oil and ½ cup of Shea butter. When it melts, remove from heat and stir in 15 drops of lavender oil. Apply the moisturizer generously and massage it into your skin.
Step 6: Sock It
After you moisturize your feet, put on your favorite socks and snuggle up with cups of hot chocolate (the chocolate’s just for us). The socks will ensure absorption of vitamins, minerals and essential oils that you’ve so carefully applied to your feet.
The Extra Mile
While the at-home spa session will give you pretty feet in no time, specific problems like tan lines and yellow nails may also need attention. Don’t worry, we have a fix for those as well.
Anti-Tanning DIY: Lemon is a bleaching agent that can effectively remove tan lines. Slice a lemon and massage the juice on the skin in a circular motion; leave for 30 minutes and then rinse. You can also apply half a cup of papaya mash using the same method.
Nail Stain DIY: Make a paste of 1tbsp of baking powder, 1½tsp of olive oil and 1tsp of lemon juice. Use a soft toothbrush to apply the paste on to the nails and rinse it off after five minutes with warm water. Do this once every two weeks.
Now who needs a salon appointment when you can indulge in a foot spa in the comfort of your home on a shoestring budget? It’s time for some serious pampering, ladies!
