As we age, our skin becomes drier. Signs of aging will inevitably occur, no matter how young you think you are. And one part of the body that can reflect that easily is the feet. Every passing year, the dryness, calluses, and discoloration on the nails may get worse. So, keep your feet soft and beautiful so you can look young and glamorous especially when you’re wearing your fancy sandals. Let us share to you some secrets to maintaining glamorous feet:
1. Soak your feet regularly
The skin on your soles and heels is thicker than the rest of your body to protect the heels that support your body. Soft skin on the feet will make you look richer than you might really do. The easiest way to keep it youthful and beautiful is to soak them in a warm bath for at least five minutes. Add bath salts, oil or milk or any softening product that fits your preferences most. You may add an antiseptic essential oil such as peppermint or tea tree, to help fight minor infections.
Milk is one of the cheapest and tried-and-tested foot care buddies. Just soak your feet in half milk, half water solution, and let the lactic acid in milk work to remove dead skin cells and soften skin.
When going to the salon for a foot spa, book a morning appointment to make sure the salon instruments are still cleaner to minimize the risk of infection. While you may never know if their tools are properly sterilized, it’s best to bring your own pedicure kit.
2. Moisturize daily
Our feet have fewer oil glands and that’s one more reason why it’s prone to dryness. Make it a daily habit to hydrate your feet – that’s a well-known secret to keep it young and glamorous-looking. Apply foot cream or foot balm because these products are specially formulated to seep deeper into the thick skin of the feet. For maximum benefit, apply it immediately after bathing while the skin is still soft. Also, look for products that contain lactic acid to aid in the penetration of hydration like glycerin. Besides these ingredients, search for products that contain vitamin E and shea butter as these are anti-aging and skin softening ingredients.
3. Exfoliate at least weekly
Remove build-up of dry skin and dead skin with manual exfoliation. Apply grainy body/foot scrubs (you may create your own DIY exfoliator made of coarse salt or sugar, etc.) to scrub out dry skin. Keep a pumice stone or emery foot file on your shower or bath and use it to buff away dead skin cells (preferably after soaking). Apply more pressure to heels and less to softer skin when scrubbing down your foot. It’s best to use it daily or every other day, but at least weekly if you have not much time.
4. Cut toenails properly
For glamorous-looking toenails, cut it straight across to have a flat end, which is known as the coffin nail shape. It’s a flexible nail shape that allows you to experiment with a lot of nail art. To do it perfectly, trim your nails into a square shape using a clipper, then smooth out the rough edges by filing it using an emery board. Avoid trimming it too close to the skin because it may cause ingrown toenails.
5. Take a break from nail polish from time to time
Getting a proper nail polish that suits your skin tone and outfit is an easy way to make your feet look glamorous. Nail polish is like makeup for the nails, which can easily prettify and glam up the toes. But your toenails need to take a break from it from time to time to keep them healthy and to prevent yellowing and discoloration because of the chemical residues. It is recommended that you should not apply nail polish for a few days to a week per month.
If your nails have already yellowed, you can bleach it with a nail brightener, or use natural citric acid from a lemon. A trick to prevent yellowing is using a clear polish first before painting your nails. It’s also wise to alternate shades; don’t go dark every time, instead, go for lighter hues every three weeks.
6. Apply foot treatment and sunscreen
If your hair needs treatment to stay soft, your feet do too. The nail cuticles on the feet have the tendency to be dryer than your fingernails, so keep it in its best shape by using foot treatments. Applying them on the cuticles on your feet at every other day can help keep your toes smooth and supple, thus looking more glamorous.
Also, don’t forget that your feet need SPF, too. Often, it is neglected by most women, so when they wear pants and sandals, then walk in the sun, the skin on the feet becomes uneven with the rest of the body. Besides that, your cuticles need to seal in moisture to promote new nail growth, and sunscreen with that.
7. Wear shoes that fit properly
To achieve glamorous feet, don’t just look for glamorous footwear. Make sure every shoe you pick fits properly and comfortably because wearing tight shoes can cause long-term foot problems. When shopping for shoes, it’s best to go in the afternoon or night so you can consider foot swelling that typically happens later in the day.