DARE 2 BARE OUR GUIDE TO PERFECT SUMMER FEET
When we are stuffing our feet into boots and socks all winter, it was no biggie to ignore the state of our feet, sure who was looking anyway?
We didn’t have to worry about strappy sandals giving us blisters and since we definitely were not walking about bare foot with a chance of snow on the ground, the poor state of our sorry feet were the least of our worries.
Yet the one thing every girl needs in the summer is a pair of fabulous looking feet particularly since its the season for SANDALS.
Rain or shine, neat feet and beautifully painted toes, like great underwear, make you feel feminine and they are essential for you if you want to look good on the beach or in a pair of strappy evening shoes.
SOAK YOUR FEET
During winter months when humidity is low skin dries out more rapidly, feet can get so dry they peel or crack. Whilst there are plenty of lotions and prescription medications that work wonders, I find some home remedies which are inexpensive and can be just as effective.
To soften super dry areas, soak your feet in LISTERINE ANTISEPTIC MOUTHWASH (yes you read correctly, listerine) once or twice a week.
* Mix one part Listerine with two parts warm water and soak your feet 15-20 minutes.
* Then apply a moisturizer like EUCERIN PLUS INTENSIVE FOOT CREAM.
* In addition to skin sloughing benzoic acid, Listerine contains ethanol, which kills bacteria, fungi and germs that can lead to athlete’s foot.
EXFOLIATE
Exfoliating your feet at least once a week will keep them looking and feeling smoother for the Summer.
Dry skin leads to cracked heels and calluses, to prevent, exfoliate weekly.
My top tip would be look for products with glycolic acid which is a natural exfoliator found naturally in sugar cane and grape, this will help you get rid of surface dry skin cells making them look and feel smoother, plus your moisturizer will be more effective when you slough off flaky skin first.
THE POWER OF MOISTURISER
Potentially the most important tip I can give you is to moisturise, its simple to do and provides great results.
We often tend to forget that our feet need just as much moisture as the rest of our body – if not more! Now is the time to really spoil them.
Your heels are prone to over use and as a result, they tend to dry out more easily than the rest of your foot.
The heel is also protected by thicker skin which means that its less penetrable and it will take a little more effort to lock the moisture in.
The ideal time to moisturise your feet is after a bath or shower as the clean skin will absorb and retain more moisture, as an extra treat for your feet use coconut oil. Keeping some extra coconut oil handy and your feet will be happy, this oil has the ability to moisturise dry, rough skin. It nurtures skin cells and removes impurities in the skin, leave it on overnight and wear cotton socks and you will wake up with soft beautiful feet.
APPLY A MASK
In the same way that masks can exfoliate and moisturise the skin on our face, a foot mask can make winter feet look sandal ready.
A great home remedy that I find works wonders is
* Mix together 4 tablespoons of honey with a quarter cup of sour cream and a few drops of lemon juice.
* Sit on the edge of your bathtub or shower, apply mixture to your feet, focusing on the top of your foot and toes along with ankles and heels.
* Let set for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
CLIP TOENAILS PROPERLY
Our body can sometimes be really annoying, there is so much you need to do to take care of it so it is normal that you forget doing certain things!
Cutting or trimming your nails is one of those things, yes I know its a boring job and sometimes we just let them grow as they like. This I can reassure you is the wrong way of thinking, neglecting your toes nails or not clipping them correctly can lead to ingrown toenails (sore and unsightly) also increasing your chances of an infection as toenails are a perfect way to collect bacteria as your feet are constantly in shoes and socks.
Always clip your toenails straight across and then file them to your desired shape on average once a week.
Pretty nails are always a sign of good hygiene, remember the last time when you saw some ugly nails and what was your initial thought??
BOLD POLISH COLOURS
Red or pink polish on your toes look lovely, my favourite gift would have to be O.P.I No Stopping Meow Infinite Shine, why not have some fun and switch to a bolder colour, funky hues are in for Summer 2016!
So go ahead opt for a polish in a vibrant coral , turquoise or even purple and you’ll be sure to have the trendiest toes!
QUICK FIX
I know in the past I used to loathe it when I had spent time giving myself a pedicure, and the second I stepped onto the beach the shine was worn down on my polish!!
Well don’t fret anymore, I am not suggesting you skip the beach, yet what to do is swipe a layer of clear coat on over the top off your colour after your shower and you have dried off.
Believe me your polish will go from matte to shiny again, I recommend SECHE VITE TOP COAT £10.95, this top coat offers your nails shine like no other and will prolong the life out of your Pedi.
KEEP BLISTERS AT BAY
Blisters strike more often in hot weather, they are caused by rubbing especially between the toes especially if you are wearing flip flops with “thongs”.
Always try and break in any new or strappy sandals for a couple of hours at a time in the weeks leading up to your holiday or any occasion you expect to wear them all day to help prevent blisters.
In my case I find this extremely difficult as I am a shoe size 3, so finding shoes in my size always causes a headache so I am normally last minute and don’t have the luxury of breaking shoes in. So if like myself and you get caught out, keep your blisters clean and dry and cover them with COMPEED until healed.
FEET GET LITTLE CARE COMPARED TO OTHER PARTS OF YOUR BODY SUCH AS YOUR HANDS AND FACE.
HEALTHY FEET ARE VITAL TO OUR OVERALL HEALTH SO DONT NEGLECT THEM!