Choose the right foot wear

The first step to having a pair of supple, soft feet is picking up the right shoes and socks. Ensure that your shoes are not causing any shoe bites, pinching and soreness anywhere on your feet. Ideally a shoe should be half inch longer than your actual foot size. Pick up shoes only after walking in them and knowing how comfortable they would be once put to use. Avoid heels especially the sleek ones as far as possible as they lead to back problems later on in life. Along with the shoe, choosing the right socks is also equally important. Prefer cotton and wool socks over nylon as cottons do not block air which will ensure that your socks and feet don’t smell.

Daily foot-care routine

Following a foot-care routine on a daily basis can go a long way in beautifying your feet. To begin with get into the habit of applying cream or olive oil everyday before retiring and flexing the feet from the ankle, pressing the toes and moving them up and down. This is a good way to relax your feet, strengthen your toe nails and improve blood circulation. Also, using a pumice stone regularly to remove dead skin from time to time will benefit you. Further exfoliating is an important step. Once a week apply a mixture prepared with crushed strawberries, olive oil and sea salt. Keep this on your feet for 15 minutes before cleaning with warm water. This will take care of the dead skin you have accumulated over time. Also trimming toe nails and exercising your feet regularly are essential parts of your foot care regimen.

Treating corns, cracked heels

Cracks and corns on your feet can be quite a pain. Treating them in time will go a long way in making your feet look taken care of. Trying a few home remedies can be of great help. Applying a mixture of rose water and glycerin is known to heal cracks. Also mixing honey with sesame oil and then applying on cracked heels is another way of treating cracks on your feet. Further melting paraffin wax and mixing it with mustard oil is also known to soften dried, lusterless feet.

To treat corns, placing a pineapple peel directly over the corn and covering it with a cloth or a cotton pad should help when left overnight. Papaya juice and lime are also good alternates to treat the painful corns that cause discomfort.

Pedicure at home

Nothing works better for your feet than a pedicure. For doing a pedicure at home, take a tub / bucket of mildly hot water and add in some salt and a shampoo. Soak your feet in for 10 minutes or so. Then work on one foot at a time and clean the heels using a pumice stone or foot file. Then apply a mask and wash. Conclude with a moisturizer and then wrap your foot up in plastic for 10 minutes for the skin to absorb all the moisture. Repeat the procedure on the second foot. Apply an attractive nail paint if need be. Voila your feet are ready to steal the show.

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and pamper your feet.

Pic: Alex Bramwell