Sweet Feet...

From marching to work in sandals to scuffing across sand, wherever you spend your summer this is the time of year when feet take a real beating. So it’s important a bit of daily maintenance takes place to prepare, repair and restore softness. With diaries packed and lives busier than ever, invest in some decent home pedi products and use them regularly.

Hygiene is as important at home as it is in the salon so throw out any blunt scissors, rusty clippers or splintered orange sticks and start afresh with new tools; buy the best you can afford and store it all in a bag or manicure kit to keep blades sharp and surfaces clean.

To boost circulation and morale alike, choose regular massage or an old-fashioned foot rub followed by some softening socks. A scrub or pumice stone is great for daily maintenance but if feet are in dire straits, one of the new generation foot files – with a metal or diamond-dusted surface – is the quick smart way to remove hard calluses and dry patches. Always use on pre-soaked feet – after your evening bath is ideal, otherwise enjoy a foot soak with a handful of salts or a softening solution thrown in.

Follow with moisturizing cream plus an intensive balm if heels are cracked and massage a couple of drops of oil into cuticles. Nails should be neatly trimmed straight across, preferably with scissors, with the cuticles softened and gently pushed back using an orange stick wrapped with a scrap of cotton wool. Banish oils, dirt and traces of old enamel and, as the perfect finishing touch, add a pop of colour with one of this season’s hot pinks or purples and prepare to bare...

Space NK Foot File, £30

Blow the budget on this professional grade foot file which uses a specially prepared stainless steel surface to remove even the most stubborn build up of hard skin from heels and soles. Shaped to fit between toes and around the more delicate areas of the foot, it has a comfortable handle and is easy to rinse and dry after use. Do soak feet to soften skin first though.
Available at www.SpaceNK.co.uk

Nails Inc Mexican Lime Heel Balm, £10 30

With its zingy fragrance and rich texture, this ultra-intensive cream contains extracts of Mexican lime and cucumber to smooth, refine and comfort parched heels. A little goes a long way so the dinky pot makes it holiday and handbag-friendly and when feet are in need of a real treat, it can be used from toes to ankles as an intensive moisturizer.
Available at www.NailsInc.com

Bliss Softening Socks, £39 30

When you’re too busy or too lazy to bother with lotions and potions, slip on these sky blue socks which are padded with a moisture-rich gel lining to restore softness and smoothness to feet in as little as 20 minutes. They’re comfy, cosy and require zero effort and can be layered over a moisture balm and worn all night for sandal-ready feet come morning.
Available at www.BlissLondon.co.uk

Crabtree & Evelyn Nail Brush, £5.50 30

There’s nothing quite so unappealing as dirty nails so whether you like a pop of colour or you prefer to go bare, keep them clean with this simple little birchwood brush which sweeps away grime and dead skin to leave surfaces clean. And when you’re done, use the pumice reverse to banish flakes and hard zones for softer, smoother feet and ankles.
Available at www.Crabtree-Evelyn.co.uk

Proto-Col Instant Pedicure, £19.95 30

Hard working feet will love this spa-style scrub which is crammed with antiseptic, anti-fungal and anti-perspirant ingredients plus lavender and capsicum to ease aches and pains, vitamin and mineral-packed Dead Sea salts to heal and Evening Primrose oil to nourish. Massage into slightly damp skin, rinse and pat dry.
Available at www.On-Group.co.uk

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