No5 On the Summer Body List, Pedicure.

Pedicure, Put Your Best Foot Forward!


It's time for that all important pedicure. The feet are out every day. You can head off to the Salon and get a peddie or you can try it your self at home.  A Salon pedicure for very dry callused feet would be a Callus Peel Pedicure as seen on Celebrity Salon  rrp€40. Patches are placed on the bad areas and left for 15 mins as an extra treatment in a  normal pedicure procedure and the hard skin is then scraped away. Much gentler treatment. Very effective,would highly recommend it. There is also the Fish Pedicure which has become popular. You put your feet into a tank of Guarra Fish. These fish have no teeth they suck off the dead skin. There more commonly known as cleaner fish. In the wild you will see them hanging around whales  cleaning them That's how they live. They have been used for treatment of eczema and psoriasis earning them the name "Doctor Fish" If you cant  get to the Salon, here is  the DIY version.


10 Steps to the perfect Peddie.

1. Have a good look at your feet if you think you have a Nail Disease or Ingrown or Corns leave alone and head to your chiropodist for specialised treatments. If you have athlete's foot , fungal infection or verrucas there are many treatments available in your local Pharmacy. Get advise. Treat this problem first before attempting your pedicure, you can contaminate and reinfect yourself fungal infections can spread to your finger nails. A therapist will not perform a pedicure on you if you have any of the above it is against Health and Safety in the Salon. Scholl have a Fungal Nail Treatment available in Pharmacy's.
2. Soak your feet in a basin of tepid diluted Savlon or Dettol. get a disposable orange wood stick and clean under the nails while in the water. Dry your feet.
3. Have a look at rough skin and heavy calluses. Use your foot file. File the very hard areas.
4. Put cuticle remover around your cuticles. Sally Hansons Instant Cuticle Remover is very strong. Takes 15 seconds or so to work. It's made from Potassium Hydroxide so be careful. 
5. Rub your feet in circular motions with a foot scrub, concentrating on the hard bits on heels and toes. Can use Scholls' Rough Skin Remover or Body Shops Peppermint Smoothing Foot Scrub.
6. Now the nice bit soak your feet in your Foot Bath of eg Body Shops Peppermint reviving Foot Soak or any bath salts you may have at home. If you have a foot spa turn it on, let it bubble away. Relax and enjoy because you have work ahead.
7. Rinse and dry your feet. As you dry around toes concentrate on  the cuticles. A lot of the cuticle will come away. Make sure to dry in between toes. A lot of Athlethes foot problems are caused by not drying in between toes. A little foot powder can solve this. Use your pumice stone to smooth rest of hard skin which should be soft now.
8.  Cut with clippers straight across then file the toenails straight across. Never file or cut too short or file too low at the sides, this can cause ingrowns.
9. Begin your cuticle work, most of the work should have been done for you. Gently push the cuticles back using an orange wood stick to loosen dead skin. If you have a metal cuticle pusher wash after in warm soapy water and set it in Savlon before drying with kitchen towel and putting away. 
10. Massage your feet with Foot lotion eg, Body Shop Cooling foot lotion. Massage the cuticles as well. You should preform a Peddie once a month to keep feet happy. Every day after your shower for maintaining your work you should apply Scholl Instant Recovery Cream.

Now if you are going to polish you need to prepare for polishing.

• Your toes will be oily from the Foot Lotion, wipe over with some Nail Polish Remover. Don't get it on your cuticles.
• Buff your nails with a 3 way buffer or white block to smooth out ridges and remove shine. The cleaner and smoother the nails the longer your polish will last.

Apply your base coat, your 2 colour coats followed by your top coat preferably quick drying. Try and leave a minute between each coats to allow to dry. 

Now your Feet are in top shape why not turn them into "Fancy Feet". That brings us to No6 on our Summer body list. Polishes or Wraps, Latest Trends in Nails for Summer.

Scholl Fungal Nail Treatment.

Scholl Foot scrub.

Sally Hanson Cuticle Remover.

Foot File.

Body Shops Peppermint Foot Soak.

Why not treat your self to a Pedicure Kit. Has everything you need to do your at Home  Peddie. This one is the Body Shops Deluxe Foot Gift. It contains, Peppermint Cooling Foot Lotion, Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue, Peppermint Reviving Foot Soak, Peppermint Smoothing Foot Scrub, Spoon Foot File and No more rough Stuff Pumice.

One of the best Peddie around this Summer is the Callus Peel Peddie. Check out the video!