The long cold days of winter can take a toll on you body and skin. However, there are simple, quick, at-home remedies you can do ensure that your most tender parts are taken care of throughout the year, with these at-home manicures and pedicures.
Feet: The feet are often overworked and overlooked. To ensure that your two supporting friends are well taken care of, spend some time pampering them once a week to have soothing feet all year long. The following routine is an easy and inexpensive alternative to visiting the spa:
- Fill a basin with lukewarm water, add Epson salt and your choice of body wash, and soak your feet soak for about 10 minutes.
- Use a pumice stone to scrub away dead skin from the bottom of your feet and heels.
- Use an orangewood stick to push back cuticles.
- File toenails to desired shape and buff to smooth nail bed.
- Moisturize feet and apply desired polish
Hands: Yours hand suffer daily abuse from working, cleaning and everything in between. To ensure that you have healthy presentable hands, follow these quick and easy steps to have beautiful hands all year long:
- Soak hands in lukewarm water, with your choice of hand soap or body wash.
- Use an orangewood stick to push back your cuticles and clean under the nail bed.
- File nails to the desired shape and buff to smooth nail bed. Squoval (square with round edges) and Round nails are the most popular shapes for professions that require working with your hands (typing, etc.). File nails in one solid movement, and not back and forth, to avoid chipping.
- Apply cuticle oil to cuticles and massage in. Keep cuticles moisturized, to promote healthy nail growth and to avoid hangnails.
- Moisturize hands and apply polish of your choice.
Ensure that you are moisturizing your hands and feet on a daily basis. You can use a pumice stone in the shower to buff heels to prevent dry cracking feet. Moisturize your cuticles on a daily basis to keep them healthy. Healthy cuticles = Healthy nails.
- For some added pleasure try a few of these: Heat moisturizer in a container (no more than 5 – 10 seconds in the microwave) and massage into hands and feet. Add a few drops of Lavender or Rosemary oil for a calming and soothing sensation.
- When polishing your hands and feet apply a base coat to protect your nail bed and a top coat for added shine. Apply at least two coats of polish to see the true beauty of the color and to achieve longer wear.
Supplies needed: foot basin, manicure bowl, nail file, nail buffer, cuticle oil, organgewood sticks, pumice stone, Epson salts and essential oils of your choice, base coat, top coat, nail polish of your choice and moisturizer.