What is a home pedicure?

A home pedicure is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to improve the appearance of your feet and nails.

Essentially, it’s a manicure for the feet with a few additions to make them feel comfortable in both open and closed shoes.

The word pedicure comes from the Latin word ‘pes’ (meaning ‘foot’) and ‘cura’ (meaning ‘care’) and also has relevance to other foot conditions such as ‘pes plano’ meaning flat foot.

An at-home pedicure is good for a number of reasons, but most importantly it allows you to check your feet in detail to identify and hopefully prevent any problems like nail fungus and athlete’s foot before they occur.

A homemade pedicure in 10 easy steps…

1) Remove polish

Remove any existing nail polish or gel coating, preferably with a non-solvent based nail polish remover, this will prevent the nail surface from becoming damaged and dry. Try to use cotton bands instead of cotton balls so as not to leave traces of cotton.

2) Soak Feet

Use a bowl of warm water or a foot spa and add a drop of shampoo and a full tablespoon of sea salt or Epsom salts as this is good for cracked skin. You can also add an essential oil such as tea tree or eucalyptus. Soak your feet for about 10 to 15 minutes. If you have heavy calluses, you may need to soak them longer.

3) Exfoliate

Gently exfoliate your feet and heels with a ready-made foot scrub or facial scrub. This will help with any dead skin and minor calluses. You can also use a pumice stone at this stage or the Biodegradable Coarse Pumice Pad to treat minor calluses.

Do not rub too hard, as this can damage the upper layers of the skin and cause pain. Use a fine foot file once the feet are completely dry to smooth the skin before applying the cream.

Never use a razor to remove calluses as too often you will end up cutting yourself which can lead to more serious problems. If they are that bad, visit your podiatrist who will scalp them for you.

However, remember that calluses exist for a reason: to protect your foot from friction and pressure. If you remove them without addressing the cause, they can hurt a lot.

4) Dry properly

Be sure to dry your feet properly, especially between your toes, to prevent bacteria and fungus such as athlete’s foot from building up in a humid environment. Use a dedicated foot towel for your feet and no other members of your family to prevent cross-infection problems.

5) neat cuticles

Apply a cuticle softener to each cuticle on your toes, rub gently, and wait 3-5 minutes. 10 Very gently push back the cuticles with a clean orange stick.

Tip: If you don’t have a cuticle softener, using olive oil will work just as well.

6) Cut Nails

Carefully trim and trim your toenails with nail clippers or scissors. Be careful not to cut them too far or you could damage the nail bed or worse make it bleed.

Always use a good quality, clean pair of scissors (preferably sterilized) and cut straight across.

This will reduce the risk of ingrown toenails cutting into the sides. However, cutting in a straight line often leads to sharp corners that must be carefully filed down with a special file called a ‘black file’ by podiatrists or an ‘ingrown nail file’ by pedicurists.

Tip: If you visit a salon, always ensure that the tools/instruments they use have been properly sterilized to prevent bacterial and fungal contamination of the nails and skin.

7) File Nails

A glass nail file is usually best for filing toenails, although metal ones can be sterilized. However, most people opt for the disposable type of emery board. File in one direction so as not to split the nail and remove any sharp corners left over from the cut as in step six.

8) Massage Your Feet

Give your feet a gentle reflexology-style massage to finish off your home pedicure and have them feeling fresh and new again before applying any nail polish.

9) Separated fingers

Use a foam toe separator to separate your fingers before painting. This will help with any blemishes or marks on your nails if you have to walk while they dry.

10) Nail Polish

Always apply a good quality base coat before applying nail polish, as it will protect your nails from any solvents in the polish, which can lead to destruction of the nail plate over time. Let your nails dry completely before wearing shoes or sandals.

Tip: Keep nail polishes in a cool, dry place like the fridge, they will last longer.