Spa Saturdays - 07 Love your feet

The warm summer months are always eagerly expected. The body is ready to throw away the heavy winter clothing and don the light warm-weather fabrics with a lightness of heart and limb. The feet are happy to get out of the boots and into lighter, open shoes. Yet, spending most of winter in stuffy boots and heavy shoes may have left its mark. Your feet may need some preparation before they are fit to be exposed in an open shoe.

Besides pedicure, they will also need hydration in order to be soft and silky. 

Facial skin care is a daily habit for most women, yet many still neglect to care for the less exposed skin of the feet. And feet deserve care more than any other part of our body, because they carry the bulk of our weight and are often crammed in beautiful, but uncomfortable shoes. Walking in high heels over stresses the front part of the foot which can lead to callouses and thickening of the skin. Orthopedists advise that the height of the heels should not exceed 2 inches. They say higher heels can be worn for no more than 5 hours a day without ill effects.

Baby-soft soles :-

The dry and cracked soles of the feet may be due not to inadequate hydration or improper shoe selection, but to a fungal infection. If the cracking does not respond to any treatment it is time to visit the dermatologist. Cracked heels can also be brought on by a hormonal imbalance or problems with the endocrine system. However, if the reason behind cracking is dry skin you will need a sponge stone, a nourishing lotion and a series of softening foot baths.

If you want your feet to look as smooth and perfect as a baby’s you will need to treat them every day. Every foot softening procedure should start with a warm bath, which will relax the rough skin. Add some liquid soap to a bath of warm water. Add also 3 tablespoons of sea salt and 1tablespoon of baking soda. Soak the feet for about 15 minutes. Afterwards, using and exfoliator or a sponge stone remove the rough and dead skin. Be gentle in order to avoid scratching and bruising. When you are done, hydrate the feet with a suitable moisturizing lotion or a little bit of warm olive oil.

The warm milk bath also has a tremendous softening effect on the feet. Soak your feet in warm whole milk for 15 minutes and dry with a towel. Afterwards rub the skin with fresh lemon peel.

There is one more treatment you can try at home – an oatmeal mask. Combine some oatmeal, hot milk and some boiled, mashed potatoes. Mix until a thick paste forms. Spread this paste on your feet and wrap them in plastic bags for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water.