Put your best foot forward with our step-by-step guide on the perfect home pedicure – get your peep-toes out, women!
by Beverley Lewis
Your toenails are a mess and you really can’t wait to book an appointment at the salon. But you can’t always make the time to get a pedicure at the parlour. So what do you do? You follow our seven-step tutorial on giving yourself a pedicure a home, that’s what you do.
You will need: nail polish, cotton balls, polish remover/acetone, hydrogen peroxide (if you have stained nails), nail cutter, nail file, bath salts, cup of milk (for calloused feet), cuticle stick, scrub and foot mask (see recipe below).
Step 1: Out with the old. Get rid of old nail polish with a large cotton ball that has been liberally doused with acetone or polish remover. If your old polish has stained your toe nails or your nails have a yellowish tint, soak a cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide and apply it on your nails. Leave this on for a few minutes and then wipe off. This should take care of the stains.
Step 2: Give it a trim. Use a nail cutter or a clipper and cut your nails straight across. To get a soft square shape, file your nails in one direction with an emory board (see pic below). 
Don’t clip the sides of nails, as this leads to ingrown toenails.
Step 3: Get soaked. Fill a large bowl with warm water and put in some of your favourite bath salts and aromatherapy oils. Soak your feet for a minimum of 10 minutes. The more cracked and calloused your feet, the longer you will need to soak them. If you want to get rid of dead skin, add a cup of milk to the mixture as milk is known to loosen dead skin.
Step 4: Cuticle care. After soaking your feet, your cuticles will be nice and soft. Then, using an orange stick, gently push back the cuticle. If necessary, use a cuticle remover lotion to help push back your cuticles. If you have excess skin on the sides of your nails that needs trimming, you can trim it with a cuticle trimmer.
Step 5: Scrub-a-dub. Next, give yourself a refreshing foot scrub to help remove dead skin and calluses from your feet. If you have access to beach sand, you can rub it into your skin as it makes a wonderful scrub. Alternatively, you can also use a body scrub or a homemade scrub made from sugar and olive oil.
Step 6: The mask. Instead of spending money on buying a foot mask, you can make one at home for half the cost. All you need is a tablespoon of fresh cream, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of honey. Mix all these ingredients together and massage them into your feet. You can then wrap your feet in saran wrap or plastic bags. Leave this on for 20 minutes and then wash it off with warm water and a mild soap.
Step 7: A splash of colour. Use a cotton ball to remove any excess oils that may remain from your foot mask . Nail polish does not adhere well to oily nails. Use cotton balls to separate toes when painting your nails. First, apply a base coat. After it has dried, apply a coat of nail polish. Wait until this dries before applying the final coat. If you decide not to apply colour, simply apply another base coat and you are good to go.
Use these tips and tricks to give yourself a pedicure at home and you can save money and have gorgeous-looking feet all summer.
Beverley Lewis writes for beauty magazines and has amazing tips to share. Do you have a nail issue that needs sorting out? Write to Beverley in the comments section below.
(Pictures courtesy www.zenredsalonbangkok.com, perksandstyle.wordpress.com, www.webmd.com)
