Still wearing socks? Get sandal-ready feet with these home pedicure tips
Good footcare keeps you sandal-ready and makes you more alert to things that may merit a trip to the podiatrist.
My footwear choices are impractical and recent events have not changed that, even as fashion itself advocates a more relaxed look. Glam crocs, bulky trainers and other hideous, highly comfortable shoes are trending this summer and I am having none of them.
I am as glad to be back to heels as I am to have places to go in them but footcare, like self-care, is higher on my agenda these days.
Apart from offsetting some stiletto damage (you are never so aware of what five-inch heels do to your arches as during your first night out in months), good footcare keeps you sandal-ready and makes you more alert to things that may merit a trip to the podiatrist.
There are special foot cleansers available but the ingredients are rarely different from those found in regular body washes.
To avoid infection, carefully dry your toes and do not apply creams between them. Margaret Dabbs Foot Hygiene Cream, €22.95 at lookfantastic.ie, may be a helpful maintenance product for sweat-prone feet and sufferers of athlete’s foot. It can also help with nail discolouration, including that caused by forgetting to wear a base coat under dark polish.
The formula uses emu oil to promote skin renewal and pure tea tree oils for its anti-fungal and antibacterial properties.
Filing or pumicing your feet does not need to be part of your daily routine to be effective. A urea-based foot cream before bed can negate the need for it entirely. Salcura Bioskin Zeoderm Skin Repair Moisturiser, from €12.99 at Holland and Barrett, contains urea and jojoba and linseed oils that keep skin soft from heel to toe.
Gently rubbing stubborn areas with a pumice stone or foot file when you are in the bath is usually enough scuffing action. You could also try an exfoliating wash I do not typically advocate scrubs but the soles are unlikely to become irritated or sensitised by abrasive grains.
Nails Inc. Caffeine Hit Nourishing Foot Scrub, €15 at nailsinc.com, is instantly rejuvenating. Made from naturally antioxidant coffee, the scrub works to stimulate blood flow and lift away dead skin cells.
Veins on the feet need not keep you from your sandals. Ladies who are pregnant, in their wiser years or of a genetic predisposition can conceal varicose or spider veins with a little makeup. Many articles recommend using fake tan for coverage.
My criticism of this advice is that tan is not a colour corrector for blue or dark red, so may not give you the cover you are after. MAC Studio Face and Body Foundation, €32 at arnotts.ie, is a classic. All-over skin perfector. Body makeup is just full coverage, water-resistant foundation and if you already have one of these for the face it can be just as effective on the feet.
Going over any sort of body makeup with a transfer-proof setting spray gives you peace of mind when wearing lightly coloured clothes. Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray, €31, keeps everything where you want it.
It is best to cut toenails with proper clippers and straight across, not too short and not down at the corners, as this can lead to ingrown toenails. If you can’t cut your nails, try filing them once or twice a week instead. Crystal nail files designed specifically for pedicures tend to work more quickly and efficiently than fingernail files. They also last longer, so there’s no need to wear out your favourite emery board on your toenails.
According to the Royal College of Podiatry’s website, it is better to file and lightly buff thick nails than to use electric or chemical products to thin them. Abrasive ‘salon at home’ tools are easily overused and can make nails sensitive and even painful. Similarly, I use a metal cuticle remover on both sets of nails but this semi-professional tool can be tricky. If you are concerned about cuts, simply pushing them back with orange sticks in the shower is enough to neaten nailbeds.
A beautiful polish can do mani-pedi double-duty. Chanel Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour in 749 Sailor, €27 at Brown Thomas, may be the perfect red this season. If you prefer nudes or French-polished nails, a UV-protective top-coat is a summer essential. Sun-damaged shades can give you “smoker’s fingernails” and they look even worse with sandals. Nails inc. Plant Power Nail Varnish Top Coat, €16.95 at lookfantastic.ie, protects your favourite polish with a shine.
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