It’s been an unusually cold, unnaturally long winter—but on the flip side, we’ve been saving a fortune on pedicures. As swell as that’s been, it’s finally time to renew our relationship with the pumice stone. Strappy sandals, sporty slides and barefoot beach days all mean one thing: our toes will be on full display, and we don’t want to be turning heads in the wrong direction, do we?
When it comes to salon pedicures, there’s so much that could go wrong, it can make for an experience that’s more stressful than soothing. Questionable sanitary practices, improper nail shaping, and other risk factors have us ill-at-ease when it comes to professional pedis.
If saving money and escaping bacterial and fungal infections are high on your to-do list, look no further than this easy DIY pedi you can do in the relative safety of your own home. Soak your toes as you catch up on your favorite shows or whiz through a chapter of your current read without being subjected to whatever daytime TV or elevator music they’d have on at your local salon.
Start by removing your polish and soaking your feet, either in the tub or in a wide, shallow bucket. Fill it with hot water and some bath salts, regular salt, or a few drops of essential oils. I like lavender because it smells so relaxing, or eucalyptus or peppermint oils for their springy, zingy scent. After a 10-minute soak, exfoliate your feet from heel to toe with a combination of salt and olive oil—about 1 teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of oil for each foot. This will leave your skin incredibly polished and luxuriously smooth. Slather on some rich moisturizer if you feel you need it (the olive oil should make them feel pretty soft on its own), and put on a pair of thick socks for a 10-minute intensive treatment.