Sandal season is upon us, and with National Flip Flop day around the corner, we all need a plan to get those feet looking as gorgeous as the summer sandals you’ve got your eye on.
Our feet support us every single day, yet we often don't pay them much care and attention. As the weather gets warmer, your feet are begging to breathe in open shoes. However, some of us hide our feet in shame due to some embarrassing challenges such as moisture and dry skin.
Fortunately, there are effortless ways to remove hard skin, resulting in beautiful feet you’d be happy to show off. In fact, once you’ve finished reading my four easy steps to get your feet summer ready, you’ll be looking forward to showing off those feet all summer long.
4 Steps to Summer Ready Feet
#1 – Soak
Get fresh and revitalised feet in no time. Deep clean your feet in a bowl of warm water (or a heated foot bath if you have one) with a few drops of tea tree essential oil. Massage your feet with a little soap on a flannel, and don’t forget the spaces in between your toes where dirt and dry skin can linger. You can also try soaking your feet in lemon juice every few days to help soften the skin.
Treat your feet to a soak a couple of times a week during the summer months – your feet will thank you for it. Incorporating a soak into your routine – either before exfoliating in step two, or afterwards to remove the dead skin cells – will ensure your bare feet stay beautiful all year round.
For daily maintenance, when you hop in the shower daily, use a nail brush to clean under your nails, and brush any dead skin away, especially if you have been wearing open-toe sandals.
#2 – Exfoliate
Exfoliation is the key to getting your feet ready for sandals. Make this your pre-summer mantra ‘Exfoliation is my friend’. Removing the dry skin after a long winter can take time and effort, so see what works best for you. Mix some sea salt and oil in a bowl for a great DIY scrub, or you can try a pumice stone, a foot scrub, or exfoliating cream.
Only exfoliate once a week. If you do it every day, you can take off too much skin. Your feet will get dry and be more susceptible to becoming hard and calloused.
#3 – Moisturise
Did you know that the skin on our feet is ten times thicker than the skin on the rest of our body? It, therefore, requires a more intense moisturising routine. As we age, the skin on our feet loses natural moisture, leaving us with dry and cracked feet, so invest in a good foot cream to give your feet the moisturisation they deserve.
Ideally, add some moisturiser after every shower, but if you don’t have time, then give them some TLC before bed. Add foot balm and a pair of cotton socks and sleep your way to baby-soft skin. If you favour natural and organic products, a little coconut oil works wonders, just apply to your feet after bathing.
Top tip; moisturise the tops and bottoms, but never between the toes. This is the perfect place for bacteria to grow, and nobody wants that!
#4 – Finishing touches
Learn how to cut your toenails properly to avoid ingrowing toenails and other problems. Aim to cut the nail flat across, and file off any sharp edges. If you cut them rounded, the nail might grow into the sides of the nail bed.
Finally, make them look pretty! Be creative and have some fun with nail polish colours. Don’t be afraid to reach for those hot pinks and gorgeous coral shades. Red and oranges are classic summer colours, but take inspiration from your surrounding too, deep sea blue anyone? Always use a base coat, especially if you want to use a darker shade to prevent staining, and a top coat to prevent chipping.
If your nails are stained from applying dark colours, rub a lemon wedge into your nails for approximately one minute to brighten them up. Also, don’t leave polish on for more than two weeks to avoid fungus growing.
If you plan to wear sandals every day, invest in a decent pair. The kind you can buy for £3 that bend in half are less than ideal as they don’t provide the proper support. To prevent injury, choose sandals with a sole that “doesn’t twist excessively” and opt for natural materials, such as soft leather.
It doesn’t get better than flip flop weather
Sharon Cole
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