Feet are often our most neglected body part, and we usually don’t realise just how important they are in our day-to-day activities until we suffer an injury. Even a minor blister or a stubbed toe can impact our day and make it miserable.
Are you a barefoot kind of person? I love to get rid of my shoes as often as possible at home – I also find very pleasant walking barefoot on sand and/or grass. But when that time of the year comes – when your feet are on display in cute sandals – soft soles and non-cracked heels are a must!
Whether we are on our feet all day chasing our dreams, or standing for long time periods in our job, or not making the most practical footwear choices – enjoying a spa night designed specially for your feet shall relieve inflammation , swelling and soreness with only ingredients from your pantry. Plus your house might just end up smelling like a first class SPA retreat.
These are the 3 steps to follow
1. SOAK
A foot soak is an underrated indulgence. Combine these three wonders from nature and we’ve got the makings of an evening foot spa.
Our Remedy
2 cups of fresh sage
1 lemon squeezed
1 cup Epson salts
If you have very swollen feet add 10 drops of spearmint essential oil
Sit for 10 minutes and let the acidic water soften your soles. Make the water as hot as you can tolerate if you like — there’s nothing better than a hot foot soak at the end of the day to relax feet, as well as prep them for the next step you need to take for super soft soles. Soaking in warm water is one of the oldest forms of natural medicine. Sage has calming properties and helps balancing feet temperature – specially for those who suffer an excess of feet sweating. Add Epsom salt and you’ve got a highly therapeutic remedy for pain and inflammation as well. Magnesium relaxes muscles while the warm water increases circulation and confuses pain receptors in the skin. Everyone knows that stress and insomnia go hand in hand. Not only does Epsom salt help relax muscles but it also helps relax the mind and relieve stress. Bonus: it also draws toxins out.
2. SCRUB
Once your feet are good and soft, go to town on them with a simple salt or sugar scrub. This doesn’t have to be (and probably shouldn’t be) fancy schmancy. Sugar or salt with a little oil will do a nice job of removing dead skin and cleaning things up. But if you want to enjoy a combined scrub and mask like a pro — here’s the recipe that smells like you want to eat it!
Our Remedy
¼ cup fresh coffee grounds
¼ cup sea salt
¼ cup peanut oil
½ ripe banana
¼ cocoa powder
This one is a little bit messy – I normally do this in the bathtub to restrain the mess. Scrub first and leave it for 10-15 minutes while you finish reading a magazine. Rinse off and feel your feet soft like a baby!
3. SLATHER ON MOISTURE
Did you guess this was coming? Coconut oil! Slather those feet with this simple yet awesome moisturiser or make this rich and creamy body butter your feet will love!
Our Remedy
½ cup shea butter
½ cup coconut oil
½ peanut oil
¼ macadamia oil
40 drops Essential oil of your choice (rosemary & lemon are the perfect duo here)
Blend all the ingredient in a food processor, if coconut oil or shea butter are too hard to blend them well, warm them up a little bit before adding them.
Pop some socks on for a while to let it soak in before you go to bed. This really locks in all the extra hydration from the butter and ensures that your feet aren’t left looking crusty or ashy! If you have toe painting skills you can prettify further.
And that’s it! Do this regularly – at least once a week during summer – and you will have pretty feet all year long.
And here’s my Friday night at-home ritual for keeping things soft and pretty. Bonus – the better you take care of your feet the longer you can go between pedicures. That said, if you can make time to relax in a pedicure chair every week, more power to you!
Next time you put a new pair of sandals your feet won’t go unnoticed. Now go rock some sexy sandals!
Be naturally radiant!
Sonia x