I have a confession – I don’t see the point in having pedicures. Why pay someone to scrub feet, shape and paint toenails when I can do it myself? To save on the expense, I’m religious about using a foot cream after my shower every day. Now, my feet are not perfect but I am not subjecting anyone to the sight of scaly, flaked, cracked heels in the summer. Prevention is better than cure, right?
Foot creams working their magic this summer
l-r, these are the foot creams currently in my arsenal:
Bliss foot patrol – a great night treatment, it exfoliates with alpha hydroxy and salicylic acids, cools with aloe leaf and peppermint and is really moisturising. You wake up the next morning with baby soft skin. I must admit I don’t use this every night of the year but use it fairly regularly (I’m lazy and forget). They say it “almost eliminates the need for pedicures”. I can’t vouch for that but imagine it’s probably true – it’s Bliss after all.
Palmer’s foot magic -this is thick and gooey, a bit like Vaseline only denser. It contains all the reliable Cocoa Butter and Vitamin E goodness expected from Palmer’s, along with mango butter which smooths rough skin. I like to use it after a shower, trapping in the moisture which then keeps feet soft all day. It does feel a bit greasy to begin with, so use sparingly as it does eventually penetrate into skin.
L’occitane foot care in almond – this was a gift and I’ve not been able to find it anywhere. I’ve been sparing with this one, only using it on those days when I know my feet will be on show (never for work though, because it feels like a waste to use it on feet that will be covered by London-street-and-tube grime within an hour!). It contains shea butter which is naturally moisturising, and almond which softens the skin. It absorbs quickly and doesn’t have a sticky texture, leaving a smooth and powdery texture to feet.
Finally, investing in a good pumice stone has helped in the battle against cracked heels and has been instrumental in saving on pedicures. Happy feet all year 🙂