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First, fill a basin with a gallon
of warm water. Commercial foot soaking tablets or liquids may be used in the water for
moisturizing, deodorizing, and softening. If you don't have products of this nature on
hand, a tablespoon of baking soda and a teaspoon of bath oil will produce the same effect.
Bath beads also add moisturizer to water and provide another alternative to commercial
foot soaks. Soak feet twenty minutes to soften calluses and corns. Discard water.
In most nail salons, there is a second soak. Feet are submerged in a sea salt bath to
further loosen dead skin cells. Sea salt tablets are available for purchase in many beauty
supply and bath stores. Relax and enjoy a second soothing cleansing that will refresh hot,
tired feet. Pat feet dry with a towel.
Using a skin file, remove dead skin cells. Primary areas of concern are often heels and
balls of feet. A pumice stone also works well to remove rough calluses and dry spots. A
commercial foot sloughing cream with natural abrasives can be massaged into the skin to
remove flakiness as well.
For deep moisturizing, apply a cream formula to feet. When used after the soak and
sloughing, a lotion or cream application is absorbed quickly and helps minimize the return
of rough hard skin. Typically, hand lotions do not contain enough moisturizer to handle
foot dryness, especially during hot weather when sandals are worn and the foot is exposed.
Foot creams are made especially for after-soaking application.
Next turn your attention to the toenails. Clean under nail tips and clip. Be sure to file
splits or rough edges. Carefully work with an emery board, filing in both directions to
smooth away tears or breaks. Work slowly so that nails that have been weakened by breaks
do not tear or split from filing that is too vigorously administered. A gentle continuous
motion of the file is the best approach.
Before toenails can be polished, cuticles need to be minimized so that nails are sleek and
color may be more easily applied. Using a cuticle stick, push the skin back gently. Do not
force cuticles as this may cause injury or bleeding.
Polishes come in an array of products that differ according to their intended use. Base
coat polish is generally used to fortify and protect the nail itself. Many have vitamins
and even silk in the ingredients. Select a color for the second coat that you feel matches
your skin tone. The third coat can be a clear polish designed to protect the color from
chipping.
Application of polish should be the last step in the pedicure. Once your feet have been
soaked, exfoliated, moisturized, and the nails prepared, begin with a fortifier base coat
of polish. Cover nails with a thin coat. Do not be tempted to apply polish too liberally.
Thick coats do not dry underneath the surface and will be more prone to chipping. Allow
undercoat to dry thoroughly. Nails will absorb the fortifier as it fills in cracks and
crevices, creating a smooth nail surface.
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