walkin'

walkin'

Tuesday, February 17

one step ahead

The days are finally getting a teeny bit longer and I'm already dreaming of summer. Alongside these dreams is the overwhelming urge to start body prepping for those long, warm, flesh-baring days ahead. Let's start with toes:

If you haven't already, take off your toenail polish! I usually take mine off end of October, as no-one is going to see them except my husband and possibly my football friends in the change room; in neither of these instances does it matter as neither care what my toes look like. You now have a chance to grow out any staining (fan of red polish anyone??) and it gives you a chance to see the state of the nail so you can guide it into the shape you want as it grows.

If your nails are short, let them grow for 3-4 weeks before trimming them, depending on your rate of growth. Follow the natural shape of the nail and gently file any sharp edges after clipping. Don't trim too far back but neither should you let them grow longer than the end of your toes. Once you are happy with the length and shape, leave them alone for another couple of weeks!

Tonight before you go to bed get out your trusty pot of Vaseline and slap that stuff all over your feet. Rub it in to the corners that are especially bark-like, then slap on another layer. I always rub it into my hands as well; two birds with one stone and all that. Now for weirdness: clingfilm each foot before putting on socks for bed. This helps the goop soak into your foot instead of your sock.

Mmm attractive...

Tomorrow morning before you get in the shower, remove wrapping and using a foot file or pumice stone, file your heels, toes, and any other bits on your feet that need buffing! Use the file while it's dry and you'll slough off twice as much, twice as fast. (Make sure you are giving your file or stone a wash with antibacterial soap when you're done to prevent any gribblies growing on there.)

Once you're in the shower use a foot or body scrub on the whole foot and even the calf and lower leg while you're there - I like the Soap & Glory range of scrubs; they're nice and coarse and I feel like they actually make my skin soft. But if you don't have one already just use a handful of coarse sea salt or granulated sugar for each foot! Use a foot cream or a yummy-smelling body butter on your feet before you dress.


Try and do the Vaseline, file and scrub at least once a week between now and Daylight Savings Time and you'll have super soft and shiny footsies, ready for display. Once it's warm enough for your feet to be out facing the elements, you may want to scrub more often, especially before and after any sandy days out or holidays, as feet really take a beating then!

To get stains out of your toenails, soak your feet in warm water with a whole lemon squeezed in. I like to add baby oil as this helps counteract the drying effects of lemon on the skin. You can also use a whitening toothpaste. Just keep your old toothbrush, use a pea sized amount per each set of toes and brush each nail until frothy. As a bi-product both methods make your toes smell nice! Make sure you give your feet a wash afterwards to rinse any leftover product (or fruit) residue and moisturize to keep them soft.


On top of all this try to use a cuticle oil once a day. It's a good habit to have for fingers and toes; although I usually forget until I do the soak and scrub..oops! BUT some is better than none in the long run. The saying "summer bodies are made in winter" applies to beauty as well as fitness; put in a bit of prep now and you'll be sashaying along the seaside with a bag full of body confidence come summer.
xxx

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