Personal care also runs on the ‘out of sight, out of mind principle’. As a result, it’s the face, hair, and hands that end up stealing most of our attention. Poor feet are often left untended and what follows is cracked heels, dead skin build-up, crinkly toenails, and bad tanning. In short, one’s feet deserve a fair amount of attention too! And, to do that, the easiest way is to follow an effective pedicure regime that can be done at home itself. Besides, spending some quality time pampering and beautifying your feet is a great time pass. So, stack your shelf with your favorite nail paints and massage oils as we’ll be sharing with you some highly effective tips and steps on how to do pedicures at home. Let’s go!
Pedicure Essentials: What All You Need For Pedicure?
Before we head to our home pedicure guide, let’s make sure that you have your kit loaded with all the required supplies. You will need the following:
- Nail filer and clippers
- Pumice stone and foot file
- Nail polish and nail polish remover
- Cuticle oil and foot cream/ lotion
- Buffer and cuticle pusher
- Towel, cotton balls
How To Do Pedicure At Home In Easy Steps?
1. Start with prepping your nails
Do this even if you have NO nail polish on.! Prepping up your nails includes removing all residues like nail polish, dirt, and build-up from the nails using a nail polish remover. You simply need to soak a cotton ball in the remover and gently wipe off all the dirt from your nails. In case you are removing dark shades like black, red, blue, etc. use cuticle oil to rub off any remaining pigments or stains.
2. Soak your feet to soften the skin
This step is your chance to make your pedicure at home feel as indulgent as a spa experience. It’s all in your hands! Choose your favorite spot in the house to sit and relax with your feet soaked in a tub full of lukewarm water. You can add your favorite essential oils, or salts to elevate your experience. This step allows your foot skin to soften and become supple for the process ahead. After 15 minutes of soaking time, get your feet out of the water and head on to the next step.
3. Exfoliate thoroughly
It’s time to rediscover your soft and smooth feet. Using the pumice stone, slough away all the dead and hardened skin from your heel and other areas of the foot. Keep scrubbing in a back and forth motion until your feet feel raw. You can also use a foot file for the same. Be thorough with the exfoliation but not harsh. Sometimes, harsh movements can lead to cuts in the softer skin layers.
4. Trim and file your nails
Nail clippers are integral tools for pedicures at home. See to it that you have good quality ones. Trim your nails to your desired length. Be careful to not cut into skin or over-trim your nails so that the skin beneath starts showing. Once you are done with the trimming, grab your nail filer to shape and smoothen your nail’s edges. Remember to do the filing swiftly. Short and jerky strokes can cause your nails to chip. After the nail filing, give your nail surface a nice buff, to even out any remaining unevenness. Once you finish trimming, filing, and buffing, your pedicure at home is half done. You will start seeing a difference already!
5. Use Cuticle oil
Cuticles are ‘nail-guards’. So, to ensure that they stay strong, healthy, and shiny too, you must not skip this step. Use a pusher stick to push back your cuticles and gently apply some cuticle oil around your nails. This step ensures good nail health and a long-lasting pedicure.
6. Massage and moisturize
Skin anywhere on the body requires proper moisturization after cleansing procedures. Likewise, a foot massage is a must in your pedicure at-home guide. Use your favorite lotion or cream to pamper your feet, toes, and calves. A nice massage shall hydrate and relieve your skin.
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7. Apply a base coat layer. Don’t skip!
Especially in a pedicure at home, laziness may take the better of you and make you skip this very important step of pedicures. If not laziness then maybe the impatience of painting your nails in that new, gorgeous nail polish may be the culprit. But, do reconsider before skipping this step. A layer of base coat acts as a barrier between your nail polish and your nail’s natural oils. Along with ensuring that your nail polish stays on for a long time, it ensures overall nail health.
8. Time to grab your nail paint!
The most exciting step of your pedicure at home needs no elaboration. Just a few quick tips can help you paint hassle-free:
- Using toe separators can help you paint smudge-free. You can either purchase them or make some at home.
- For a professional finishing, give your nails two coats of nail paint. Give time to the first coating to dry up a bit before applying the second one.
- Use orange sticks to clean smudges, if any.
9. Apply a topcoat layer to finish
If you thought that colored nails are the end of your pedicure at-home session and you are all ready to flaunt your angelic feet, this last step might be a surprise! Applying a layer of topcoat over your nail polish prevents it from chipping the next day and adds an alluring sheen to it. So, don’t forget to follow this last step of your pedicure at-home guide.
Now pamper yourself with a great pedicure session at home without spending a bomb and that too at your convenience. In case you would like to give yourself a hair spa at home, then read here to know how to do it.