DIY pedicure at home: how to give yourself a home pedicure

DIY pedicure at home: home pedicure

Going to the pedicure is great: you’re pampered from head (uh, ankle, sorry) to toes with a scrub, moisturizer and your toenails look perfect afterward too.

However, not everyone has the time or money to make an appointment with a professional pedicure – how can we give ourselves a pedicure at home?

Whether you want to give yourself a pedicure in the summer, spring, winter, or fall, these tips will help us take care of our feet ourselves (and of course, it’s not just about beauty, but also to keep your feet healthy and cared for !).

1. Make sure you have everything you need at home

If you want to give yourself a pedicure – or teach your partner how to pamper your feet, you need a few things.

It is best to have nail scissors within reach, a nail file, a nail buffer, a foot file, body lotion, soap, a scrub, a foot bath with lukewarm water, a towel, and any nail polish you want to apply to your toenails.

• a tub where you can easily soak your feet
• a nail scissors or nail clipper
• nail file (this glass file is our favorite)
• nail buffer
• foot file (this electric is our big favorite)
• good nourishing body lotion
• soft, nourishing soap that does not dry out your feet
• a natural scrub (please ignore those with microbeads): or make your own handy sugar scrub or coffee scrub. I would personally recommend a salt scrub a little less… then you will discover that you have all kinds of small wounds on your feet 😉
• towel
• drops essential oil for the foot bath (optional)
• epsom salt for the foot bath (optional) or magnesium flakes
• nail polish (again optional): base coat, colored nail polish, top coat and drops to let your nail polish dry quickly  – especially handy if you’re just as impatient as yours truly, haha!
• dissolving agent (optional) to first remove your old nail polish from your feet and kitchen/toilet paper (I don’t recommend cotton balls because they are only used once)

2. Soak your feet in a foot bath

The first step is to soak your feet in a foot bath. If you have nail polish on your toes, it is best to remove it first with a soft acetone.

Make sure the water is lukewarm to semi-warm so you don’t burn yourself and put some mild soap like bath foam or shower gel or bath bomb in the water.

You can also get a special foot soap in the supermarket or online that makes your feet and nails extra flexible. Also very nice: what magnesium flakes or Epsom salt to the water.

3. File the dead skin off your feet

Calluses are very annoying and good for your feet at the same time – but you can do something about this with a good pedicure.

When you have soaked your feet for a good 10 minutes, carefully remove the hard skin on your feet with a foot file.

Try to work around your heel and under your big toe as best you can. You will notice that the skin of your feet is suddenly a lot softer. This is our favorite electric foot file.

Calluses are very important: don’t get me wrong. It helps your feet to walk better and longer. But: too many calluses can be bad and cause you to get craters in your calluses. Very very painful!

That is why it is important to keep your calluses under control in between: 100% removal is certainly not necessary.

Do not get started with a callus rasp where you cut the callus off your feet with a kind of razor blade: with this, you cut too quickly into the non-calloused part of your feet.

4. Exfoliate your feet and lower legs

Now you can apply a scrub on your feet and lower legs. This scrub will also ensure that the dead skin cells on your foot and between your toes are removed.

Choose a more natural scrub without plastic microbeads or quickly make a handy scrub yourself with some sugar, olive oil, and coffee grounds.

5. Cut, file, and buff your nails

Now it’s time to work on your nails. First of all, it is important to trim your nails. Do this with nail scissors or nail-clipper.

Cut your nails as straight as possible. sharp corners with a file round, or with nail scissors or nail clippers if you are handy with this.

After you finished cutting and your nails are filed, can use the nail buffer to make your nails shine.

Make sure not to buff your nails too often: you remove a minuscule layer every time. In the long run, this can be too much and you make sure that you get more fragile nails.

6. Use a good body lotion

Now that you’re done taking care of your feet, you can download a use a good moisturizer or body lotion to keep your feet supple and beautifully nourished.

If you often suffer from rough heels, you can also use special foot cream that prevents calluses.

Suffering from very dry feet?

I myself can suffer from very dry feet: even if I do a DIY pedicure at home. What has helped me a lot is looking at which products I use for my body.

I myself have switched to much more natural products containing natural butter and oils. If I ever suffer from very dry feet, hands or cuticles, I now use this mixture: absorbs quickly and ensures that my skin is really nourished, not just superficially like with many other creams.