How to Give Yourself the Perfect Pedicure at Home

There is nothing like well-groomed feet to make you feel good inside and out. Of course, not all of us can afford a professional pedicure.

If you don’t have the budget for a bi-monthly pedicure at your local salon, you can give yourself a professional-looking job at home too! In today’s post, we are sharing a step-by-step guide to doing a pedicure right in the privacy and comfort of your home:

You will need:

A basin of warm water
Bath salt
Foot scrub
Nail clippers
Cuticle pusher
Nail file
Pumice stone or foot file
Nail brush
Nail polish remover
Cuticle cream
A towel
Lotion
Cotton Pads

Step 1: Prep the Feet

Start by washing your feet thoroughly with warm water. Then, clean your nails by removing old polish, trimming the nails, and removing hangnails and/or ingrown nails. File your nails to create the shape you like then brush the nails with a nailbrush.

Step 2: A Good Soak

To soften the nails and hardened heels, give yourself a foot soak. With a basin full of warm water, add your favorite essential oils plus a good pinch of bath salt. You should end up with a warm, fragrant water. To soothe inflammation or soften the heels, we also recommend mixing a cup of Epsom salt in the water. The salt will slough off dead skin cells and heal inflammation. Finally, add a good squeeze of lemon juice to promote exfoliation. The juice will also even out the skin tone and soften callouses and corn.

Now soak your feet in the water for 10 to 20 minutes. Give yourself a mini massage during the soak to boost circulation. After soaking the feet, get a towel and pat your feet dry.

Step 3: Scrubbing the Feet Clean

After soaking the feet, they should be nice and soft. Now add a generous amount of cuticle cream on the base of the toenails and leave it on to soften the cuticles. Get a pumice stone and start scrubbing the heels of the feet. Be firm but gentle to avoid skin abrasion.

Once the exfoliation is done, remove the cuticle cream, push your cuticles, and scrub gently. Wash the feet and then towel dry. Follow up with a nourishing lotion to rejuvenate the skin. Trim the edges of the toes to achieve clean looking feet.

Step 4: Apply the Nail Color

After prepping the feet and exfoliation, you are now ready for the final step: a pedicure! Start by applying an even layer of base coat on your nails. Leave the base to dry completely before applying the first layer of your favorite nail color. Again, leave the layer of nail color to dry then apply a second coat.

Once you are satisfied with the opacity of the nail color, seal the color in with a top coat. The top coat will extend the staying power of the nail color. It will also reduce chipping or dullness of the nail color. Wait for the nail color to dry and you are done!