I have told you before that I hate, hate, hate my feet. Any pampering they receive is from me... alone behind a closed door! Here are a few suggestions for pampering your feet for just a few dollars. Honestly, why spend a lot of money on spa treatments for a part of my body I don't particularly care to show in public!
Put 'em up! Any time I can just put my feet up, read a good book and relax is a good foot treatment.
Massage - My hubs is very sweet to massage my feet when I ask him.
How to Do It
* Coat your palms with a thin layer of lotion or balm infused with a circulation-boosting ingredient, such as peppermint, pine oil, camphor, or rosemary.
* Using long stroking motions, slowly massage the sole of one foot with both thumbs, starting behind the toes and moving toward the heel. Apply extra pressure along the arch and at the ball of the foot, two places that are especially prone to tightness.
*Grip the foot with both hands and gently twist your hands from side to side as if you’re wringing a towel.
* "This little piggy..." End the massage by gently pulling and releasing each toe. Repeat on the other foot.
Mashed Potato Foot Treatment
For an amazing hand and foot soak, make mashed potatoes using russets and milk (don’t waste any butter), and then water them down a bit. Soak your feet or hands in them.
The mashed potatoes retain the heat and are an amazing treatment for swollen and sore feet. The lactose in the milk makes your skin feel soft and smooth.
Bedtime Piña Colada Callus Treatment
Calluses - those disgusting thick patches of dead skin that form on your heels and toes. They can particularly large on the back of your heels. To baby your calluses, soak your feet, reduce the hardened skin with a natural pumice stone and moisturize to rehydrate thirsty skin.
Ingredients:
1 footbath (use a large, clean bucket if you don't own one)
2 to 3 cups organic pineapple juice
½ cup organic coconut milk
1 natural pumice stone
1 cotton bath towel
Your favorite moisturizer for extra-dry skin
A pair of cotton socks
Directions:
Add the pineapple juice to the footbath. Pineapple contains a natural enzyme called bromelain, which breaks down hardened skin. Add the coconut milk and stir well. Soak your feet for approximately 8-10 minutes. Rinse well with warm water. Apply the pumice stone to calloused areas and rub gently. Don't overdo it! You don't want to irritate or remove too much tender skin. Towel dry. Apply your favorite moisturizer while feet are still damp. Put on your cotton socks and wear them through the night, as you sleep. You'll awaken with much softer feet!
Foot Spa
Put 'em up! Any time I can just put my feet up, read a good book and relax is a good foot treatment.
Massage - My hubs is very sweet to massage my feet when I ask him.
How to Do It
* Coat your palms with a thin layer of lotion or balm infused with a circulation-boosting ingredient, such as peppermint, pine oil, camphor, or rosemary.
* Using long stroking motions, slowly massage the sole of one foot with both thumbs, starting behind the toes and moving toward the heel. Apply extra pressure along the arch and at the ball of the foot, two places that are especially prone to tightness.
*Grip the foot with both hands and gently twist your hands from side to side as if you’re wringing a towel.
* "This little piggy..." End the massage by gently pulling and releasing each toe. Repeat on the other foot.
Mashed Potato Foot Treatment
For an amazing hand and foot soak, make mashed potatoes using russets and milk (don’t waste any butter), and then water them down a bit. Soak your feet or hands in them.
The mashed potatoes retain the heat and are an amazing treatment for swollen and sore feet. The lactose in the milk makes your skin feel soft and smooth.
Bedtime Piña Colada Callus Treatment
Calluses - those disgusting thick patches of dead skin that form on your heels and toes. They can particularly large on the back of your heels. To baby your calluses, soak your feet, reduce the hardened skin with a natural pumice stone and moisturize to rehydrate thirsty skin.
Ingredients:
1 footbath (use a large, clean bucket if you don't own one)
2 to 3 cups organic pineapple juice
½ cup organic coconut milk
1 natural pumice stone
1 cotton bath towel
Your favorite moisturizer for extra-dry skin
A pair of cotton socks
Directions:
Add the pineapple juice to the footbath. Pineapple contains a natural enzyme called bromelain, which breaks down hardened skin. Add the coconut milk and stir well. Soak your feet for approximately 8-10 minutes. Rinse well with warm water. Apply the pumice stone to calloused areas and rub gently. Don't overdo it! You don't want to irritate or remove too much tender skin. Towel dry. Apply your favorite moisturizer while feet are still damp. Put on your cotton socks and wear them through the night, as you sleep. You'll awaken with much softer feet!
Foot Spa
Consider investing in a foot spa. I like the Homedics Foot Spa. I don't have one, but I like it!
To Soothe Your Feet - Soak in a mixture of water, ice cubes and tea tree oil.
To Relax - Add 1/3 cup Epsom salt
To Kill Bacteria & Odor - Add 1/3 cup baking soda
To Moisturize - Add Oil (olive, sesame or nut oils)
To Rejuvenate - Add Vitamin E oil
To Relax, Soothe & Moisturize - Add Aloe Vera Oil
To Relax - Use Tea Bags
Essence Oils Provide A Variety of Helps: Chamomille kills bacteria; Lavender is relaxing, Tea tree oil kills fungus, peppermint oil is rejuvenating
Ped Egg - I bought one of these at the suggestion of another blogger. My friend calls it a mini-cheese grater which is what it looks like, but it is seeming to work!
Shoe Size? Our feet change as we get older and have children. Ligaments loosen and feet spread. Make sure you are buying shoes in the correct size and of varying heel heights. Wearing the exact same shoes all the time can cause repetitive motion problems.
Clip Nails - This seems like a no brainer, but keeping your nails clipped not only keeps them more attractive but healthier as well.
Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!
7 comments:
Or you could marry a physical therapist...great foot massages!
I have known someone that put Vicks on her feet and then put nice warm socks on afterward...I tried it and loved it.
Also if you breastfed and had some of the lanolin left over...that stuff is great on chapped feet, chapped lips, chapped noses (in cold season). A little goes a long way.
My husband bought a PedEgg and the thought of foot shavings completely grosses me out!!
That's so funny about the mashed potatoes! Who'da thunk??
Oh, gosh--my poor footsies could use some babying! Thanks for the tips--the Pina Colada treatment looks good enough to drink!
I feel the way you do about my feet. And standing all day in the classroom doesn't help matters, does it? I'm going to try some of your suggested remedies--thanks! BTW, if you have some time tomorrow, drop on by my place. We're playing the Silly Sunday Sweepstakes, and Sharing All That Caption Love!
i'll have to try that pinacolda one! :)
Funny thing foot are the least pampered, but the most used. I found these helpful hits wonderful. The thing is I have a foot bath, but hardly use it. weird huh>. Maybe I need to take these ideas and put them to use,
Foot Care Made Easy with Epsom Salt
Want happy feet? Try these simple yet effective remedies to keep feet looking and feeling their best.
Many foot conditions can be easily treated by using Epsom Salt, a naturally occurring mineral available for purchase at supermarket or drug stores. Epsom Salt offers an affordable, back to basics approach to treat your feet. Try these tips to improve your foot hygiene routine. Then, go to www.epsomsaltcouncil.org for more tips and uses.
Soak Away Pain and Swelling
Suffering from tired, aching feet? Let Epsom Salt come to the rescue! Dissolve a half cup of the mineral into two quarts of warm water. Pour the water into a container and soak your bare feet for fifteen to twenty minutes, once or twice a day. For an extra treat, add a few drops of eucalyptus oil for a refreshing scent. Then, rinse your feet off with clean tap water and dry them thoroughly.
Exfoliate Dry Skin and Calluses
Did you know the skin at the sole of the foot is denser than any other skin on the human body? Use this treatment to soften and remove excess dry skin. Mix two cups of Epsom Salt with 1/4 cup of petroleum jelly and a few drops of lavender essential oil. Use the mixture to gently scrub away dry skin patches. Massage the entire foot concentrating on the heels and ankles to remove any dry, rough spots.
Remove Splinters
Splinters can cause pain, swelling and possible infection if they're not removed promptly. Here's how to safely remove it. Clean a needle, a pair of tweezers and a small pair of nail clippers with isopropyl alcohol and let it air-dry. Be sure to swab the pinching surfaces of the tweezers and the cutting edges of the nail clippers. Soak the area in Epsom Salt to soften the skin and help draw out the splinter.
Treat Athlete’s Foot
Athlete's foot is caused by a fungal infection of the skin on the foot. Athlete's foot is by far the most common fungal infection of the skin. Soaking the feet in Epsom Salt and warm water is helpful to relieve the burning and itching.
Get Rid of Foot Odor
Try a foot soak made of plain water and a half cup of Epsom Salt for a relaxing foot treatment that also helps deal with unwanted foot aroma. Epsom Salt will help to absorb foot odors.
Treat Toenail Fungus
Soak your affected toes in hot water mixed with a palm full of Epsom salt three times a day.
Epsom Salt is extremely affordable and easy to find at most grocery, hardware or drug stores. For more information on Epsom Salt and its many uses go to www.epsomsaltcouncil.org.
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