Publications
Partners
We’re all born with beautiful, healthy feet. Yet, over time, we tend to neglect them – often with painful, uncomfortable, embarrassing results!
Maintaining the health of your feet is an important part of healthy ageing, yet research shows that an estimated 3 out of 4 people develop foot problems as they grow older.
Make a point of pampering your feet daily. After all, they take quite a beating from carrying you around all day.
Did you know?
The People’s Almanac by David Wallechinsky and Irving Wallace lists these interesting foot facts:
- The soles of your feet contain more sweat glands and sensitive nerve-endings per square centimetre than any other part of your body.
- Lower backache, headaches, indigestion and a misaligned spine can often be traced to problems with your feet.
- The skin on your feet is thicker than anywhere else on your body.
- When you’re stressed, you’re more susceptible to the virus that causes warts.
Get down to business
When life catches up with you, your feet might very well be the last thing on your mind. But it’s worth taking some time out to pamper yourself – your feet will be in much better shape and you’ll be doing something that’s really relaxing at the same time.
Give your feet a little TLC every day. As soon as you get home, find a comfortable spot and do the following:
- Remove your shoes and give your feet some fresh air.
- Inspect your feet for any blisters, swelling or sores.
- Use warm (not hot) water and soap to wash your feet.
- Use a clean, dry towel to dry your feet, especially between the toes.
- Maintain your skin’s moisture by applying a rich moisturising cream after each wash.
Home pedicure
A good pampering in the form of a home pedicure should be done every 2 - 3 weeks. You’ll need:
- A tub or basin
- Bath or Epsom salts
- Clean towels
- Cuticle oil and a cuticle stick
- A nail file and clipper
- A foot file and/or pumice stone
- Foot scrub (you can make your own with sugar, olive oil and peppermint essential oil)
- Foot cream
Set aside 30 minutes and divide the time as follows:
- 0 to 3 minutes: Soak your feet in warm water with bath or Epsom salts to help soothe and soften the skin.
- 3 to 6 minutes: Pat your feet dry; then remove dead skin cells with a dry, medium-grit foot file, a pumice stone and/or a foot scrub.
- 6 to 10 minutes: Trim your nails straight across using a straight-edge clipper. Use three cuts on each nail, as clipping the whole nail at once can cut it too close to the skin (this can lead to ingrown toenails). Smooth the edges with a fine-grit emery board.
- 10 to 11 minutes: Apply a rich foot cream from top to bottom (don’t forget your heels and cuticles). This is where you’ll stop if you don’t need to apply nail polish. Put on thick socks and leave them on for a few hours to allow your feet to absorb the cream.
- 11 to 20 minutes: If you need to apply nail polish, wipe off any leftover cream from your nails with a cotton pad soaked in polish remover. Apply a base coat, two coats of nail colour, and a top coat.
- 20 to 35 minutes: Leave your toenails to dry for 15 minutes before slipping on open-toed shoes. Apply quick-dry drops after the top coat to speed up the drying process.
Maintaining the health of your feet is an important part of healthy ageing, yet research shows that an estimated 3 out of 4 people develop foot problems as they grow older.
Make a point of pampering your feet daily. After all, they take quite a beating from carrying you around all day.
Did you know?
The People’s Almanac by David Wallechinsky and Irving Wallace lists these interesting foot facts:
- The soles of your feet contain more sweat glands and sensitive nerve-endings per square centimetre than any other part of your body.
- Lower backache, headaches, indigestion and a misaligned spine can often be traced to problems with your feet.
- The skin on your feet is thicker than anywhere else on your body.
- When you’re stressed, you’re more susceptible to the virus that causes warts.
Get down to business
When life catches up with you, your feet might very well be the last thing on your mind. But it’s worth taking some time out to pamper yourself – your feet will be in much better shape and you’ll be doing something that’s really relaxing at the same time.
Give your feet a little TLC every day. As soon as you get home, find a comfortable spot and do the following:
- Remove your shoes and give your feet some fresh air.
- Inspect your feet for any blisters, swelling or sores.
- Use warm (not hot) water and soap to wash your feet.
- Use a clean, dry towel to dry your feet, especially between the toes.
- Maintain your skin’s moisture by applying a rich moisturising cream after each wash.
Home pedicure
A good pampering in the form of a home pedicure should be done every 2 - 3 weeks. You’ll need:
- A tub or basin
- Bath or Epsom salts
- Clean towels
- Cuticle oil and a cuticle stick
- A nail file and clipper
- A foot file and/or pumice stone
- Foot scrub (you can make your own with sugar, olive oil and peppermint essential oil)
- Foot cream
Set aside 30 minutes and divide the time as follows:
- 0 to 3 minutes: Soak your feet in warm water with bath or Epsom salts to help soothe and soften the skin.
- 3 to 6 minutes: Pat your feet dry; then remove dead skin cells with a dry, medium-grit foot file, a pumice stone and/or a foot scrub.
- 6 to 10 minutes: Trim your nails straight across using a straight-edge clipper. Use three cuts on each nail, as clipping the whole nail at once can cut it too close to the skin (this can lead to ingrown toenails). Smooth the edges with a fine-grit emery board.
- 10 to 11 minutes: Apply a rich foot cream from top to bottom (don’t forget your heels and cuticles). This is where you’ll stop if you don’t need to apply nail polish. Put on thick socks and leave them on for a few hours to allow your feet to absorb the cream.
- 11 to 20 minutes: If you need to apply nail polish, wipe off any leftover cream from your nails with a cotton pad soaked in polish remover. Apply a base coat, two coats of nail colour, and a top coat.
- 20 to 35 minutes: Leave your toenails to dry for 15 minutes before slipping on open-toed shoes. Apply quick-dry drops after the top coat to speed up the drying process.
