From hairy legs to fuzzy armpits, winter is the time to go au naturel since everything’s covered up by jumpers, jeans, and woolly garments anyway (unless you’re au naturel all year round in which case, good for you, why not bring that armpit hair firmly into the 21st century with some Crazy Colour Hot Purple Hair Dye?)
Sadly, we tend to treat our feet the same way, ignoring them completely during winter when they remain firmly out of sight. However, neglecting your tootsies is a big mistake. Not only will regular pedicures make the transition into summer sandals much easier, they’re also crucial for your feet’s health during the season when freezing temperatures and soggy socks can leave them feeling cracked and sore. If you don’t normally treat your feet to a winter pedi, there’s no need to splash out at the salon; here are our top tips for doing it right at home.
Warm it Up
During summer, cooling pedicures are delicious for our hot and swollen feet but cold creams are the last thing we want on our skin in winter. To tailor your pedi to the season, try warming everything up a notch. Treat yourself to a warming foot spa or simply fill a bowl with warm water, add a little luxury foot soak and give your tootsies their own toasty bath.
Step it Up
Most of us tend to neglect our feet completely during the winter when, in fact, it’s the time they need the most love of all. From rough skin to cracked heels, our feet need extra-special treatment during winter to battle all those extreme conditions. You can start with a foot scrub but winter feet tend to be tougher and drier than normal so you might also need to use a special pedicure foot file to get them really smooth. They’ll also need extra moisturising so it can be a good idea to add a sumptuous foot mask to your normal foot lotion moisturising routine.
Clean it Up
Going to the trouble of giving yourself a pedicure can seem like a lot of hassle when you consider that hardly anyone (bar a lucky OH) is going to see it. Winter pedis aren’t about aesthetics though, they’re about keeping your feet safe and healthy and looking fab for summer, meaning that you don’t necessarily have to paint your toenails if you don’t feel like it. Nail polishing can be one of the more time-consuming aspects of a pedicure so this will help to cut down the time your pedi takes; think pampering not prettifying. If you hate to leave nails bare, simply slick on a clear nail treatment such as a nail strengthener or an all-in-one protecting, brightening, and ridge filling polish like Naillux’s Do It All. Your toes will look clean and polished with none of the effort.
