Pretty Feet: 12 Tips on How to Make Your Feet Sandal-Ready in Summer + Images

Knock, knock, summer’s here! Time to give yourself a treat with bare pretty feet.

Summer season means to put on your wedges or stilettos again. It’s the best time of the year to hang out with your friends at a beach. But, your feet may not yet ready to come into limelight. Then? Will you just see the pics of pretty feet on Instagram and mourn, ‘I wish those feet were mine’? Obviously, not.

I’ve brought to you certain easy homemade tips to get beautiful feet fast.

In the first place, let me tell you like your face, your feet also needs TLC regularly. It’s because different seasons affect the beauty of your feet in different ways. Here’s how.

1. Winter – Feet become scaly and dry

2. Summer- Rough and dry

3. Monsoon- causes fungal infections and sweaty feet

Overcoming from these issues are not at all difficult. If you’re not willing to spend bucks on fish spa and other pedicure processes, read the blog. Practicing these tips will surely give you Instagram-worthy feet.

Tips to Get Pretty Feet at Home

1.Soak Your Feet in Vinegar

Does this winter make your feet dry? Or, suffering from toenail fungus? Here’s the solution for you.

First of all, use soap and water to wash your feet thoroughly. Vinegar is safe for your feet. Still, dilute the solution before soaking. Mix lukewarm water and vinegar in 2:1 ratio in a tumbler. Soak your feet in it for 10-15mins. Avoid using fruit or herbal vinegar as they contain additional ingredients. After soaking, use a mild soap to clean the feet.

Benefits: The anti-microbial properties of vinegar helps you to get rid of bad foot odor, athlete’s foot, and warts.

However, diabetic patients shouldn’t use it without recommendations from their doctors.

2. Trim Your Toenails Properly

Improperly trimmed toenails can lead to painful ingrown toenails. Instead of trimming the toenails at the corners, always cut them in a straight way. Never cut them too short. Also, gently push the cuticles towards your nail’s base while dealing with the toenails. Then, use a clean dental floss and take it under your toenails to gently lift them up.

If the area is infected, apply an antiseptic. After that, cover the toenail with a bandage.

How Often?

Your toenails grow only 1-2mm in a month. So, you don’t have to trim them once in a week. According to Christopher Hood, D.P.M, Premiere Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, cutting the nails after every 6-8 weeks is enough to keep them healthy.

3. Clean Under Your Toenails

We all have that feeling of cringing when we see dirt in someone’s’ toenails. Well, now it’s time to check our own. How exactly to clean them without causing them to separate from your toes? Use a manicure stick or a nail cleaner. You can buy one of these in your nearest cosmetics store.

How to Clean?

Start from the centre and then gently move towards the edges. Run the stick gently under your toenails. Don’t push too hard as you can separate the nail from the nail bed. Use a spoon nail cleaner to get rid of the dirt above your nails. After that, remove the leftover dirt particles with the help of a nail brush having soft bristles to get pretty feet.

How Often?

Do this once a week to get clean and well-maintained toenails.

4. Remove Dead and Dry Skin of Feet

First of all, soak your feet in lukewarm water. Then, dip a piece of pumice stone in lukewarm water. Scrub off the dead skin cells with pumice stone by moving it gently in circular motion. If some of the dead skin cells are hard to come off, don’t be harsh on them. Soak your feet in the lukewarm water for some more time. Now once you’re done, apply some lotion on your newly worked foot to make them soft and shiny.

What Causes Dead Skin on Feet?

Absence of moisture on your feet can lead to dead skin. Wearing closed shoes for hours and daily also trigger this issue. Eczema, athlete’s foot, and other infection may cause it. If you don’t invest time in scrubbing and exfoliating your feet regularly, then it may affect the beauty of the feet.

When Not to Use Pumice Stone?

Never apply pumice stone on injured or sore areas on your feet.

5. Heal Your Super-Cracked Feet

Honey

Honey is great to heal cracked feet. Its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties moisturizes the skin. Before going to bed, apply it as a foot mask and keep it overnight.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil also helps your skin to retain moisture. If the cracked heels are leading to infection and bleeding, apply coconut oil on them to get smooth feet within a few days.

When to See a Doctor?

Cracked heels can be caused by various factors. If you’ve cracked heels due to these medical conditions, contact your doctor, instead of treating them at home.

a) Psoriasis

b) Obesity

c) Pregnancy

d) Hypothyroidism

e) Vitamin deficiency

f) Aging

g) Fungal infection

Such underlying health issues require medical help. In case, you’ve any of these health issues and are noticing cracked heels, then the above-said remedies may not work.

6. Feet Whitening Packs

Pollution, inflammation, sun exposure, and many other such factors can darken your feet. Fortunately, there are some homemade packs to lighten the complexion of your feet. Let’s see what they’re.

Gram Flour

Mix 2tbsp of rose water with 2tbsp of gram flour in a bowl. Make sure the pack is thick. Apply it on your feet till the pack gets dry. Then, rinse it off with normal water.

Benefit: The nutrients in gram flour helps to remove the excess oil while making your feet bright.

Lemon

Cut a lemon into two equal halves. Sprinkle some salt on both halves. Gently rub it on your feet. Wait for 10-15 minutes. After that, wash it off using normal water.

Benefit: Lemon will brighten the complexion of your skin and the salt on it will remove all the dead cells.

7. Keep Your Feet Dry and Clean

Fungus love to thrive on wet surfaces. If your feet remains wet for a long time, you’re likely to suffer from fungal infections. Therefore, use an antibacterial soap to wash your feet. Make sure that areas between the fingers of your feet are also cleaned thoroughly.

Now, pat the feet dry with a towel. Moisturize your feet. Take your socks and sprinkle some anti-fungal powder in it to avoid fungal infection and bad odor. Wear the socks.

Avoid walking barefoot on the floor. To maintain healthy feet hygiene, change your socks after ever few hours.

Point to Note: Never wear socks until your feet is dry completely.

8. Applying Nail Polish

Nail polishes (if applied properly) add to the beauty of your feet. Follow these steps to apply nail polish like a pedicure expert. And to take care of nails of your hand, click here.

Step1: Roll tissue papers into small pieces and then place them between your toes.

Step2: Remove your old nail polish using a remover and a cotton ball.

Step3: Apply a clear base coat on the nails before applying nail polish. This base coat will help the nail polish to settle down more evenly.

Step4: Moisturize at the sides of your nails. Doing so, will enable you to wipe out the color if it spreads at the edges.

Step5: Dip your brush into the polish. Remove the excess of the polish before applying. Also, make sure that the polish you’ve taken on the brush is not too little. Otherwise, the color will be streaky.

Step6: Draw a horizontal line along the base of your toenail. Then, apply the polish in upward strokes.

Step7: Once done, dip a wooden stick manicure in nail polish remover to clean up the smudges.

Step8: Let the first coat of polish dry. Layer it up with a second coat. Applying of second coat will enhance the shine of your nail color and prevent it from chipping.

Step9: Finally, speed up the drying time of the toenail color by pouring one-drop of quick-drying oil on each nail.

Additional Tip

Never shake the nail polish bottle before applying. Shaking forms air bubble inside the bottle, leading to uneven application. Rather, roll the bottle between your palms before using it.

9. Nighttime Foot Care Routine

To keep your feet silky soft, nighttime care is must. Apply a lotion having 12% lactic acid on the heels and toes to kill the dead skin. Top the lotion with glycerin or shea butter to retain the moisture of your pretty feet. Then, slip on a pair of socks and go to bed.

How Often?

Doing this 2-3 days in a week can yield you positive results. However, make sure that you’re not wearing the socks every night as it can lead to fungal infections.

10. Get or Give Your Feet a Massage

Why You Need a Foot Massage?

Our feet do a lot of work all the day. Giving it a foot massage regularly helps to improve both psychological and physical health. Some of the benefits of foot massage are:

Heals Body Aches

With right massaging technique, you can get rid of certain pains like headaches, upper and lower back pain, migraines, and so on.

Helps You to Relax

Sometimes feet get swelled after walking or standing for hours. In such situations, 5-10 minutes of foot massage before bedtime can relax you.

Improves Blood Circulation

Wearing pointed high-heels interferes with blood flow. Getting foot massage daily ensures proper supply of oxygen to the blood cells. And, this is extremely important for your overall wellness.

Fights Depression

Massaging certain points on your feet helps to alleviate depression. When you apply pressure on these points for at least 2 minutes, many of the depression symptoms are disappeared.

11. Wear the Right Shoes

Picking the right shoes for a fashionista isn’t that easy. You must feel comfortable wearing it and should match your outfit too. However, I’ve used my experience to help you get some ideas regarding how to shop for the right shoes. Here’re the highlights.

Tips to Choose the Right Pair of Shoes

• Always prefer to shop at the end of the day. It’s because as we walk, our feet expands. To pick a pair of shoes that fits you perfectly, it’s best to shop for them when your feet are at its largest.
• Carry socks and wear them before trying the selected shoes. This will protect your feet from bacteria that the shoes may have inside them.
• Sometimes, pregnancy cause your feet to spread permanently. Therefore, make sure that the salesman has measured the width and length of your feet before selling you the shoe.
• Test whether the shoes fit you by walking around the store.
• Check the construction of the shoe before buying. Find out whether the seams and the material feel durable.

Click here to get more information about how to find out the shoes that can keep your feet happy.

Types of Shoes to Avoid for Regular Use

Wearing tight shoes daily to go outside may cause sores or other types of skin infections. In the same manner, avoid wearing high heels too as it may damage ligaments and tissues of your feet. But, if you still want to put on heels, choose heels that have broad bases.

12. Exercises for Pretty Feet

Regular exercise and stretching ensures that your feet muscles will go on providing the best support possible. Consequently, they will increase the range of motion of those pretty feet. So, let’s learn some of the easy-to-do exercises for healthy feet.

Big Toe Stretch

It stretches and heals the pains of toes. Here’s how to do it.

a) Sit on a chair with your backbone straight.

b) Keep the feet flat on the floor.

c) Stretch the big toe side, up and down, with the help of fingers

d) Stay in that position for 5 seconds.

e) Repeat 10 times for each feet.

Sand Walking

Walking barefoot on sand strengthens your feet and calves. Follow these steps to do it.

a) Go to a volleyball court or to a beach.

b) Take out your shoes and socks.

c) Walk for as long as possible. Increase the distance gradually.

Golf Ball Roll

Get rid of discomfort in the arches and pain in the toes with this easy workout. Know how to do it.

a) Sit up straight on a chair.

b) Make sure the feet are flat and touching the ground.

c) Place a golf ball under one of your feet.

d) Roll and press the ball as hard as possible.

e) Do it for 2 minutes. After that, move on to another foot.

If you don’t have a golf or tennis ball, use a frozen water bottle instead.

Dos and Don’ts to Get Pretty Feet

Dos

a) Wear sunscreen having a SPF of 30 at least on the exposed areas of your feet.

b) Take care of your feet through the ages.

c) Apply a cuticle cream on the toenails to keep them moisturized.

d) Slip on socks that can easily wick the wetness from your feet.

e) Try a Listerine soak if you’ve dread itch after bathing.

f) Always use an emery board to smooth the edges of your nails.

Don’ts

a) Don’t share your shoes with others.

b) Avoid using any pointed and sharp tool to clean under your toenails. Otherwise, you may get wounded and infections can occur.

c) Never use the same tools for both pedicure and manicure as it can lead to bacterial and fungal infections.

d) Never cut your cuticles as it can cause infection.

Images of Pretty Feet