You don’t have to wear socks just to cover your toenails. If you don’t have time to visit a salon to get a pedicure, you can do it at home. All you need is a set of tools and the basic knowledge of pedicuring, and that’s it. All that’s needed is nail clippers, a base coat, and pretty nail polish. You can have cuticle oil, products for a foot bath, and a foot file that will keep your calluses at bay. But these are totally optional. You can do pedi without these additional foot care items, but having them can take your experience and the results to a new level. So, are you ready to give your foot a soothing treatment? In this post, we will walk you through the steps on how to pedicure at home. Let’s get started.
How to Pedicure at Home: Step-by-Step Process
You need to gather the pedicure supplies first. We’ve already mentioned a few essentials needed to pedicure at home, but you are going to need more if you want the best results. Here’s the list of products needed for a smooth pedi session at home.
â— Nail polish remover
â— Foot file
â— Nail clippers
â— Cuticle oil
â— Nail polish
Here’s how to do a pedicure at home.
Prep Your Nails
First things first, you need to prepare your toes for a pedicure. This step involves cleaning your nails by wiping the current nail polish and removing the cuticles.
Here’s a step-by-step guide for that.
â— Grab cotton balls and remove the nail polish on your toenails using nail paint remover.
â— Using the nail clipper, cut your nails straight. Make sure you don’t cut corners deep, as it might lead to ingrown nails and bleeding.
â— Once you have cut the nails, use a filer to shape them however you like. Give them a square, oval, or round shape. The filling is the most challenging part. When done correctly, it can give your toenails a perfect shape, but filling harshly or excessively can weaken the nails.
â— If you have cuticle cream, massage the feet gently before dipping them into the warm water. You can use a general cream, too, for massage.
Tip: Take a few drops of nail paint remover on the cotton ball and swipe the nail polish slowly to wipe the color off your toenail. Also, you might see a yellow stain after removing the nail paint. Use cuticle oil to clean the residue.
Soak Your Feet
This is the most exciting and relaxing part of your pedicure. Grab as many candles (scented preferably) as you have and light them. Keep the candles near the hot water tub. Relax and bring some fruit juice and snacks. You need to dip your feet and toes in warm, scented water. This will surely help you unwind after a long hectic day. Here’s what to do.
Get a tub and fill it with warm water. If you don’t want too much fragrance, mix shampoo into the water. However, if you want a perfect spa-like pedicure experience, here’s what to do.
â— Mix 5-6 tbsps of Epsom salt into the warm water. This will help reduce inflammation, prevent itching, and reduce pain. This is also your natural skin exfoliator.
â— Slice a lemon and add its juice to the mixture. You must also add a few drops of shampoo.
â— An optional addition is the rose petals. They feel soft on your feet.
â— Add a few drops of lavender or rosemary oil and get ready for a spa treatment at home. If you have pebbles at home, consider adding a bunch of them for a foot massage.
There you go! This is how to make a pedicure at home. Soak your feet in the warm scented water, play your favorite music, and relax. You need to keep your feet soaked in the liquid for at least 20 minutes. Once done, wipe your feet with a dry towel. You must also set the right atmosphere, as the purpose of a pedicure is to soften the tough skin.
Scrub Your Feet
Move on to the next step — scrubbing. For this step, you need pumice stones. Scrub them on tough areas. If you don’t have the stone, use a foot file instead. Both will help you remove dead and dry skin, leaving you with soft skin. A common cause of skin infection and inflammation is dead skin. This needs to be removed every now and then to keep your skin in good condition. Don’t scrub aggressively. You just need to do it gently, so the dead skin cells are removed without hurting your skin.
â— After removing the dead skin, wipe the cuticle cream and use a cuticle pusher to push the skin between the nailbed and the skin. The cuticle must be removed to give a perfect finish to your toenails.
â— You can find a cuticle remover cream online or at a salon. This step is a bit difficult. You don’t have to cut them. Just push them and remove them gently so that your skin doesn’t irritate.
â— Wipe your feet with a wet towel after you are done with cuticle removal.
â— The next step is exfoliation. You can use a regular face scrub if you don’t have a foot scrub. Scrub your feet, toes, ankles, and the area between the toenails. Do not forget the edges of your feet.
You can make cuticle cream at home. Mix coconut oil with almond oil and glycerin. Add a few drops of essential oils and mix them well. Heat these ingredients in a microwave for 10-20 seconds and let them cool. There you go. Your natural cuticle cream is ready. Likewise, you can make the scrub at home too. There are dozens of homemade foot scrub recipes on YouTube. You can watch and prepare the one that suits your skin.
Moisturize Your Feet
Once you have removed the cuticles, your feet and toenails will look clean. But there’s one important step left to finish the pedicure. You need to moisturize your feet to give them a smooth finish. Apply some cream on your feet and ankle and massage it gently for a few minutes. Once you are done, you can select your favorite nail paint and apply it to the freshly pedicured feet.
If you don’t have a moisturizer, you can make it at home using olive oil and almond oil. Blend these two ingredients and add a few drops of essential oil to create a soothing foot massager. Massage your feet with these oils for a few minutes and keep reapplying the moisturizer for the best results. Foot massage with oils will calm your nerves and regulate blood circulation, nourishing your feet.
Bonus Tip: People with cracks on their heels should apply a mixture of cocoa butter and lime juice to heal the area. Once done, wrap your feet in plastic and wear cotton socks. The next day you will have glowing, clean, and healthy feet.
Use a Body Lotion for Massage
An alternative to moisturizer is a body lotion. It has the same effects and is even better since lotions have a considerably thin consistency than their cream counterparts. Like the above step, apply a small amount of lotion to your feet and start massaging.
Massage until your feet feel warm. Massaging doesn’t only help give your feet a natural glow, but it also hydrates your feet. That’s what you need after hours of soaking your feet in the warm water. Before you move on to the nail polish, clean the skin with a cotton pad dipped in rubbing alcohol. This will remove any oil residue, giving you fresh and healthy toenails.
Paint Your Nails
Take the plastic wrap out and paint your nails with your favorite shade. This step is optional. You can leave your nails as they are or paint them (whatever works for you). You can get French tips if you want something extraordinary or apply normal nail paint for a simple look. Here’s how to apply nail paint on your pedicured toenails.
Simple Nail Paint
â— Grab the cotton pad that you used for removing your current nail paint. It must be soaked in the nail paint remover. Use that to wipe your nails to remove any residue. This will also remove oil around your toenails. The oil might make the nail paint sticky and ruin the nails.
â— Use a base coat before applying the nail paint. If you have transparent nail polish, use that for the base.
â— Apply your favorite nail paint and let it dry.
â— Apply another layer of the same shade over the first coating. Once both layers have dried out, you can apply the last coating to give your nail paint a finishing touch.
French Tips
â— Start with the base coat or a transparent nail polish and leave it for a few minutes.
â— Paint the tips of your nails white (if you have white nail polish). You can also do French tips with other colors or a combination of different shades to give a touch of drama to your toenails.
â— Once you are done with the application, let your toenails dry for some time.
â— Then, you have to apply another coat. Make sure you apply the nail paint in two layers.
â— Once the layers have dried, seal the coating with clear nail paint.
Apply the paint in one stroke if possible and keep it smooth and clean. If you are not sure about nail paint application, ask someone to apply it to your toenails.
That was how to make a pedicure at home naturally and enjoy a relaxing spa-like session from the comfort of your home. Most of these products can be made at home using the oils and ingredients that are readily available in most Indian households. So you don’t have to shop for anything. You may already have moisturizers and lotions. You can use them after scrubbing.
Moisturize Daily
To keep your feet looking fresh, moisturize them daily. No need to follow all the steps daily. Just moisturize your feet, and you are good to go. You can do a pedicure once or twice a month (whenever you get time).
More Tips for Healthy Feet
â— Your feet look dirty because of the dead and dry skin. As mentioned before, you don’t need to pedicure every week, but scrubbing can help exfoliate your skin, removing all the dead skin cells. Do it with a pumice stone when taking a shower.
â— Don’t keep your nails polished all the time. You must allow them to breathe by keeping them free of nail paints or any chemicals from time to time. For example, if you have painted your nails this week, remove the nail paint and exfoliate your feet next week. Don’t apply new nail polish, then.
â— The above steps are safe to practice at home, but if you notice blackening of the toenails or any sign of infection, inform your doctor immediately.
â— Keep your toenails trimmed and neat all the time. Trim them every two weeks or as soon as your nails grow. Also, pay special attention to the trimming, as most people end up cutting corners deep. This can lead to painful ingrown nails, so cut properly.
â— If you have a fungal infection problem, keep an anti-fungal toe cream handy. Apply it daily before going to bed to prevent infection.
Bottom Line
These were the steps on how to pedicure at home using the available ingredients or homemade recipes for moisturizers and exfoliators. Now that you have everything required for a pedicure, what are you waiting for? Gather the supplies, create a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere, and give your feet a spa-like massage. The next time you are wearing the shoes, your feet will draw the attention of the audience. After all, a pedicure has a long-lasting and excellent effect on your feet. Give your toenails the much-needed massage they deserve following the above steps, and have a fun time pedicuring at home.
