How to Give Yourself a Perfect Professional Pedicure

When feet get tired, dry, cracked, and swollen, there is nothing more heavenly than a pedicure to rejuvenate this overworked pair. This approach can be altered depending how much money you are willing to spend. However, if money is tight, don't worry because you can still treat your feet to a wonderful experience.

A few items and products you'll need: a foot scrubbing brush, foot file, and pumice stone that you can purchase at the dollar store, an exfoliating scrub, and lotion. If you're going to paint your toe nails, you'll need a cuticle oil, base coat, color, and top coat. In addition to taking care of your toe nails, you'll need toe nail clippers and a nail file. Purchase a nail file that has many sides, including a nail file, buffer, and smoother. I found a seven-sided one at one of those Everything's a Dollar store and I love it. If you have a a foot massaging soak or parrafin wax kit, then plan on using it, if not, don't fret.

Start out by running some warm, soapy in the bath tub and place your feet in. Apply a small amount of liquid soap to the pumice stone and begin scrubbing away. Pay close attention to hardened and calloused areas.

Next, use the foot scrubber to clean away dirt and dead skin cells. If you have sensitive feet, you may want to scrub lightly, as the bristles are rough. Rinse off your feet.

If you have one of those luxurious foot soakers that you fill with water and it massages your feet, now's the time to use it. I purchased an inexpensive Conair brand at Wal-Mart around Christmas time and I love it. Just fill it with water, turn it on and relax. Read a magazine or watch t.v. for about fifteen minutes, then dry your feet.

Now that your skin is softened, use the exfoliating cream and scrubber brush in the tub to remove even more dead skin. If you have dancer's feet, it's easy to build up callouses and rough spots. When you exfoliate, you begin to remove these callouses and over time you can restore the skin you once had.

After drying your feet, use your foot file. This is a black file that is slightly rough. Use it on the heels of your feet like you would file your nails. This sounds painful, but it's not. You may notice flakes of skin coming off which is completely normal. This is old skin that needs to be removed. Once you're finished, rinse your feet off.

A paraffin wax system is a wonderful addition to an at home spa treatment. However, these are very expensive, so if you don't have one, don't worry. Basically, you dip your feet (or hands or elbows) in melted wax, wrap them in plastic, then wrap them with mitts. It really does soften skin, but it's been proven that it doesn't help the skin from aging, it's just a luxury item. The people who can really benefit from a paraffin wax treatment are those with arthritis. The warmth and heat helps aching joints. If you have one of these, use it now.

Rub lotion into your feet using a massaging circular motion until the lotion is soaked in. Your feet should feel like new feet by this point. Now it's time to get started on those toe nails.

If you have old nail polish, remove it now and then wash your toes. Nail polish remover can dry your feet. Next, get out the nail clippers and clip away. I prefer to cut mine straight across. It keeps the nails from breaking and splitting.

The nail file is handy for filing down the rough edges left by the clippers. The seven-sided file that I own, has three different sides just for filing nails. Each of these has a varying degree of roughness that helps smooth the nail edge. The other four sides are four the nail itself. One side is to smooth the ridge lines that appear in nails and another is to buff and a third is to polish and smooth. I love this file.

Once you're finished filing and buffing, rub the cuticle oil into your cuticles, then wash your toes again. Now it's time to start painting. Use a toe separator to keep from getting polish on your skin. Paint a light base coat on each toe nail first. Once that has dried, paint on the color. Paint one line up the middle of the nail, then one on each side. Don't paint close to the cuticle bed. It's okay to leave some space at the bottom of the nail. You may need to apply more than one coat. Once the color has dried, paint on a top coat.

Base coat is basically a primer for nail polish. It helps to create a smooth surface on your nails. Top coat is a super shiny clear polish that smooths the appearance of the nail polish and protects it from chipping. You don't have to purchase brand name products, either. Any brand will work.

Now that you're finished, sit back and admire your beautiful feet. Wear some strappy sandals with confidence and feel beautiful all the way down to your toes!