If you’re anything like us, those once beautifully shaped, buffed and painted nails now more closely resemble those of a character from Lord of The Rings (and we’re not talking about the elves).
Being at home pretty much 24/7 has shaken up everyone’s usual self care routines—no more haircuts, facials, massages and, perhaps most obviously, manicures and pedicures.
If there was ever a time to learn how to give yourself an amazing at-home pedicure, it’s now. Even better, it’s an excuse to indulge in a little pampering, which we could all use right now.
Thankfully, we’ve broken the perfect at-home pedicure process down into 7 easy steps:
You’ll Need:
- Nail Clippers
- Filing Kit
- Nail & Cuticle Oil
- Epsom Salts
- Body Oil
- Baking Soda
- Body Soap
- Exfoliator (scrub, rasp, pumice stone or all)
- Moisturizer
- Nail polish
Or just our Pedi Ready at-home pedicure set, which contains everything you need for that mani-pedi session, not including the polish.
1. Set a Spa-Like Mood
Gather all the tools you’ll need for your at-home pedicure (listed above) so you don’t have to rummage around and can enjoy a truly soothing experience. Create an environment that stimulates all your senses by playing soft music, lighting some candles, and if you want to go all out (you should), using aromatherapy oils and putting on a face mask. Ready? Let the at-home pedicure magic begin.
2. Get Back to Basics
To get your at-home pedicure started, you’re going to want to get your nails back to as natural a state as possible. That means removing any polish, trimming straight across and then filing to your desired shape.¹
Our Nailed It set has absolutely everything you need for this at-home pedicure step, including premium nail clippers, an advanced filing kit and our award-winning Inner Strength™ nail & cuticle oil, which can actually be used to nourish nails, especially those that have been stripped from the constant polish and acetone cycle.
Once your nails are clean and shaped, fill your tub, a basin or even just the sink with warm water for a soak session. We recommend adding a few tablespoons of Epsom salts to help relieve strained muscles and pull out impurities. If you don’t have those salts available at this time, work with what you have: you can mix in 3 tablespoons of baking soda for a deep cleanse, or just adding a few drops of aromatic body or essential oils can make it more of an experience. Let your feet soak for 10 minutes to prep and soften your skin for the next step in your at-home pedicure.
3. Cleanse & Scrub
Now that your skin is softened, give your feet a quick cleanse with body soap, clean under the nails, and then it’s time to exfoliate. How you exfoliate really depends on personal preference and how rough the skin on your feet is. Just be sure to go slowly and gently to start.
If you don’t have a premium scrub for your at-home pedicure like Pure Grit™ handy, you can mix together a bit of warmed coconut oil and sugar to create a scrubbing paste. Scrubs are most effective when there’s friction so take feet out of the water for this step. Be sure to scrub the entire foot including between the toes and around the nails. Then, we recommend using a rasp, pumice stone or both over callused areas like the heel, so that your skin is instantly softer and also prepped to hydrate. Be sure to rinse your feet clean at this point in the spa session.
4. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
So far, your at-home pedicure has created the perfect canvas for your skin to soak up as much hydration and nourishment as possible. Unfortunately, regular lotions aren’t formulated for the extra thick skin on your feet and can often leave them craving more hydration. That’s why we created High Dive™, an intensive hydration cream that contains 15 of the world's most effective moisturizers to replenish and retain optimal hydration levels all day long. Rub High Dive™ over your entire foot and get ready to experience your softest, silkiest skin ever.
5. What You Really Knead
One of the most enjoyable (and most important) parts of any at-home pedicure is the foot massage. Our feet are incredibly sensitive and yet remain one of the most overlooked parts of the body. Feel tension and stiffness melt away by pressing and kneading into the skin all over your feet for a couple of minutes. And don’t forget your ankles! Not only does this feel incredible, it boosts circulation and helps your feet recover from the compressing forces of being on your feet or wearing shoes all day.²
6. Nourish Your Nails
Everyday life is just as harsh on your nails as it is on your feet: they get pushed into shoes, covered in polish and stripped with harsh chemicals, so it’s important that your at-home pedicure gives them the TLC they need to stay strong and healthy. Next step: gently rub your nail and cuticle oil across the nail bed and cuticles.
A few drops of our award-winning Inner Strength™ nail and cuticle oil can help reverse daily damage and improve nail health. The formulation includes 6 different nail conditioning oils including a proprietary celery seed extract that's clinically proven to help nails strengthen their structure, maintain more moisture and smooth overall texture.
Inner Strength™ also provides anti-fungal support while promoting production of keratin and ceramides for nails that are naturally strong on the inside and beautifully shiny on the outside. While your nails are soaking in the oil, if you feel comfortable, you can add a gentle cuticle push back. Then, ensure all the oil is removed before the final step.
7. The Final Polish
Now that your skin is cleansed, exfoliated and hydrated, and your nails are trimmed, shaped and nourished, you can get to the final step in your at-home pedicure process. Gently wipe the excess oil off your nails and get creative painting them. Hopefully by now, your feet and nails are looking and feeling their absolute best. And what’s even better is that once you can enjoy regular mani-pedis again, this at-home pedicure process can keep your nails perfect in between sessions.
Looking for an all-in-one at-home pedicure set? Try our just-launched Pedi Ready set, which contains many of the products in this blog post for an easy one-stop at-home pedicure shopping experience. We hope it makes your feet happy!