Foot Care for Spring
People often neglect their feet through the winter as they tuck them away in heavy boots and thick socks. Its only now as the weather begins to lift that many of us start to think about the sandals and flip-flops waiting for us and wonder if maybe we should make sure our feet are in good condition. Whatever the season it's always important to look after your feet! For most of us, they move us around every day and if they hurt or develop a problem it can be debilatating. By caring for our feet today we can avoid a whole raft of issues down the line.
What we need is a pedicure!
What is a pedicure? Put simply, a pedicure is a treatment for the feet that can encompass hard skin removal, massage, moisturising treatments, cuticle and nail treatments and often nail polish. Here at Essential Beauty Supplies we have a variety of options for products to complete a professional pedicure in the salon.
1. Remove Existing Nail Polish
This step is surprisingly easy to forget, but removing the nail polish at this early stage makes everything else so much more effective and beneficial to the clients nails. Taking off the nail polish also gives you an ideal opportunity to check for any underlying issues on the nail, such as any ingrowing nails or nail infections.
2. Foot Soak
An ideal opportunity for the client to relax for a few minutes with a magazine (while you swig a mouthfull of that cup of tea you've been trying to drink for an hour) the foot soak is an essential stage in the pedicure procedure. Whilst softening the cuticles, nails and any hard skin it also works to cleanse the feet and refresh tired muscles before you begin.
We offer soaks from multiple brands including Hive, Kaeso, Strictly Professional and Orly. You can also add a few drops of essential oil if you want to.
3. Trim Nails & Cuticles
Once the feet have been soaking for a few minutes, remove one foot from the water and begin trimming the nails. The method you use is up to you, but a nail clipper followed by a file would be our recommendation. Keep toenails straight across, no rounded shapes here (it can cause ingrown nails) although smoothing any corners off would be advisable.
You can then push the cuticles down and trim them if needed. Use a cuticle pusher and either a knife or a nipper to carefully remove excess cuticle from the nails. Using a cuticle removing product (such as the ORLY Cutique shown here) can make this even easier.
Once the first foot is done, replace it in the soak and repeat the process on the other one.
4. Foot Scrub
Exfoliation is probably the single best thing about a pedicure. Having smooth skin on your feet is a nice feeling.
Choose one of the many foot scrubs in our range and massage it in to the feet, concentrating on areas of hard skin around the heel and balls of the feet. If a client has calluses or corns you can target these areas, but a scrub will not be enough to remove these on their own.
Where a client has corns/calluses you will need to give it a little more attention.
5. Treating Calluses and Corns
The removal of calluses from the feet is an ongoing process, and you shouldn't be trying to remove a callus from the foot entirely as it can make it very sensitive to walk on after. The callus develops for a reason and taking it off all together may cause issues. However, keeping them at a healthy level is a good thing and will also be far more comfortable for the client.
6. Foot Mask
Once the feet have been thoroughly exfoliated, they need some intensive moisture with a mask. Most foot masks contain intensively softening ingredients like cocoa or shea butter and often include peppermint for its reviving properties. This is another time for the customer to sit with that magazine, just make sure their feet are kept nice and warm.
7. Moisturise & Massage
Once the mask is removed we're nearly there! It's time for a relaxing massage with a moisturising cream. If you're not painting the nails, this might well be the last step in the pedicure. There are many options for creams in our range with some lighter ones designed for use up the lower leg, where others are richer and designed for use around the heels.
8. Nails
Once the skin on the feet is fully treated, it's time to treat the nails. There's lots of colour options from a classic nude, through a vibrant holiday pink. A coat of clear is also a great option for those who don't want colour on their toes but do want the finished (one might even say polished) finish that it gives. Buffing the toenails can be tricky due to the angle, but it's also a very valid option, especially for male clients. Don't forget to give the nails a quick swipe with a bit of nail varnish remover to remove any moisturiser left on them before painting them as the varnish won't stick well if the nails are greasy.
Posted by Dawn on March 28th 2025
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