Pamper Your Feet

GIVE YOURSELF A PEDICURE
What will you need?
- a bowl of warm water
- nail clippers
- nail file
- pumice stone
- body moisturizer or foot cream
- essential oils
- cuticle cream
- orange stick
- warm towels
- thin cotton socks

1.  Use a pumice stone, or dry skin board, a good foot scrub to scrub away hard skin.  Remove rough or hard skin from the foot.  It is easier to remove this when the feet are dry.

2.  Once dry skin is removed, soak your feet in a bowl of warm water for around 5 minutes.  Add 2 - 3 drops of essential oils (such as tea tree [antiseptic] or peppermint [energizing] or lavender [relaxation/balancing].

3.  Dry feet (don't forget between your toes).  Clip toe nails straight across.  Use a nail file to smooth along the edge of each nail, stroking lightly in one direction.  Make sure that corners are smooth and that there are no sharp edges.

4.  Gently massage cuticle cream into base of each nail and thenpush back each cuticle with an orange stick.  (Cutting cuticles encourages more growth, so better not to cut them.)

5.  At this point, you can give yourself a foot massage.  If pressed for time, smooth a nourishing body cream or oil into your feet.  Put cotton socks afterwards to allow moisturizer to soak in.

MASSAGE YOUR FEET

1.  Make a massage oil consisting of 3 drops to 10 ml (2 tsp) base oil.  a combination of lavender, marjoram, and neroli oils make a relaxing mix.  Prepare your hands by putting a few drops of oil into your palms and massaging your hands together until they feel soft and warm.  hold your foot sandwiched between your hands for few moments, then stroke your foot with gentle sweeps towards your body, one hand behind the other.

2.  Massage each toe using your thumbs.  Continue by gliding your thumbs along the top of your foot towards your ankle and then back towards your toes, fanning your thumbs out to the side as you glide.

3.  Start to loosen your toes by sandwiching them between your palms and rotating them clockwise and then counter-clockwise.

4.  Massage each toe again, this time with your thumb and forefinger, give them a light squeeze and a roll.  Finally, gently pull each toe in turn towards you.

5.  Using gliding movements, run your thumbs between the four tendons on the top of your foot, moving towards the ankle.

6.  Firmly massage the sole of your foot.  Use your thumbs to eash out from the centre to the outer edges.

7.  Massage around the ankle and Achilles tendon area, making small firm rotations. 

8.  Complete the massage by stroking the foot.  Wrap it in a warm towel or blanket while you work on the other foot.