While a salon pedicure is an indulgent treat, painting your own nails on a Sunday night – armed with snacks and some bingeable TV – can be every bit as relaxing. Plus, achieving a salon-grade pedicure from the comfort of your sofa is actually pretty easy once you know how, as is staying on top of keeping your feet healthy and smooth all year round.
According to Navy Professional founder, Rebecca Crawforth, you should approach foot care with the same diligence as skincare – and the prep makes all the difference. French podiatrist and pedicurist Bastien Gonzalez agrees, pointing out that neglecting feet can lead to issues like corns, calluses and cracked soles. Both experts emphasise that regular upkeep at home is essential. “I [want] to help people love their feet and get better feet,” says Gonzalez. “Between full pedicures, a quick top-coat refresh and a swipe of cuticle or heel balm keeps things looking polished without overdoing the more intensive steps,” Crawforth notes.
Below, the experts break down an at-home pedi in eight simple steps.
Foot bath
Start by removing any existing polish and soaking your feet in warm water. You can use essential oils for added relaxation. If you’ve been out and about all day, you may want to add soap to the initial foot bath and then rinse thoroughly so there is no residue left over. This will help soften skin and cuticles, preventing any snagging when it is time to push them back and trim your nails. Ensure you dry your feet thoroughly (not forgetting the spaces in between your toes).
Exfoliate with caution
Use a foot file or gentle exfoliator on areas where hard skin can build up, like around the heels, “but do this gently in the summer when feet are more exposed and prone to sensitivity”, says Crawforth. Gonzalez adds a word of caution: “If you over-file, it will create two problems: one, you break the elasticity of the skin. Two, you could burn it, which will create additional calluses to defend the skin.”
Trim gently
Trim the toenails using small nail scissors. Keep this up every two to three weeks in the summer and once a month or so in the winter for the best results. (Our feet need even more attention in the warmer months.)
Massage and moisturise
“The skin on feet is seven times thicker than on the face,” says Gonzalez. A particularly rich cream is useful here, as is massaging it into each foot for at least 20 seconds. If you do this simple step for five seconds, it will help soften the skin and regain some of that natural bounce. You can also use a nourishing oil to massage your feet.
Never cut your cuticles
“If you have a cuticle, you need it,” Gonzalez says simply. Rather than using an orange stick to push cuticles back – or cutting the cuticle entirely, which is “an open door for germs to enter your system” – you could reach for a surprising tool that can be found in every bathroom: a toothbrush. “The soft hair of the brush will not aggress the skin the way the stick would.”
Invest in a glass file
Skip the emery board, which can cause more harm than good, and opt instead for a gentle glass file to smooth and shape your nails. “A paper file can cut the skin,” Gonzalez warns. “Especially when it’s new.” His Reverence de Bastien Nail File is an excellent choice.
Buff is best
This shine-inducing step is an essential finishing treatment. “Buffing helps blood circulation and, [in effect], the whites of the nail get whiter – it’s the true French manicure,” Gonzalez says.
Paint with purpose
The biggest sin in nail care? Leaving the same polish on for weeks (or months) at a time. “When you cover your nails with plastic, the nail bed cannot breathe, which makes the nails weaker and causes white spots,” explains Gonzalez. Instead, give your nails a break and indulge in what Gonzalez calls “a colour touch” only on special occasions. “If you approach nail polish like make-up – and make sure to properly remove it – you will have healthy nails for the rest of your life.”
When painting the toenails at home, apply a strengthening base coat and let it dry fully, then apply two thin coats of your chosen colour, cleaning up edges with a small precision brush. Finally, seal with a high-shine top coat for that glossy, glass-like finish.
