When one of my favorite shoe designers here in London had a sample sale last week, I had to take advantage of the opportunity to snap up a new pair of heeled sandals. Call them my “reentry” or “reemergence” heels, if you will. And when I went to try them on, I realized my feet needed some work to be sandal-ready (even though I have absolutely nowhere to go, lol).
Now that the warm weather appears to be sticking around (I’m sure I just jinxed that), it’s time to bring out my best at-home treatments to get my feet in sandal shape. Although, truth be told, I’ve never been someone who gets a pedicure regularly, these five products helped me rehab by feet last year when I couldn’t have gone to a salon if I wanted to:
Glytone Ultra Softening Heel and Elbow Cream
This treatment has been mentioned on the blog before, but it bears repeating. It just works quickly to soften calluses and dead skin on the heels and sides of the feet thanks to the high concentration of glycolic acid. I’ll slather it on my feet 15 minutes before a shower. Read my last review here.
CeraVe Healing Ointment
Right after I hop out of the shower (once the Glytone has been washed off), I apply some of this ointment on the same areas I treated. It’s just a great multi-use balm with ceramides and hyaluronic acid that helps fill in cracked heels and soften the skin. No burning or stinging either. (It’s also my go-to lip balm.)
Bememo Soft Ventilate Gel Heel Socks
The last step after applying the ointment is to immediately put on a pair of socks. A regular cotton pair will do, or you can slip on these heel covers. They have a gel lining that goes over the heel, locking in whatever moisturizer you’ve applied. I hate sleeping in socks so I won’t leave them on 24/7, but I’ll lounge around in these for a few hours or so.
Ariella Toenail and Nail Repair Pen
Now that you’ve looked after the skin on your feet, let’s talk about the nails. Real talk, I contracted a harmless fungus in my toenails from — I suspect — using the cycling shoes provided at my former spinning studio. Ugh. My toenails basically had white patches all over them, no pain or odor. These pens are a godsend that cleared them up in a month, after applying the treatment three times a day.
OPI Nail Envy
Once my toenails cleared up, I began using this treatment made with hydrolysed wheat protein. You apply two coats, then apply every other day for a week. Take it off and start again. After two weeks, my nails felt stronger and smoother. Now, it’s the only base coat I use on my toenails and fingernails to keep them in tiptop shape.
See last month’s 5 Great Buys here.
