Looking after those tootsies 🐾

(Hopefully) Summer here in the UK is a time filled with sun, sea and sand for many of us. Who doesn’t love spending a day on the beach soaking up the sun and swimming in the refreshing ocean or mooching about in flip flops? You know who doesn’t? Your feet.
They take a bit of a beating during the hot summer months! To help keep your feet looking beautiful and feeling fab, here are our summer foot care tips you need to know.

 

Need to know foot care tips!

1. Ice Foot Soaks

After a particularly hot day, your feet may be swollen or sore. Just as you would soak your hands in cold water if your rings are stuck, your feet can benefit from cold soaks as well.

Soak your feet in a bowl of ice water for 5-10 minutes and they’ll soon feel refreshed and back to their normal size. Pat dry with a towel and then moisturise to keep them soft and supple.

 

2. Avoid Going Barefoot

Unless you are at home, always wear shoes while out and about. Your feet can get dirty, picking up all sorts of germs or fungal infections, not to mention they could burn on the hot ground in the peak of summer.

 

3. Get some water shoes

If you take part in lots of outdoor activities that are water based, like canoeing, kayaking, fishing or snorkelling, invest in a pair of water shoes. These will help protect your feet while exposed to sand and rocky surfaces, and they’ll also give you better stability and grip on uneven or slippery surfaces.

 

4. Apply sunscreen

When you put your sunscreen on, don’t forget your feet! You protect your face, neck, legs, arms and body, so don’t stop at your feet. They need just as much sun protection as the rest of your body, and often in summer they are one of the most exposed areas of your body.

5. Exfoliate

Use a pumice stone or foot file to scrub any rough patches of skin on the soles of your feet. During summer, open shoes are usually the order of the day, but this can leave your feet exposed and more susceptible to hardening skin. The most affected areas to concentrate on are your heels, sides and the underside of your big toe.

 

6. Moisturise

After exfoliating, hop in the shower and wash your feet. Once out the shower, moisturise your feet and your soles to help your skin absorb more moisture and seal it in. This will protect your feet from becoming rough or cracked again. You may have to repeat this process over a few days if your feet are suffering.

 

7. Don’t live in flip flops

When it’s super hot outside, it’s almost inconceivable that you’d wear anything else on your feet besides thongs. But wearing them all day every day is not going to help your feet at all. Backless footwear leave your heels and sides of your feet exposed to the harsh summer elements. Balance your time in flip flops with closed and more supportive and protective shoes.

 

Other things to remember…

1. Don’t wear too-tight shoes.
2. Don’t share shoes.
3. Don’t share pedicure utensils with your pals.
4. Don’t hide discolored nails with polish. Let them breathe and treat the underlying issue.
5. Don’t perform “DIY surgery” on an ingrown nail.
6. Do try the Legs-Up-the-Wall yoga pose after a long day or a hard workout.
7. Do give yourself a foot massage.

       

Post Exercise Foot Care

• Roll on a tennis ball under foot to relieve tension, pain and pressure of muscles and fascia.
• Sore feet: Soaking your feet in epsom salts relieves tired and weary feet it is also antibacterial so helps with athlete’s foot, infection and sores.
• Dry Skin: If you have dry skin you can use olive oil. Or apply cream with urea to cracked dry feet – try layering it on before bed and putting socks on overnight.
• Blisters: If you’re a runner, you’re probably no stranger to the blister. Lavender Essential Oil is great at getting them to heal – apply neat, directly to the blister every 2 hours. Large blisters may be popped if done so with a clean instrument – following puncture, apply a topical antiseptic and cover with a bandage to protect.

• Make sure your shoes are the right size – enough room so that you don’t keep hitting the end.
• Cut your toe nails frequently – don’t have them over the edge of your toe and square not round.
• Wear wicking socks to control moisture.
• Change how you lace your shoes – keep them snug but not too tight – you might try heel lock lacing.

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