The right gestures for pretty nails
First, cut the nails! To avoid the ingrown nail, prefer a square cut, with a nail clipper or specific pliers. Don’t try to go around corners! Then you can round them with a file. Don’t cut too short, keeping at least a millimeter of free edge. Once the nail has been properly filed, you can polish the surface. We can soften the small skins (in hot water or with an oil), in order to push them back. Do not cut them, it might get infected. Moisturize and apply a protective base before applying the polish, to avoid yellowed or pigmented nails. Keep the polish for a week and let the nail breathe without anything for at least two weeks between two poses. If you have brittle nails, your diet can have a lot to do with it. Drink enough, eat a balanced diet, and consume zinc and silica (cereals, mushrooms, beans, seafood and fish, vegetables, citrus fruits, radishes, olives, and vegetables rich in fiber). And to treat yellow and brittle nails, a 6 to 8 week cure of dry almonds, walnuts and plain hazelnuts (a handful per day).
Good foot hygiene
To wash your feet well, prefer a neutral pH soap with a small soft brush. Rinse and dry thoroughly with a cloth or absorbent paper, because moisture weakens the skin and allows the development of fungal infections. After the cleansing phase, think about hydration. Foot cream is used every day, especially in summer, with emphasis on the heels. Use a “special foot” cream, more effective than simple milk. If you tend to sweat your feet in summer, forget about synthetic, only wear cotton and ventilate your feet when you are at home. Use a bactericidal soap for their daily toilet. Buy a deodorant for feet and shoes or alum stone (organic stores), particularly effective for odors. In case of excessive sweating, there are anti-perspirant treatments (Etiaxil) to be used with caution. The foot bath is also very effective. Cold, with tea or with a few drops of vinegar to regulate perspiration.
Get rid of calluses
Calluses (thickening of the skin or horn) appear on the soles of the feet when we often wear unsuitable heels or shoes, because of being overweight or when we walk a lot. There are also corns (thickening in the areas of friction of the toes) and calluses (very hard areas embedded in the skin, often very painful), which you will get rid of at a chiropodist. At home, a regular exfoliation (once a week) and daily hydration is enough to keep feet soft. Pumice stone or fine rasp (not metal)? Use with moderation, as friction stimulates cells and causes thickening of the stratum corneum. Otherwise, there is a grandmother’s trick for finally smooth and soft heels: petroleum jelly! In daily massage on the heels, or in a thick layer under cotton socks for the night, it is a shock treatment.