Afternoon beauty fix: Start a Sunday night “sloughing and softening” ritual for better feet!

My partner has complained that my dry feet feel scratchy in bed! How can I soothe my soles so that I’m soft to sleep beside?
The bottoms of your feet are a high-traffic area for water loss—they have loads of sweat pores to extract hydration, though they have no sebaceous glands to produce oil or moisture on their own. Even more menacing to their texture is the fact that your soles play host to the thickest skin on your body, meaning it’s extra tough for external aids to permeate and protect. My recommendation is to treat your feet to a weekly ritual of sloughing and softening, perhaps on Sunday nights before you sleep. First, have a quick soak to soften your soles, then shed excess skin with a foot file, such as Tweezerman’s Sole Mate pedicure tool ($20, at Sephora)—it has two files of varying toughness to open pores and prepare them for repair. Now, time to soften! Choose an ointment with a high percentage of glycerine over a standard cream, because its oily intensity will easily relieve cracks and calluses below your skin’s surface. Massage in a lotion such as Neutrogena Norwegian Formula foot cream ($6, at drugstores) as you get into bed and we guarantee your feet will feel ready for cuddles.

In need of an afternoon beauty pick-me-up? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.

The post Afternoon beauty fix: Start a Sunday night “sloughing and softening” ritual for better feet! appeared first on FASHION Magazine.