In Style, June 2003
Chances are you’ve had your feet covered up for the past couple of months, and for many people, out of sight means out of mind. Neglect can leave the skin on your feet up to 30 times thicker than on the rest of the body. And considering that the average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day (that’s about 115,000 miles in a lifetime–more than four times the circumference of the globe), tottering around in stilettos and pointy-toe shoes only makes matters worse. But don’t toss that pair of sexy summer sandals aside just yet; a little TLC is all it will take to get those feet back in shape. From skin-softening secrets and pedicure tips to picking the perfect polish, we’ve got everything you need to know before baring your soles.
PEDICURE 101
A step-by-step guide to scoring a perfect 10
STEP 1: CUT
Leaving a less than 1/8″ white tip, cut toenails straight across to avoid ingrown nails. Then file from corner to center to keep nails from splitting.
Tweezerman barrel-spring toenail nipper, $ 20; 888-647-7377 for stores or go to tweezerman.com to order
STEP 2: BUFF
Gently sand down any ridges with a buffer. Buffing exfoliates the nail, which helps polish stay on longer and increases blood flow to the toe, stimulating healthy nail growth.
Lippmann Collection Smooth Operator buffer, $ 11; call 888-929-9950 to order
STEP 3: SOAK
Apply a cuticle remover, then soak feet for 2 to 5 minutes in warm water. Jonice Padilha of J. Sisters International suggests adding a few drops of essential oil or a foot soak rather than
soap, which can dry skin.
Calypso handmade Paradise foot soak, $ 21.50; call 888-330-5552 to order
STEP 4: SCRUB
Push back cuticles with an orange stick and slough off dead skin on damp feet using a foot buffer such as the Diamancel Classic.
Diamancel Classic buffer No. 10, $ 48; call 888-243-8825 or go to bliss world.com to order
STEP 5: MOISTURIZE
Dry feet thoroughly (including between the toes) and rub in a moisturizing cream such as Creative Spa Cucumber Heel Therapy. Then rehydrate cuticles with a dab of cuticle oil.
Creative Spa Cucumber Heel Therapy, $ 20; call 800-833-6245 for salons
STEP 6: POLISH
Remove excess oil from the nails with polish remover. Apply an adhesive base coat like Creative Nail Design Stickey ($ 6; 800-833-6245 for salons) to bond polish to nail, then add two coats of color and finish with a topcoat.
Creative Nail Design Enamel in Decadence, $ 6; call 800-833-6245 for salons
Staying Healthy
Fungus, bacteria and warts, oh my! The perils of getting a pedicure at the salon are many, but you can eliminate some of the risk by bringing your own kit. Clean instruments with soap and water after every use, and sterilize them twice a month with rubbing alcohol. Basins also harbor bacteria and fungus, and many salons reuse the same basin without properly disinfecting. Ask the manager about cleaning practices before slipping your feet in
for a soak. Podiatrist Jane Andersen also suggests booking the first appointment of the day, when basins will be cleanest.
Cutiekit Nail Care Kit, $ 35; go to nailsbycutiekit.com to order
Making It Last
A professional pedicure is a great foundation for beautiful feet. “It’s like having your teeth cleaned at the dentist,” says N.Y.C. manicurist Deborah Lippmann. “You can do the maintenance at home, but every so often you need a professional to tend to your feet.”
Cutting calluses is a no-no. You can get an infection by doing so. If you use a foot buffer to remove dead skin after your daily shower and wear shoes that fit well, you can avoid developing calluses in the first place.
To get polish to last longer, add a fresh layer of clear topcoat every four or five days.
GREAT SHADES
The right hues for every skin tone. Like Color Me Beautiful, but for your toes
FAIR SKIN
HOW TO CHOOSE
Selecting nail polish is more about undertones than about color. Deborah Lippmann, who tends to the toes of Sarah Jessica Parker, recommends colors with blue undertones for people with fair skin
NEUTRAL
Shiseido Nail Lacquer in Mod Pink, $ 12; at department stores or 800-723-2889
BRIGHT
Revlon Nail Enamel in Love That Red, $ 4.75; available at drugstores nationwide
DARK
Sally Hansen Nail Prisms polish in Ruby Sapphire, $ 6; available at drugstores
MEDIUM SKIN
[HOW TO CHOOSE]
If you have an olive complexion, avoid colors with cool undertones. J. Lo’s nail stylist, Elle, recommends deep browns or white-pink sheers; for a brighter color, choose a more orangey
shade.
[NEUTRAL]
OPI Nail Lacquer in Las Vegas Strip Poker, $ 7.50; 800-341-9999 for salons
[BRIGHT]
Aura Science Paint Lacquer in True Coral, $ 8.50; call 866-287-2777 to order
[DARK]
Lancome Vernis Magnetic in Cozy, $ 14.50; at department stores or lancome-usa.com
DARK SKIN
[HOW TO CHOOSE]
Warm browns, vivid pinks, and deep purple shades work well for those with dark skin. “Just make sure the polish is darker than the nail bed so the nail bed doesn’t show through,” advises Jonice Padilha.
[NEUTRAL]
Lippmann Collection Nail Lacquer in Misty, $ 15; 888-929-9950 or nordstrom.com
[BRIGHT]
Cover Girl Nail Slicks in Santa Barbara, $ 2.60; available at drugstores
[DARK]
OPI Nail Lacquer in Black Tie Optional, $ 7.50; 800-341-9999 for salons
Trendy Toes
When it comes to the hot toenail color for spring, think Sunkist–as in orange. “It’s the new red,” says Deborah Hardwick of Buff Spa in N.Y.C. She recommends a rich shade reminiscent of Hermes orange for all skin tones. Want to go brighter? Try Shu Uemura G265 (left). “Orange enlivens the nails, skin, spirit. It’s a happy color,” says celebrity nail technician Maria Salandra. Feeling more ambitious? Put a little pop art in your pedicure (the mini paintings at right were done by Creative Nail Design). Many nail technicians can add rhinestones or a monogram to toenails. At the Paint Shop in Beverly Hills, letters are drawn freehand on toes using indelible markers (a topcoat seals in the color). Creative Nail Design has even been known to spell out “D-I-O-R” on four toes. A designer logo for the price of a pedi: Who can resist?
Fancy Footwork
What the stars use to stay on their toes
Gwyneth Paltrow prefers pastels and pale pinks like Mindla from J. Sisters International ($ 15; 212-750-2485 or jsisters.com)
After ballet class, Natalie Portman moisturizes her tired feet with Noode Rub Me oil ($ 15;888-972-3477 or noode.com).
Kristin Davis uses Benefit Bathina Sandal Scandal to keep her feet soft. The exfoliating cream comes with booties to seal in moisture overnight ($ 34; 800-781-2336).
Q&A
How to get smooth, sweet-smelling feet and avoid high-heel hell
Q. What are the best products for keeping my feet smelling fresh?
Peppermint creams and other scented products may mask foot odor, but they won’t clear up the underlying problem: stinky perspiration. “The smell is caused by bacteria that colonize in the sweat and secrete chemicals that we all recognize as foot odor,” says podiatrist Stuart Mogul, author of Perfect Feet. To eliminate (or at least minimize) sweat, dermatologists suggest using the prescription-strength antiperspirant Drysol; you can also use foot soaks and scrubs with antibacterial ingredients such as tea-tree oil. If that doesn’t help, the odor may be caused by fungus, which can be treated and prevented with medicated powders such as Zeasorb-AF ($ 6.50; at drugstores).
Q. I keep hearing that high heels and pointy toes are really bad for my feet. What exactly do they do, and how bad is the damage?
Wearing high heels puts pressure equal to two to three times your body weight on the front of your foot. Constant wear can cause Achilles tendinitis (acute pain and inflammation caused by the contraction of the tendon connecting the calf muscles to the heel). Shoes with small toe boxes can worsen existing problems like bunions, corns and hammertoes. But there’s no need to banish your Blahniks–just don’t wear them every day. “The human foot wasn’t made to be put into a three-inch stiletto heel,” says podiatrist Mark J. Landsman. “If you’re going to wear a heel like that, do it in the evening when you’re going out; don’t use it as your daily shoe.” Fit is most important, regardless of style: “You shouldn’t have to break shoes in,” says Mogul. And wearing the same type of any shoe daily will cause problems in the long run, so alternate frequently.
Q. What’s the difference between a foot cream and a regular body cream? Do I need both?
Regular body creams like Eucerin and Lubriderm work just as well on most feet; however, if feet are extremely dry, they might need something stronger. Many foot creams, like MD Formulations Pedicreme, contain AHAs or urea to help slough off dead skin at a faster rate. For cracked heels, dermatologist Debra Luftman recom-mends a cream with dimethicone, which both moisturizes and provides a protective coating for the skin (try Dr. Scholl’s Pedicure Essentials Cracked Skin Repair cream, $ 5.20; at drugstores).
