Your At Home Pedicure Awaits
Step 1: Grab Your Nail Kit
To make your at-home Spa style pedicure effortless from the beginning, gather your nail kit and the necessary tools including:
- Nail polish remover
- A Nail Diva (this is great for protecting your mani)
- A bowl or basin (if you don’t have access to a bathtub or shower)
- Cotton balls/pads
- Pumice stone and/or exfoliating scrub
- Non Acetone Nail polish remover
- Moisturizer
- Cuticle oil
- Nail clippers and a nail file
- Nail polish: base coat, topcoat and the color of your choice
You can buy a nail kit here
Step 2: Remove Toenail Polish
First thing’s first, before you start your at home pedicure you MUST (and I mean must) remove your old toenail polish. Use your nail polish remover, a cotton ball or pad, and clean your toenails as best as you can. The more polish you remove the better your fresh polish will look.
If you have a freshly painted mani, don’t worry, you can grab a Nail Diva (available for only $9 online) which cleverly holds your cotton ball/pad and protects your perfectly polished fingernails while you remove your toenail polish.
Step 3: Soak
Take a shower or soak your feet in a bathtub or basin of hot water (with or without Epson salts) for at least 5 minutes, to soften your skin. If you want the full spa feel, add a couple of drops of aromatic essential oil into the water.
Step 4: Scrub
Now that your skin is soft, it’s time to get rid of the dead skin. Because your at home pedicure requires exfoliation. Pumice stones and exfoliant scrubs work best. Use both or either of the two, and focus your scrubbing on the heels, balls and sides of your feet. Don’t overdo it, we’re only scrubbing until our feet feel soft again.
Step 5: Clip And File
Once your feet are soft to touch, grab your nail clippers and clip your toenails to your desired length. Use your nail file to smooth out the corners and edges.
Step 6: Show Love To Your Cuticles
In order to make your at home pedicure spa quality, it is important to care for your cuticles. Note: This step is often missed but so important for the health of your toenails and overall clean look of your pedi.
Apply cuticle oil to your cuticles, push them back if necessary but try not to clip them. Our cuticles protect our surrounding skin and prevent infection. If you find that your cuticles are dry and hard, use cuticle oil every day or at least once a week to soften them up and keep your nails healthy.
Pro Tip: Coconut oil is a great alternative if you do not have cuticle oil at home.
Step 7: Moisturize And Prep
Grab your favourite moisturizer and apply a good amount on each foot. While it’s soaking in, prep toenails by using toe separators, if you have them – if you don’t it’s not a big deal. Wipe down each toenail with rubbing alcohol to remove the nail bed of any excess oils. This important step keeps your toenail polish from chipping or peeling off.
Step 8: Apply Nail Polish
Apply a base coat to protect your toenails from staining, apply two coats of nail polish color, and then a quick-dry topcoat (my favorite is Essie – Good To Go).
If you’re not the greatest at painting your finger or toenails there are many tools that can help.
- For smudged and chipped polish, you can use a Nail Diva to clean a specific nail, protecting your other fingernails from getting ruined.
- If you’re a messy painter, you can purchase cuticle protector. Apply it to the skin around your nails before applying your nail polish and peel it off once you’re done.
Step 9: Maintenance
Moisturize as often as you can, use spa socks if you have them, and apply cuticle oil every other day or at least once a week.
Daniella Quagliara is an entrepreneur, stylist, and nail enthusiast. Visit Naildiva to check out her latest invention and follow her on Instagram.