Selfcare Sessions – Three Ways To Better Foot Care

This post is sponsored by Uncommon Goods.

 

If there was a part of my body that I consistently feel sorry for, it’d probably be my feet. They are the battered workhorses of my body. My feet are flat, like Flintstone flat. I’ve had issues with plantar fasciitis and cracked heels. I’ve got blisters and bunions and they’re just dry and rough in general. When I was in my twenties, I was proud of having soft, well attended feet. But in this stage of life, I know I’ve become lax in my foot care. I admit it. I’m trying to get it together and bring back the kind of touchably soft feet I’ve had and loved.

I love going out for pedicures, but  these days I’m saving money by going on the DIY tip. I have a foot spa and tons of nail polish, but the additional steps of massage and pampering take a little more than the usual. I had ideas of the kinds of foot care products that would make an at-home difference, but had no idea where to look for them, or if they even existed. When I was approached by the folks at one of my favorite online retailers, Uncommon Goods, I was so pleasantly surprised to discover that they had what I was looking for, what I didn’t know existed, what I needed and more!

 

I’m used to looking to Uncommon Goods for cool housewares or handmade jewelry – I love their necklace selections, so many delicate, unusual and remarkable handcrafted pieces!  Apparently I’ve been sleeping on them in terms of beauty, personal care and wellness products. I found some really unique items to contribute to my self-care practices at home and enhance my DIY pedicure intentions. Allow me to share them, and tell you the ways I’m stepping up my pedicure at home when I’m not able to pamper myself elsewhere.

Step 1 — Exfoliate and Detox –  Usually for my at-home foot care, I focused solely on rough exfoliation. But what about detox practices for your feet? There is debate on the topic (read more via Livestrong), but there are benefits to using salts to relax and soothe your feet. So I was excited to give salt a try for my DIY pedicure. I tried the Salt Detox Foot Blocks + Salt Footcare Set. Himalayan sea salt has many beneficial health purposes – internal benefits when consumed, external benefits when used for soaking or scrubbing. These Himalayan salt products I’m loving from Uncommon Goods are created by cosmetic formulator Elizabeth McElwain, and most of her Naturelle Spassentials products are 95% to 100% natural. Her Himalayan Pink Salt Foot Care Set includes a wonderfully gritty foot soap and foot scrub, and a richly moisturizing beeswax balm for supremely soft feet after use. Slip on some thick socks and YES. I felt a real difference in softness after my first use.

 

I can honestly say I had never tried anything like the Salt Detox Foot Blocks before. Also created by Elizabeth McElwain, these are large Himalayan pink salt blocks to rest your feet on for soothing, softening and therapeutic purposes. The Uncommon Goods site explains them best: “…these rosy bricks soften the bottoms of your feet and it is believed that they can also draw out impurities from the body. Hailing from the Himalayas, this special salt is said to release negative ions that bond to positive ions, pulling toxins from your body while decreasing dust and allergens in the air. Gently warm the blocks in your oven and rest your feet on them for 20 minutes to soothe your tired tootsies and bring an air of positivity to your space.” I followed the directions and heated my salt blocks in the oven — 300 degrees for approximately 5 minutes. Then I put the blocks on a towel and put your feet on them for 20 minutes. Did I experience soothing detoxification? I think so – the feeling of warmth was definitely soothing and my feet felt softer after. I can see myself doing this a lot in winter – if you have cold, rough feet then you’d enjoy this treat!

 

Step 2 – Cleanse and Pamper – One of my main issues with at-home foot care is the scrubbing. In the shower, it can be slippery and awkward to really scrub my feet. My bathtub isn’t big enough for a really comfortable position – plus, I don’t really love the idea of scrubbing my feet in my bathwater. I had no idea there was a solution until I discovered the Foot Mate System.

The Foot Mate system is basically a large scrubbing pad you use in your shower – suction cups secure it to the ground, but I find it best to anchor it to one foot while I balance and scrub the other, if that makes sense (it will when you get one). It comes with a special cleansing tea tree and Vitamin E gel which is refreshing and effective without being slippery, like most foot scrubs tend to be. There are different bristle textures: “wide, gentle inner bristles massage your tender soles, while the stiffer outer bristles smooth rough skin and calluses.” I’ve been using it every day since I got it, and I’m convinced it’s making a difference to my cracked heels. Plus it feels GOOD. I’d definitely recommend it, and apparently podiatrists do too!

 

Step 3 — Massage – The thing I love the most about going out to get a pedicure is the FOOT MASSAGE. A good, strong foot massage is so essential and uplifting to my spirit. Especially after a long day on my feet, or out walking for an afternoon. Really, there’s no bad time for a good foot massage. And sure, you can massage your own feet — kinda — but there’s nothing like someone else doing it for you. One day, there’ll be a robot for this. Until then, the Foot Sole Massage set from Uncommon Goods offers a simple and effective solution in between real-deal hands on foot massages.

You only use one soapstone ball at a time, and ideally the other ball is heated in a bowl of warm water, so you can exchange them as they cool off and have a continuous warm round ball DIY foot massage experience. I’m still getting used to the feel of this massage set, but I can’t deny the relaxing feeling of a warm soapstone ball on the painful arch-that-doesn’t-exist of my feet after a long day. This would be so awesome on my pressure points after something like Coachella, Lollapalooza or Bonnaroo or any big music fest.

I still reserve the right to get pampered elsewhere, but at least now I’m well equipped to take better care of my feet at home. And I hope you discovered a new, unique gift item you need in your life! Don’t sleep on Uncommon Goods for one-of-a-kind beauty and self care products, kitchen and dining items, jewelry, so much more. Thanks for sending, Uncommon Goods!

Bellas and fellas, how do you take care of your feet? Do you have special socks or a foot scrub, or an ointment that keeps them soft and happy? Share with me!

This post was sponsored by Uncommon Goods, but the thoughts and experiences are 100% me, always!