Mercredi: The Art of Beauty

For some reason, most people leave their feet out of any beauty routine they may have. Except for places like coastal California and South Florida, where wearing flip flops out to your car without smudging your still-wet pedi because you’re in a h*u*r*r*y has been elevated to an art form (largely by women but I’ve seen dudes doing it too), most of us just pull on our shoes and forget it. Or our boots in weather like the stuff outside my window.

Although I’m not a huge advocate of the professional pedicure, largely because of the potential for unsanitary conditions in the more affordable shops, I like to treat my feet as well as possible at home. And by that I mean going a little further than a good once over with a wash cloth.

Here is a recipe for a foot scrub that I am fond of particularly in the winter months. Feet are generally happier in those aforementioned flip flops and when confined in heavy socks and boots they sweat even on cold days. This leads to a build up of dead skin cells and the resulting odor can be anywhere from mildly unpleasant to down right horrifying. This scrub will buff off that dead skin with oatmeal and sugar, mildly disinfect with tea tree oil and leave your feet fresh with peppermint. Apply once a week or so for the nicest winter feet you’ve ever had.

1 tbsp coarse oatmeal
2 tbsps sugar
2 tsps dried peppermint leaves
1 tbsp of plain, organic yogurt (if you can’t get organic, authentic Greek yogurt works perfectly; failing that, buy plain yogurt of the best quality you can afford. Despite what Food Network would have us believe, not every ingredient is “easy to get anywhere these days”)
Juice of 1 lemon
5 drops tea tree essential oil
5 drops peppermint essential oil

Combine oatmeal, sugar and peppermint leaves in a bowl. Add yogurt and oils. Mix and add lemon juice as you go until you have a sandy paste (you may not need all the lemon juice to get a consistency that feels right and works for you and your feet).

To use, sit on the edge of your tub or over a basin and massage the mixture into your feet, preferably after a shower, bath or soak. Hit the rough spots especially. Rinse and dry thoroughly and follow up with a good moisturizer. This treatment is very effective right before bed or before a long night in when your feet will have time to absorb the benefits of the treatment. A votre santé ~

Header: The Three Graces by Raphael c 1504