© Maxfx | Dreamstime.com
Recently I spent €35 on a ‘precious foot ritual’ and thought how little I would enjoy tending other’s people feet for a living so perhaps from the therapist’s perspective, the price is modest. But as consumer, I thought it was steep enough for what the ritual involved so here’s a run down on how to give yourself a spa treatment at home for a fraction of the cost if you are careful of the products you choose. You will need:
- 1 basin for bathing feet (Tesco have suitable plastic ones for €3.60 at the time of writing)
- 2 towels
- Moisturising foot bath
- Exfoliating (foot) cream
- 4 Hot towels or 2 if you don’t mind rinsing them out and re-heating as you go
- Foot moisturiser (or a thick moisturiser like Nivea cream will do as a substitute)
- Cling film, socks and a blanket
- Foot / leg cooling gel or substitute peppermint foot lotion
Fill your basin with warm water and swish in some of the moisturising foot bath. Place the basin on a towel on the floor in front a suitable chair that you can bend down easily in but that you can also relax in to enjoy the treatment.
Begin the treatment by wiping your feet clean with a hot towel.
Massage on the exfoliator then rinse off and relax your feet in the basin of warm water.
Pat your feet dry then apply a thick layer of moisturiser. Wrap your feet in cling film, pop on the socks, and cover with a blanket. Relax for about 15 minutes with a good book or magazine.
Remove the cling film and wipe feet with the hot towels.
Finish the treatment with a light application of the cooling foot gel or peppermint lotion.
You can step this treatment up by adding in a cuticle tidy, nail file and polish if time permits.
