How To Do A Home Pedicure

Feeling the fear about revealing your feet? Fix dry skin, cracked heels and neglected nails with these pedicure products

Let’s face it, feet even at the best of times are not the most glamorous of body parts, and ‘the best of times’ is definitely not when they’ve been hidden away without so much as a ‘home pedicure’, in thick socks and boots for six months and counting. 

Now that sandal season is once again upon us, the time has come to set aside an evening for a little home pedicure action. We don’t all have the time, budget or inclination to get to the salon for regular foot-pampering sessions. Luckily the home pedicure market is packed with great products, so you can get salon calibre nails from the comfort of your couch, while keeping one eye on Netflix, if you wish. 

Ask your friends what they don’t like about their feet and you’ll be chatting all day. Dry, cracked skin is one of the biggest causes of foot-flashing fear. When you consider that the heels and balls of your feet spend all day rubbing back and forth against shoes while supporting your entire bodyweight, it’s really no surprise that hard areas build up pretty fast.

Raggedy nails with the remnants of last year’s pedicure are a dead giveaway that your feet haven’t seen daylight for a while, but it’s easier and faster than you might think to change all that, and we’ve got the best home pedicure products to whip your feet into shape, fast. 

From an electric foot file and magic skin-shedding socks that do the hard for you, to the latest scrubs, creams and softening oils and the prettiest polish for spring, we’ve hand picked the very best beauty buys of the season for feet. 
They may never be your favourite part of your body, but with a little help from this gallery you can at least show your feet a little love – so click, pick and wear your sandals with pride…

Apester Lazyload

Footner photo Click or tap to zoom into this image
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Home Pedicure: Foootner Exfoliating Socks, £19.99

Amazing and, well, icky in equal measure, Footner's disposable plastic socks will do away with dry skin and require zero effort. Simply soak feet in warm water, pop them on for an hour while you watch TV, remove and wait... within the next week or so all the hard skin will peel and flake away, leaving super-soft feet beneath.

Scholl Velvet Smooth Pink Diamond Pedi, £39.99 Click or tap to zoom into this image
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Home Pedicure: Scholl Velvet Smooth Pink Diamond Pedi, £39.99

Scholl Pedi has many devoted users, and it's easy to see why. Basically, it's a power sander for your feet, which makes light work of even the hardest build up on heels and soles. This new version has diamond particles in it for extra buffing power, and, lets face it, most of us need all the help we can get in that area!

Leighton Denny Diamond Sole Mate, £11 Click or tap to zoom into this image
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Home Pedicure: Leighton Denny Diamond Sole Mate, £11

This is kind of like a facial for your feet, from nail guru Leighton Denny. Rub onto the heel and ball of damp feet, massage and enjoy the tingling sensation then add water to transform it into a milky nourishing oil. Rinse off for feet that feel super-smooth and smell friendlier than they have in months.

Aveda Foot Relief, £15 Click or tap to zoom into this image
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Home Pedicure: Aveda Foot Relief, £19.99

Now you've scrubbed and buffed it's time to start the lovely pampering bit, and Foot Relief is everything for tired hot toes. This soothing, cooling cream smells like gorgeous lavender and rosemary, instantly softens with jojoba, and can even be massaged into legs to put an instant spring in your step. 

Pedicure Tips-Beauty Tips-Woman and Home Click or tap to zoom into this image
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Home Pedicure: Decléor Aromessence Ongles, £40

Toenail cuticles need some love too! And we can't think of a more loving product than Decléor Aromessence Ongles. This mini bottle might seem kind of pricy, but that's pure essential oils you're getting for your investment and a little goes a very long way -  massage a drop into toe and fingernails daily to prevent raggedy cuticles and help healthy growth. 

Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Nipper, £45 Click or tap to zoom into this image
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Home Pedicure: Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Nipper, £45

Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Nipper is so handy, quick and easy to use it's hard not to get carried away - but resist! Only use it to quickly clip away any of those 'sticking up' bits of dry skin or cuticle that hang around beside nails making them look untidy. It has a tiny, precise head and comes in a Tools Of The Trade set with an angled cuticle pusher too. 

Pedicure Tips-Beauty Tips-Woman and Home Click or tap to zoom into this image
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Home Pedicure: Mavala Mava-White, £10.50

There is something particularly gruesome about a yellowing toenail, but it's easily fixed! For a truly DIY treatment, rub on a dash of lemon juice with a cotton pad. Or, for instant results, you can use an optical brightener like Mava-White, either on it's own or under your polish.