The most successful post by far on Never Say Die Beauty’s Facebook fanpage is a recipe for a DIY foot soak and dead skin/callous remover. (Check out the NSDB FB page if you haven’t already!) I’ve gotten lots and lots of “likes”, and lots of comments from women who’ve tried it. In fact, a number of women used it on their husband’s feet. It was a recipe that I found online that I hadn’t yet tried myself. Some women liked the recipe as it was from the internet, and others said it didn’t work. So, I took all the feedback that I got from the commenters and tweeked the recipe to hopefully make it more effective. Here it is:
- 1 1/3 c. original amber (gold/brown) Listerine
- 1 1/3 c. distilled white vinegar
- 4 c. hot water
If you want it to completely cover your feet up to the ankle, increase the water but also put in a little more Listerine and vinegar.
Because I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on something that might not work, I bought my supplies at the Dollar Store and at the inexpensive supermarket near me, Market Basket. I didn’t have anything to stick my feet in, so I bought a small plastic tub, dish pan that measures about 8″ x 10″. It cost $1.00.
I have the blue and the purple Listerine at home. But the color mouthwash you use does matter in this case. Commenters on my Facebook page mentioned that the colored Listerine turned their feet blue or green or purple. Some mentioned that the colored Listerine changed the shade of their nail polish. That’s why I bought original amber mouthwash. In fact, I bought a bottle of amber “off-brand” Listerine (anyone ever hear of the brand “Assured”?), 16.9 fl. oz./500 ML for $1.00. It has the same ingredients as Listerine.
I already had a 32 fl. oz. bottle of distilled white vinegar in my pantry that I use in my weekly Almost No Knead Bread recipe. I bought it at Market Basket for $0.79.
I used hot water from the bathroom sink. Next time, I think I’ll heat up the water in the kettle or microwave so that it will stay hot longer.
Then, I sat with my feet in the water for about 10 minutes and watched the Red Sox play the Houston Astros. The mixture felt tingly. Very pleasant. Once the water started to cool down, I used the foot scraper that has sandpaper on it, and removed most of the callous on my right foot at the joint under my big toe that the women at the nail salon have had no luck removing at all. I also removed the dead skin on my heels and the callous on the ball of my foot that is the key feature of Morton’s Toe (when your second toe is longer than your big toe).
My feet were clean, and almost completely callous free. They did not turn color, and the foot soak did not affect the color of my nail polish. Next, I applied some lotion, and I was done. Less than 15 minutes and great results!
My feet continued to feel fresh and tingly for at least an hour afterwards. Boy, is this a wonderful discovery! I’ll be doing it every few weeks. I’ve got enough fake Listerine for another one or two soaking sessions. 🙂
Give it a try and let me know what you think.
What I Learned at My Facial
While we’re on the subject of spa, I had a facial today. It’s been about 2 months since my last facial. The esthetician told me I had great skin that was well-hydrated. That made me feel good because I do work at it. However, for a second time, she told me that I was using too heavy a moisturizer under my eyes. She said I was getting blackheads there, and that was unusual. I was using my facial moisturizer under my eyes exactly because it is heavier than my eye cream. I guess I won’t do that anymore. Again, she gave me a sample of Thalgo Firming Eye Gel to try. I’ll try it again under my eyes and at the corners where the crow’s feet are. I think I’ll continue with the Nuance AM/PM Anti-aging Super Eye Treatment on my eye lids and above. I’ve had such good results with that product firming up the skin above my lids, I don’t want to give it up.
As part of the facial, she applied a Thalgo anti-aging, hydrating gel masque with hyaluronic acid on my face. Afterwards, she gave me a sample to try at home. She said to avoid using clay-based or mud masques because they are too drying. She said they’re great for oily skin but not so great for skin over 40. Just thought I’d share her advice.
On a totally different topic, if you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to enter the Midnight Velvet $50 Gift Certificate giveaway by commenting on the Christmas In August blogpost here. Thanks from me and from Midnight Velvet! #MVFabBloggers
Sounds like good advice from the esthetician. I love going for facials .. wish I could do it once a month! At most, I have a facial once a quarter.
Monica.
Monica P recently posted…Simply Vera Wang Eye Shadow Duo and American Beauty Lip Gloss from Kohl’s
I used a Groupon the first time I had a facial at this salon, and they had a save 20% on your next facial if you sign up for the next one right away, so I did. It was about 6 weeks since my last facial. That was a rare event and a treat! When I lived in NYC, I used to sign up for a course of 6 facials at Georgette Klinger Salon and use them throughout the year. It was less expensive that way, and it made it so much easier to stay on track. Plus they had the best estheticians! I moved, and Georgette Klinger sold the salon to a company who rapidly went bankrupt. Boo hoo. I wish I could afford to do it once a month, lol 😉
This sounds interesting. Will have to try this on my tired feet!
It worked really well for me, Judi! The Listerine/vinegar combo creates a great tingling sensation that lasts plus my feet smelled great too 🙂
That is so cool! I need to try this at home but first I need to pick up a couple of stuff, let’s hope it works for me too because my feet are in terrible shape. LOL!
Shireen L. Platt recently posted…REVIEW: Sleek Eyebrow Stylist (Medium)
It definitely works, Shireen. I get my supplies for the soak at the Dollar Store where stuff is cheap. I picked up a cheap plastic container for the soak, generic gold mouthwash and white vinegar. I do 4 c. hot water, 2 c. mouthwash & 2 c. white vinegar. And you must use a foot scraper after you’ve soak for about 10 minutes. Hope you get to try it some day!