Elevate
Been on your feet all day? The easiest way to start pampering them is to stop using them. Find a comfortable seat and elevate your feet to relieve aching and swelling.
Soak
Fill a large basin -- a big mixing bowl works well -- with enough warm water to cover your feet entirely. Add a few drops of invigorating essential oil, such as peppermint, eucalyptus or lemon. Fungus- or odor-prone feet will benefit from tea tree oil’s antifungal and antiseptic qualities.
Smooth
After soaking for 15 or 20 minutes, use a pumice stone on damp feet to smooth calloused areas. Look for natural stones made from hardened lava.
Moisturize
The skin on the feet is thicker than the skin on the rest of the body. After soaking and smoothing, apply a generous amount of extra-moisturizing cream to the entire foot. Look for products that contain lanolin and super-hydrating oils like coconut or sweet almond.
Maintain
Keep your feet soft and healthy with regular at-home spa treatments. If you don’t have time for the entire process, simply moisturize and slip on a pair of socks before bed -- covering your feet helps lock in moisture.
Marisa Belger’s work has appeared in Travel + Leisure Family, Natural Health, Prevention
and TODAYShow.com, where she wrote a column about eco-friendly living. She was an editor at Lime.com and collaborated with author Josh Dorfman on his bestselling books, The Lazy Environmentalist
and The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget. She is the managing editor of and frequent contributor to
Green Goes Simple.