Exfoliating foot masks: how useful and how to make them?

Well-groomed legs are the pride of any woman. Accurate pedicure, soft heels skin speak not only about cleanliness, but also about the health of its owner. Psychologists say that parts of the body that are hidden most of the time from the eyes determine the level of a woman’s love for herself.

Answers to questions: is your walk easy, are casual shoes comfortable, and does your skin of your feet hurt, according to experts, often lie in psychosomatics. Western psychologists are echoed by eastern yogis. In the traditions of the East, the feet are the connecting link between the Cosmos and the Earth, and also serve as an indicator of the direction of man.

Feet of the feet daily experience the heaviness of the whole body, especially if, due to the profession, you have to constantly walk or stand. For women, the matter is aggravated by a tribute to fashion - high-heeled shoes make legs slim, but often we forget about the increased load to which they are subjected.

The human body created by nature is so arranged that the layer of the epidermis of the feet is constantly subjected to pressure, compression and even abrasion. Metabolic processes are disturbed in the upper layer of the epidermis, which coarsens or begins to exfoliate. Coarse skin, dryness, painful cracks and calluses become frequent companions of the legs.

Several factors lead to dry and flaky skin. The most unpleasant of them are fungal or infectious skin diseases. Here you can not do without medical methods of treatment, and you should approach the problem very seriously.

But there are more common and adaptable factors.

• Lack of vitamins. Especially in the spring.
• Tight shoes. As well as heeled shoes in which the foot is in an unnatural position.
• UV exposure and road dust, which is typical for the summer period and open shoes.

Systematic foot care, including nourishing creams, peeling, relaxing baths, helps your legs and avoid skin troubles. Modern cosmetology offers a wide selection of spa treatments and skin care products. The recipes of traditional medicine of our great-grandmothers have not lost their relevance.

One of the most common and effective methods of foot care at all times was an exfoliating foot mask.

Exfoliating masks are one of the types of peeling that can be performed both in the beauty salon and at home. Peeling is a cosmetic procedure for removing dead skin cells. Translated from English literally means "peel off". In the process of peeling, the pores are cleaned, blood flow is stimulated, the cells are saturated with oxygen and begin to regenerate actively.

Foot masks are designed to cleanse the epidermis, soften keratinized areas of the skin, remove dead particles. Dry plates of skin on the feet not only give the feet an untidy look, but also block the access of oxygen, inhibit the formation of a new layer of the epidermis.

A feature of exfoliating foot masks are active substances that can be used on the sole, but not on other parts of the body. For example, the composition of some masks can cause a burning sensation even on coarse heels, so it is strictly contraindicated to use them on the delicate skin of the face or hands.

There are a lot of recipes for exfoliating masks that you can do with your own hands. For this, ordinary products that are on the shelves of any housewife are suitable. Some of our grandmother's prescription ingredients can be found in pharmacies or markets. This applies to masks from fresh and dried herbs, pulp of fruits and plant petals.

But also the modern beauty industry offers all kinds of cosmetics and whole sets for home peeling.

Masks can be alternated, try a new one each time, until you find the recipe that suits you. Do not worry if you can’t immediately choose the right one, because each of them will have a positive effect in any case.

Foot masks should be applied gradually, stretching the complex of procedures for several weeks. In the process of removing the upper layer of the epidermis, microcracks can form, and behind them inflammatory processes in the damaged areas of the skin. To avoid this, cosmetologists recommend arranging a peeling procedure for the legs no more than once a week, and spend the entire course for 2 months.

Therefore, if you are going to put your legs in order by the summer - do not delay, start in the spring.

To achieve maximum effect, but not damage the skin of the feet and not experience subsequent discomfort when walking, you should adhere to certain rules for masks of all types. The rules are to limit the time and sequence of stages of the entire peeling procedure.

• The mask is applied only to clean feet, slightly moist after washing. A hot foot bath with herbs or sea salt will significantly increase the effect of the mask. From hot water, the legs become steamy and the pores open, due to which the product penetrates better under the upper layer of the skin. In addition, bathtubs relieve fatigue and swelling.

• If the feet have painful injuries, deep abrasions or cuts, then it is better to abandon the masks until the wounds heal completely. The active substances contained in the mask mixture can corrode already damaged skin. In this case, you should be especially careful about purchased peeling products.
• After applying the mask to the feet, plastic bags or medical shoe covers should be worn. This will prevent contamination of the surfaces of household objects, and allow you to move around during the procedure. Now on sale there are special sock masks that are already filled with the necessary composition for peeling - they should simply be worn. Socks greatly simplify the whole procedure as a whole, but reviews about them are ambiguous.

• The mask is kept strictly according to the time specified in the instructions for the drug or prescription. As a rule, the process of interaction of exfoliating substances with the skin lasts no more than 15-20 minutes. This time is enough to absorb the mixture and its effective action. It is not recommended to keep the mask over the prescribed time - aggressive substances can damage the skin, and emollients will not give in excess of what they have already given away.
• After completing the procedure, the legs should be rinsed under warm running water., if necessary, treat problem areas with pumice. Wipe your feet dry with a soft absorbent towel. Apply cosmetic oils or nourishing cream.

Exfoliating masks are not amenable to accurate classification, and each woman chooses a tool to her taste by familiarizing herself with different options and a combination of ingredients. However, there is a factor that combines the most popular and time-tested remedies for rough skin of the feet. These are mixtures containing one of the components:

• glycerol
• clay
• paraffin.

On their basis, you can make masks with the addition of various oils or plant components that nourish the skin with vitamins.

• Moisturizing mask with glycerin. Glycerin is an excellent emollient for painful cracks in the heels and pads of the feet. It’s worth a penny, but the effect is colossal. In its pure form, glycerin is not used, it is diluted with oils, vinegar, honey or pulp of fruit. The remedy for cracked heels is a simple mixture of equal proportions of glycerin and 9% vinegar. A pair of tablespoons is enough for one session. The mixture is rubbed into coarse places, wrapped with plastic wrap, put on warm socks.

• A mask with clay is used for deep peeling, it cleanses the skin, removes the upper layer of dead cells. A couple of tablespoons of clay are brewed with boiling water to soften it and allowed to cool. It is mixed with a few drops of olive oil and applied to the feet with massaging movements. When dried, the clay will begin to draw in excess particles on the sole. To enhance the effect of the feet, it is advisable to massage through socks. The mask should be kept for 15-20 minutes, then rinse with a sponge (porous sponge made of natural material).

• Paraffin mask. Peeling paraffin acts like clay - collects dead skin particles on itself. Raw materials for masks can be purchased at the pharmacy or grate ordinary candles. Melt paraffin to a liquid state in a metal container, allow to cool to a tolerable temperature. In order not to burn the skin, you should check a few drops on the wrist. If the mass is not too hot, lower both feet into the container. You need to lower it several times, during this time the paraffin will begin to cool and form “socks” on the feet. Next, wrap the legs in a film and hold for 15-20 minutes, after which we remove the mask with dry hands.

Exfoliating masks will have an effect only with regular use and in combination with other procedures. Do not neglect daily foot creams, weekly soothing baths. The feet, although hidden from view for most of the year, nevertheless require the same care as the face or hands.

Pay special attention to shoes. It should not constrain movements, rub or have a compressive effect. In too narrow shoes, the foot is in an unnatural position, blood cannot circulate normally, and this threatens not only corns, but also serious diseases.

If high-heeled shoes are your everyday shoes, then try to free your legs as often as possible, allowing them to relax and “breathe”.

Regularly take care of your legs, because your easy walk, beauty and femininity depend on their health.

An overview of the exfoliating foot mask see in the next video