At Home Pedicure

pedicure

Since we are presently unable to make any personal appointments at our local salons due to COVID-19, it looks like we may have to take matters into our own hands. As many of us are likely shaving, tweezing and filing ourselves until we can rejoice in the reopening of our favourite place, it has also come time to break our feet out of hibernation as the weather becomes warmer. An at home pedicure is not too difficult,  provided you have the tools and the time. And right now,  we all have the time! Let’s gather what we need and head to the bathroom.

Tools to Have:

  • Towel
  • Basin (or tub)
  • Epsom salts
  • Polish remover and cotton pads
  • Foot paddle
  • Foot cream or lotion
  • Nail clipper, file and buffer
  • Cuticle pusher ( or orangewood stick)
  • Tissue
  • Polish ( your colour choice, base and top coat)
  • Alcohol

Prep:

To start our pedicure, we first need to remove the old polish. Acetone based polish remover is preferred as it will remove the polish quickly and completely.  Other polish removers are fine as well, just might take an extra few minutes to remove the polish. Pour some on your cotton pad or ball and get to work! Fill your basin or tub with warm water and add the Epsom salts to soften and deodorize the feet. If using a basin, a tablespoon is enough. If using your tub, 1/2 a cup of salts is plenty. Soak for about 5 minutes to allow calloused, rough skin to soften.

Heels:

After soaking, exfoliate your rough patches using your foot paddle. Buff the heels, balls of your feet, and and any other part of your foot that needs exfoliating. Once smooth, apply foot cream or lotion to the areas to keep them soft and hydrated.

Toes:

Using your nail clippers, cut your toenails straight across and soften the edges with your nail file. Cutting your toenails straight across (and not too short!) will avoid the development of an ingrown toenail. Take your cuticle pusher or orangewood stick and very gently push back your cuticles. Use your little white buffer and smooth out the top of the nail and then apply a dab of cuticle oil and rub into the cuticles.

Polish:

Deodorized, softened, creamed and filed, you’re ready for polish! Take a cotton pad with some polish remover and wipe your nails clear of any remaining  cuticle oil. Next, take 2 tissues and roll and weave each tissue between your toes on each foot. Apply a base coat to each nail, 2 coats of colour and finish with a top coat to seal it all in. Be sure to apply each coat of polish on the thinner side to ensure even appearance and quicker drying time. If you happen to “colour outside the lines”, take your orangewood stick, wrap a tiny piece of cotton around the tip and dip it into the remover.  Carefully remove any polish left in your skin and voila, pedicure completed!

Wash Your Tools

Lastly, wash your tools in soap and water and soak them for 10 minutes in alcohol, preferably 70%. You’ll want to keep them in good condition for next time.

All pedicured up with no place to go? Don’t fret, we will be seeing each other soon for the real pampered deal. These instructions can also be a great help tidying your feet in between professional pedicures as well. Now get out those flip flops!

Let’s Connect

We welcome your questions and feedback. You can connect with us via email or telephone. And as always, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest trends and special offers!

Til next time,

A Perfect Pinky Team

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The Meaning of Your Feet

Do the shape and size of your feet mean something? Does the length of your toes suggest a certain personality trait? Insight into our personality is always intriguing. Reading our horoscopes, getting our palms read or even having our handwriting analyzed to detect why we are the way we are piques your interest. Foot types are also on the “analyze me” bandwagon. Let’s check some common, and maybe not so common, foot shapes to see if we love to eat, hate to travel, Etc.

Roman Toe

Loving new exciting places, and being super outgoing are said to be connected to this toe type. The Roman toe shape is when the first three toes are the same height with the latter two shorter (in descending order). So, book your plane ticket and get out on your next cultural adventure!

Egyptian Toe

People who sport the Egyptian toe shape are said to descend from royalty and enjoy being pampered! This foot type is fairly common and is characterized by a long big toe followed by the rest in descending order, usually slenderer as well. Generally friendly people, they have an eye for fashion and are often trend-setters.

Peasant Toe

Thoughtful and patient, people with peasant toe are those to be friends with. Their patience helps to resolve conflicts and are honest by nature. These feet appear square-shaped, since all the toes are generally the same length.

Greek Toe

If you look at your feet and notice that your second toe is the longest, then you sport the Greek foot! People with this toe type are said to be smart, super sporty and very creative. And although they have tremendous leadership qualities, they tend to be stressed out and impulsive.

Moving Little Toe

Independently moving your little toe from the others says a lot about you since it’s such an unusual toe type. You are highly active and crave adventure, highly driven in life and always searching for new experiences. This is definitely the mark of an inquisitive dreamer!

Ultimately, your feet are highly individual and unique to you. Your feet aren’t even really identical! Whether you have Roman or peasant foot, are curious or shy, just remember that the main thing about our feet is to take good care of them by getting monthly pedicures and by getting them checked by your doctor if any changes occur in how they feel or look. They’re the only pair you got!

Let’s Connect

We welcome your questions and feedback. You can connect with us via email or telephone. And as always, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest trends and special offers!

Till next time,

Phyllis

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The Fragrance of Good Health

Essential Oils the Fragrance of Good Health, A Perfect Pinky, Aurora, Newmarket, York Region

Aromatherapy has been practiced by humanity for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians used many fragrant plants, such as lavender, in many of their cosmetics and ceremonial rituals, like the embalming process. The ancient Greeks used cypress oil to ease diarrhea, while people in India in 500 CE used sandalwood for their exorcism rites, as well as for healing arrow wounds. The word divided means; fragrance (aroma) and encouragement of good health (therapy).

Many scents, or essential oils, appear in our cosmetics, cleaning products and in our salons today. The oils are extracted from various parts of plants (i.e. roots, leaves, flowers), predominantly through a process called distillation. Steam passes over the parts of the plant through a still, then into a condenser where the oil produced is separated from the water. Finally, the oil, or essence of the plant, is poured into a small bottle.

One of the beneficial and most relaxing ways to experience the wonderful scents in our salon is by having an aromatic pedicure. Adding an essential oil to the pedicure bath waters is a perfect way to create a calming or invigorating experience, depending on which scent is chosen.

Just Some of the Aromatics We Use

Tea Tree

An extremely medicinal oil, tea tree oil, carries loads of benefits, and falls under the category of an invigorating aroma. Tea tree helps fight bacterial and fungal infections, like athlete’s foot and nail bed infections, and can ease mild inflammatory condition, such as sinusitis. It also is useful for chronic anxiety, and poor concentration. Tea tree oil is added to many soaps, shampoos and cosmetics for this reason.

Peppermint

Ingesting peppermint candy or drinking peppermint tea can be useful for various digestive system ailments. Breathing this essential oil in is just as helpful. Peppermint can relieve nausea, stress-triggered diarrhea and vomiting. It has also proven to be an effective stimulant, able to improve memory, poor concentration and mental fatigue. And it helps with hangovers!

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is yet another “anti-everything” essential oil. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and antifungal properties. It is highly effective for treating various types of wounds like cuts, acne or boils. And breathing it in can relieve congestion, mental exhaustion and boost energy.

Citrus

Lemongrass and orange are both uplifting, fresh scents. Lemongrass oil not only increases mental awareness and concentration, it also relieves anxiety, irritability and feelings of stress. And as a natural detoxifier, when used in teas, lemongrass can flush toxins throughout your digestive tract. Sweet orange is not only uplifting, it simultaneously calms and relaxes as well. A natural mood enhancer, orange is used as an anti-depressant, because of its worry-reducing properties. It is also beneficial in relaxing muscular and nervous spasms, relieving inflammation and easing pain.

Aromatherapy, as you can see, is beneficial in various forms. From relieving stress, to promoting mental clarity, or calming physical inflammation, essential oils are just that, essential. Here at Perfect Pinky we welcome you to experience these essential oils during your pedicure pampering time with us!

We welcome your questions and feedback. You can connect with us via email or telephone.  Don`t forgot to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest trends and special offers!

Til next time,

Phyllis

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Treating & Preventing Ingrown Toenails

preventing ingrown toenails

Our feet have been hibernating in boots and socks all winter long.  It’s time for them to emerge! Spring and summer mean it’s time for a pedicure to get your feet looking and feeling their best.  And with our feet cooped up for so long, some of us may have acquired the dreaded and painful ingrown toenail.

What is an Ingrown Toenail?

An ingrown toenail is a problem usually occurring in the big toe, where the toenail grows into the skin instead of over it.  It can become painful and swollen.  An infection can occur if left untreated and the nail continues to grow like this.

Preventing Ingrown Toenails is Easy

Let’s discuss a few ways to do so. Here are a few tips to prevent this painful condition:

Shape and Length of Toenails:

Be sure to cut toenails straight across, as well as not too short.  Toenails that are trimmed too short can create pressure from your shoe to direct the nail to grow downward into the skin.  Trimming them straight across and even with the tips of your toes is the best when preventing ingrown toenails

Buy Properly Fitted Footwear:

Shoes that are too narrow or too tight can create pressure on your toes and cause ingrown toenails. The best solution is to shop for shoes later in the day when your feet are at their largest.  This is when you will get a shoe that fits you properly.

Foot Hygiene:

Keep your feet clean and dry to prevent ingrown toenails.  Moist, sweaty feet are a breeding ground for this and other foot conditions.  Keep footwear and socks dry as much as possible to prevent a dirty environment for your feet.

Know Your Feet:

Check your feet daily. This may sound silly but people with conditions such as diabetes or poor blood flow to their feet are more vulnerable in acquiring ingrown toenails. The more you know, the better you can take care of yourself and your feet.

Easing the Pain of Ingrown Toenails

If you think you may have an ingrown toenail here are a few things you can try to help ease the pain.

  • Soak your foot in warm water for about 15 minutes a few times a day with either some Epsom salts or just plain table salt. Salt water aids in the reduction of bacteria growth.
  • If able, dry your foot and gently lift the corner of the nail after soaking and apply an antibiotic cream.  Ask a pharmacist which cream would be best.
  • Bandage your toe to protect it and wear open toed or loose fitting shoes so your toe can have some extra room to heal.

If the pain and pressure lasts longer than 2 or 3 days, it’s probably best to see your doctor.

Our feet carry us everywhere we go – we cannot take them for granted! Taking good care of our feet is of the utmost importance in our overall health.

Hopefully these tips to prevent and treat ingrown toenails will be beneficial to you!

We welcome your questions and feedback. You can connect with us via email or telephone, leave a comment right here on the site or click the contact tab at the bottom of the screen if you are reading this post on the website.  Join in the conversation on Facebook too!

Here’s to summer ready lips!

Jana

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