We are smack bang in the middle of summer – aka sandal and thong season (for our USA friends thongs = flip flops).

There’s a certain freedom that comes with being barefoot or wearing minimal footwear even if it has its perils.

The dreaded sandal blowout…

Doing the funky chicken dance as you tip toe across the hot sand trying to prevent 3^rd degree burns to your tootsies…

Your feet do a fair bit of grunt work, and this can leave them dry and cracked. To make the situation even more ominous, they usually get forgotten in your daily beauty routine. So it is good to show them some love every now and then.

An easy (and inexpensive – woohoo!) way to give your feet some love is with a simple foot soak.

We’ve got 2 recipes for you today – the first is NOT natural but we thought we’d mention it anyway, because it helps you understand what makes a foot soak work wonders.

Miracle Listerine Foot Soak (not natural!)

Doing a quick a google search and you will be bombarded with tales of a magical foot soak using the mouthwash Listerine. It claims to remove all the cracked dry skin leaving you with super smooth feet just by soaking.

The recipe is very simple

• 1 cup Listerine
• 1 cup Vinegar
• 1 cup warm water

The Listerine is a very good antiseptic wash which leaves your feet minty fresh as its ingredients like Benzoic acid are great at killing fungus and other germs, but that’s about all it does in this miracle foot soak. It’s not a natural product, so unless you have a skin condition affecting your feet you can leave the Listerine out of the recipe and the soak will still have it’s softening effect.

Foot soaking can lead to soft feet with a little extra something

Before you get too excited and go and start soaking your metatarsals, there’s something to tell you first. Because we like to keep things real.

Foot soaking can be very effective, but we don’t want to get your hopes up too much. These soaks will definitely help your feet, but they won’t miraculously leave your feet softer than a Unicorn’s fluffy rainbow pillow.

Soaking is only part of the journey towards soft feet. Soaking your feet in water that is slightly acidic (e.g. by using vinegar) will help break down the bonds that hold together the dead skin cells which form calluses.

The foot soak is the 1^st step. The 2^nd step is a good going over with a pumice stone or scrub.

Yes, unfortunately some elbow grease is still required for that desired softness. But it’s not all bad. You can make it a really delightful experience (especially if you can convince some else to do the rubbing!)

Some great side benefits of a good foot soak and rub are that it improves circulation and is deeply relaxing which is perfect after being on your feet all day.

Our Sensational Natural Foot Soak recipe

We had a good think about this foot soaking business and came up with a recipe of our own that’s even better than the infamous Miracle Listerine Foot Soak. If you’re like us and prefer all natural products, then this is the best way to get happy heels at home. Hands down.

Here’s our totally natural DIY foot soak that will get your tootsies feeling sublime.

Step 1: Mix:

• 1 Cup Vinegar (brown, white or apple cider)
• 1 Cup Epsom salts
• Just enough warm water to cover your feet
• Option 1 – add 6-10 drops of your favourite essential oils
• Option 2 – brew some herbal tea in the water. Just make sure it has cooled sufficiently before dipping in your toes. You can even use some herbs from the garden (we used rosemary).

Step 2: Soak your feet for at least 10 minutes

Step 3: Exfoliate. You can either use a pumice stone, sugar scrub or – our favourite – a coffee scrub.

(To make the coffee scrub just combine 1.5 tablespoon of sugar/coffee grounds with 1 tablespoon of oil (olive, coconut, macadamia, rice bran or TLC Intensive Repair Oil are all great)

Step 4: Rinse, dry and moisturise. Apply a few extra drops of body oil or foot cream. 

Step 5: Put on some socks to seal in the moisture and to prevent slipping over.

Who’s up for a Sunday foot soak?

We’d love to hear how you go. If you’re feeling brave, send us your pics on Instagram or Facebook and we’ll re-post our favourites Let’s show off those luscious feet of yours.