This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. It means that I earn a commission when visitors, users or readers click on links to products and then make a purchase following that link. Click here to read more about my affiliate policy!

 Print This Post

How to Give Yourself a Pedicure

Do you wonder How to Give Yourself a Pedicure?

My daughter-in-law is our lovely foot model going through the steps with a licensed and very knowledgeable technician, while she gets a professional pedicure so you will know how to give yourself a pedicure. 

Now you can give yourself a DIY salon spa pedicure at a fraction of the cost that will look professional and done correctly too by following the step-by-step tutorial.*

After the pedicure, you might want to pamper your hair with this Homemade Hair Treatment that works wonders.

And don’t forget your skin care. This Homemade Facial is perfect for any season to brighten and cleanse the face. 

For an at-home pedicure, you will need the following supplies 

Supplies:

Foot spa or large bowl big enough for both feet to fit in comfortably

Towels

Epsom salt foot soak (recommended by our technician) 

File

Exfoliator (such as a foot paddle. Try to avoid using pumice stones.)

A good lotion 

Nail polish remover with acetone (if removing nail polish)

Cuticle oil –this, or this

Nail buffer (optional)

Manicure Set, This, or This

Orangewood or birchwood sticks  

If you are also going to paint your toenails you will need: 

Acetone

Base coat & top coat, here’s a combination

Nail polish in color of your choice

Toe separators- like THIS

Speed spray

Stickers/decals (optional)  

 

 

All right, here we go with our pedicure!

1 – First fill up the bowl or foot spa with water as hot as you can stand it (it will cool quickly).

Add about a half cup of Epsom salt foot soak and stick your feet in. You’ll want to soak them for about 20 minutes, so this is a good time to catch up on your TV shows!

 

2 – When you’re done soaking, take your feet out and dry them really well with a towel.

You can use a blow dryer to make the feet as dry as possible

 

3 – Now it’s time to exfoliate! Do you have dry skin and little cracks on your heels and toes like this?

This is where you want to exfoliate. Using slight pressure and quick motions, rub the paddle, up and down along those little cracks and dry skin until you can see them disappearing.

If you see a little more moisture, dry it off with your towel.

After exfoliating there may still be some small wrinkles on your heel; 

these are part of your skin, so please don’t rub them off!

4 – If you have nail polish on your toenails, remove it with nail polish remover and a cotton pad or cotton ball.

Remember to use nail polish remover that has acetone, as that has more of a drying quality and you want your nails to be dehydrated before painting so the polish stays on better. Acetone also kills bacteria!  

5 – Using a cuticle pusher, push back cuticles.

It is important to make sure that the cuticle stays connected to the nail, so don’t shove the cuticle back. Just push gently.

If there’s a piece of cuticle hanging off or if you have hangnails, use the cuticle nippers to cut it off. Do not pull them or rip them.

6 – After pushing the cuticles back, rub a little cuticle oil on them.

7 – Using the orangewood or birchwood stick, go under the sides and tops of the toenails a little bit to get out any dirt or gunk that might be stuck in them.

8 – The next step is optional.

If you have little ridges on your toenails, you can use a buffer to smooth them out if you want your polish to lie more smoothly.

9 – Next clip and/ or file your toenails.

Filing will give it a smoother look, but either way, make sure you clip or file in a straight line.

If you go too short on the sides of the nail, it could cause ingrown toenails.

10 – Now for the best part, the foot rub!

You can do it yourself or bribe your significant other to do it for you.

Work a good amount of lotion into the foot first.

Then starting at the heel, and working your way up, use long, smooth deep strokes upward to rub the foot. 

You can use your thumbs, fist, and/or knuckles to do this.

Make sure you really work out those knots in your arches! Also, stretch the foot back and forth. When you get to the toes, pretend like you’re “milking” them. 

Pinch at the bottom of the toe and pull away.

If you’re not painting your nails, then you’re done!

If you are, then follow these steps:  

1 – Dehydrate nails with acetone (or a polish remover that has acetone in it) and a cotton ball or pad  

2 – Use toe separators to separate your toes. Either invest in a pair of sanitizable gel separators or use disposable ones BUT make sure to throw them away when you’re done.

3 – Apply a base coat first. This is like a primer and will make the polish stick better.

4 – Apply the polish color. It’s important to not flood the cuticles or it will cause the polish to lift and chip as the cuticle grows.

Paint one coat on all toes and then paint another coat.

You can use any polish you’d like, but a higher-end polish has more pigment in it, which means fewer coats to paint and a faster drying time.

5 – Apply the topcoat. 

6 – It is a good idea to invest in a speed spray. A speed spray has conditioning oil in it and keeps debris (lint, etc.) from sticking to the nail

7 – If you like stickers or decals you can put them on your nails after you apply the top coat, and then apply another topcoat. And you’re done!

 

Some professional tips:

– Make sure you keep things very sanitary. After using the foot spa, clean it out well (such as Scrubbing Bubbles) and store it in a dry place (not under the sink). Then before you use it wipe it out with a Clorox wipe. Also clean your exfoliator when you’re done. Use rubbing alcohol and a little brush to scrub it off, then clean it with Scrubbing Bubbles. Even if it’s your germs that are on it, you don’t want other ‘things’ growing. Also make sure you sanitize the toe separators, cuticle nippers, and everything you used.

– If you have acrylic nails and want to remove the polish color, don’t use polish remover with acetone. Just use regular polish remover.

– Put a rubber band around the lid of the nail polish so if your hands are still greasy from the lotion, you can still get it off.

– If polish gets on the skin around your toes, it won’t stick very well because of the lotion you put on earlier. Use your fingers or an orange wood stick to get it off easily.

– If you start having problems with your feet, please go see a podiatrist!

 

*No medical doctor or physician of any kind was referenced for this post. Giving yourself a pedicure is at your own risk, these are all tips and guidelines, but no one involved is in the position to give advice and cannot be held responsible for any injury, infection, or damage that may result. 

 

Copyright Carrie Groneman, A Mother’s Shadow, 2013, 2022

Recognize a blessing and be a blessing today.