Caring for our hair, facial skin or teeth is an all-year thing, but it turns seasonal when it comes to legs and feet. It’s time to give your legs and feet the care they deserve no matter the season.
Let’s face it! At times, being typically British means ignoring things and giving the stiff upper lip. Sadly this is what many of my clients do with their legs and feet. They only come to me seasonally when their legs and feet are on show for a holiday or summertime. More so, they tend to leave it for when there is a cosmetic problem, or they’re in pain.
Your legs and feet give you mobility and take you to all the places you want to go. So they play a crucial part in you having a good quality of life. When your body is in good health, you can fulfil all the lovely exciting activities you want to experience. But being healthy means being active (which requires healthy legs and feet) to help prevent physical disease and mental health problems. So why ignore them?
For many years, while working first as a beauty therapist and then qualifying as a podiatrist, I treated the legs and feet from a perspective of ‘fixing things,’ i.e. if there is something wrong, let’s sort it out. Nowadays, however, I take a very different approach. Upon reflection, I realise prevention is the most effective way to enjoy optimum leg and foot health. And self-love, self-care and self-worth are paramount to achieving it.
It does make me wonder why legs and feet are treated so differently from other parts of the body. Of course, most people won’t dream of leaving the house without brushing their hair or teeth or applying face cream. But when it comes to taking care of their lower limbs, they give them a shower or bath, and that’s pretty much it.
At Callen Olive, we celebrate the awesomeness of the human body, paying particular attention to legs and feet. I want to encourage everyone to add these essential parts to their daily body care routine and, by doing so, prevent the development of leg and foot problems.
Looking after your legs and feet every day is easy and will pay dividends in the long run and give you the confidence to want to show them off.
Top tips on keeping your legs and feet looking and feeling healthy all year round:
- Moisturise your legs and feet daily after having a shower or bath. When applying your lotion or cream, start at the feet and massage upwards in circular motions to improve the blood flow, reducing swelling.
- Twice a week, exfoliate your legs and feet with a scrub to eliminate the skin’s dead cells and promote new ones.
- Prevent and treat dry, cracked heels by removing the flaky skin with a foot file or emery board. Try to avoid using pumice stones as they can hold and become a breeding ground for bacteria.
- When needed, cut your toenails with nail nippers and shape the rough edges with a nail file. You should always trim them straight to avoid developing ingrown toenails.
- Once a week, push your cuticles back with a towel after showering or bathing. Use cuticle oil to hydrate dried-out cuticles and strengthen your toenails.
- If you do paint your toenails, make sure you always use a basecoat to prevent them from discolouring. I love bold, vibrant colours, especially on the feet! However, it’s important to give your nails some breathing space in between pedicures to repair themselves from the chemicals contained in nail polishes. Having nails permanently coloured will make them dry, brittle, and susceptible to damage / fungal infections.
Now, this is the most important bit — if you are in any pain or discomfort or find there is something wrong with your feet, don’t sit around expecting it’ll go away. Instead, see a podiatrist sooner rather than later, as early treatment will stop deterioration and give you the best chances of full recovery.
When was the last time you gave your legs and feet some much needed TLC? Callen Olive’s legs and foot collection does exactly that. If you want to feel the love, shop it here.
