A Comprehensive Guide to Pedicure Tools
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Our feet are sometimes the last thing we think of when doing some self-care, in truth they can become quite neglected and show it. They do so much work and can easily become dry and cracked. Not even to mention our toenails that can become impacted with debris that can not only carry bacteria but can also cause other problems like your toenails detaching from the nail plate, and discomfort.
Learning how to do things from home has become the new norm in the past few years. So let me guide you on your shopping spree for setting up the ultimate pedicure tool list, to do the perfect salon-worthy pedicure right in the comfort of your own home.
Table of Contents
Benefits of doing a pedicure
Even though pedicures are sometimes on the bottom of our to-do lists, they have some great benefits that are worth putting a reminder on your phone to do one at least once a month. Not only does soaking your feet cause relaxation and pain relief from standing for long periods, but it can also increase blood circulation and reduce swelling in your feet.
Soaking your feet will also loosen any dead skin and make it easier to clean under your toenails without hurting yourself. Cutting your nails will also be easier as the water will soften hardened toenails. If you have a fungal issue soaking your feet with certain things like tea tree oil will help combat the fungus.
Speaking about fungi, doing a pedicure will allow you to pay close attention to your feet and toenails. This means that if a fungal infection starts forming you will be able to spot it and start treatment before it worsens and spreads to all of your toenails.
Taking care of your feet will also leave them feeling soft and hydrated. A good quality pedicure can also help with cracked heels or prevent cracked heels from forming.
What do you need for a pedicure?
Here is a list of all the pedicure tools you can buy to make your at-home DIY salon experience so much better:
- Foot spa, is debatably the most important part of a pedicure, as without one your experience will be mediocre at best.
- Foot soak, will not only help neutralize bacteria that causes bad foot odors, but it will also help soften dead skin.
- Food scrub, exfoliating can be such an amazing way to help heal dry feet.
- Cuticle pusher and scraper are created for cleaning your nail plate and removing any debris and dead skin from under your nails.
- A natural dry brush is also great for exfoliation.
- Nail clipper, it’s always a good idea to go for a nail clipper that is sturdy and sharp.
- Cuticle nippers, only for cutting those pesky hangnails.
- Nail file, to shape your toenails and even out any rough edges.
- Foot file or a pumice stone, to even out any callouses and racks.
- Toe separators, to keep your toes from touching when painting them.
- Nail brush, to clean any grime that might be stuck in your sidewalls and/or cracks on your feet.
- Cuticle oil, because the cuticles on your feet are just as important as those on your hands.
- Cotton balls and nail polish remover, to remove any old nail polish. If you have soak-off gel polish on your toes, you will have to use acetone.
- Moisturizer, to help rehydrate and protect your feet against cracking.
- Foot masks are great for moisturizing your feet.
- Nail polish. This includes a base coat, color, and topcoat.
Extra pedicure tools you can add for an even better experience:
- Foot massager, this is if you want to go the extra mile for relaxation.
- Paraffin wax. There are many benefits surrounding paraffin wax, but mainly it increases the softness of your feet and protects them against moisture loss for longer.
I added most of these products to a shopping list on Amazon if you want to check it out.
Tool list
Pre-pedicure tools
Removing old nail polish from your toenails before you start with your pedicure is very important. Not only will nail polish prevents oils from penetrating the nails when soaking, but you will also not be able to see any debris under your nails. You also want to make sure that your toenails are still healthy and don’t look strange or is discolored.
Removing old nail polish will give you a better idea of where to cut your toenails so that you don’t accidentally cut the hyponychium(skin under the nail).
Best pedicure tools for exfoliating
Exfoliation is so important for having healthy happy feet. Not only will regular exfoliation keep your feet feeling soft, but you will prevent dead skin buildup and callouses from forming. There are a few pedicure tools that you can use to exfoliate, namely a dry brush, pumice stone, foot scrub, and a foot file.
Dry brushing is a great way to exfoliate your entire foot not just your heels and calloused areas. Dry brushing will not only remove dead skin, gently from your feet but it has many health benefits like increasing circulation.
Use your pumice stone while soaking your feet, after which you can use a foot scrub to exfoliate your feet even further. You can use a foot file to help get rid of extremely cracked heels and callouses.
Pros of exfoliating your feet |
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Pedicure tools for soaking
Soaking your feet is a very important step. Not only do many foot soaks include anti-fungal ingredients like tea tree oil, but it has many more benefits. Soaking your feet will help you relax and increase circulation. It can also reduce swelling in your feet.
Using a foot soak will soften callouses and dead skin making it easier to clean your toenails and remove the dead skin from your feet. I have an article on different foot spas that you can read more on.
Pros of soaking your feet |
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Pedicure tools for your toenails
Cleaning and prepping your nails are just as important as soaking your feet. Once you have soaked your feet for at least a few minutes you can gently scrape the dead skin from your nail plate and clean under your toenails using the cuticle pusher.
Make sure to clean any grime and dirt from your toenails and feet using a nail brush. Dirt can harbor bacteria and if your feet are cracked, dirt in them will prevent them from healing.
Cut your toenails straight across and leave a small bit of white so that it doesn’t cause discomfort. Read this article about different nail clippers before you buy one. Don’t remove your cuticles as they serve as protection from bacteria. Only use the cuticle nippers to cut off hangnails. You can also buy pedicure tools designed to get deep into your sidewalls to clean out any debris. This works well if you have deep sidewalls, but should be used carefully as you can hurt yourself.
Pros of trimming and cleaning your toenails regularly |
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Nail polish
It feels so great to have a fresh set of painted toenails. Make sure when painting your nails that you do it correctly. Start with the basecoat, color, and then the topcoat. Make sure that every layer is completely dry before painting the next. Read this article I wrote on applying nail polish correctly.
Moisturizing
Moisturizing is very important for your feet just as is it for the rest of your body. When our feet dry out it causes the skin to crack which can be painful. Moisturizing regularly also promotes the elasticity of your skin.
Pros of Moisturizing your feet |
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Bonus pedicure tools to consider
To get the ultimate salon experience you can go the extra mile and invest in a paraffin wax machine. Paraffin wax deeply moisturizes your feet leaving them feeling soft. It can also help keep your feet moisturized for longer.
A foot massager is great because you can use it whether you are doing a pedicure, or if you just want to relax in front of the TV. Before you buy a foot massager, read this article comparing some top massagers.
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