Tonight, I will be treating My Valentine to a well deserved pedicure.
If your Valentine has diabetes, or some other medical condition that compromises their circulation and potential healing, PLEASE consult with a health care professional! Foot care is especially important in these situations, and extra care must be taken to preserve the integrity of the skin!
Try this easy and inexpensive combination of ingredients for a beneficial foot scrub:
(measurements are approximate, and I made enough to apply very generously, maybe even enough left for another massage another day!)
I am not going to go into the health benefits of the various ingredients today, but there are many.
1/4 cup each of coconut oil, sea salt, baking soda.
2 teaspoons tea tree oil (I will say that this is a great anti fungal, so perfect for feet!)
Mix it all up in a glass bowl. I picked one with a lid, as I mixed it this morning, and wont use it till this evening, and I might have some left over. I use these Pyrex 6022369 Storage 14-Piece Round Set, Clear with Blue Lids
the most in my kitchen.When my Sweetie is ready, I will have him put on shorts, or sweat pants pulled up to the knees. He'll sit in the comfy chair, with his feet resting in the empty foot washing pan ... Really, it's a blue Rubbermaid #2951-AR BISQUE 11.4 QT Bisque Dish Pan
but whatever works for you. It just needs to hold both feet comfortably, and have room for when you pour in the water later.
If you are squeamish about touching feet, then put on a pair of dish washing gloves!
I put a big bath towel on the floor to keep me from making a mess on the carpet, then set the wash tub on that, so his feet easy and comfortably rest in the tub.
I will sit in front of him on the floor, and gently massage his feet with the foot scrub mixture for a good 5 minutes a foot! He'll be melting! :) Keeping his feet over the tub, as the salt and baking soda often flake and crumble off, and the tub will catch it!
Be gentle, as the salt and baking soda can be quite aggressive, and on the softer skin of the calves in particular, this can actually be uncomfortable. Ask often of your recipient, if what you are doing feels good. Do you need to be more gentle, or scrub harder on the callous areas!?
I like to pay extra attention to the Reflex areas as you can see in this chart I found on Pure & Simple Healing . It really is amazing how God made our bodies to be so integrated! How we can use one part to help sooth and heal another!
If your loved one has a particular issue going on in their body, you might find that the corresponding trigger point in the foot is very sensitive to touch. This does not mean to avoid touching that area, it means that area needs a little extra gentle loving! Let them tell you what pressures feel the best, and try to accommodate as best as you can.
After the relaxing, massaging scrub, let your Sweetie's feet rest in the wash tub while you go get a pitcher of hot water. Now ... By hot, I do not mean scalding!! I mean hot bathwater hot. You will need about a gallon, so a couple of 2 quart juice pitchers, or if, like me, you happen to have a gallon sized one, you only have to make one trip to the sink!
Gently and slowly pour the water over the areas that you applied the scrub. Then gently use your hands to wash and rinse away the salt and baking soda. If tough callouses are present, some extra soaking time, then a gentle scrub with a pumice stone might be in order, but be very careful not to damage the skin (please refer back to the paragraph about compromised foot circulation!)
Your recipient's feet will be super soft for the coconut oil ... this is a good thing! It will absorb in as the molecules of coconut oil are small enough to penetrate human pores. If your Sweetie is planning to be up walking around, please put some clean cotton socks on their feet so they do not slip and fall!!
Tell me how your foot massage/pedicure experience works out!
Gifting your loved ones with your care and attention is one of the most thoughtful and generous gifts you can give, and a true and selfless act of
Living Well!
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Love,
SuziQue
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