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Your Ultimate At-Home Pedicure Guide

Get sandal-worthy summer feet without splurging at the salon
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Step 4: Treat Cuticles
Pull one foot from the foot bath and put a drop cuticle oil on each nail. Try NCLA So Rich Cuticle Oil, $18, for a strong dose of nail-repairing vitamin E. Massage it in and glide a wooden cuticle stick (Urban Beauty United carries colorful "Cutiecools," $8.99, that are emery tipped -- perfect for smoothing nails) around the nail to push back any dead skin that might be clinging to the nail plate. Switch feet, submerging your first foot back into the water, and do the same on your other foot.

If you want to feel like a true professional (or if you just really despise cuticles), invest in a tool like the Cricket Pro Cuticle 1/4 Nipper, $19.99. The tiny nipper is extremely precise and sharp, making it easy to trim cuticles.

Image courtesy Getty Images

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Step 5: Exfoliate
Remove your first foot from the foot bath and wet your leg up to your knee. Using a granular foot scrub, like Rituals Tao Qing Fa, $16 -- which contains cooling Chinese mint and Yi Yi Ren, a skin-softening Chinese herb -- gently massage along the bottoms of your feet up to the knee. "Concentrate pressure where there is a callus or dry skin build-up," says nail pro Valinoti. Rinse thoroughly and do the same with your other leg.

To really up your at-home spa game, dampen a clean towel and warm in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, then use it to help rinse your feet.

Image courtesy The Champa Tree

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Step 6: Smooth Skin
Gently glide a callus smoother over rough, dry areas on the bottoms and sides of feet and toes. Try the Silk'n Pedi, $29, a battery-operated device that comes with a coarse grain to remove callouses and a fine grain to soften feet.

Image courtesy Getty Images

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Step 7: Hydrate
Take one foot out of the foot bath and pat dry with a hand towel. To cool and relax your feet as you soothe them, massage a foot lotion or rich cream with peppermint oil, like Kora Rejuvenating Foot Balm, $24.95, into legs and feet.

For more intense moisturization, do a foot mask (yes, that's a thing). After removing your first foot from the foot bath, spread an even coat of a product like Lush Volcano Foot Mask, $13.95, on your foot and ankle. The mask contains deodorizing essential oils and ground pumice to keep feet fresh and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap, then a terry cloth towel. Repeat on your other foot. Wait three to five minutes before rinsing. Then massage feet with lotion as suggested above.

Image courtesy Getty Images

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Step 8: Prepare Nails
Now the real work begins: Use a curved toenail trimmer (try CVS Beauty 360 Toenail Clipper, $1.99) to cut the corner of each nail at a 45-degree angle to help prevent ingrown nails. Next, cut any nails that are too long straight across.

Finish by shaping nails with a fine (around 240 grit) flat file like Revlon Compact Emeryl File, $2.45, which TotalBeauty.com readers say "stays sharp forever"), to smooth uneven edges and corners. Check for remaining cuticle that might be stuck to the nail and file it smooth -- put that Cutiecool to use if your nails call for it. Swipe all nails with polish remover to get rid of residual oils and extend the life of your polish. Weave toe separators between toes.

Image courtesy Getty Images

BY EMILY WOODRUFF | JUL 8, 2015 | SHARES
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