When clients come for reflexology, especially for the first time, they often apologize on behalf of their feet! And sometimes they even go as far as to get a pedicure before coming to see me, so let me say it loud and clear. I work on feet all day, every day and there really is NO NEED! Clean feet are nice, and in general people are hyper aware of that before they come, but I have wipes and a essential oil foot spray with lavender/mint and tea tree to refresh the feet, which just feel good as the weather warms up. If pushed to answer about stinky feet, I do remind people of the need to really wash well between the toes! Something to teach your kids – and your menfolk (sorry guys!).
Nail polish, and nail polish remover, may not be great for the health of the nails so be mindful when choosing how often you paint them and which polish you use. Nails appreciate a healthy dose of sunlight, ‘nature’s disinfectant’ which provides some resistance to the dreaded nail fungus. If fungus should develop a dilution of tea tree and lavender essential oils (therapeutic grade) can be helpful, but you should also consult a podiatrist for medical advice sooner rather than later as it can be a stubborn problem once it takes hold. The same is true for uncomfortable athlete’s foot, which can spread quickly if not treated as soon as the tell-tale itching appears.
Another personal issue which some clients comment on as bare-leg weather arrives, is that of hair removal. It pains me (often literally!) to deal with this and I wish I had the nerve to go natural, but that is a winter luxury for me. I have resisted the time-consuming and costly urge to try laser hair removal, but have paid the price in other ways with many shaving injuries, the most extreme one on my wedding day of all days, and I still bear the scar decades later. It annoys me that razors are so expensive and bad for the environment, but until I learn not to care about my hairy legs, I am not sure how to resolve the conflict. I have read a number of blog posts and forums about using safety razors but with my track record of clumsy shaving accidents, I have not dared to try, despite the benefit to the earth and the wallet. In my search for a more long-lasting and cheaper razor, I have found these disposables from Walgreens to be the best so far. A tip that really helps prolong the life of the razor is to carefully rinse and dry the blade after every use. For a smooth shave, I can also recommend the excellent Trader Joe’s Honey Mango Shave Cream and I like their Aloe Vera gel for preventing razor burn/ingrown hairs – it’s also great for styling the hair on my head and as an after-sun lotion.
The SPF 50 spray gained a perfect score in the 2017 Consumer Report rankings
Speaking of the sun, a reminder to protect the feet with sunscreen every time you step outside with exposed skin, the toes in particular can be a place where skin cancer begins as people sometimes forget to use lotion there. This year’s consumer report ranking sunscreens has just been published so be sure to check that the product you use really is doing the job properly.
P.S. Do you think Trader Joe’s should be paying me yet??
