Sandal season has arrived. There’s no avoiding it: it’s time to prep your feet.
There’s a high chance your last pedicure occurred sometime around spring last year, when the impending doom of lockdown was at least marginally brightened by a spell of sunny weather and a good month of sock-free joy. And while above-the-neck pampering sessions are undoubtedly more fun – facials over foot-scrubbing every time – it’s now time to make up for the months of winter neglect and deal with the sad state of your toes before the boots go back in their box.
Enter: the foot peel. Equal parts grotesque and satisfying, these intensive exfoliating masks (or socks, if you like) will strip away every last layer of dry, cracked skin to reveal a pair of feet so baby-soft, people will think you ‘re got a rolling direct debit with your pedicurist.
What Is A Foot Peel Mask, Anyway?
Think of a foot peel as an intensive chemical peel, specially designed for your feet. Most come in the form of a pair of highly unattractive transparent socks, each one filled with a serum of alpha-hydroxy-acids, which work by nibbling away at the hard, outermost layers of skin on your feet.
Foot peeling socks generally take a while to work, so stick them on and settle in with Netflix for an hour. Once your time is up, all you need to do is wait for them to do their best work, which happens gradually in the days that follow.
We’re not going to lie to you: a foot peel is a disgusting process. Don’t expect to go bare-footed at yoga for the next 10 days: you will be peeling like a snake, and there’s little you can do about it. Sit back and embrace the renewal: some beauty rituals are an endurance sport, but the results are so worth it.
Here, see the best foot peel socks to try before the long, hot summer.
