The Right Way To Use A Pumice Stone (So You Don't Tear Up Your Feet)
Everyone knows that regular skin treatments are essential to healthy skin. When cleansing your face, you'll reach for an exfoliating product to help remove the dead skin cells for a clearer, more radiant complexion. However, there's another place that can be useful to exfoliate and seldom gets attention. Your feet, like other areas of your body, deserve just as much love.
Besides washing your feet correctly in the shower, you also need to be getting rid of dead skin cells that can accumulate on your feet and lead to issues that have nothing to do with aesthetics. We're talking about painful blisters and calluses. Like your face, your feet also need occasional exfoliating. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is by purchasing a pumice stone (if you don't already own one). Since a pumice stone is very rough in texture, it's easy to misuse and cause even more damage. To avoid this, you'll need to correctly use a pumice stone to get the best possible results.
How to use a pumice stone the right way
Using a pumice stone isn't challenging, but it does take some care and caution to avoid over-exfoliating your skin, which can make the skin more sensitive and painful to walk on.
To use a pumice stone correctly, you'll want to start by soaking both the stone and your feet under warm water for a few minutes to help loosen up your skin and the pumice stone, making it less rough on contact. Gently rub the pumice stone on the heels of your feet in a circular motion for a few minutes. From time to time, check to see if your skin is smooth or hard. If it still feels rough, you can continue. If the skin starts to feel soft, it means you are done and can stop.
Once you are done using the pumice stone, take the time to rinse it off thoroughly with warm water after each use to help keep it ready for next time. Because of the porous nature of the stone, it's easy for dead skin cells, dirt, and bacteria to get trapped inside the stone. Finish with a rich body lotion or cream on your feet to help keep the skin hydrated and smooth afterward.
The benefits of using a pumice stone
There are plenty of reasons why you should use a pumice stone and add it to your routine. Besides giving smooth skin, a pumice stone can get rid of calluses. Hard calluses can increase friction and irritation, but getting rid of them will keep your feet smooth and help them to be able to handle the weight of walking much better. Using a pumice stone, along with other chemical exfoliants, can help treat warts, which can get more painful when left untreated. A regular pumice stone treatment will also help rid any corns along the sides of your feet, giving you optimal skin all around.
Like any skin treatment, there are potential side effects of using a pumice stone. If you over-exfoliate, your skin can start to tear off, bleed, or scar. If you use the stone correctly, it's safe enough to use daily. As long as you are gently exfoliating and don't have any open wounds, you can have baby-soft feet every day.