Articol publicat in "UNICA" - Mai 2000 - Barefoot in the grass by Bianca Brad Modest and always hidden Our soles are subject To pressure, cold, heat And beware of corns… “Unica” gives you exquisite advice On how to have well kept soles. I have recently watched again an Eddie Murphy movie where his character had an obsession: no matter how sexy the women he dated were, if their feet were not well kept he ditched them without a second thought! I will not judge the character, but this would be an interesting and rather rarely approached subject: feet care! Of all the body parts, the most neglected are the feet, even though we owe them so much! They allow us to walk, run, dance, jump with joy or exercise. At the same time, they are very sensitive because the sole (as well as the palm of the hand) displays a lot of nervous centers and a real network of reflex areas. This is what the massage of reflex areas principle is based on. You should take special care of them in order to prevent corns and let them become “worn out” and insensitive. After you wash them, clean and cut the nail, they immediately disappear in socks and shoes, which, even though fashionable, are too narrow and possibly made out of synthetic materials, which automatically leads to the not so pleasant perspiration of the feet. Feet are rarely pampered with a special cream, massage, to say nothing of the light and sun. Against the unpleasant smell there are deodorants, but they can close the pores and make things worse. High heels, too narrow and synthetic shoes can lead to corn formation, which is not only painful, but also unaesthetic. What can be done? General rules: Walk barefoot as often as possible (but not on cold floors!); Wear cotton or silk socks or stockings in order to avoid sweat; Don’t wear the same shoes every day and vary the height of the heels. Avoid fungi by drying your soles and padding them with a special powder. In case you got a fungus anyway, don’t delay visiting a specialist. Give up the shoes that hurt you or you will always have painful corns and your walk will be affected, which, in time, may lead to spine problems. Don’t forget that the face mimic is often influenced by the feet. If your shoes hurt you, you will certainly wear a sore smile and a look to match it. Never buy shoes in the morning, when your feet are rested. The afternoon is more appropriate for this type of shopping. The face hydration mask can very well be used for the feet as well. When removing the leg hair take out the hairs on the thumb toe as well. Soak your feet for 5-10 minutes in warm water to which you can add: lavender or sage – for abundant sweating, as well as warm baths in an oak leaf concoction or you can pad your feet with a mixture made of 5 g boric acid powder and 20 g of talcum powder. Against the unpleasant smell, add 12 drops of cypress oil in the water, and on warm days, the same quantity of lavender oil in cold water… rosemary – for tired, sore and hot feet put two drops of mint oil or a handful of powder milk in the water you soak your feet in a handful of salt – simple and effective in case of swollen feet, for improving the circulation and against bacteria. After the bath, peel away the hard parts on the heels with a pumice or a special tool. Cut toenails straight and not around the edges in order to avoid spikes. In order to protect against bacteria don’t cut off the skin at the base of the nails which has precisely this role. Against infections you can also use a lavender oil based solution daily. The almond oil is also recommended against infections. Exercise by rotating your feet, lifting yourself on the tip of your toes, moving and pulling your toes. Lift different objects with your toes, alternatively walk on the outer and on the inner edge of the foot. Massage the toes, the space between them and the sole using an oily cream or vitamin A.