beauty cosmopolite

Barefoot for Beauty and Health

Tai Chi done barefoot to encourage healing energy flow from earth to body.

Hi all! Following my post on smoothing away calluses, someone mentioned to me that her favourite way of doing so was walking barefoot on the beach. Agreed! I love going for long, barefoot walks on the beach whenever I get a chance -- it's great exercise for feet and legs, and feels amazing. And apparently, when we do this, we are getting a lot more than just a foot-polish. 

According to Clint Ober, author of Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever?, walking barefoot on natural ground surfaces allows us to achieve a grounding effect through the transfer of the earth's free electrons. Apparently, scientific studies have shown that when we are barefoot on the earth (as many would claim we were always intended to be), we gain potent health benefits, including a significant reduction in bodily inflammation. (And as we know, inflammation is a root cause of aging and disease, so it's important to do everything we can to minimize this!)

The idea is to walk in a park or on the beach or somewhere else barefoot-friendly for about an hour and 20 minutes. Research has apparently showed that after this amount of time, people's blood profiles changed and improved. According to an interview on this topic, Lance Armstrong incorporated this technology in his Tour de France training. 

I haven't read this book and don't know a lot about its theory. But I am familiar with the idea of "grounding" and the transfer of energy from earth to body from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective. This concept plays an important role in Qi Gong and Tai Chi, both traditional methods of healing energy-work (that's why you'll see barefoot Tai Chi practitioners in the park!) It's interesting that science has now "discovered" a form of healing power employed in traditional medicine for thousands of years! :)

So -- now's the perfect time of year to kick off those shoes, feel the freedom of going barefoot, and enjoy a regenerating and beautifying walk or run! Have fun, everyone! 

Callus-Away

Summer shoes require smooth feet... Photo: the talented Tommy Ton

Hi all, hope you're having a great weekend! I received a reader question on how to deal with stubborn calluses. She writes that she's been cutting back on her pro-pedicures in light of the "current state of the economy" (something that most of us can relate to!) and that her calluses are getting "out of control". "I'll be getting back to the spa asap, but in the meantime, I've been using a pediwand and I'm not getting the same results. I'd love to hear from you soon if possible, because summer-shoe season is short.."

No kidding -- in my part of the world, summer lasts for a few short months, so there's no time to waste! On that note, here's something that should work pretty quickly to smooth down those calluses. I shared this at-home fix some time ago, but I think it's worth a quick summer-repeat because a few people have recently asked me for reminders on how to get rid of calluses.

So easy -- all you do is put one part sea salt to one part baking soda (about half a cup each) in a foot tub filled with enough warm water to cover your feet. Swish around to mix and dissolve the soda and salt. Soak for at least 15 minutes.

Then, take one foot and gently exfoliate your calluses. You can use a pediwand or a real pumice stone (I'm not a fan of the synthetic pumice stones). Rinse off your foot and your exfoliator, and repeat if needed. Then do the other foot.

Dry your feet, give them a good massage with a moisturizer, and then cover them with cotton socks so the moisture can penetrate. For feet, I really like coconut oil, which is cooling, moisturizing and antibacterial. And if you have especially callused, dry feet, you might want to try neem oil if you don't mind the rather intense, earthy scent. Neem is very healing, soothing, and has strong antifungal properties.

Hope that helps -- happy summer-shoe-wearing, everyone!

The "French" Pedicure. Why?

No.

No, no, no.   Photos: Wikipedia.

The other day, my "sister" (as in, a friend who is so close she's like a sister, which grants each of us the privilege of speaking frankly to one another without risk of severing the relationship) asked me what I thought of her "French" pedicure. The lady who painted her toenails talked her into it, saying it was elegant and would "go with anything."

"Hm," I responded.

"What do you  mean, 'hm'! Why don't you like it? It's French!"

Well, actually, it's questionable whether the so-called French manicure/pedicure is French. (And even if it were, does that give it an automatic stamp of aesthetic approval?) In fact, it was the Los Angeles-based Orly International nail care company that coined the term "French manicure" in the 1970s. It created the pale-pink-nail-bed-white-tips look for Hollywood starlets looking for a versatile manicure that would work with a myriad of costume changes. 

I suppose I understand the reasoning behind the "French" manicure -- a simple, "clean" look that is supposed to elongate the appearance of the nail bed. Which is why I don't understand the French pedicure. Because, who wants longer-looking toenails?

Personally, I'm not fond of nail tips on either hands or toes that look like they've been attacked by Liquid Paper. But for someone who really likes the look of the French manicure, I would suggest the American manicure -- a softer version with a creamier, less-stark white at the tip. And if your pedicurist suggests a French pedicure...well...run.

This is what I said to my sister -- who promptly told me she didn't care, and was going to live with her French pedicure, at least until it chipped. Which I completely applauded because, after all, that's what personal style is all about -- wearing what you want without caring about what other people think. I just won't look at her toes.

(Many thanks to my sister who had a good laugh with me about this! And who has chosen for her next pedicure, a classic, pale pink shade -- with no white tips).

A Smooth (Foot) Finish

Another one of Canada's natural-beauty-resources...

After reading my last post on dealing with dry heels, a friend told me a story about recently wearing a new pair of strappy sandals to work, only to have a colleague (brazenly) remark on her "callused, flaky heels". 

"I knew they weren't good," she confided to me indignantly, "but I didn't have time to go for a pedicure -- and I wanted to wear my new shoes!"

I had a similar experience in the past (except at least my "helpful informer" was my cousin, not a work colleague) -- and took it as a signal that I needed to be more diligent about home maintenance in-between pedicure appointments. Moisturizing is critical of course, but you have to exfoliate any significant callus build-up first so that the moisture can penetrate more easily. I tried some pumice stones, which weren't that great (some just scraped at the heels, leaving the skin roughened, which actually makes your feet vulnerable to more callus build-up; others crumbled in the shower, leaving gritty bits everywhere). My pediwand experience wasn't much better.

I decided to give the pumice stone another try when I saw an interesting one at a Rocky Mountain Soap Company retail store. Continuing along the 'Canada's-natural-beauty-resources' theme, their pumice stones come from a mountain near Whistler, British Columbia, where, apparently, over 2300 years ago, there was a massive volcanic eruption that left in its wake deposits of high quality pumice rock.

This stone fits nicely into my hand (as opposed to those block-shaped pumice stones); doesn't crumble; and best of all, strikes that perfect balance between being hard-working and yet gentle enough to buff my heels to a smooth finish. Pumicing a few times a week in the shower, followed by moisturizer, makes a big difference, and can help prolong the results of a professional pedicure (a very good thing in this economy).

If you're dealing with significant callusing, as a couple of readers mentioned to me, you may want to add this foot soak to your home-maintenance program -- it helps to soften hard, callused skin, making it much easier to pumice away. This is what you do:

Fill a foot tub with warm water, and add about half a cup of baking soda and half a cup of sea salt; swirl around with your feet to dissolve. Soak your feet for at least 15 minutes (if you're like my friend who says she has no time for pedicure appointments or to sit there with feet-in-tub, think about using this time to read, email, meditate and deep-breath, file your fingernails, open your mail, or whatever...). Take out one foot and gently buff with a real pumice stone (forget the synthetic ones); then do the other foot. Dry your feet well, and follow with a good moisturizing treatment, like the Foot Butter, olive oil, or coconut oil. Voila -- soft, smooth feet that will not invite unwanted comments!

Heel-ing Power

If dry heels are driving you to the, er, edge, you may want to try Rocky Mountain Soap Company's Foot Butter...   Shoes: Dries Van Noten  Photo: jakandjil.com

For years, my pedicurist Simon lectured me about moisturizing my feet. 

"But I doooo!" I'd protest.

He didn't believe me. And who could blame him? I'd show up with heels the texture of sandpaper, as opposed to the baby soft ones I had left with after I saw him last. Being the green-girl that I am, I had tried every natural-ingredient-based lotion, cream and oil to no avail. Then I discovered one of Canada's natural resources -- the Rocky Mountain Soap Company's Foot Butter. Oh, Canada, thank you -- finally, truth in advertising -- a product that actually does what it says it will do. Rub the Foot Butter on your exfoliated feet at night, slip on some cotton socks, and voila -- by morning, soft heels and toes.

My husband noticed a difference immediately. I suggested it to my friend S. who had tried everything for her own heels, including heavy-duty conventional creams that made big promises but didn't deliver. She tried the Foot Butter before going to bed, and called me the next morning, amazed and grateful. But of course, the big test would be Simon's response. I showed up at my next appointment after faithfully using the Foot Butter for a few weeks, and presented my feet for his expert inspection.

"At last," Simon said. "You've finally listened to me about moisturizing your feet!"

Five-Minute-Foot-Massage?

If you're going to wear killer shoes like these, Flex-tastics may be in order afterward...

Fabulous shoes: Balenciaga. Fab feet: Melanie Huynh, junior Paris Vogue editor. Fab photo: JakandJil.com

When a reader asked me if I had ever heard of Flex-tastics (I had not) and wrote that after wearing them her feet felt like they had been massaged, the timing couldn't have been more perfect. I had just spent the day running around in shoes that were really better suited to less active pursuits -- like sitting. My feet were making it clear they were not happy.

I put my feet up and did a quick Google search on Flex-tastics. The ads claimed that the product massages and relieves sore feet, straightens and re-aligns problem toes, and restores flexibility and circulation, all in five-minutes a day. Pretty lofty promises for something that looks like a beefier version of those toe separators you wear when getting a polish during a pedicure. So, to get the real scoop I called Physiotherapist Janet Harrison, whose practice includes deep tissue massage, acupuncture, pilates, and somatic movement work (a holistic physiotherapy approach to training both body and mind). Janet is the most "body-aware" person I have ever met; and she regularly mentions the importance of proper foot alignment for over-all body health.

Janet was indeed familiar with Flex-tastics -- she has used them herself as well as with some of her clients. She said they're designed to encourage proper foot alignment (and are often used during yoga and core-work). They are particularly helpful for people with alignment issues that lead to painful conditions like bunions.

However, even if you don't suffer from more obvious foot problems, Janet said the Flex-tastics are great for helping to "open up the foot" -- especially if your feet have been compressed into fashionable-but-non-foot-friendly shoes all day. When the foot opens up into its natural and proper state, it allows for greater contact with the ground -- which consequently encourages better alignment in the entire body. It sounds fairly simple, but proper -- or improper -- foot alignment can affect energy flow through the body's meridians -- and optimum energy flow is critical for health and beauty (more on this in a future post). For now, if you're looking for a way to re-energize and re-align sore and cramped feet at the end of the day, you may want to try Flex-tastics. Since I'm not about to exchange chic shoes for Birkenstocks, I'm definitely going to try them.

Many thanks to the reader who brought the Flex-tastics to my attention! And a big thank you to Janet Harrison who is always a wealth of information. If you'd like to contact Janet, her office number is 604.889.4869.

Funky

The Great-Kate will likely be more careful about the nail salons she chooses in the future. And she may not be wearing open-toed shoes for a while...

I figured it was time for a post on this rather unglamorous topic when the third person over the past little while told me that they were dealing with a toenail fungal infection. My latest confider thinks she picked it up at a sketchy nail salon.

"Well, you have something in common with Kate Moss," I told her. Apparently, the supermodel herself picked up a nasty fungus infection when she went to a "dodgy" Chinatown salon for a pedicure (why a highly-paid model would be patronizing a less-than-five-star salon is beyond me... apparently she wanted some adventure).

"Great," responded my confider. "Kate and I have yellow toenails in common. That's supposed to make me feel better?" I understood why it wouldn't.

Still, it is a very common problem -- unfortunately the infections are fairly easy to get and even more unfortunately, they're difficult to get rid of. The good news, however, is that the problem is treatable. The first step is to see your doctor to make sure that what you have is indeed a fungal infection and to discuss treatment options. There are antifungal drugs, though their safety and effectiveness have been questioned. If you begin treating the infection at a very early stage, safer and more natural options can be very successful and sometimes more effective than the prescription drugs.

The most common natural topical treatment you may have heard of is tea tree oil. It comes from the leaves of the Australian tea tree and is an excellent antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal essential oil, one that everyone should have in their medicine cabinet. Aborigines traditionally chewed the leaves of the tree or used them to make a tea to treat colds and other illnesses. There are many things you can use the essential oil for, but for this post, we'll focus on nail infections.

The idea is to paint the tea tree oil onto the infected toenails twice a day. Persistence is key -- you'll need to do this for at least two months. The entire nail has to grow out for the fungus to be completely eliminated, which could take up to a year. Also, you have to apply the oil to a clean, polish-free nail -- news that disappointed my confider who wants to start wearing open-toed summer shoes and was hoping she could paint over the nail problem. Polish, however, can trap moisture on the nail and worsen the infection. And you don't want to get to the point where the infection is so bad your nails may have to be removed (and then you can really say good-bye to polish).

The best practice is avoidance. Don't hesitate to ask a salon manager about their sterilization practices for manicure and pedicure tools, and whether the estheticians are licensed -- and don't hesitate to walk out if the place appears less than clean or the staff less than professional (I bet Ms. Moss wishes she walked away).

And, as my pedicurist Simon says, always wear flip-flops when you're in wet public places like pools, locker rooms, even hotel bathrooms -- fungus thrives in moist environments. My sister-in-law can attest to this -- she picked up a foot fungus infection (different from nail fungus, but the same type of fungus can cause both) at a pool, when she took my nephew swimming. It began as a very slight itch between her toes. Because she wasn't really sure what it was and didn't begin treating it right away, the infection got worse. She began home treatments but by this time the infection was advanced and wasn't responding -- it turned into a major problem that landed her in the hospital emergency ward with a painfully swollen foot she couldn't walk on. She then had to go through several rounds of both topical and oral antifungal drugs. These would seem to help at first, and then the problem would flare up again. She has found the best way to keep the flare-ups from reappearing is prevention. She is particularly careful about drying her feet, especially between the toes. She uses foot powder (she simply mixes baking soda and cornstarch) to ensure her feet stay dry in her shoes, where fungus thrives in the warm, moist environment. 

My confider was not happy hearing these stories. "Is there anything else I can do about this?" she asked. I suggested she could eat a couple of raw cloves of garlic a day -- raw garlic has powerful, natural antibiotic qualities that can be very effective in helping to fight fungal infections (try chopping the garlic into a salad dressing, for example, to make it more palatable).

"Oh great," she replied. "Between the smell of the tea tree oil and the garlic, I'm going to be really popular". I assured her that the antiseptic smell of the tea tree oil would dissipate by the time she got to work each day, and that if she chewed fresh parsley after eating the garlic that would help too. Besides, we both agreed, a bit of garlic-breath was probably better than yellow toenails.

If you're dealing with a fungal infection here are a couple of recipes you can try, though again, you should always check in with your doctor, especially if you're experiencing any pain or the problems seems to be worsening.

Foot Powder

Put 1 tablespoon baking powder to 2 drops tea tree oil in a plastic bag, shake to mix, let dry. Use a rolling pin over the bag to separate the powder. Apply to clean, dry feet.

Foot Oil

This antifungal recipe combines tea tree oil with other powerful antibacterial essential oils. You want to use caution with this recipe -- it should only be used for up to one month, after which time you should see some improvement. If you find it irritating in any way, discontinue use immediately. You should be able to find all these ingredients at your local health food store.

• 1/2 ounce sweet almond oil
• 20 drops tea tree essential oil
• 20 drops thyme essential oil
• 15 drops oregano essential oil

Fill a 1/2 ounce glass bottle halfway with sweet almond oil, add the essential oils, shake well, top off with remaining almond oil, shake again. Apply this twice a day to clean, dry feet, discontinue after a month.

Feet First

Fierce shoes require fabulous feet. Fab feet: Anna Della Russo, Creative Director, Vogue Nippon. Fierce shoes: Alaia. Fab photo: jakandjil.com

We're live! Welcome to beautycosmopolite.com. No preamble, just jumping in feet first. Why? Because we've just turned our clocks ahead, which means spring is right around the corner (I type that wishfully, as snow blows around outside my window) and there's no time to lose in getting your feet ready for sandal season. So says Simon So, master of the Shanghai Pedicure and the man who saved my own feet from being banished to enclosed footwear year 'round.

This man knows what he's talking about. For ten years, Simon apprenticed in Hong Kong and Paris before making his way to Vancouver, Canada. I call him a miracle worker, but a more accurate way to describe him is someone who combines the best skills of the pedicurist and podiatrist. His expert hands wield sharp, scary-looking tools to turn scary-looking feet into sexy-sandal-ready feet. This pedicure is so highly specialized and requires so many years of study, there are very few people practicing it -- I've been told Simon is the only one in North America. Since there are very few Simons to go around, here are a few words of wisdom from the man himself (and watch for an upcoming profile on a future post).

Simon Says...

• His fashion advice: Wear socks -- thick cotton ones are best. The colder-weather months are the ideal time for socks and tights, which keep moisture in, dry air out. Even if you wear those big, furry slippers at home, slip on socks first.
• His mantra: Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Slather on moisturizer after your shower. Before dressing in the morning. Before bed. And then put on thick, cotton socks to let it all sink in.
• His second mantra: Dry, dry, dry. Including between the toes after showering, swimming, or any other foot-wetting activity. This man has seen a lot of uglifying (and dangerous) foot-fungus. When you travel, it doesn't matter if you're staying at The Ritz or the local hostel, always wear flip-flops in the bathroom/shower. And at the pool, in locker rooms -- any public place with high humidity where fungus loves to grow and grab onto unsuspecting feet.
• More fashion advice: Avoid slippers, flip-flops and sandals with a "lip" on the heel -- that slight, upturned ridge around the heel of some backless footwear that rubs against your own heels. For ages, I would develop a hard edge of skin around the the outer edge of my heel in between Simon-visits -- until one day he saw me wearing the culprit that caused it. Turns out I had several pairs of shoes like that, including my indoor slippers. I stopped wearing them, and my heels improved almost immediately.
• His thoughts on do-it-yourself-ers: Well, Simon's not a huge fan of drugstore tools in the hands of amateurs -- would you expect less from a man who spent ten years perfecting his craft? He suggests pumicing lightly, about once a week, after, or in, the bath or shower. Don't attack your calluses like you're grating parmesan -- you could tear the skin, which will ultimately lead to more ragged and rough skin vulnerable to even more callus build-up -- or worse, infection. Just pumice gently in one direction. Use a wooden cuticle stick to gently push down water-softened cuticles. Then, yes: moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.
• His beauty advice: avoid polish. Take advantage of hidden toes during colder months and give your toenails a chance to breathe. Polish suffocates the nail -- they turn yellow with extended, unrelieved polish use (especially dark colours). Even if you live in year-round sandal-climate (lucky you!), feet can look pretty sans polish if they are neatly pedicured and clean.
• More beauty advice: oil your nails and cuticles regularly when you're not wearing polish -- and then smooth that oil over the rest of your feet. The oil keeps nails and cuticles nourished and hydrated. You don't need anything fancy -- I'm a huge fan of avocado, olive, even sesame oil (slightly heated oil is even better). 

Just a bit of pampering, and come warm weather, you'll be steps ahead of those who relegated their feet to "out of sight, out of mind" category over the winter months!