F is for Foot Savers: AHA Creams So You Can Buy Shoes in Winter
Are your feet ready for spontaneous shoe-shopping this winter?
"Sunglasses don't require even taking off your coat, let alone showing pale, un-pedicured feet to the Holts Shoe Dept," said our Liza Herz in last Friday's post about foolish winter purchases. And I thought, hmm, must help get forlorn feet into shoe-shopping form.
The easiest route to soft, presentable feet in hibernation weather is an exfoliating cream containing gylcolic acid (an alpha hydroxy acid), or salicylic acid (a beta hydroxy acid). Regular applications post-shower and pre-bedtime should do the trick without taking much time from your busy schedule.
Exfoliating foot creams: Vichy Podexine, Bliss Foot Patrol, Dr. Scholl's For Her Foot Softening Balm
Try: Vichy Podexine Callus Corrector ($18.95 at Shoppers Drug Mart); Dr. Scholl's For Her Foot Softening Balm ($10.59 at well.ca); or Bliss Foot Patrol ($20 at Sephora).
Exfoliating body lotion: Neostrata Body Smoothing Lotion, Lac-Hydrin 12% AHA Lotion
Also notable is Neostrata Exfoliating Body Smoothing Lotion with 10% glycolic acid ($31.37 at well.ca, $34.75 at drugstores). And Masters of Journalism student Danielle Kubes recently alerted me to her absolutely-must-have, Lac-Hydrin 12 % AHA lotion ($11.29 at well.ca; Walmart); rather than salicylic or glycolic acid, this stuff contains ammonium lactate, a component of lactic acid, an AHA.
Keep nails tidy, of course -- no cream is going to trim and shape your nails for you, right? -- and naturally I have to suggest Shellac, Gelish, Entity and Axxium as no-dry-time-required, chip-free-for-weeks colour options. (If obvious regrowth is annoying for you, though, you'll want to stick with regular polish you can remove and re-apply yourself.)
Are your feet in Spring shoe-buying shape? What's your foot saver? Um... ever used foot cream on your face?
