DIY beauty: How to get perfect feet at home

Margaret Dabbs pedicure set

Teeth, knees and feet. My friend Fiona told me these are the things that go wonky as you get older. My teeth and knees are pretty good and while they’re structurally OK, my feet could definitely do with a bit of a spruce. Nothing drastic, just a kind of ‘scale and polish’ for the pieds!

This is something I’ve been lucky to experience at Margaret Dabbs clinics in the past, widely considered to be the best pedi experience in the UK. But if you can’t get to the clinic, let Ms Dabbs come to you.

A quick history lesson. The pedicure originated in ancient Egypt, with early pedicures accompanied by a massage, thought to be a form of reflexology. The Romans were big users of pumice stones and by the Victorian times, foot problems sent patrons hobbling to shoe shops, necessitating one William Scholl to set up his infamous company with his brother Frank. I remember Scholl used to have a chain of fantastic foot clinics, which for some reason were discontinued, leaving market share open to Margaret Dabbs who launched her podiatrist business in 1998.

If you’re in need of some self-iso DIY foot TLC, Margaret Dabbs is currently offering her Perfect Home Pedicure Set, consisting of professional tools and foot care products, for £67 (worth £117). In it you get the Professional Foot File, Intensive Hydrating Foot Lotion, Exfoliating Foot Mousse, Professional Curved Toe Nail Clipper, a Crystal Nail File (full size), a White Block Buffer and a Shiner Buffer (full size) along with a very thorough step-by-step guide. (I’ve been sent a sample.)
Margaret Dabbs seven Piece Pedicure Set

While I don’t usually bother filing or buffing my toenails, the industrial clippers are very much appreciated. The steel foot file is to my mind the best thing in here. If you don’t want the whole set, I’d definitely recommend just the file (£24 on its own) – I’ve had one for years and it lasts forever, as the crystal filing pads are changeable. The trick is to file back and forth continuously on bone dry skin. If there’s a more satisfying feeling than just-filed heels, I don’t know it. Follow with a small amount of the exfoliating mousse massaged into wet feet and rinsed off (twice a week), then the foot lotion. Both contain anti-inflammatory emu oil for helping to condition the skin. The Margaret Dabbs Perfect Home Pedicure Set is available at £67 until 1st June. Buy it here.

WORDS: Disneyrollergirl/Navaz Batliwalla
MAIN IMAGE: Guy Bourdin
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