It’s almost summer – which means wearing flip-flops by the pool, walking on sandy beaches, and showing off your painted toenails in strappy sandals. But while your toes might be freshly painted, the rest of your feet need some TLC, too!

Tip #1: Take a Dip

The first tip to getting smoother, softer feet for the summer is to take a dip – but in your bathtub or using a footbath, not in the pool (just yet!). Soaking your feet is the first step to getting softer skin and smoothing those calluses, so make sure to do this before moving on to the next tips. For the best results, keep your feet submerged in warm water for at least 10-15 minutes, and add some Epsom salts or essential oil to nourish your feet while they soak.

Tip #2: Go Au Naturel

After a nice, long soak, use a homemade scrub to exfoliate your skin and help get rid of those calluses and hard, cracked skin naturally. There are several homemade scrubs you can choose to make, but this great sugar scrub is my personal favorite – especially as you likely have all ingredients already in your pantry!

First, take two cups of cane sugar and mix in one cup of kosher salt. Once the salt and sugar are mixed together to form the base, add in ½ cup of melted coconut oil, and one tablespoon each of vanilla extract, almond extract, and vitamin E oil. The vanilla and almond extracts give it a wonderfully sweet smell, but feel free to add in essential oils of your choosing to mix up the scent profile or to have the scrub serve double duty as part of an aromatherapy regime.

After soaking your feet, you can spread the sugar scrub on with your hands, gently exfoliating and working the scrub into your feet. While your hands are great tools, use a dry body brush for even better and quicker results: the added exfoliating power of the natural boar bristles will help break down calluses and have your feet looking healthy and feeling smooth in no time!

Tip #3: Buff & Shine!

After a long soak and a good exfoliating treatment, it’s time to finish off your foot treatment with a little TLC: moisturizer and rest! When you’ve rinsed off the exfoliating scrub, pat your feet dry so they are ready to soak up a moisturizer: this can be in cream form, or a natural or essential oil. Just make sure it is a deep moisturizer that has nutrients such as coconut oil, vitamin E, or other naturally moisturizing ingredients.

When your feet are dry, gently work the moisturizing cream or oil into your feet, almost giving yourself a massage in the process. If you are doing this treatment at night, or have a few hours free, consider wrapping your feet lightly in saran wrap or wearing soft cotton socks overnight to help lock in the moisture. You’ll awake with softer feet than ever before!

Calluses are tough, but with these tips you’ll be able to get rid of them quickly, effectively, and naturally! So wear those sandals with pride!!