winterize your feet.

we ask a lot of our feet. we expect to be able to stand on them all day, cram them into tight shoes and boots, even run or walk for miles on them. we often don’t pay them any attention until something goes wrong — an achy arch, an ingrown nail, or something else… it’s time to give them a little break.

as i started to winterize my feet this year, i realized i’d never shared this idea on the blog. i’ve been doing this each winter for years now, and i look forward to the routine.

how it works:

at the end of summer, after the very last time i may possibly want my toe nails painted, i take off the polish, i cut my toe nails fairly short. i have to keep them pretty short year-round because of running anyway. next, i file, buff, and rub them down with coconut oil. once again, i use my favorite cuticle oil {the scent is almond! love almond!} on my toenail-cuticles.

and then: i refuse to paint my toenails all winter long. that’s right. i refuse. in order for your toe nails {and fingernails!} to remain healthy they need a break from polish! have you ever seen someone with really yellow natural nails? do you have yellow nails? yellowing nails are unique in that they can have several different causes, some ok and some very serious. changing the appearance of your nails is notoriously difficult. unlike, say, skin cells, your nails aren’t made of living cells and, accordingly, can’t repair themselves. but you can help them remain healthy! as a result, many treatments for yellowing nails involve fixing the cause and waiting for a healthy nail to replace the discolored one. so with that in mind, winterize your feet! if this doesn’t help your yellowing nails, you should consult your doctor. just to be safe.

and, not just your toe nails! at least once a day, either after i shower or at bedtime i will use coconut oil or a really thick skin butter to rub my feet. i like to wear super warm socks when possible to hold in the hydration, and love running around in my uggs barefoot to let my feet breathe and relax. when my son was about four years old, i was putting his ugg boots on for school one winter morning when he said, mom, my feet go in my boots and go to sleep all day so perfectly said. we should all let our feet go to sleep.

so, if this is possible –

* take off your polish
* rub those feet with coconut oil or a good, thick lotion as often as possible {one of my favorite coconut oils}
* use cuticle oil on your toe nails
* refuse to polish your nails till at least March maybe April? or May!

the perk: it’s nice to not think about painting your toes for a few months. just enjoy the season to let your feet heal. {ha! pun.}

thoughts?

{photo by me. my feet: winterized!}