Summer is almost here, and our feet can no longer be hidden in a closed in shoe. Isn't it a great feeling though when you can don a pair of strappy shoes and show off nice bright summer polished toes. 

Women usually put themselves last - after children, husband, work, cooking, cleaning, christmas shopping, taxi service - so our feet will be at the bottom of the attention list, if we think we can get away with it.

Cracked heels occur when the skin around the heels becomes thickened and dry, the skin loses it's suppleness and elasticity, and can split under pressure causing unsightly, painful and even bleeding heels. 

Dry skin and cracked heels are a year round problem. In the winter months we suffocate our feet by keeping them swathed in warm socks and tights, boots and closed in shoes. Not allowing the skin to naturally shed and breathe can cause a build up of dead skin also resulting in foot odour. 

In warmer months even though we allow the feet more airflow, cracked heels are still a problem due to drying out of the skin. So why else do they occur? Standing for long periods of time, walking around barefooted or in open sandals/thongs, increased weight (another reason to be healthy) and ill fitting shoes that don't support the heels.

Everyone is time poor and we want the best possible results so here are a few tips to give your feet the makeover they need in the quickest possible time.

If you can plan and follow my guide to do this at the start of summer you will be set for a couple of months.

The 3 Step Summer Foot Makeover

Step 1: Exfoliate and banish dead skin

Here is the part I just love! Now you will need an hour for this but you can still do anything you want as long as you're at home. Slip on Milky Foot booties and let the gel go to work. 

In about 5 days time you will undergo some extreme foot exfoliation which will also last about 5 days. This can be a good and bad. Here's a snapshot so you know what to expect. The results are smooth and silky feet that last the summer months!! Watch here .....

Get your Milky Foot Booties here skincareonthewww.

Now the major makeover has been done the rest can be done in a few minutes here and there, even over several days. Not only has Milky Foot removed the build up but dry skin around the nails and cuticles has gone to.

Step 2 Prepare your nails

Remove any old polish.

Trim the nails to an even length (cutting straight across) and smooth over with a file to remove any roughness.

Step 3 Beautify your toes

Apply a good base coat, your choice of polish and a final top coat to seal and keep your colour lasting as long as possible. I love Lumos top and bottom coat. Lumos has just been named "Best Bottom Coat" by Elle magazine.

So here's the trick, if you can manage dry cracked heels and skin on your feet then your nearly done, prettify with some polish to compliment your skin and you're looking great!

Enjoy your summer feet,

Tracey