A Nail Technician’s Guide to Offering Foot Masks, Peels, Scrubs and Other Treatments

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We always seem to be in search of the softest, smoothest, silkiest feet, worthy of flip flops, sling back heels, days beside the pool and, of course a rousing game of footsies with our sweetheart.

Nail salons across the country hear the cries, pulling out all the stops and offering some of the most luxurious foot treatments that deliver only the most impressive results.

Sure, your nail technician business includes a great pedicure, but perhaps it’s time to expand your professional arsenal to include foot masks, scrubs, and peels, the latest—and arguably the greatest—services to hit nail salons since the warm paraffin bath.

Here’s what you’ll want to know about foot masks, scrubs, and peels:

Foot Masks

The purpose of foot masks is to seal in and retain moisture and deliver a soothing solution to feet that have seen better days. A foot mask coats the foot with a thick layer of product and is left on for a period of time to allow the ingredients to penetrate the skin and hydrate it. Many foot masks also help rejuvenate the feet by promoting the sloughing off of dead skin cells.

There is a wide array of foot masks used in nail salons today, many of which are infused with relaxing botanicals, natural ingredients, and essential oils. Most foot masks are clay or gel-based, often with micro-scrubs like apricot granules, pumice, and alumina.

A foot mask as part of a pedicure is often all about the indulgence, so today’s masks often contain everything from chocolate to citrus to mint to mud. Many nail salons offer seasonal foot masks, such as pumpkin foot masks in the fall and peppermint foot masks during the holidays. Many foot masks include ingredients that make them smell as good as they feel!

Foot masks are rubbed into the feet, allowed to remain on the feet for a few minutes, and then rinsed or toweled off. Seaweed masks consist of seaweed leaves that are soaked in a solution and then wrapped around the feet.

Just a sampling of the unique foot masks being offered in nail salons throughout the country include:

  • Cooling Pedicure Purifying Mask with seabuckthorn and acai
  • Warming Clay Masque
  • Citrus Foot Mask with shea butter, almond oil, ad citrus extracts
  • Spearmint Foot Pack with white clay and peppermint
  • Volcano Foot Mask with kaolin and pumice
  • Seaweed Foot Mask
  • Foot Mask with spearmint and tea tree oil
  • Deep Moisturizing Collagen and Vitamin E Foot Mask
  • Eucalyptus Foot Mask
  • Purifying Foot Mask with papaya extract and essential oils
  • Honey and Walnut Foot Masque

Foot Scrubs

Foot scrubs are a relaxing and revitalizing part of any great pedicure. Foot scrubs usually consist of natural exfoliating ingredients, such as sugar, honey crystals, pumice, or sea salt, combined with great-smelling essential oils like lavender, mint, and peppermint.

They are slowly massaged into the feet. Areas like the heels are given extra attention to encourage the exfoliation of dead skin cells. The scrub is then rinsed or toweled off.

Just a few of the foot scrubs being offered in salons today include:

  • Sugar Foot Scrub Therapy
  • Pomegranate Sugar and Shea Scrub
  • Aromatic Sugar Scrub
  • Warm Foot Salt Scrub
  • Mint Foot Scrub
  • Tea Tree and Peppermint Soothing Foot Scrub

Foot Peels

Foot peels gained popularity a few years ago with the introduction of a product called Baby Foot, a chemical exfoliator that peels off layers of calloused skin. The active ingredient in the Baby Foot peel is lactic acid (an alpha hydroxy acid). Many manufacturers of Baby Foot peels also contain urea, an exfoliator with antibacterial properties, as well as a number of natural extracts.

The Baby Foot peel is an aggressive treatment that actually dissolves layers of hard, calloused skin. However, many clients prefer it to the vigorous scrubbing, filing, and pumicing for their dry feet.

The Baby Foot peel treatment includes a pair of disposable plastic booties that are prefilled with the exfoliating gel. The booties are left on the feet for an hour, allowing the exfoliating gel to penetrate the layers of dead skin The skin begins to peel in a few days and continues to peel over the course of a couple of weeks, post-treatment. What’s left is the soft skin underneath.

Some salons and spas offer this service, while others sell the kit to their clients.

Nail Technician Resources for Foot Treatment Products

An initial nail technician program leading to state licensure is the first step to providing top-notch foot treatments.

If you want to add foot masks, scrubs, or peels to your list of pedicure services, you can get inspired by visiting some of the top beauty suppliers, who sell everything from coconut coffee foot scrubs to parfait whip crème masks (Yes, those actually exist!).

Some of the largest suppliers of scrubs, masks, and peels for the feet include:

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