These Surprising Tips Will Keep Your Pedicure Going All Summer Long

Here we are, folks: It's sandal season. For most of us, that means our toes might need a little, ahem, polishing. After being tucked away in closed-toe shoes and boots for months, they're likely not in their best shape. Or if you regularly workout, your toes might be taking a beating in your sneakers regardless. And whether you stop into a spa or DIY a pedicure, there are ways to keep your toes in top shape for longer—or at least more consistently.

And here's the thing I like to remind people (or myself, really): We put our feet through a lot, be it through our jobs, parenting, moving our bodies, or just day-to-day. It may feel like you are being vain or selfish by spending a little more time on the area, but it's not: It's one small act of self-care that has real benefits (more on that).

You know how lovely the foot massages that you get in the salon are? There's no reason you can't do that yourself. "You'll instantly feel better. When I do this to women, you can tell they relax right away," says Jin Soon Choi, manicurist and founder of JinSoon and JinSoon Natural Hand and Foot Massage. Studies have shown1 that if done regularly (nightly even), they can reduce anxiety2 and even help you sleep better3.

You might be tempted to get a pedicure and head straight to the pool. Opt for the day before: It will make your pedicure last longer. "It affects the wear of it; it's really important that polish set and dry thoroughly," says clean salon tenoverten co-founder Nadine Abramcyk. She notes that if you need to hop in a shower, or maybe you are heading to the beach, at least give it a few hours before wetting.

"It is much easier to remember to do cuticle oil on your hands; even I'm not that diligent about doing it for my toes," says Abramcyk. (However, tenoverten's The Rose Oil is such a good cuticle oil, you might never forget this step.) Instead, use a body oil as a cuticle oil post-shower, when you're likely using a body oil anyway. "All you have to do is take an extra moment and use some of the excess body oil and rub it into your cuticle. This way, you don't have to make an extra step of it since you're already applying a body oil anyway."

One of the things most nail experts tell me is that many of the at-home exfoliating tools (think stones and things that look like graters) are too harsh. "Your skin goes into defense mode and will think it needs to regrow in that area, usually thicker," says Abramcyk. Instead, just use a foot scrub post-shower, when your skin is soft, to remove any thick skin on the foot. (We like Reverence de Bastien Black Diamond Mineral Foot Exfoliant for a scrub, but any body scrub will do.)

"Always make sure that the free edge of the nail is painted with a polish and top coat," says Abramcyk. Essentially this is just adding a light swipe right on the tip of your nail, so the rounded ends get color and coating too. Then, when you are home, seal the color with a top coat every three days—edge included. "This will prevent the edge from chipping, which is usually what happens first and annoys people."