Your customers’ guide to luscious legs and fabulous feet

Legs and feet get a rough deal, often missing out on the care and attention we lavish on our face and the rest of our bodies despite the fact they work hard to carry us around all day; and how do we repay them? By burying them under layers of heavy clothes and shoes all winter, only to assault them with a barrage of quick fixes when spring arrives and we want to bare them. Customers should be advised to lavish a little love on their hardworking lower extremities all year round, to keep them looking and feeling their beautiful best. Here’s how to tackle the most common issues that affect legs and feet.

Dump the lumps

The orange-peel, lumpy effect of cellulite is a common – and stubborn! – problem. Marie McKeever, Clarins UK head of treatment development, says: “Cellulite affects 90% of women, overweight or slim. It is mainly seen in women and many doctors believe it is caused by high levels of the female hormone estrogen.” Cellulite can occur at any age but its appearance may worsen with age as the skin becomes thinner. Jane Calderwood, Champneys training manager, explains: “Cellulite is caused by fatty deposits that lie in the subcutaneous layer of the skin (below the epidermis and dermis layers). This layer of the skin contains connective tissue. Fluids, fats and toxins can become trapped in the skin, causing the connective tissue to stiffen and swell. This pulls and pushes the skin, resulting in a ‘dimpled’ effect. As we get older our skin naturally gets thinner and the uneven texture becomes more obvious. Cellulite can be caused by various factors including changes in metabolism, hormonal changes, poor circulation and a poor diet. It can also be down to your genetic make-up. A healthy diet, regular exercise and plenty of water will all help to reduce your chances of developing cellulite.” If cellulite is already a problem, some lifestyle changes and regular care routines can help, says Calderwood: “Maintaining good circulation will be beneficial, as this in turn helps to drain toxins out of the body. Circulation can be increased through regular exercise and massage treatments, as well as daily body brushing.” KcKeever adds: “A poor diet consisting of alcohol, processed foods and caffeine contributes to cellulite since the toxins get trapped in fatty tissue, while smoking damages the connective tissue in the body which causes the dimpling effect in cellulite. Making changes to your lifestyle can make a big difference as well as using specialised products and having certain body treatments.” Lesley Clough, Sisley skincare expert, concludes: “Drinking enough water to flush out the toxins helps increase circulation, while body brushing is a simple technique that stimulates blood and lymph flow, encouraging a good circulation and new cell growth.” Daily body brushing just before a shower should be complimented with daily use of an anti-cellulite body product. Clough says: “Tests have proven that a good cellulite product such as Sisley Celluli-Pro can transform the quality and appearance of the skin, making it more toned and beautiful. Caffeine is an indispensable ingredient in a body-contouring cream as its properties help to combat fatty deposits, while rice peptides slow down fat storage.” As with most skin treatments, regularity is key when it comes to applying anti-cellulite products – you need to do it every day to see an improvement in skin tone and texture.

Barely hair

Beautiful legs are smooth legs; hair removal is an annoying but necessary routine when it comes to pin perfection. Whatever their weapon of choice, your customers are highly likely to invest in at least one form of fuzz removal. Shaving is arguably the cheapest and easiest hair removal method, and should leave legs fuzz-free for a few days. For silky smooth legs, King of Shaves shaving expert, Diane Wood, suggests: “Try shaving in the evening and in the shower. Warm, wet hair is easier to shave and leaving it until the evening means your skin can rest when you do, reducing irritation from exposure to the elements during the day.” Exfoliating before shaving will ensure any dead skin cells have been removed, which Wood says will reduce the risk of ingrown hairs. After applying a shaving gel, foam or oil, Wood says: “Start at your ankles and shave upwards. From the bottom of your ankle, gently glide the blade up the leg in one smooth stroke, but take extra care shaving areas where bone is close to the skin surface, such as ankles and knees. A good tip to avoid nicks and cuts behind the ankle is to flex your heel to stretch the skin, so that it is taught when you shave.” For longer lasting smoothness, waxing leaves skin smooth for up to four weeks. For maximum smoothness and minimal pain, leading beauty therapist and hair removal expert, Arezoo Kaviani, says: “To avoid ingrown hairs, exfoliate the night before using a body brush or salt scrub to remove dead skin and give circulation a boost. Rub an ice cube over the area you plan to wax then dry thoroughly. This will quickly cool your skin, making it easier to remove hair in one go. Try to avoid waxing when you have your period, as this is when skin is at its most sensitive. Never do anything that will make you sweat immediately after waxing as this will open the pores, making you susceptible to irritation and infection – it’s important after any hair removal method that skin has time to recover. It’s also a good idea to use an ice cube on skin afterwards, to help sooth any irritation and stop red bumps from developing.” For even longer lasting smoothness, opt for an IPL device like Philips Lumea. Using gentle pulses of light, these stimulate hair into a resting phase, and after an initial treatment of the target area, repeating the process every four to six weeks should be sufficient to keep legs permanently hair-free.

Long and lean

Regular exercise can help to keep legs looking trim, while stretching activities like yoga and pilates can help them to appear longer. For a quick fix, however, a few simple tricks using cosmetic products can give the illusion of longer, leaner pins. Nichola Joss, St. Tropez skin finishing expert, suggests: “Apply St. Tropez Self Tan Mousse with an applicator mitt, starting at the ankles and working up towards your bottom using large circular motions, gently buffing in the product. Stand in front of full length mirror with legs slightly apart and tense your leg muscles; you will see the natural shadow on the leg contours. Very gently, with a small amount of product on mitt, apply onto the shadowed areas (inner/upper thigh and around the calf muscle and outer lower thigh above knee) -this will give the impression of a leaner, more toned looking leg. For a super luxe, high polish finish, run St. Tropez Shimmer Stick down the back and front of legs to elongate each limb. For a less dramatic, daytime look, brush St. Tropez Bronzing Rocks down the legs for a matte effect. “ If pasty pins are a problem, fake tan can be used all year round to keep legs looking lean and healthy. To make your tan last as long as possible, Joss advises: “A good skin care routine is essential. Regular exfoliating and daily use of a rich body butter will maintain moisture in the skin and allow your tan to fade evenly without flaking.”

Flaky feet

Feet are prone to extreme dryness, particularly as we get older. Margaret Dabbs, foot expert and creator of Margaret Dabbs Foot Care Products, explains: “During the ageing process the skin on the feet thins, the sweat glands reduce in effectiveness, the subcutaneous fat of the feet is lost and muscle tone can be lost. This results in skin which is much drier than it once was.” The thickness of skin on the feet is also to blame for excessive dryness, according to celebrity pedicurist Bastien Gonzalez: “The skin on the feet is several layers thicker than on the rest of the body. Heavy and greasy products don’t penetrate the skin properly; one should use something water-based, such as my Sensitive Feet Balm which will leave skin feeling light, supple and hydrated,” he says. Dabbs adds: “It’s best to avoid balms and products that sit on the skin; while they do temporarily improve the appearance of the skin, they act only as barrier creams as they do not penetrate the skin layers. One of the key ingredients of the Margaret Dabbs product range is Australian organic emu oil. This is a completely organic and natural by product, a fatty acid that is readily accepted into the skin.”

Tough tootsies

Hard skin build up and calluses are common beauty-busters when it comes to feet. As with dry skin moisturisation can help, but some form of skin removal is also necessary. Gonzalez says: “Calluses and thickened skin under the feet are due to aggravation on the skin (heat, pressure and friction). The body produces this skin as protection. If neglected the skin will continue to thicken and irritate the soft underlying skin, causing it to become even thicker. Many women use pumice stones at home to complete or maintain their pedicures. But it’s the very friction of these accessories that will further stimulate the skin to come back even thicker. It’s better to use a foot scrub to gently exfoliate the excess skin, so as not to break the collagen fibres. I will never tell a client not to wear high heels. A woman should wear high heels, but have a regular massage to liberate the joint and help the circulation. Massage every night 20 seconds start by stretching the toes and finish by re-plumping the fatty cushions under the feet.” Margaret dabs adds: “. Excess callus should be removed, either professionally with a foot treatment, or with the use of a good foot file – with the filing performed on DRY skin before the feet are bathed. Margaret Dabbs Superior Foot File utilizes compressed crystal technology to remove the skin safely and evenly and gives outstanding professional results at home.” To prevent hard skin from re-occurring, Jane Calderwood suggests using a foot scrub like Champneys Spa Treatments Foot Scrub two to three times a week on dry feet, prior to a bath or shower. “This will keep hard, dry skin to a minimum. ON a daily basis used Champneys Foot Butter or Cracked Heel Balm, and massage in after a bath or shower. A good tie to do this is right before bed then pop on some cotton socks to help the product absorb into skin overnight.

Pedicure

Margaret Dabbs suggests the following once-weekly treatment for excellent results.

“It take around 10-15 minutes only, but the results will last for weeks!”

• Treatment should always be started on dry skin – before you shower or bathe

• File toe nails straight across

• Buff discoloration from nails

• Foot file the underside of the foot with Margaret Dabbs Superior Foot File, aiming always towards the mid line of the foot to stop ridges appearing on the sides of the toes

• Prepare a bowl of foot soak

• Wet feet and apply a small amount of a scrub or Margaret Dabbs Exfoliating Foot Mousse all over the feet, concentrating on areas of callus – add more water to the feet as necessary to allow the product to glide over skin

• Dip feet into bowl of foot soak to remove the exfoliant and towel dry

• Apply two squirts of Margaret Dabbs Intensive Treatment Foot Oil all over feet and nails

• Finish with a serum or oil to nails and Margaret Dabbs Hydrating Foot Lotion applied all over the skin of the feet