How I Keep My Feet Baby-Soft

I've written before about how my love for flip-flops renders my feet pretty gnarly. I'm not proud. But since I've discovered this awesome "get your feet as soft as a baby's tooshie" method, I've felt compelled to share it with you. (I'm sure that's not the clinical name of the procedure, but you get the drift.)

If your heels are dry, yellowed, and cracked to the point where they snag your carpeting and/or your pet, it's time to start doing something about the situation. And, while you can feel free to spend time (and coin) at your local pedi place having them "remove calluses," in my experience that doesn't act as anything more than a temporary band-aid to an on-going problem.

If you really want to see a difference in the way your feet feel and look, try this method courtesy of Paula Begoun, that cool lady who hates to see us all waste money on nothing but packaging and advises us not to "go to the drugstore without her."

Step 1: Pick up some anti-acne pads that have a high concentration of alpha hydroxy acid in them (try Alpha-hydroxy Acid Exfoliating Daily Peel Pads, $17.50) and a tub of Eucerin Aquaphor Healing Ointment, $14.99.

Step 2: Before bed, wipe each heel with a pad (the alpha hydroxy works as a powerful exfoliant), allow it to dry, then slather your feet with the ointment.

Step 3: Put on a pair of white cotton socks and go to sleep. Repeat this every night and within a week you'll be amazed by how smooth your heels become. Once they're healed, you can cut back to once a week, but continue to moisturize frequently.

(Note: If you have issues with sleeping in socks, you can try this while you watch television or read a book, but the longer you keep them on the better.)

There you have it. A simple, affordable, and best yet, effective way to keep your feet looking and feeling fab.

Want another cool beauty trick? Here's how you can finally stop cutting yourself while shaving.