Courtesy of Andrea Lavinthal
What it is: A Japanese foot peel that removes dead skin
Who tried it: Andrea Lavinthal, PEOPLE.com Style Director
Why she did it: Because wearing socks with sandals isn’t a trend this season.
How crazy is it on a scale from one to Kim Kardashian’s blood facial? We give it a 5.5 since it’s painless but kind of gross.
I was recently asked to remove my shoes before entering a friend’s apartment. This upset me greatly — not just because I’m scarred from the Sex and the City episode where someone takes Carrie’s brand new Manolos, but because I was self-conscious about the way my feet looked after several months of stuffing them into socks and boots.
I remembered a few of my beauty blogger friends Tweeting about a Japanese product called Baby Foot that sloughs away all the dead skin, so I tracked it down. (You can buy it on Amazon for $24.99)
Per the instructions, I slid the plastic booties on my feet (they contain a clear liquid which is a mix of exfoliating fruit acids) and secured them with the adhesive provided in the box, then hung out for an hour. Next, I rinsed off my feet and waited for something to happen.
After two days I was convinced the stuff didn’t work, then all of the sudden I noticed my heel was flaking a little. Within hours the skin on the bottom of my feet was shedding at an alarming rate and continued to do so for three more days. I had to wear socks around my apartment because it got a little gross. Lots of people have posted photos of this stage. I would refrain from Googling unless you have a strong stomach.
The Verdict: Once the peeling stopped, my feet felt way softer than they do after a pedicure. I’ll probably use Baby Foot again mid-summer when my heels revert back to their normal state.