In addition to keeping your fingernails and toenails looking great for summer, proper hand and foot care has a variety of perks. One such perk is when you incorporate therapeutic massage into your pampering routine you’re promoting numerous health-enhancing benefits.

9 Easy Steps for Hand and Foot Care

1. Remove Nail Polish: leaving nail polish on for extended periods of time can result in damage to the nail bed. Before beginning any hand or foot care routine, it is important to remove any nail polish on fingernails and toenails.

Love your Hands!

2. Soak Hands and Feet: submerge hands and feet in water infused with therapeutic-grade Frankincense essential oil. Frankincense is renowned for its skin-enhancing benefits, soaking hands and feet in oil-infused water will condition the skin while prepping cuticles for trimming.

Tip: limit soaking to no more than three minutes for hands and no more than five minutes for feet to soften the nails without weakening them.

About Frankincense essential oil: it is one of my favorite Young Living essential oils, I’ve found it to be extremely good for my skin, particularly for wrinkles. You must be very mindful when purchasing frankincense though as it is an expensive oil which means frankincense found on all store shelves is going to be adulterated. You don’t want adulterated frankincense, or any adulterated essential oil for that matter as they contain chemicals that are unhealthy for your skin and body.

When your  frankincense is therapeutic-grade it can provide benefits beyond nourishment to the skin. Frankincense in its purest form has been used for centuries to treat every conceivable ill known to man. The Ebers Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian list dating from the 16th century B.C., speaks of 877 prescriptions and recipes using frankincense.

Some benefits and uses for therapeutic frankincense are: antitumoral, immune-stimulant, antidepressant, muscle relaxing, respiratory infects, inflammation, increase spiritual awareness, and uplifting to mood. Frankincense contains sesquiterpenes which stimulate the limbic system of the brain (the center of memory and emotions) and the hypothalamus, pineal and pituitary glands. The hypothalamus is the master gland of the body, producing many vital hormones, including thyroid and growth hormones. You can see why its one of my favorite aromatherapy oils and why it’s important to have the best quality frankincense.

3. Trim and Shape Nails: using a fine-grade nail file, delicately shape fingernails and toenails as desired.

4. Moisturize and Massage: a thick, emollient moisturizer like Young Living’s Sandalwood Moisture Cream is ideal.

Sandalwood is another aromatherapy oil with a very long history, and is listed in Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica (A.D. 78), which was Europe’s first authoritive guide to medicines. Therapeutic-grade Sandalwood essential oil has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine for skin revitalization. It is only the highest quality of Sandalwood essential oil that has been used in studies showing its ability to inhibit many types of cancerous cells.

I find Sandalwood is a very useful oil, particularly for skin conditions such as: Herpes simples, Herpes zoster, cold sores, and for other skin conditions like acne, wrinkles and scares. The scent of high quality Sandalwood oil is very relaxing, and can help enhance restful and deep sleep. Like frankincense, this is another aromatherapy oil that you want to be certain is the best quality if you’re looking for real results.

Note: just because a label states 100% Pure and organic does NOT mean an aromatherapy oil has not been adulterated. And those terms certainly do NOT mean that essential oil is of the highest quality!

To customize your manicure/pedicure further you can enhance your benefits by adding a drop or two of Young Living’s peppermint (for an invigorating effect) or Young Living lavender essential oil (skin soothing and antiseptic) to customize your hand and foot care treatments.

By gently massaging your hands with Sandalwood Moisture Cream, and your chosen Young Living essential  oil you soothe, comfort, relax muscles, body and mind – which help release emotional and physical discomfort.

Massage Tip: using a fairly generous amount of Young Living’s Sandalwood Moisture Cream (which by the way is less of an amount than creams/lotions sold in stores) – begin in the center of the palm or sole of the foot and using circular motions move outwards. Spend extra time and attention on any areas that are tender. Finish the massage by very gently pulling the toes and fingers outward.

5. Exfoliate Hands and Feet: traditionally, hands and feet are scrubbed with a sugar or bath salt mixture (you can find some lovely recipes at my website to make your own scrubs), or you can use Young Living Satin Facial Scrub Mint which also provides the benefits of therapeutic-grade essential oils. I find the YL Mint Scrub to be very nice and smells terrific.

6. Cuticle Care: ragged cuticles can ruin the appearance of hands and feet. Generously rub cuticles (and push back cuticles) with one of Young Living’s essential oils – good choices are: lavender, Melrose (particularly good if there is nail fungus), or frankincense.

7. Polish or Buff Nails: if using nail polish, allow the first coat to dry thoroughly before applying a chip-resistant top coat.

8. Moisturize Again: our hands and feet take a beating, so to ensure the skin is thoroughly quenched and protected, repeat the massage tips in step number 5 (above).

9. Maintain Your Nails: touch up your polish every other day with a clear top-coat and keep your feet and hands moisturized – your hands and feet will always be in perfect shape for summer!

Shopping List for Creating Your In-Home Manicure and Pedicure

Sandalwood Moisture Cream (#5148)

Satin Facial Scrub Mint (#3735)

Essential Oils: Frankincense (#3548), or Lavender (#3575), or Peppermint (#3614), or Melrose (#3378), or Sandalwood (#3634)

Buy Sandalwood Moisture Cream and Young Living Essential Oils Here

Learn about wholesale pricing here.