The holiday is booked. Bikinis have been tried on, discarded, and ordered in the next size up, the kids have been on a couple of emergency practice sessions at the swimming pool, and we’re ready for what promises to be, yet another, stressful and anticlimactic week in the sun!

I’ve been quite organised this year. The important bits have been waxed and I’ve even squeezed in a couple of sunbeds to get the all-important base tan. I figure I’ll have no time to sunbathe at our villa as the kiddies will be flirting dangerously with the pool at every opportunity.

All that is left is the pre-holiday pedicure, and boy have I been sent the perfect hamper of goodies to help me with this!

ABOUT CLEARZAL

Clearzal are foot care specialists who literally wipe the floor with other brands. Their products are formulated with pharmaceutical-grade ingredients and they’re the go-to brand for Podiatrists throughout Europe.

I might be an all-natural skincare blogger, but the buck most definitely stops below my ankles. The skin on our feet is entirely different in composition to that elsewhere on our bodies - an aloe and pumice solution diluted with essential oils might smell nice, but just isn’t going to be appreciated by your feet. Clearzal is therefore formulated to blast away the calluses and hard skin that is providing a safe haven for thousands of germs that cause fungal and bacterial infections.

THE PERFECT PEDICURE WITH CLEARZAL

Step 1: Soak it baby!

Yep foot soaks aren’t just for old ladies and pregnant women, and you don’t need a fancy foot spa either. A washing up bowl lined with stones from your garden is just as effective, and just as relaxing. This step is perhaps the most important you’ll take as it’ll cleanse, deodorise and kill germs, leaving your feet perfectly prepared for the remainder of the pedicure.

I used Clearzal Tea Tree Foot Soak which is really refreshing. It arrives in powder form and smells of tea tree (obviously) and menthol. There’s also a healthy dose of eucalyptus and peppermint oil to really awake the senses. You simply add 2-3 tbs to warm water and let it do its thing. Handily it’s non-foaming should you want to use it in an electric “jetted” spa (you know, those things that were all the rage in the 90s). Crucially it also contains dead sea salt so you get that fresh-from-the-beach feeling.

Step 2: Scrub

It’s now time to lift those dead skin cells and reveal the fresh skin beneath. Clearzal’s offering contains all natural ingredients including ground pumice, aloe, soy oil, jojoba oil and vitamins E, A & D. Although you won’t appreciate this (as you’ll be rinsing with the remnants of the foot soak elixir) this smells heavily of jojoba and shea butter. It’s fine yet gritty to the touch (as a good foot scrub should be) and doesn’t lose its edge under a flow of water. There’s no need to be gentle, give a deep and thorough massage to blast away rough and chapped skin.

Step 3: Buff to perfection

Despite scrubbing like a demon, tough areas of hard skin will still need a lot of help. That skin has been comfortably hardening for a number of months and won’t yield easily. Use a foot file or pumice stone and move it lightly back and forth on your heels and on the pads of your feet.

Tip: Don’t get over ambitious. Friction generates heat and being too aggressive will damage the delicate skin underneath.

Step 4: Snip those nails

Okay, admittedly Clearzal’s clippers look a little frightening. Even I was reminded of dentist’s implements and I’m a firm believer in no-pain-no-gain. But you simply have to accept that toe nails are tricky beasts. Under the beds, bacteria growth is rife, and it’s thick. Funnily enough, in terms of harming your health, the dirt beneath your fingernails is worse, but all that gunk under your big toe is fungal, and the best way of stopping it in its tracks is taking away its home.

Snip STRAIGHT across horizontally. You can then gently file away any sock-snaggling right angles with a nail file - but don’t get too close to the nail bed. Curved nails might look lush on your talons, but your toenails are an altogether different ballgame - trust me, you never want to get an ingrown toenail.

Step 5: Seal in the goodness with a moisturiser

Your feet will, by now, be feeling eternally grateful. But you still need to give them a good drink and feed. This will maintain the skin’s natural source of hydration and help combat against the effects of sweat. Clearzal’s Nutritional Creme (no idea why this is in French as the product is produced in Oxfordshire- still it sounds posher this way) smells dreamy and claims to deliver this in spades. With rosemary, lavender and thyme - the lavender wins out. You’ll find yourself wafting your tootsies under your partner’s nose for the first time ever.

For emergencies:

Try Clearzal’s Pain Relieving Gel - Smells like Deep Heat yet cools like ice cubes, this will stop that throbbing sensation when you’ve stupidly worn heels on a summer’s day.

Simiarly, their Busy Feet Energising cream will conjure memories of Germolene and Root Beer (> this is inescapable for family and friends) but who cares when those feet are delivered the promise of a few more hours of driving, pacing and, well, parenting!

Want to win a Luxury Spa Trip for 2 at Champneys?

Of course you do. In fact, that’s why you’re pretending to be interested in piccies of my feet! Well Clearzal and Champneys have tag-teamed to bring you the ultimate comp on Facebook.

Head HERE to enter.

To recap, I was sent: Clearzal Barrel Nail Clippers £9.99 / Clearzal Foot File £5.49 / Clearzal Pain Relieving Gel £9.99 / Clearzal Silk Busy Feet £9.99 / Clearzal Silk Foot Food £9.99 / Clearzal Silk Foot Scrub £9.99 / Clearzal Silk Tea Tree Foot Soak £12.99

For more information visit Clearzal.co.uk, or say hello on Facebook