It is a truth of life: Toes are inclined to expertise dryness, cracking, and calluses. The wrongdoer is two-fold, as not solely do the soles of the toes expertise extra stress and friction than most components of the physique, but additionally, your foot’s pores and skin comprises an additional layer of dermis generally known as the stratum lucidum. Nonetheless, simply because toes are inclined to those circumstances does not imply you need to stay with them. Exfoliation is the important thing to reaching a delicate, easy really feel. And, should you’re in search of a brand new addition to your magnificence toolkit, it’s possible you’ll wish to contemplate a tried-and-true favourite—the pumice stone.
Pumice stones (an abrasive rock shaped when lava and water combine) are a easy technique to soften dry, tough pores and skin. Considered one of these could also be simply what that you must give your toes slightly TLC. For recommendations on how greatest to make use of a pumice stone, we tapped prime dermatologists Hadley King, MD, and Dustin Portela, MD.
Maintain studying for every thing that you must learn about pumice stones.
Meet the Professional
- Hadley King, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist specializing in medical and beauty dermatology.
- Dustin Portela, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist based mostly in Boise, Idaho.
What Are Pumice Stones?
A pumice stone is a sort of light-weight, extremely porous, and abrasive rock that varieties when lava and water combine. “It is typically used as a private care product for its pure exfoliating properties, to take away useless pores and skin cells and callouses from the toes,” Portela says. Pumice stones could be extra abrasive than different exfoliation strategies, so if you are going to use one to exfoliate your pores and skin, it is best to keep away from your face and persist with areas of the palms and toes which have calluses. “Don’t use a pumice stone over areas that don’t have a callus buildup,” Portela tells us. “I strongly discourage utilizing a pumice stone on the face.”
For softer and extra delicate areas of pores and skin like elbows and knees, King suggests utilizing a product formulated with pumice particles reasonably than a pumice stone. Schaf Skincare’s Facial Scrub is a superb possibility for these extra delicate areas,” she says, explaining that such a product polishes away useless pores and skin cells whereas additionally boosting hydration.
Advantages of Utilizing Pumice Stones
In the event you determine to make use of a pumice stone in your toes, palms, or one other callused space, you may uncover there are a number of principal advantages:
- Smooths and softens pores and skin: “The mild exfoliation of a pumice stone will go away your pores and skin smoother and softer,” Portela says. “This enables your moisturizer and every other pores and skin merchandise to work higher.”
- Will increase radiance: You might discover improved complexion, too. “Common exfoliation with a pumice stone helps to brighten the complexion by eradicating outdated, useless pores and skin cells and revealing the contemporary new pores and skin cells that disguise beneath,” King says.
- Improves total consolation: Past simply appears to be like, one other perk of utilizing a pumice stone to exfoliate is that you could be discover your palms and toes really feel higher. “Eradicating thick calluses also can scale back ache whereas strolling,” Portela tells us.
Dangers of Utilizing Pumice Stones
One threat when utilizing a pumice stone is that it might irritate your pores and skin. In the event you use an excessive amount of stress, this may occasionally enhance the danger of ache, pores and skin irritation, irritation, and an infection. “To keep away from this, search for merchandise with very wonderful particles and use mild stress,” King says. In case your pores and skin is delicate and vulnerable to irritation, King recommends avoiding pumice stones and sticking to chemical exfoliation.
It will also be dangerous to make use of a pumice stone you probably have neuropathy from diabetes or one other trigger. Neuropathy could cause numbness and lack of sensation, so utilizing a pumice stone in these areas is usually not really useful. “You might not really feel ache should you start to over-exfoliate, growing your threat of an infection,” Portela explains.
Methods to Use a Pumice Stone
The Last Takeaway
Pumice stones are a preferred possibility for exfoliating callused areas of pores and skin like your palms and toes. To keep away from irritation, ache, and different destructive unwanted side effects when utilizing a pumice stone, it is essential to use solely mild to average stress. The dermatologists we spoke with agree that pumice stones shouldn’t be used in your face. So long as you are mild and comply with the directions correctly, this exfoliation technique is prone to go away your toes and palms with the graceful, rejuvenated really feel you need for summer time (or any time of yr).