In the summer, we want our fingers and toes to be perfectly polished, but even in the dead of winter, a manicure or pedicure is a great luxury. Besides the satisfaction of having clean, shiny nails, pedicures have many other benefits, such as removing dead skin cells, shaping the nails, and providing a relaxing self-care experience.

But if you can't make it to your local salon or want to save a few bucks by doing a DIY pedicure at home, don't worry. To find out exactly how, we asked celebrity manicurist Sherwin Hora (opens in new tab), owner of EGO Nails and Spa in Pompano Beach, Florida, for his tips on pedicures.

Begin by filling a basin or bathtub with warm water and removing any remaining nail polish. Add some Epsom salts or your favorite essential oils and soak your feet in the water for five to ten minutes. Next, use nail clippers to cut the toenails to the desired length and file them to perfection.

Hola recommends leaving cuticle care to the professionals, but adds: "If you are adding cuticle care to your DIY pedicure, use a cuticle softener/remover and gently push back the cuticles with a cuticle pusher and wipe off any excess on the nails. Wipe off any excess.

Then it's time to exfoliate." Exfoliate lightly with a sugar scrub and polish the skin on your feet." Hora recommends, " Use a foot file or pumice stone on the soles of your feet to smooth the skin." says Hora. Then, to remove dead skin cells, "rinse the feet and dry them with a towel."

Once feet are scrubbed and dried, it's time to moisturize. Hora says, "Use your favorite foot cream or lotion and moisturize as soon as they dry." Bonus points if you give them a little foot massage."

Finally, it's polish time! Before you do, "use a lint-free wet wipe to wipe the oils from the moisturizer off your toenails," Hora advises.

And don't forget to apply a base coat, just like you would at a nail salon. Choosing a nice base coat is essential to prevent staining and to ensure that our feet don't chip off color as they wear down.

"It's best to apply two coats of your favorite color," says Hora, who recommends Essie polish."

"Come back to topcoat after your color to add shine and keep your nail polish sealed for longer wear.

And if you prefer a polish-free look, "lightly buff your nails, apply your favorite cuticle oil, and your pedi is done!"

says Hora.

The trick to keeping your feet looking their best is constant care. Fortunately, there are several low-maintenance ways to keep your feet healthy and ready for your next at-home pedicure adventure.

Don't apply a manicure every once in a while. After all your hard work, it's important to drop the manicure once in a while to let your toes breathe. If there are weeks when your toes are not exposed, remove the nail polish (even clear nail polish!) and let your natural nails show. ) and wait for your natural nails to come out. If the nails do not receive proper oxygen, they will turn yellowish and look bad.

Pamper your feet with scrubs and treatments. Give your feet some extra love with a scrub, foot cream, foot peel, or moisturizer after cleansing. If you only have hand cream, here's a hack: apply hand cream, put on socks, and soak your feet in moisturizer.