This is the fifth installment in our series titled “Summer Feet,” wherein we bring you information that’ll help you maintain beautiful, healthy feet throughout the warm weather months. Check weekly for updates, quick tips and more!

Can your flip flops actually make you sick? That’s the question being explored by researchers at the University of Miami. According to a recent article at Todayshow.com, an emergency mobile lab from U Miami found that

a pair of flip flops could be hosting more than 18,000 bacteria at any given time. The types of bacteria found on the flip flops were especially disquieting, as the lab found “bacteria from fecal matter, skin and respiratory germs.” The Today show also cites results from The New York Daily News that reveal that flip flops traveling through New York City were also hosting potentially lethal germs like Staphylococcus aureus, which can be especially dangerous if the you have an open cut or blister on your foot, of if you handle the pair with your hands. Yikes!

Well, what can you do to avoid the dangers of germs found on flip flops? Dr. Levine suggests limiting the amount you wear them. Shoes with just a little more covering (like ballet flats or kitten heel sandals) are still summer appropriate and will reduce the likelihood of your feet being exposed to the wrong kind of bacteria. And, if you must wear your flip flops, be sure to wash your hands after handling them. And please take them off before entering your home (you should be doing this with all your shoes!).

This is the fourth installment in our series titled “Summer Feet,” wherein we bring you information that’ll help you maintain beautiful, healthy feet throughout the warm weather months. Check weekly for updates, quick tips and more!

The skin on your feet is just as susceptible to sun damage as the skin on other parts of your body, and it’s not uncommon to see “age spots” or “liver spots” as a result of overexposure to UV Rays, especially toward the end of the summer. But, have no fear! Sun damage on your feet can be rectified as easily as sun-damage on any other part of the body.

Creams containing Retin-A as an active ingredient work well for treating sun damage. In addition to speeding up rates of cell division, it encourages the dark pigment in age spots to disperse more evenly, which will cause spots to fade. For the perfect Retin-A based cream for sundamaged feet, try Head to Toe Beauty^® Foot Lightening Cream available through Institute Beauté.

And remember, always use sunscreen!!!!

Some quick and easy summer foot care tips from Dr. Levine on The Today Show!

This is the third installment in our series titled “Summer Feet,” wherein we bring you information that’ll help you maintain beautiful, healthy feet throughout the warm weather months. Check weekly for updates, quick tips and more!

We’re midway through summer now, and its not so farfetched to expect that your feet will have suffered from wearing flip flops or kicking up sand on the beach or even jogging around the park with your kids. Here’s a list of ways you can help revive your feet at night so that they will continue to look stellar for the rest of the summer.

Lighten up discolored nails with a hydrogen peroxide soak. If your toenails have taken on a yellowish hue, a quick soak in hydrogen peroxide can help whiten your nails. Simply pour the peroxide into a bowl straight from the bottle and let your fit sit in the bowl for two to five minutes. Longer than five minutes is not necessary. Once the peroxide finishes bubbling, it is no longer potent.

Recondition Heels with moisturizers. Heel fissures–cracked heels– are very easy to care for. After bathing or soaking your feet, moisturize using creams with glycolic acids in them. Glycolic acids, as active ingredients in creams, burn off dead skin and draws moisturizers to the newly exfoliated skin, hydrating your foot and reducing the size and severity of the fissures.

Be rid of foot odors. Sweaty feet can lead to smelly feet, especially in the summer time.  A vinegar soak can do away with normal foot odors, as it kills fungus. Add 1 cup of vinegar to 2 cups of water and soak your feet.

After applying these remedies, your feet should be back to summer ready in no time!

This is the second installment in our series titled “Summer Feet,” wherein we bring you information that’ll help you maintain beautiful, healthy feet throughout the warm weather months. Check weekly for updates, quick tips and more!

We’re already about halfway through the summer, but there’s still plenty of time to enjoy a nice relaxing vacation and to pamper, along with everything else, your feet. When traveling, give your feet a break, and leave those stuffy business shoes behind! Here are some tips for purchasing the perfect vacation shoe:

Proenza Schouler Resort Collection

Shop later in the day.
Go shopping in the afternoon –not in the morning– to account for the swelling that normally occurs over the course one day. This way you can ensure that whatever shoe you buy will be comfy and minimize any discomfort during your trip.

Look for shoes made with natural materials.
Synthetic materials are often heavy and cause your feet to sweat more so than than they would normally. Aim to purchase shoes made from natural materials–i.e., hemp, crepe, bamboo, or cork– in order to reduce sweating in your shoes.

Purchase shoes with low or moderately high heels.
Look for heels that are no higher than 2.5 inches. Heels any higher than that distribute weight in a way that stresses certain points on your feet, and will not be conducive to the relaxation you are looking for.

Look for shoes that have cushioning for the balls of your feet.
Be sure to purchase shoes that have cushioning for the balls of your feet, as this will most certainly affect how relaxed you are able to feel in your shoe. Most professional shoes and heels don’t have this feature, and lack of support on the balls of your foot often have a direct impact on the pain you feel at the end of a long work day.

Make sure there is enough room in the toe box of the shoe.
It’s important to buy shoes that have enough room in them to accommodate your toes. Heels tend to cause your foot to slide forward, which puts unnecessary pressure–and causes pain– on your toes, and you ought to account for this when purchasing shoes. Consider buying open toed shoes; they are a fashionable way to relieve pressure on your toesies.

By making use of these tips, you’ll be on your way to happy, resort-ready feet!