When did you last felt your feet super soft? Well, if you ask me then as far as I can remember, it was when I was a child. As you learn walking, continuous friction and pressure between your shoes and feet develop callus and cons. These thick patches of skin are tough and make your feet rough.
An unhealthy foot destroys your confidence and image. So to ensure a silky soft foot, a pedicure is a must. Before starting your pedicure, gather all information about the exfoliation tools, moisturizer, etc.
Exfoliating your feet helps to enhance its smoothness and beauty. Foot file vs Pumice stone! Which exfoliating tool will you use?
What is a Pumice Stone?
Pumice stone is a natural exfoliating product formed by the mixture of lava and water. Due to the rapid cooling of the lava, the surface of this stone is porous, which makes it suitable enough to remove dead skin, dirt, calluses, and cons for your feet.
This stone is chemical and toxin-free and exfoliates your skin gently.
Why is a Pumice Stone Used?
Pumice stone is a part of your pedicure toolset. This product is easily available in any store or shop.
Double-sided pumice stone has an abrasive side and a softer side. The former is the best to exfoliate rough skin and the latter works best for insensitive and soft skin.
A pumice stone-
- Exfoliates the skin by removing dead skin, calluses, cons
- Make skin soft, silky, and shiny.
- Removes unwanted hair.
How to Use a Pumice Stone?
Don’t go too harsh with a pumice stone on your skin. The uneven porous surface makes cuts that might even get infected if not properly taken care of.
Disinfect your pumice stone every time before use. Dip the stone in a bleach solution and soak it for ten minutes. Then rinse the stone with mild warm water and wait until it air dries.
To use a pumice stone for a pedicure-
- Firstly, soak your feet in warm water.
- Then wet the pumice stone.
- Gently rub the pumice stone on your heel area, calluses, and cons for two to three minutes.
- Wash your feet with warm water.
- Last but not least, add a moisturizer.
How Often Can You Use a Pumice Stone?
Do you have a party to attend tonight? Does your foot look dry and scaly? Don’t worry. With a pumice stone, you can easily renew the look and texture of your foot in a few minutes.
Generally, you can use a pumice stone one to thrice a week. But if you do not have a particular time for foot care due to your busy schedule, use it regularly after a shower.
After a shower, the skin softens up as well as the calluses and cons. So, it becomes more convenient to use the pumice stone. Warning! Please do not use it on dry feet. It might cause irritation and bleeding.
What is the foot file?
A foot file is a humanmade exfoliating tool that smoothens down the tough patches of skin and removes dead skin. This premium quality tool works best on dry and hard skin.
This manual device works like sandpapers and works on the calluses on which the pumice stone cannot function properly.
What is the purpose of using a foot file?
Your feet undergo cuts, friction, pressure, and irritation due to the regular use of shoes for locomotion. With the period, it loses its natural softness and develops dark, tough patches around the heel, toes.
With a foot file, you can easily get rid of these patches at home. What made it more demandable among the user?
- Removes dead cells, skin, cons, and calluses from the skin.
- Removal of the dead skin layer ensures sufficient blood supply in the feet.
- Skin becomes smooth, clear, and radiant.
- Professional foot filling creates a pressure point and ensures oxygen supply to the foot.
- Triggers self- repair process of the skin.
How to Use a Foot File?
A foot file is light- weighted and convenient to use. You can use a foot file on your foot, ankle and other places.
When you are using it on your foot-
- Flex your opposite knee and extend the targeted foot.
- Firmly hold the file in the targeted location.
- Scrape the skin in the downward direction.
- Wash the foot with lukewarm water.
- Add a suitable moisturizer.
But when you are going to use it in your heel-
- Fix the foot by your ankle.
- Move the file back and forth.
- If the callus is centrally located, move the file in a circular motion.
- Rubs with a warm wet towel.
- Add a moisturizer or cream.
Though filing requires less time, the rough surface of the filer might irritate sometimes.
Foot File or a Pumice Stone! Which One Will You Choose?
Both foot file and pumice stone are commonly used tools for feet care. Personal preferences, availably, cost draws a line between them even though they are equally popular among the users.
If you are determined too but any of these exfoliation tools, then the following comparison will help you to take your decision.
| Serial number | Traits | Foot file | Pumice stone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Definition | It is a handheld exfoliating product that removes tough callus. | It is a porous exfoliating product that softens callus. |
| 2. | Product type | Humanmade | Natural |
| 3. | Material | These foot files are made of metal or emery. | It is a porous volcanic rock produced by the mixture of lava and water. |
| 4. | Function | Removes dead skin, callus and cons. Makes skin radiant and glossy. Removes unwanted hair from the body. | Removes dry, hard and rough skin. Softens callus. Promotes blood circulation. Induces self-repair of the skin. Makes skin smooth. |
| 5. | Effect on skin | Tougher than a pumice stone. | Gentle on the skin than the foot file. |
| 6. | Abrasiveness | Too abrasive. | Not very abrasive. |
Final Thought
The debate between the uses and benefits of foot file vs pumice stone will continue. Both are of premium quality and have their preferential method of use. The only mentionable difference is that pumice is a lightweight product with fewer abrasives, whereas foot file is more abrasive.
So, which one will you prefer?