Not too long ago, I came across a review of a product called Baby Foot – a deep exfoliating foot peel from Japan that literally makes your skin peel off (and for some people even their callouses). It’s totally cringe-worthy yet very, very intriguing.
Baby foot retails for $25 on Nail Polish Canada (high five for free shipping). It’s a little beyond what I’m willing to spend for a foot product so I put off trying Baby Foot. Months later, I came across the Skin Republic Foot Peel ($16) at Shoppers Drug Mart. At that time, it was in the depths of summer and my feet were kind of dry and gross, so I decided to pick up a couple packs (one for me and one for the boyfriend). *scroll to the bottom for nasty photos of feet, along with hairy legs and plastic bags*
Skin Republic says that the Foot Peel (1) peels dead skin in a week (2) removes calluses (3) soothes and maintains healthy feet. The peel contains Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs), which are chemical exfoliants.
In addition to the AHAs, the peel’s ingredients include 15 plant extracts - Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Vitamin E, Sage Leaf Extract, Lavender Extract, Pigweed, Olive Fruit Extract, Honey Suckle Flower Extract, Acerola Fruit Extract, Kiwi Fruit Extract, Banana Fruit Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Baical Skullcap (Root Extract), Peach Leaf Extract, Green Tea, and Rosemary leaf Extract.
And of course, tons of extracts and ingredients come with lots of claimed benefits (including but not limited to) - collagen production, reversal of sun damage, hydration, reduced inflammation, improved tone, texture and elasticity, anti-bacterial/anti-oxidant properties, reversal of aging, stimulation of cell growth, treatment of rashes and increased circulation.
The Skin Republic Foot Peel comes in packaging that looks much like a face mask. The outside of the packaging gives instructions and warnings while the inside contains two boot-like plastic bags with a sticky piece that wraps around your ankle to prevent the gel inside from spilling out.
The sensation you get from putting your feet into the boots is bone-chilling. It’s cold, wet, gooey, and not at all pleasant but after the recommended 90-120 minutes, you’ll get used to it. We did 120 minutes with the booties on (for good measure) and added some socks on top to prevent anything we stepped on from penetrating the boots.
To say the least, the 120 minutes was uncomfortable. Your best bet would be to avoid walking around because there’s nothing quite like feeling you’ve stepped in something squishy every time you get up. Read a book, turn on a movie, and go to the washroom before putting on a foot peel. You'll want to sit still for the entirety of wearing your booties. Also, there’s a burning/stinging feeling, likely the acids working their magic. It’s not unbearable but it is uncomfortable.
After the recommended 120 minutes, we took our feet out of the plastic boots over a tub and washed the excess liquids off our feet, which diminished the stinging/burning sensation. I could tell the acidity of the foot peel was potent because the product ate away at my once neon pink pedicure to a chipped pale baby pink (I proceeded to scratch it all off).
Immediately after use, there were no differences to our feet, other than the feeling that you just moisturized your feet with a light gel. *WARNING* GRAPHIC PHOTOS OF PEELING FEET. TAKE A DEEP BREATH.
Fast forward two weeks and my feet slowly started peeling. First, little patches of flaking skin on the bottom of my foot. Then, big patches on both the bottoms and the tops. It was DISGUSTING. I avoided wearing sandals and open-toed shoes for fear of people seeing my peeling feet. My grandma saw my shoe-less feet and told me I needed to see a doctor. I couldn’t explain to her because I didn’t know the Cantonese words for *foot peeling mask*. I spent a good hour picking at the skin on my feet. I just wanted to get all the dead stuff off ASAP. Admittedly, I found that peeling skin off my feet was relaxing, satisfying, and totally not painful. I ended up with little piles of dead foot skin on the floor of my room. *bleh*
The result? THE SOLES OF MY FEET WERE AS SMOOTH AS A BABY’s BOTTOM. Despite taking much longer than I had expected, my feet were ON FLEEK – soft, supple, hydrated. Note that I don’t have any callouses, just rough skin on the bottoms of my feet, so I can’t say anything about that particular claim. If you're looking to rejuvinate the skin on your feet, try out the Skin Republic Foot Peel (they also sell face and hand masks at Sephora and Shoppers Drug Mart!)!
Have you ever tried a foot peeling mask?
Purchased by me
Facebook || Twitter || Bloglovin || Instagram