Baby, what?
It’s Baby Foot, a Japanese brand that sells foot peeling pack for that soft and smooth feet, since 1997. Apparently, there are many brands out there, even with similar names. So this whole foot peeling business isn’t new for some people, but intriguing for many!
Fun fact, over the years, Baby Foot has kept improving its formula. The older versions needed 2 hours of use. Then they changed into Fruit Acids, developed an all-in-one pack with the booties. Made it into 60 minutes, until the 30-minute pack that is sold now in Indonesia (other countries might sell the 60 minutes version).
I personally have been using this product for over a year and after a few times of uses, I’m ready to write it all down.
Let me backtrack a little here as to why I wanted to try this product. Like many people out there, my feet can get really dry, thick and rough, especially at the heel and the ball. Often, they can crack. My mom’s advice was to have a pedicure. She does this frequently for alleviating this issue. The pedicurist would soak my feet with some solution and then go on with scrubbing my feet with a pumice or a file. Sure, it worked for a bit.
However, one thing that I noticed was that soon enough, the same issue would arise again. The heels felt a lot thicker and I had to keep filing and filing. It never ends. The worst part, I would pick at the cracks, attempting to peel the dead, hard skin. Result? Bleeding feet. Ouch. Super ouch. Actually, I sort of regret to had ever filed the feet in the first place. The other aspect of pedicure was fine. But I think the filing part made it go downhill.
OK, so I was left with the whatever-but-hopeless attitude until one day, the brand contacted me and offered if I was up to try the product. Of course, I said yes! I was desperate. Last year, I was in the middle of our wedding preparation and I didn’t want my feet to look gnarly in those gorgeous Manolos.
Gotta love that little emoji on the foot there 😀
Before you ask, of course, I did moisturize the feet, though not religiously. Because I found it’s just an instant soother without any long-term effects. Then it dawned on me. Of course, it won’t work as efficient, because there’s so much dead skin piling up. The very same logic with facial skin. In order for a product to absorb properly and to encourage regeneration, we need to exfoliate the skin first! However, in this (foot) case, a physical filling alone isn’t enough.
So, Baby Foot it is. Sure enough, to induce that kind of peeling, exfoliating acids must be utilized. In this case, Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid. On top of some high-percentage acids, it contains 17 different plant extracts to further help the peeling process and also moisturize the skin. The liquid itself smells like apples! Quite pungent and I can definitely sense the alcohol.
One packet of Baby Foot comes with a pair of plastic booties with the liquid already inside. For one time use only. The instruction is pretty easy to follow.
- First, clean the feet; wash them with soap and water.
- Then cut the plastic boots open, put each foot in, tape it in, and soak for 30 minutes.
- Once done, wash the feet off with water.
The magic doesn’t happen immediately. In 2 – 7 days, the peel will start to happen. It started slow like there were just small flakes mainly on the top part of the feet and at first, I felt like nothing is happening or “where are the big chunks?“. At this stage, resist from peeling the skin. Because we want the dead skin to fully come off on its own, instead of forcing it. There was a time where I got impatient (too excited) and I ended up peeling more than I should, resulting in blisters and bleeding. It hurt so bad (especially on the heel area), I had a hard time walking for a few days.
Trust the process.
Ingredient list.
Worry not, within a few days of the initial dry patches, the larger bits will show up. Now, we’re talking. I can finally have fun and satiate myself. Those pictures I saw on Google finally came alive. At this time, my hands can’t wait any longer. The urge is strong. Of course, I had to peel something! The new skin underneath feels kind of damp and moisturized. SOFT. SMOOTH. The skin also looks very, very clean although slightly pink. I’ve never experienced such a thing even with any pedicure.
Now I’m sorry I didn’t include any peeling feet pictures because I didn’t get the chance to take them during my last session. I’ll try to update them during my next one. But, Google them. Those pictures speak for my feet!
The hardest area to come off is the heel and the ball of the feet. They’re the thickest and there is a bit of callous on that area as well. The callous isn’t bad and Baby Foot did help to remove or at least thinning it down substantially. But if yours is really thick, it may not eliminate it completely. You may need to do it regularly to maintain it. That being said, I’m more concerned about the cracks and roughness and after using it, they’re gone.
The question I got a lot is, does it hurt? NO, NOT AT ALL. However, a big warning here. Do not use it on if your feet have any blisters or open wound. Because this is loaded with exfoliating acids and they will sting the skin. As I said before, do not force-peel the skin out. If it doesn’t want to come off, leave it be. Don’t keep nibbling at it. The chance is, you’re also going to peel a new skin instead, causing it to bleed (like I did). Another note, Baby Foot is not recommended for people with diabetes.
The peeling process takes up to 3 weeks for me. The entire feet will look UGLY and HIDEOUS, I kid you not. This is a given and there’s nothing I can do about it. There will be flakes everywhere, on the shoes and especially on the bed. I noticed when I swept the floor, there’s more dirt than usual LOL. So if anyone of you wants to try Baby Foot (or any foot peeling product), just be aware that you will have to face this. People might stare at your feet and wondered what the heck happened. But, I highly doubt anyone would look down there unless you told them about it. I personally don’t care though. I mean, if anyone asks, I’ll gladly explain anyway *wink*
Those cute booties!
I’ve used Baby Foot for a few times now and here are a few tips and tricks to boost the peeling experience that I can share you here. However, before you tried any of these, try to use the foot peel as instructed first, so you’ll get a benchmark of what to expect.
- Apart from washing the feet, I soak them as well in warm water for about 15-20 minutes. Making the skin moist will lend itself like a sponge, absorbing the foot peel more.
- During the mask time, wear socks outside the plastic booties. The pressure of the socks will ensure the liquid sticks to the skin. I rub the feet once every few minutes to distribute the liquid evenly as well, especially the thicker areas.
- I can use it over the 30 minutes recommended time. But around the 50-minute mark, my skin started to feel the heat from the product. So that’s my limit.
- Wash the feet often in a day. Like 5-6 times.
- Once the early signs show up, I like to soak the feet every night. So instead of force-peeling manually, soaking will loosen up the dead skin even more. Sometimes I like to rub my feet in the water as well, just to take off the excess. It’s quite unsightly, seeing the dead skin floating. Oh, the satisfaction…
- I actually like to increase my activity once the peeling starts. Walk more. If you can, wear shoes instead of sandals (to keep the moisture in). It might feel uncomfortable but just suck it LOL.
- Wear socks at night! This is a must. Apart from keeping the skin less dry, it will help to contain the dry bits inside, instead of scattered on the bed.
- You can definitely wear socks at daytime too.
The Don’t list is:
- Don’t moisturize the feet with any foot moisturizing cream or oil. It can disrupt the peeling process and that’s the last thing we want. If the feet feel dry, just wash them with water. Or soak them.
- Again, let me remind you, do not force-peel the skin.
- Avoid using a foot scrub as it might make the skin irritated. Soaking is the best way to go.
- Definitely, don’t file the feet.
For the most part, I do think keeping the hands off of the feet during this time is the best policy. Just let the peeling process goes naturally, as much as I can. I find that it delivers the most successful result rather than trying to pick the feet.
That being said, the only foot product that I will use during the peeling process is this Smoothing Gel, also by Baby Foot. This product is designed and formulated specifically to moisturize the feet without stopping the peeling. It also gives like a protective layer to feet in this sensitive time.
It has such a unique texture to it. It started out as a gel, but a quick rub will turn the gel into water droplets. It will drench the feet with hydration and moisture, which is very much needed because my feet feel extremely dry and flaky during the peeling process (duh, of course). It doesn’t contain any alcohol and doesn’t feel greasy or sticky at all. Just refreshed.
I can use it as often as I want to in a day. Definitely at nighttime before I go to bed. Not forgetting the socks 😀
Is it a must? Hmm, not necessarily. It’s not exactly cheap at IDR 148.000 for 30 grams. It’s definitely convenient to have though. But if you have access to wash or soak the feet often, you could skip this product.
After the peeling process is done, feel free to use the usual foot cream. The Smoothing Gel can still be used, but I’m saving it for the special occasion only. This time, I’m actually going to try a foot moisturizing mask. We’ll see how that goes.
Gel to water droplets.
Three weeks sounds like a really long time, but even before the entire flakes are gone, I can already sense that my feet feel a lot softer. I keep rubbing and caress them. I can’t stop it. Because the ugly, grey-brownish dead skin is gone, the bottom of the feet definitely looks a lot cleaner too! I couldn’t have been happier! It may not be 100% like a baby foot per se but it’s the softest I’ve ever felt ever since I started to use Baby Foot.
Now, of course, the skin will grow back and eventually it will accumulate and thicken again. It’s recommended to use Baby Foot every 3 months, give or take. I’d personally rather not wait until the feet get too thick though because it will feel like starting from the beginning again. I actually used it a month before our wedding and the timeline was just right. My feet looked great!
A packet costs IDR 325.000, more expensive than other brands I’ve seen. For more info on product’s distribution, you can check their Instagram. I tried another brand (and cheaper) and it didn’t work nearly as good (you can read about it here). I was left disappointed, knowing that after the ugly feet, it didn’t remove the dead skin as much as it should.
Baby Foot is definitely a lifesaver. I’m so glad I could relieve myself the horror of cracked and blistered feet (due to picking). No more of that, thank goodness!
P.S. I still do pedicures once in a blue moon, but I asked the pedicurist to not file or buff my feet.
Disclosure: the product was sent to me originally from the brand with no strings attached. I ended up continue repurchasing it myself because that’s how wonderful it is.
