How do you pumice

Pumice is a patience game. For more foot care tips, or to receive help for especially stubborn corns and calluses, contact the office of Kevin Powers, DPM. Schedule an appointment with our Bloomington, IN office by calling Home About Dr.

Kevin J. In other words, when misused, the pumice stone can easily cause bleeding, tears, and scabs. So it is crucial that you first determine if you need to be cleared by a doctor before use.

If you get the OK, remember to be gentle, take your time, avoid using on broken skin, and limit use to once per day. It is also never a good idea to share your pumice stone with another person, as bacteria can remain in the stone and be transferred to from person-to-person. Almost everyone experiences natural changes to their skin throughout the year.

The cold, dry air in the winter months tends to make the skin nearly ten times drier; in the summer, our feet are exposed to the elements, which makes them more vulnerable. To gently exfoliate, grab a pumice stone and follow these four steps:. Before you begin, you need to soak both your skin and the stone separately in warm water for five to ten minutes.

Laureano says that this will make the process easier by loosening up the dead-callused skin. Once the skin and stone have both soaked in warm water, you can then begin exfoliating by gently rubbing the stone on the area in a circular motion. And because of their natural makeup, no surprise pumice stones have been used as an ancient remedy for exfoliation—even as far back as B.

There's a good reason pumice stones have left their mark for more than 2, years; they're super light yet abrasive enough to lift dead skin and smooth out the texture. Today, you might use one to manually exfoliate dead skin and callused areas; however, you don't want to rub the stone on the delicate skin on your face.

To reap the benefits of a pumice stone without scratching up your skin, it's best to stick to thicker areas, like the soles of your feet, elbows, and knees—areas vulnerable to some roughness. If you have sensitive skin, however, you might want to stick to just the feet: "It can be abrasive on the rest of the body," explains board-certified dermatologist and founder of MMSkincare Ellen Marmur, M.

As mentioned, pumice stones are great for manually exfoliating the skin. Especially for your hands, feet, elbows, and knees, as those areas naturally thicken in response to trauma i. Those calluses form as "a way of protecting the skin from bumps and dings," Patel explains, but their appearance isn't so cute.

Enter, pumice stones: the all-natural remedy to soften those rough patches of skin. Consider those calluses buffed smooth. For soft, crack-free skin, pumice stones can work wonders. Just be sure to use them correctly, as improper use can quite literally rub your skin raw. Here's the step-by-step guide, according to derms:. First things first: You'll want to start with as smooth of a canvas as you can. That means loosening the top layer of skin with some exfoliation; we're partial to gentle chemical exfoliants like AHAs lactic acid remains a fan-favorite to gently slough dead skin cells and smooth out the texture.

You may even go so far as soaking the skin, especially those rougher areas that may require a little more love. That way, the water can penetrate the skin, making dead cells easier to remove.

As board-certified dermatologist Loretta Ciraldo M. After the soak, skip the towel-dry. You always want to use the pumice stone on clean, wet skin, says Patel. Here comes the fun part: Rub the stone in circular motions over the area; a medium pressure is more than enough to remove the dead skin.

When you're exfoliating, you might even see dead skin visibly accumulate on the stone gross but strangely satisfying. Be sure to stop when you've reached a desired smoothness about two to three minutes does the trick, says Marmur , or when the dead skin stops clinging to the pumice stone's pores. After all that exfoliating, you'll want to lock in some moisture. Article Summary.

Part 1. All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. Soak your calloused skin in warm water. The most common part of the body to exfoliate with a pumice stone is the feet. Heels tend to develop a layer of hard, calloused skin that can become cracked or scaled. Your elbows are another area that may benefit from exfoliation. Soak the calloused body part in warm water for about five minutes to soften the skin.

For other parts of the body, pumicing as part of your shower may be easiest. Wait until your dry skin has softened. The skin will be easier to remove if it's soft and supple.

Feel your skin after several minutes of soaking. If it still feels tough, wait a few more minutes giving the water a warm-up if necessary. If it's soft, your skin is ready for the pumice stone. Wet the stone. Wetting the stone will help it slide more easily across your skin, rather than catching on it. Run the stone under warm water, or dip it in the water where you're soaking your skin, in order to thoroughly wet it.

Rub it gently over the calloused area. Use a circular motion to start sloughing away the dead skin with the pumice stone. If the skin is nice and soft, it should start coming right off. Keep going until you remove the dead skin and get to the fresh, supple skin underneath. Don't press too hard. Light pressure is all that is needed; let the surface of the stone do the work. If you're working on your feet, focus on the heels, the sides of your toes, and other areas where dry skin tends to build up.

Rinse and repeat. Rinse off the dead skin and take a look to see if you need to keep going. If you still see bits of dead skin, go over the area again with the pumice stone. Continue using the stone on the area until you're satisfied with the results.

Since the pumice stone will wear down slightly while you use it, you may need to turn it over to get a fresh surface you can use to exfoliate your skin. Rinse the pumice stone often to keep its surface clean and effective. Dry and moisturize your skin.

When you're finished, use a towel to pat your skin dry. Coat the area with an oil or cream to prevent it from drying out too quickly. Your formerly calloused skin should now be soft, supple and gleaming. Coconut oil, almond oil, or body lotion are all fine to use to condition your skin after pumicing. Repeat as often as needed to keep your skin in good shape. Part 2. Scrub it after use. Dead skin will build up in the pores of the stone as you use it, so you'll want to clean the stone after use.

Use a scrub brush to scrub the stone while holding it under running water. Add a bit of soap to help clean the stone completely. This way your stone will be clean and ready to use next time you need it. Allow it to completely dry out. Set the pumice stone in a dry place so that it doesn't stay damp in between uses.

If you let the stone stay wet, bacteria could grow in the pores, making it unsafe to use. Boil it if necessary.