In a lifetime, we're predicted to walk around one hundred and twenty thousand miles. As our footsies carry the burden of our weight, they take a tremendous pounding. As a fine pair of healthy and naturally pampered feet is a luxury we simply can't afford to be without, The GIN Lady shares some tried and tested techniques for our special feature on natural, organic pedicures. It's time to sweep you off your feet!

Once you have everything ready at hand, here are our recommended steps to keep you grounded:

STEP ONE: SET THE SCENE

Set the scene by removing all your old nail varnish and file your toe nails straight and in one direction only to prevent ingrown toe nails. We love Butter London, because it's always been a 3 Free company. In other words, Butter London's line has always been completely free from FORMALDEHYDE, TOLUENE AND DBP, although it still isn't as natural as we'd like. But their nail varnish remover works and is a far cry from the toxic bomb found in traditional products.

STEP TWO: SCRUB & SOAK

Gently exfoliate your feet with either a natural sugar scrub - D.I.Y. or if you want to treat yourself to a delicious pot, we recommend sugar based products by Laidbare (with pomegranate), Aveda (with coconut) and Love The Planet (with peppermint). We also like to scrub and soak with salt. Salt, one of nature's wonders, is a natural deodoriser and exfoliates well too. Once scrubbed up, leave your tootsies to soak for at least 10 minutes... bliss!

STEP THREE: DRY CARE

To get the most out of your D.I.Y. pedicure, make sure your feet have been rinsed clean from your salt or sugary soak and your pair are properly dried, paying special attention to between your toes.

While we have your attention, we highly recommend bamboo towels from EcoCentric. While bamboo fibre has often been touted for being anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, they are also super soft. There again, if you're not convinced bamboo is the answer due to the question mark over bamboo's processing into fibre, then why not opt for a set of luxurious organic cotton bath towels. Either way, your feet will love them!

This is now the perfect time to push back your overgrown cuticles - careful now! Then massage in a drop or two of essential oils - almond or coconut are yummy!

STEP FOUR: A BALMY MASSAGE

We can't wait to tell you about the Live Native product that inspired us to write this article. Indeed, we'd forgotten just how good - and important - it is to care for the feet. We bought it off our own back because we were curious. We had met one of the owners, a lovely lady called Vicky Ewbank and distinctly remembered its 'make-up' - Live Native does exactly what it says on the tin and more: This handmade, organic and vegan skin care brand is live in that it contains enzymatically active moisturisers and is essentially raw. That means their "heat-free raw blending ensures that nature’s store of naturally occurring enzymes, phytonutrients, antioxidants, EFA’s and bio-active plant phytochemicals remain intact." Well, we don't know about you, but the brand's approach had us intrigued so we went online and selected their Fresh Feet product. And it didn't disappoint! 

This insanely good fresh feet balm sinks into your feet quickly and effectively and deeply nourishes. Its smell, texture and effect is divine and we recommend it enough. This balm's medium is a raw blend of coconut oil, shea butter and cold-pressed aloe vera with a nice whiff of tea tree, lemongrass, rosemary and citrus. We're also loving its naturally anti-fungal and anti-bacterial qualities. Find out more at Live Native...

STEP FIVE: CLEAN & POLISH

While it's not necessary for your health, nice polished toe nails always gets top marks for the feel and look good factors. As we mentioned above, we're rather taken with Butter London and not only for its cleaner approach... we're also digging their rainbow of colours! And below is just a tiny taster of what colours they offer, from jaffa to diamond geezer.

If you've balmed your feet, simply wipe your toenails clean with some of Butter's nail lacquer remover and dry with a towel. Then we recommend using a clear base coat to avoid dyeing your nails and play some music while it dries - remember you're meant to be having fun! And for the finale, add a couple of layers of colour with a clean top coat like Butter London's.

Now all we need is an encore, as the more we treat our feet, preferably to Step 4 every night, the more glamorous and cared for you'll feel, the Green, Independent and Natural way :-)