japanese exfoliating feet mask

Who doesn't want baby soft feet?  At least that's what I thought when I saw an entire display of feet masks while shopping in a Japanese pharmacy. Since I couldn't read Japanese, I randomly picked one and hoped for the best.  (Note - they also sell similar foot masks in Little Tokyo in Downtown Los Angeles and in Japanese markets and beauty stores on the Westside.)

On a random Saturday, I was a bit bored so I thought I would give this product a try.   It's not really a mask but more like plastic booties filled with a thick liquid substance.   I put them on my bare feet and waited for about 20 minutes. Then I rinsed my feet clean.  

The pictures in the instructions suggested that your feet would peel very very badly... The pictures were actually quite disgusting.  I kept expecting my feet to peel but I  didn't see or feel any effect for the first few days.  Perhaps I used it incorrectly or didn't wear the booties long enough??

But after the 4th day, the bottoms of my feet started peeling.  It was soooo gross - yet oddly satisfying at the same time.  After approximately a week of peeling and shedding, my feet did feel significantly softer.  

I can't imagine you can use this product too often since you can't really calculate when your feet will start peeling, and you certainly wouldn't want to wear sandals or open-toed shoes during the peel-period.    This will probably be ideal when you are preparing for Spring/Summer so long as you are OK with hiding your feet for a little while. 

All in all, these do work but requires time and patience.