Your feet are the furthest away from your mind — literally and (in most cases) metaphorically. Despite being at the bottom of many people’s skincare priority list, your feet are the literal foundation of your body and allow you to do… well, most physical activities. As someone who has been guilty of ignoring my own in my otherwise maximalist beauty routine, I can assure you that foot skincare deserves more attention.

True, your feet only see the light of day during sandal season and on beach vacations. For so long, the only way I’ve shown my feet love has been through biweekly pedicures in the summer, which have become more sporadic in the other months. But then I talked to every foot expert I could think of, and they all agreed that your feet should have their own skincare routine. Continue reading to find out what that entails, as well as what happened when I finally started taking proper care of my feet.

The Ideal Foot Skin Care Routine

Exfoliate: Experts recommend exfoliating your feet once a week all year to prevent cracking and softening rough calluses. You can use a manual or chemical exfoliant for the job, just like you would with your facial skincare regimen. If you choose the former, nail artist Jin Soon Choi recommends gently sloughing off dead skin with a pumice stone or a foot file. You could also use a textured cloth or an exfoliating scrub.

Alpha-hydroxy acids (think lactic and glycolic) are the most common active ingredients used in foot peels and masks as a chemical exfoliant. These treatments (for example, Baby Foot) typically involve wrapping your feet in a sheet mask-type product for several minutes to an hour, depending on the product, and then dealing with dead skin shedding over the next several days, revealing smoother feet. These are a more intensive treatment, however, and Sadick suggests doing them every two months.

Moisturize: According to Sadick, moisturizing is the most important skincare practice for your entire body, including your feet. You should use a hydrating agent at least once a day to help prevent dryness and cracking on your heels. Because hot water dries out your skin, use a moisturizer after every shower. Just keep the skin between your toes dry.

Tend To Your Toenails: Toenails also contribute to the overall health of your feet, so don’t overlook them. To keep your cuticles nourished and hydrated, Choi and Carrea recommend applying oil to your toes every day. Also, don’t be too rough with your nail cutter: Overly cut toenails at the edges are the most common cause of ingrown toenails, so proceed with caution. Trimming them straight across is your best bet.

Testing A Foot Care Routine

For three weeks, I used a separate foot cream (rather than my regular body lotion) after every shower — simple enough. The exfoliating, on the other hand, was the most difficult to keep up with. Using a face mask treatment, chemical peel, or exfoliating scrub at least twice a week is a no-brainer for my face; it’s just one part of my extensive skincare regimen. Dealing with my feet, on the other hand, feels like a lot of extra effort, which is why I first turned to physical exfoliation in the shower with a pumice stone.

Scrubbing my heels and bottom of my feet doesn’t take long as long as I have a stone or some sort of scrubbing tool nearby, and I love how baby-smooth my skin feels afterward. Using a chemical exfoliant-based foot mask, on the other hand, isn’t as quick or easy, but some people enjoy the unpleasant but satisfying peeling that occurs a few days after the treatment. To each his or her own.