If only I came across the Baby Foot concept 2 weeks ago, when it was storming and pouring like autumn. The following quirk is so extraordinary I can’t believe it’s for real. Dry feet, cracked heels, rough hard skin, flaky used to be blisters, callus, all the problems that are usually fixed only by a thorough pedicure are said to go away in about a week with this acid foot peeling. After reading hundreds of reactions and seeing even more disgusting but strangely satisfying photos of the process, it’s getting pretty clear for me this works. Check YouTube and Image results for some graphic samples, otherwise watch out, there will be a descriptive image at the end of this quirkticle.

What actually happens is the fruit acid goes through the layers of dead skin and breaks the bonds holding the layers together (these gluing bonds are called desmosomes). After this, the living skin is undamaged and the dead layers simply and painlessly peel off to reveal the new baby-like epidermal tissue hidden under.

Ok but what’s in it? Is it even safe to use on my body? I mean sure, I want to have photoshop airbrushed feet but please, hold the cancer and eczema. The website mentions 17 natural ingredients without naming them. After some more digging in the www I found here the complete list: 

Water, Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Lactic Acid, Arginine, Grapefruit Peel Oil, Glycolic Acid,  Orange Oil, Butylene Glycol, Castor Oil, Glucose, O-Cymen-5-ol, Citric Acid, Malic Acid,  Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate,  Phenoxyethanol, Nasturtium Officinale Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract, Ivy Extract, Sage Leaf Extract, Lemon Fruit Extract, Clematis Vitalba Leaf Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Chamomile Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose

That’s 20 plant extracts and 11 other ingredients among which salicylic acid, lactic acid, water and alcohol.

How to achieve baby smooth feet:

1. Soak your feet for 30 minutes in warm salted water
2. Dry feet and apply the solution
3. Put on the plastic booties (or plastic freezer bags are fine as well), secure with tape around the ankles to prevent the mess and put some socks on top to keep warm (for better results)
4. Take everything off and rinse feet
5. If the feet get extra dry and uncomfortable in the next 4-7 days, moisturize accordingly. In a few days you’ll see the skin starting to come off in the shower. For faster results soak feet for 15 minutes everyday

Best practices to achieve baby feet:

This procedure is just as spectacular as it is messy and gross to look at. Just to know what to expect, go first over the watch outs:

• Expect up to 2 weeks depending on skin type for the process to take place, beginning to end. Your feet will NOT look good during this time so avoid doing it in the warm season or keep your feet away from slippers and sandals until they completely shed
• It takes a few days for all the dead skin to come off, and it will come of everywhere, especially in your bed sheets. Yes, it’s better to wear socks at night
• Nothing about this peel should hurt or feel too uncomfortable
• If you have sensitive skin, first try a small area before completely covering your feet with this peel
• Check your feet before deciding to dive into it, there should be no sensitive spots like scratches and wounds. Only the outer layer of your skin (epidermal) should get in contact with the peel
• This peel raves about improving foot issues like athlete’s foot, foot odor, and blood circulation, our advice is to take these claims with a grain of salt and treat this peel from a purely cosmetic point of view

Pssst! If you’re a trust-and-believe-nobody like me or you just want to save the €25, there are a few do it yourself versions of this peel which I’m going to try and come back later to describe how it went. That’s purely because I’m always reluctant of putting my skin in contact with the unknown. My version of do it yourself Baby Foot is juice from 1 lemon plus the same amount of crushed aspirin (salicylic acid). This is a milder version of the famous peel, so I will repeat this process 3-4 days in a row and leave it on for 2 hours each time.

Icky but equally and strangely satisfying, right?