I Got A $150 Foot Facial & It Cured My Cracked Heels Almost Instantly

Standing Appointment is our review series that investigates the best new and notable cosmetic procedures in the aesthetics space and determines whether or not they are worth trying for yourself. This week, our writer tests the new Tenoverten Revitalizing Foot Facial to heal her cracked feet.

Allow me to set a scene for you. My boyfriend, Ben, and I were in Italy after I booked a spur-of-the-moment ticket to join him. It was the trip of a lifetime. The food was to die for! The sights were romantic! We were full of Aperol spritzes! Everything was going so well.

But it was springtime in Italy and unseasonably rainy, and we’d been caught in a horrible downpour in Florence the night before we arrived in Naples. The one pair of sneakers I’d brought in my carry-on were water-logged, so I had to rely on my Teva sandals to get me around our first day in the south. Now, the thing to know about Ben is that the man is a walker. During our trip, we would leave our Airbnb every morning before breakfast and log close to 30,000 steps, weaving through cobblestone streets until well after dinner. So, on that first day in Naples, we hit the pavement as soon as we dropped our bags off at our apartment, my trusty Tevas strapped tightly around my feet. And sometime around 10 PM, I got limped into bed, feet soggy, but full of carbohydrates.

The next morning, I realized that our rain-soaked sabbatical in sandals had absolutely ruined my feet. They’d already been on the drier side, but now, deep cracks splayed across my heels, making it painful to walk. But I was on a romantic trip with only three days to go! So I slapped some lotion on my puppies, popped a few Advil, and soldiered on, content with the knowledge that I’d deal with the foot sitch when I returned to the States.

Only, that didn’t exactly happen. No matter the treatment, I couldn’t repair the cracks on my feet once I got home. I took a pumice stone to my heels during every shower to no avail. I slept in socks with Aquaphor slathered on my soles — nada. A month passed, and my feet were still in pretty rough shape. But I figured they’d eventually heal themselves, right?

“[Your heels] look like the Salt Flats of Utah,” my boyfriend said.

Then, one night, Ben and I were watching a movie in bed, and my heel accidentally grazed his calf. Reader, the man yelped. Ashamed, I showed him my heels. He touched one of the cracks. “They look like the Salt Flats of Utah,” he said.

Something had to be done.

Luckily, my editor had just sent me an email asking if I’d like to try out Tenoverten’s new Revitalizing Foot Facial Service, an hour-long, $150 treatment that included a scrub, a massage, and a pedicure. Needless to say, I leapt at the chance to fix my tired, old soles.

I arrived at the Tenoverten salon in the Financial District of Manhattan where I was instructed to pick the shade for my pedicure. (They still have Essie’s Clambake, so that was the choice, natch.) My therapist then escorted me to my pedicure basin where she removed my old polish. I had half a mind to apologize for the state of my heels, but I realized that the first step in recovery was asking for help and that’s exactly what I was doing.

After a quick soak, she exfoliated my feet with Tenoverten’s The Sole Scrub. It’s made of granulated sugar, so it’s gentle on your skin, but it worked wonders on the cracks in my heels. She took her time, making sure all of the dead skin was sloughed off before moving on. After exfoliating, she went back in on my heels with a buffer stick, giving me double the exfoliation. And trust me, I needed it.

Next was a hot stone massage, by far the most luxe part of the treatment. For 10 minutes, my therapist massaged my tired toes with warm river stones, giving extra focus to my arches and the pads of my feet. I luxuriated in the treat, and let my eyes close so I could dream of heels that didn’t remind my boyfriend of one of the driest places on earth. Finally, it was time for The Sole Mate, a hydrating balm that is chock-full of vitamin E and jojoba oil. It comes in a handy stick, so it’s easy to reapply during the day, something my therapist suggested I do — often.

After my nails were polished and I was finished, I reached down to touch my heels. I was floored. While there were still small cracks there, on the whole, my heels were smooth. Gone were the deep grooves and flaky, dead skin that had plagued my feet for months. I couldn’t believe how quickly the treatment had worked.

After your appointment, you’re sent home with complimentary, full-sized versions of The Sole Scrub and The Sole Mate, which, even at $150 for an appointment, makes this the most worth-it pedicure you’ll ever have.

Since then, I’ve been using The Sole Scrub twice a week in the shower and The Sole Mate most nights before bed. And let me tell you, my heels are just about cured. I love how easily I can apply The Sole Mate, thanks to its stick format. And unlike other healing balms, it doesn’t sit on top of the skin. Instead, it melts in, leaving behind hydration that lasts for hours.

The treatment is only available at Tenoverten’s salon in FiDi, but with the scrub and the balm, you can recreate the experience at home. If you think nothing can cure your feet, trust me — you want to DIY yourself a Foot Facial. Because we can have our romantic Italian vacations and pretty heels, too. And you know what? We deserve it.

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