Some products show up everywhere: subway ads, Instagram, celeb endorsements. With this series, we're testing such products to conclude one thing: Does it live up to the hype?
The Baby Foot Original Exfoliation Foot Peel is an internet-breaking sensation, and it has quite the reputation for being a potent "chemical peel" for your feet.
The gel in this single-use foot-exfoliation treatment makes your feet shed dead skin to reveal softer, smoother skin.
For the foreseeable future, many longtime pedicure loyalists are looking into at-home treatments. So, if you're trying to get your feet ready for sandal season, then Baby Foot's exfoliating benefits are an appealing option. While the Baby Foot Peel has been a sensation since its arrival in the U.S. in 2010, the brand claims that they've been a Japanese beauty staple since 1997.
However, this isn't your average foot mask. Baby Foot's notoriety over the years has nabbed headline after headline for its repulsive (and yet, slightly satisfying?) skin-shedding effect.
- Just about every beauty site known on Earth (Including Refinery29, Well+Good, and Byrdie
- Videos with major ick factor on social media (queasy stomachs beware)
- Rave word-of-mouth reviews
I'll be honest: I'm a wide-footed girl in a narrow size-6 world, and my feet take a serious beating in the shoes I wear. Now, summer is coming up fast, and my feet are looking rough, to say the absolute least.
Fortunately, all of the indoor time that I've had recently has given me the perfect chance to experiment with the most intense foot refiner on the market: the Baby Foot Original Exfoliation Foot Peel.
I've seen this foot mask all over the internet, and chances are, you have too. It went viral a few years ago for its, uh, unique ability to shed dead skin off of feet in chunks (gross), making them look and feel afterwards as though you'd never suffered a blister in your life.
These lavender-scented foot booties are filled with a potent formula of 16 natural extracts (including glycolic acid) to penetrate the deepest layers of dead skin, making them shed off and revealing a fresh, new layer of soft skin underneath.
But, that's not to say that this foot mask doesn’t have its issues. Some have reported that the foot peel isn't as effective as the brand claims. So, as the beauty guinea pig that I am, I tried it for myself.
First things first, you have to prep your toes before they dive into the acid-filled Baby Foot booties: the brand recommends to remove all toenail polish and wash and dry feet before use. Then, simply slide the booties on and secure them with their attached fastening tape, and let them soak for an hour. The gel smells faintly like lavender (but way more like rubbing alcohol), and it feels a bit like sticking my feet in bags of jelly.
But that was about it — no stinging, tingling, or burning involved. Walking around with them was pretty easy, and I wore socks over the booties to make my feet a little cozier.
Once the hour was up, I rinsed my feet under soap and warm water. Disclaimer: Your feet aren't even supposed to peel immediately — they usually start peeling within 3 to 7 days after use — but I was really anxious for the exfoliation process to kick in.
By day four, the shedding began. Though it wasn't quite as dramatic as the viral videos led me to believe, they started peel in little bits throughout the day, especially on the most callused parts of my heels and toes.
The peeling could potentially last for up to 2 weeks, but by day 10 my feet were fully peeled — and it worked! It felt like a fresh start for me and my velvety-soft feet, and now I'm ready to break out the flip-flops without worrying about dry, ashy heels and toes.
Though it may not make your feet immediately peel like a banana, the Baby Foot Original Exfoliation Foot Peel is definitely worth giving a try if you want callus-free feet. Plus, it's a good way to make use of this indoor time before open-toed season officially kicks off.
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Jennifer is the former beauty editor for BestProducts.com, where she’s testing out everything from the latest lip gloss to the craziest skincare trend sweeping the online beauty-verse. Her work has been featured in Allure, Byrdie, HelloGiggles, and more. When she’s not swatching eyeshadow all over her arms, you can find the NYC-based editor scouring for hours on end for vintage finds, eating pad thai, and hanging out with her cat, Chunks.
