Ever been to a place where you have to remove your shoes? How did it smell like?

When we were at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, I had wanted to go into one of the temples there. However, when I saw the so many shoes, I asked my husband about it and he said it is not polite to have your shoes on inside. Anyway, it didn't seem strange to me as in the Philippines, we have a similar custom when entering someone else's house. But, did I enter? Nope. Just for the simple reason that I smelled someone's pair of shoes. I didn't know who he or she was but, boy, those feet really stink!

In order to avoid situations like these, it is imperative that we be conscious of the way we look and smell. Our body has its natural musk but some odors emanate from different parts that we do not pay particular attention to. One of them is our foot.

Strangely enough, it is common to neglect it because when we have our shoes on, they don't smell anyway. But hey, you do smell them too, right? Here are some ways to prevent the embarassment.

a. Regular wash. - at least twice a day to keep the dirt and bacteria from mixing with our sweat which produces the smell.

b. Keep them dry. We gotta wipe them dry after they have gotten wet. And keep them dry through out the day. One way of doing this is to wear cotton socks to absorb the sweat and let your feet breathe.

Next, is to use a foot powder. These come in the regular powder form and the newest one which is the spray (powder) form. Use any but be sure to have the powder between your toes and underneath them too.

Have a second pair of shoes. Just like toothbrush, the shoes need to be totally dry when you use them. So, use a pair every other day or less often than that.

c. Use sulfur soap and fungal treatments.

d. Have a regular foot bath of tea or lemon grass. Prepare them as you would any tea but in a larger amount - maybe twice the regular quantity. when done steeping, add warm water and some tap to it so it will be bearable for you. Dip your feet in and relax as well. This will be good for your feet and for your body. 15 minutes every other night will do wonders to your feet. You might like to follow it with a coffee scrub every now and then to moisten and soften your skin.

There you go. So next time you go visit the manicurist, smile and know that she will be glad to serve you.