I found this foot mask on the Lush website last summer. I was just as confused as you probably are right now. A mask… for feet? Wha? Anyhow, I was clearly intrigued enough to jot down the list of familiar-sounding ingredients and stuff it away somewhere. I just found it.
Now, I don’t go into Lush. Lush is way, way to stinky for me. There’s one down on Toronto’s Queen Street, and you can smell it from the other side of the road. It’s enough to give me a headache from 20m away, so I am definitely never venturing into one or buying anything there. And why would I? They pride themselves on their (mostly) wholesome ingredients, so I can easily re-create everything they sell from entirely wholesome ingredients. BAM.
Now, this foot mask surprised me. Not just because it existed, but because it worked as was rather fun. My original list of ingredients was pretty humble. It read “Green clay, kosher salt, lemon juice, potato starch, glycerin, lemon EO, cinnamon EO”. I kept everything but the potato starch, which seemed kind of pointless. I also added citric acid, for some extra chemical exfoliation, and some camphor powder because I just bought it and it makes things feel all cool-like. And some seaweed powder because I have half a kilo of it that is going nowhere fast. But you don’t have to have those things. They’re very optional.
Anyhow, I mixed up a pretty(ish) green paste, scrubbed it into my feet, and sat with them in the bathroom sink for 10 minutes or so. Then I rinsed it off. My feet (which are quite calloused from my stubborn refusal to wear shoes for most of the summer) were definitely softer. I slathered them with a cocoa/shea body butter, put on socks, and relished the feeling of soft(er), clean feet. Lovely.
Copycat Lush Foot Mask
2 tbsp French green clay
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp citric acid (optional)
½ tsp camphor powder (optional)
½ tsp seaweed powder (optional)Lemon juice, as needed
½ tsp vegetable glycerine (USA / Canada)
4 drops lemon EO
4 drops cinnamon EOMix together the dry ingredients. Add the vegetable glycerine (USA / Canada) and essential oils, and then gradually add the lemon juice to make a soft paste. Scrub into your feet and keep them somewhere easily washable (tub/sink/old bucket/outdoors) for about 10 minutes. Rinse off and moisturize. Sock up and enjoy your clean, soft feet!
Once or twice a year or so my “Work Wife” and I go back to my house after our shift and watch a movie while we soak our tootsies in a tub with a bath bomb (from Lush – we split a small one), pumice the living hell out of our feet, use a foot mask (from Lush), wash off the mask with a foot scrub (from Lush), apply cuticle butter (from Lush), and then lotion up (with lotion from Lush). There may or may not be frozen strawberry daiquiris involved as well. We don’t do it as often as we’d like because it’s just so expensive to get everything. Your website is most likely going to change that.
I’ve been rifling through your site this morning (so, so glad I found it!) and I’m excited to try making my own bombs, mask, and lotion. I’ve started making my own cleaning products and it is unbelievably cheaper so I’ve been curious about homemade body products. I like the fact that your recipes are easy to understand and follow and that you yourself come across and very knowledgeable, fun, and accessible person. Thank you for sharing these recipes with us!
This sounds like an awesome ladies night! And the best part is you could totally make all of these things at home (minus the pumice stone, unless you happen to have a pet volcano, lol) and make the night way cheaper!
Awesome! Have fun.. and maybe invite me to the next spa evening? 😉
it would be nice if you had a print option on the recipe only so you don’t have to copy and paste!
I’ve looked for an easy print add-on, but haven’t found anything that doesn’t look absolutely awful on my website, or spit out wretched renditions of my blogs. If you know of one for WordPress, I’d love to take a look at it 🙂
I was just wondering if you had stored this mixed for any length of time. Me and few of my ladies prefer to DIY beauty as gifts than run to the shop to buy, makes it a bit more personal and we are all quite like minded in getting enjoyment out of making different potions.
This would be the perfect little gift if it keeps for a week or so.
Hi Scrim! As soon as you add water you might have a day or two before this moulds up in a really nasty way. If you ever want lots of a mask on hand, just whip up lots of the powder, and then spoon out and hydrate what you need when you need it 🙂 For gifts, I’d include a hydration reference (~1 part lemon juice to 2 parts water [though test this for this specific recipe, I can’t recall the precise ratios]) for your friends. Have fun!
I purchased Lush’s foot mask 5 days ago—-3 treatments later, I am hooked! My cruddy heels are a major embarrasement to me. So I am so pleased to find your diy version. I will definitely put together a batch this weekend and test them side-by-side.
Cool! I look forward to hearing the results of your comparison 🙂
Hi there – love your blog!! I am a broke Lush addict, and this was such a cool find.
If I have someone with a citrus allergy, is there anything I can substitute for the lemon juice? thanks! -P
Hi Pepper! Thanks for reading 🙂 You really just want something a bit acidic, so you could use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead.
hi, i just want to ask if what would i do on my feet, it’s smells annoy me.. do you have any suggestion or advise for me if what should i do about this. thanks
Sorry, is it the smell of your feet or the smell of this recipe that you don’t like?
Thank you so much!! I really liked Lush’s foot mask, but like you I can’t handle going into their store. I’m also anaphylactic to potatoes; and about 10 years ago I started reacting if I even touch them. This recipe is a life saver, literally!!
Thanks, Kat! I think that’s the first time a recipe of mine has been called literal a life saver… can’t say I mind ;P Happy making and enjoy your pampered feet!