A new year has dawned and many of us will have made resolutions that we sadly will not keep. I believe there are some inexpensive DIY tricks we can add to our overall beauty routine that will be easy to keep, and soon become second nature.

Foot care

Our feet are so often neglected at this time of year, as they are out of sight, hidden by socks or cosy in slippers! We might not keep up with our summer pedicures and pretty nail polish, but let’s not neglect the skin on our feet.

It is wonderful that there are now foot care systems available, often for less than the cost of a pedicure, with the added advantage of being able to use them in the privacy and comfort of your own home.

For example, the Scholl Velvet Smooth Electronic Foot File System is a great little product. It is very quick and easy to use, and runs on four AA batteries, which are normally included. The little hard skin roller head refills can be purchased after the initial ones need replacing; but I find they last a long time so this shouldn’t be a regular occurrence.

You can use this product on dry or wet feet and it has a dual speed. It is very effective for dry skin exfoliation and keeping your heels healthy; it certainly helps to avoid the dreaded painful, cracked heels.

If you want to complete your home exfoliation, apply Scholl Expert Care cracked heel cream. In a few minutes your feet will feel smooth as silk with the added benefit of feeling like you are walking on air.

Scalp care

Continuing on with dry skin issues, our scalp often feels more “itchy” and dry in the winter months. Central heating and hats contribute to this irritation, as we try to escape from the cold weather.

It certainly helps if you can exfoliate your scalp on a regular basis, as normal shampoos and conditioners do not do this. There are several ranges available that do a brilliant job and, most importantly, are not full of sulphites, which certainly do your scalp no favours.

Phillip Kingsley is a renowned trichologist who has a clinic in London and has developed a wonderful flaky/itchy scalp mask, as well as a special shampoo for itchy scalps. The products are extremely effective and a little goes a long way, so it’s worth the extra expense in the long run.

A particular favourite hair care range of mine is by a company called Tweak’d. The whole range is made with none of the ‘nasties’ that most shampoos and conditioners contain, where you get a huge lather, which often strips your hair and scalp.

Tweak’d consists of natural ingredients that feed your hair and scalp. I adore the Rise & Shine Cleansing Volumizing Scrub. It takes a little time to adjust to, but the process is simple. You put a small amount of clay in your hands, add a little water and rub your hands together until it forms a cream. Then you apply to your scalp, massage in and leave for a couple of minutes before washing out and continuing with your conditioner. My scalp feels fantastic afterwards and I look forward to this weekly ritual.

None of the products in this range lather in the way we are used to, but they work in a far better way. Once converted, it will be hard to go back.

I think these two resolutions will be easy to keep, plus you will love the results. Good luck!