We know several people, men and women, who have had the experience.  Went to have a manicure and pedicure, an experience that is at once relaxing and invigorating – and for women, sends them off with twinkle toes.

Then it appears.  The uninvited.  Perhaps your nails might start to hurt.  Or there is discoloration under the toenail bed that wasn’t there before – yellow, green.  Or the nails get thick and bumpy.  Unfortunately my friend, it’s fungus or a bacterial infection.

They’re more common than you might think, and sometimes a bear to get rid of.  A cut cuticle or unsanitized equipment in the salon can lead to an oozing or fungus that is really hard to find a matching polish for.  WebMD explains that over-the-counter anti-fungal products work for some, but occasionally a person is driven to their doctor for a prescription.  If it gets that severe, it may take weeks to months to kill the infection.

Prevention sounds like the answer here, doesn’t it?  Enter SaniManiPedi, a nifty little cocktail of soothing, cleansing and antiseptic oils designed to be squirted – discreetly or otherwise – into your pre-pedicure footbath. It’s not a disinfectant, so it won’t kill germs that may already be in the tub. However, the antiseptic oils – including Origanum Vulgare (oregano) oil, an ancient healing herb — will supposedly minimize the effect of those bothersome bacteria on your tootsies.  The other “bioactives” in the mix are JoJoba Oil, Sesame Oil, French Lavender Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Wild Thyme Oil and Spanish Rosemary Oil.

The Liquid Solution, $12.95 for a 5-pack, is to take to the salon with you.  For DIY’s they offer The SaniManiPedi Manicure and Pedicure Kit for $49.95 that includes clippers, nippers and pushers of your own so you will never have to worry about catching anyone else’s infection.

The SaniManiPedi website tells us over and over (and over and over) again that the Liquid Solution is 100 percent natural and biodegradable, not tested on animals and that the packaging is eco-friendly. It also offers a number of tips for reducing the risk of infection at the nail salon (such as don’t shave/wax legs 24 hours before a pedi – who knew?).

What the company can’t tell us is whether salon staff will mind that you’re slipping a little something into their footbath. Some nail estheticians may be put off that you’re implying that their tubs or soaking dishes aren’t clean.  But hey, they are your nails – feet or hands, and hey deserve the best “sani.”