With warm weather finally here, I've started wearing sandals, but my feet are extremely dry and rough, especially my heels. Does anyone have any good ideas on how to soften feet and get them ready for summer? I've also got some calluses that need some attention! I can't afford a pedicure so have to do it myself.
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What I do is, every night after I get in bed, I rub Vaseline or another brand of Petroleum Jelly, all over my feet. I keep an old towel down at the end of the bed on top of the bottom sheet where my feet go so the petroleum jelly won't stain the sheets. (I don't worry about the top sheet because I never have my feet covered since they're hot all the time.)
If you do cover your feet up, just pull the towel up over your feet. But do use a towel; before I started using one, I stained the sheets pretty bad! This has worked better for me more than anything else I've ever tried, no more dry, cracked heels.
I previously suggested on this site a method for stopping foot itch. To soften feet, simply use one drop of Palmolive dish soap on your feet before going to bed at night.
Here in Canada, we have a foot cream called Tinactin which I highly recommend. Both Tinactin and Palmolive rinse off in the shower and do not grease your bed sheets. Soon, your feet will smell sweet and feel soft in no time. I also recommend you spray your shoes with Tinactin powder.
I rarely take care of my feet, but when I do, they are quick fix me up remedies that'll have your feet looking like stunner!
First, for calluses and rough heels you will want to wash your feet absolutely clean. A mild soap and a foot brush would seem ideal here. Dunk your puppies in water and brush brush brush! Get them very clean and then dry them.
After you do that, clip your toe nails, push your cuticles, remove any little grimey bits and take off residual nail polish.
Now you have nice clean dry feet! Take a gentle and clean pumice stone and rub in a gentle circular motion on the problematic areas. Dust off the scruff. It's getting smoother...
Fill a pan or bowl (big enough for your feet) with very warm water. Add a touch of baby oil or cooking oil into the water. Dunk your feet in and give them a good massage in the warm water. This will instantly soften up your feet and lock in some much needed moisture.
Pull out feet after a good 10 minutes or so and pat them dry (keeping some of the oils on your tootsies). Now on the last thing...
Don't bother with expensive creams and lotions that do half of the job. Get a nice bit of vaseline to work with and smooth it over your feet, especially the problem areas. Put on fresh cotton socks or ankle socks. Sleep.
Wake up to beautiful feet.
Also, you might want to do this as often as you can, just don't practice the pumice stone after the first go. Don't walk around the house barefoot, or outside. Save barefootedness for special occasions.
I broke my ankle last year, and the podiatrist really opened my eyes about a few things. First off, according to him, lots of people get fungal or skin infections from pedicures. It's probably fine if you go to a good place, but you may be better off doing it yourself!
You can get a kit of pedicure equipment, often with directions, and use it over and over again to save money. Be very careful about rough mechanical skin removal if you have diabetes or tend to suffer from infections.
Dry heals are common (I'm almost an RN) and the build up of dead skin there can lead to heel pain, where it hurts a moment or two when you get up to walk, causing a slight limp. That's not the dead skin directly, but the way it shifts how your shoes fit and the damage done deep in the heel of the foot. The skin that builds up, anywhere on the foot, is actually protective from some irritation.
Check your shoes, before you remove the build up of skin or calouses so that you don't develop blisters instead. Again, if you have any history of diabetes or sores that heal slowly, infections etc., don't be too rough with your feet.
Actually, open shoes should be rarely worn if you have diabetes or circulation issues affecting your feet, so maybe you already are clear of that issue.
There are some fun books out there on how to do your own pedicure. The other thing is to use alcohol first on all equipment, even if it's just yours. The reason is that in the unlikely event that you damage your tissue, or cut yourself with the equipment it's already clean.
You can transmit disease, some very serious, with shared equipment due to tiny bits of tissue or blood.
I know, it's all medical and you were looking for more fun stuff. But it is fun, more so, when you know you won't hurt yourself. And it's actually lucky you can't go somewhere else, less risk of complications! Have a good time!
I know EXACTLY what you can do! ........ ok its gross but it works! Get your bootie type slippers. Get your saran wrap and wrap your feet all the way up the ankles, not too tight but comfortable. Put the slippers on and lounge around 3 or 4 hours. When they are 'done' - ewwwww LOL!
Buy an exfoliator and scrub your feet with it before bedtime. Use a heavy cream and rub it into your feet. Put socks over it and leave overnight.
Buy cheaply a bottle of Corn Huskers Lotion at any drug store - drench you feet in the lotion covering with ankle high socks and sleep in them for a few nights - your feet will soften I promise! Good Luck!
I also use the vaseline but I use those small socks that you don't see in your shoes to sleep in. I love going barefoot but hated how my feet look, not anymore, now I shop all summer for sandals!
Use a pumice every day at the END of the shower. BUT gently, do not try to scrub it all off in one day! Your body will freak and make more skin cells and you'll continue to have rough feet, cuz' the body keeps making more cells!!! Also, don't waste your money on those expensive foot shaped plastic ones that risk snapping with continued use, go to the plumbing/toilet dept. of any store and buy their toilet pumice, it's usually under $2 and it last WAY longer! Let it dry between uses, or I douse mine in bleach every couple of weeks and let it sun dry to kill any germs. My hubby uses it to get the glue off his hands from plumbing, and makes my feet softer!
I also use Bag Balm at night, in the pet food/care aisle, in a green can. Don't worry about what it says about putting on your uders! it works wonders on all dry skin!
Get a small sander,,,maybe u have one or husband or friend,,,get some coarse sandpaper...
then sand away all dead skin from heels...and
some dry skin from underneath....
it will feel funny at first but do not worry it really works
good luck
chamomile tea, with sea salts, with some scented oils, lavendar or rose water works great...
any thing from your kitchen can work to soften feet.
make a scrub yourself...
vaseline and socks every night. it softens the skin.
callouses = soak your feet with some oils and epsom salts till they get soft, and then use a foot file on that dead skin. dry, lotion up with vaseline and put on those socks! cheap and effective
Lily, please expand on "saran wrap". I don't know if we have this in South Africa! Does anyone have another name for it?
Editor's Note: What is Saran Wrap? Saran Wrap is a brand name for a thin, clingy, plastic wrap that you can use for wrapping food or covering bowls of food.
Noxzema,is really good for softening your feet,not just for the face anymore!!!
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