Tips To Treat Dry & Cracked Skin On Feet
How To Treat Dry & Cracked Skin On Feet
You get home from work, take your shoes off, and lie down on your couch and groan because your feet are itchy, irritated, tight, or just painful. This can be really uncomfortable when you’re trying to rest. It is annoying but it doesn’t have to be a serious issue.
Wearing shoes that don’t fit your feet properly, lack of foot hygiene, medical conditions, and the small amount of oil glands on the foot area, are all causes of dried and cracked skin.
With these simple yet effective tips, you can treat the dry and cracked skin on your feet and finally relax.
Relax With A Foot Soak
One of the easiest and most relaxing methods to treat dry skin on your feet is a simple foot soak. It is calming and gives instant relief after an active day on your feet, and you don’t have to spend a lot of money.
The warm water from the soak can help bring moisture back to your feet and it can improve blood circulation to prevent the skin from cracking and tightening. Not only will this treat the immediate problem, but it can also prevent a repeat problem.
You can also consider including honey, vinegar, Epsom salt, or oddly enough oatmeal to your foot soak for a more effective treatment. Because of the soothing and healing properties that these ingredients have, it will be more beneficial for the skin. You can use specialized foot spas to relax your tired feet and treat yourself in the comfort of your home.
Use The Correct Moisturizer For Your Skin
When you read the word “moisturizer” on a bottle, you think that it must work for dry skin. Make sure you read the list of ingredients. If it contains alcohol, strong fragrances or any other harsh chemicals, it can actually worsen your condition.
Urea, aloe, and plant-based oils in moisturizers are better than the cheap store-bought ones that have no effect. You can get them at a local drug store and without a doctor’s prescription.
A safe and effective supplement is coconut oil. You can get a jar in almost every store and the results are visible after a couple of uses. One of its properties is that it retains moisture in the skin. You don’t only have to use it for your feet, you can use it for other places on the body as well.
If your feet feel mildly irritated after you apply the moisturizer, don’t worry. This is often an indication that the treatment is working. If the irritation and stinging get worse, you should go see a doctor, because your skin might be sensitive to some of the ingredients.
Remove The Layer Of Dead Skin With Exfoliators
The skin on our body normally sheds every 20 to 30 days. In some cases, the skin doesn’t shed completely and the result is dry and flaky skin.
Exfoliating the area can get rid of this problem. Physical or chemical foot exfoliators are products that remove the dead layer of skin. However, be careful. Overdoing this procedure will irritate your skin and make the situation worse.
Physical exfoliation is done by manually applying foot scrubs or using abrasive materials to scrub the skin off.
You can buy foot scrubs and foot mask peels at local stores or online, but an alternate way is making your own at home. Sugar, coffee, milk, and honey are ingredients that have antioxidants to help remove the dead skin, because of their healing properties the homemade foot scrub is highly recommended.
Using pumice stones, foot files or loofa mitts and gently scrubbing the skin off is also a way you can exfoliate your skin. But make sure you apply the correct products after to help the skin heal again.
Use the same principle as you would when buying moisturizers and read the list of ingredients that are in chemical exfoliators. You might have an allergic reaction to them. These products usually have alpha-hydroxy acids, which are sugary, water-based acids which help with removing the dead skin, and natural enzymes that help renew the skin.
For better results consult a dermatologist to prescribe exfoliators that are suitable for your type of skin to prevent further damage.
Wear Moisturizing Socks
If you are an active person, moisturizing your feet can take away precious time. Consider a pair of socks that can moisturize your feet and you can continue with your everyday life.
The socks contain all of the good minerals and enzymes that help moisturize your skin while renewing it at the same time.
After a couple of uses you can pop them in the wash and leave them to dry. You can get them at your local pharmacy or just order a pair online.
Another simple solution is to apply your moisturizer to your feet and put on some socks that aren’t that tight to make sure that air can normally flow.
Prevention Is Always Better
Now that you have treated the skin on your feet, try to prevent it from happening again.
Make it a habit to have proper foot hygiene. Wash them regularly with warm water and soap, especially after you have been active and come home with sweaty feet.
When buying shoes make sure they are comfortable and good fitting shoes. Wearing shoes that aren’t just right for you can tighten and irritate the skin and it will start to crack and even blister.
Watch out for foot sprays, soaps, washes that contain alcohols and fragrances to prevent the burning and irritating feeling on your feet.
Consider taking a trip to a spa and reward yourself with a professional foot massage that will also help relieve achy feet. It will relax your muscles and skin to improve the blood flow to your feet, and the foot scrubs they use will heal the skin.
Standing on your feet all day long can worsen a dry and cracked skin problem, so when possible, sit down!
Minimize the time you spend in the shower. Taking long, hot showers can dry your skin, not just on your feet but on your whole body. The hot water will destroy all of the natural oils on your skin, which will result in dry, cracked skin.
If you get a bad reaction from one of the treatments, seek medical help!
If you are not sure about these tips to treat dry and cracked skin on your feet, consult a dermatologist so you can get prescribed products specific for the skin on your feet.
Sources:
- How to Fix Cracked Heels at Home, Healthline
- Best remedies for dry skin on the feet, Medical News Today
- How to care for dry, cracked heels, according to dermatologists, NBC News
