Your feet are one of the most hard-working parts of your body. Perhaps you stick them in heels all day and pound them on pavements for your evening run. Or you stand on them all day for work, giving them no rest. If you have excessively dry skin or suffer from a medical condition such as eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis or diabetes, these issues, plus simple neglect of your feet can lead to dry, cracked heels.
So whether you’ve had your feet wrapped up in woolly socks all winter, or you’ve been outdoors for hours in the summer sun, you are susceptible to this horrid affliction. Here’s how to fix it, once and for all…
No more cracks
Before you can start to take care of your feet, you need to get rid of the thick, cracked skin around the rim of your heels. Most normal moisturisers won’t be able to penetrate this hard, dry skin so greater action must be taken. Medi-Heel offers a retail pack for R300 which includes callus remover tonic, neutraliser, a pumice stone, a scraper and a dropper. This chemical peel will soften the hard skin, making it easier to remove. Once you’ve managed to get rid of the offending matter, use a moisturising cream to soothe and repair the skin and keep it soft. Try Sh’Zen Overnight Balm for Feet, R169. The Medi-Heel treatment is also used at many beauty salons if you’d rather someone did it for you.
Daily care
Avoid overly hot baths or showers – if you have dry skin, this will just make it worse. Find a moisturising soap or shower gel, and avoid products that will dry out your skin. During the winter months, apply moisturiser to your feet every morning and evening. In summer, avoid moisturising your feet in the mornings – the heat of the day will cause your feet to become sweaty, and moisturiser will make them slippery which may be hazardous if you’re wearing heels! A great moisturiser to try is Avon Foot Works Double Action Intensive Callus Cream.
Home remedies
Soak your feet in lemon juice for about 10-15 minutes. The acidity will dissolve dead skin, making it easier for you to scrub it off with a loofah. Avoid this remedy if you have any deep cuts.
Just before bedtime, lather your heels in Vaseline and pull on some woollen socks. In the morning, your skin will feel softer. If you do this for a few days, you’ll see a marked difference.
If all else fails, consult a doctor
If the problem is very bad and you are suffering from a medical condition like the ones mentioned above, it’s often a good idea to get advice from your doctor first. A podiatrist is your best bet.
Other articles you may be interested in:
Pumice foot polish
Footworks Beautifully Berry and Vanilla Smoothing Scrub
Summer soft feet
Get your feet flip flop ready
41 comments
Pseudo_kate
Daily care is definitely the answer. I just give my heels a quick scrub with a pumice stone in the shower for a minute every day, followed by a bit of Bio Oil and foot butter from Clicks. I’ve never had to worry about my feet looking bad as a result of this habit.
Make this habit just as important as it is to brush your teeth twice a day.
Sam
I’m guilty of neglecting me feet. Thank you for this article
NaturalDiva
as a dancer my feet are often abused and neglected. i used the avon foot works double action intensive callus cream and it made my feet soft and smooth. i told all me dancer friends to use it! and my mother always told me about putting vaseline on my feet and covering it with socks – guess i should give that a try too
TJK
I really need to focus on my feet. I’m always in such a rush to hop from a hot shower into socks – to keep my feet warm – that i totally forget to moisturize. I’m definitely going to have to break this bad habit!
Simimano
I have bad circulation in my feet and they tend to swell and get very sore and red in winter, I haven’t been looking after them that well lately since I just don’t seem to have the time. Good article about taking care of them feet though, I think I will use the Vaseline on them and purchase some quality socks to keep them super warm and unharmed this winter.
DIVA
I have dark sports on my feet, is there something that can help me with this?
Mpoyif
Vaseline is my best friend during winter! Cheapest beauty product yet!
Ladyconfused
I concur, my feet isnt one of those areas I give a lot of love too, but luckily I dont suffer with seriously cracked heels, but to avoid it happening I think I will start looking after my feet better
me
Never thought of using Vaseline, and using cotton socks is important.
RoseAngel
Thanks for this! My husband has one foot that has cracked heels and I am definitely investing in the medi heel retail pack. Is it available at clicks? Not sure why only the one foot is so dry but will get it fixed up soon