Dry feet? Cracked feet? Read on...

Dry feet? You're not alone. Many are afflicted, but don’t worry, though there are some remedies to help get your tootsies back to moist and silky in no time!

Dry skin on your feet can be caused by a number of factors including diabetes, chronic skin problems such as eczema or psoriasis, certain prescription drugs, age and improperly fitting shoes. Some of the more popular and easily treatable causes are frequent hot bathing or showering, frequent swimming in chlorinated pools, walking barefoot and low humidity.

Since the feet have no oil glands and rely solely (a pun maybe?) on sweat glands to moisturize them, obesity and standing in one spot too long for many years can actually destroy sweat glands, causing dryness to become a chronic problem.

Dry skin often takes the form of peeling and flaking skin, thick hard skin notably around the edge of the heels, a tight or taut painful feeling around the feet and itching. If you have any blistering around the toes though in addition to these symptoms, it is most likely athlete’s foot and other remedies would have to be considered. If your feet are cracked really, really badly you should see a doctor. In severe cases doctors have prescribed special heel cups to prevent the heels from spreading out while bearing weight to help cracks heal and sometimes even tissue glue to hold really bad cracks together!

The best way to tackle really dry feet is to exfoliate then moisturize. The exfoliation strips away the dead, dry skin allowing the newer, fresher skin underneath to be moisturized and softened.  If you are following our pedicure guide, then you will be exfoliating and moisturizing in the steps outlined. It is necessary however that you keep up with the exfoliation and moisturizing in between pedicures as well.

For excessively dry feet, in between pedicures, prepare a basic Epsom salt foot soak (1/2 cup Epsom salt to a large vessel) and soak your feet for about 10 minutes. Dry them, then scrub with a pumice stone or foot file (loofahs may not be abrasive enough for this heavy duty work). Be very careful  though, if you have a large amounts of dry skin, overzealous scrubbing may take off more skin than you expect leading to over sensitive feet and even more cracks. So be careful and try not to file all away in one sitting. Be patient.

The choice of moisturizer will be the key in dealing with your dry feet. If your feet have already begun to crack, peel and bleed, you’ve got to be careful what you choose so you don’t aggravate the situation. Some lotions contain perfumes and dyes that can sting and be downright painful when applied to feet that have cracked so bad they bleed. Some lotions even contain alcohol which will dry out your skin even more.

The best moisturizer to use on cracked, dry feet is one that is free of all of the dyes, perfumes and other chemicals that can make a bad situation even worse. How can you be sure the moisturizer you’re using doesn’t have these harsh chemcials? Fairly simple question, actually so simple even a baby could answer it. They should be able to - since these products are made especially for them.

You guessed it - baby lotion! Baby lotions are normally made with only the most delicate ingredient because a baby’s skin is even more delicate. These lotions and moisturizers are sure to be safe enough to put on your cracked feet without adding aggravating chemicals. Johnson’s Baby lotion is a stellar product by the way.

The best way to go about it is to use the baby lotion and add some emollient combinations to really help soften the feet as you moisturize. The pedicure guide page lists a few of them but some notable ones that are proven to work with the Johnson’s Baby Lotion are Spearmint and Eucalyptus oil. Be sure to thoroughly mix your concoctions.

Adding emollients isn’t necessary though but if you find that the baby lotion alone isn’t enough to handle a severe case - add some emollients. A few drops are all that’s needed so a mixture like one ounce baby lotion to about five drops of emollient should be fine.

Be careful though because some people, especially children may be allergic to certain emollients such as Eucalyptus. Don’t use your special mixture on your face unless you are sure which emollients can work on such a very sensitive area. You may want to talk to your doctor before adding something you or a loved may be allergic to.

So exfoliate, lather yourself good with your “specially engineered lotion” then try to keep it intact to work its magic. The best time to do this is at night while you sleep. A good pair of white, cotton socks should do the trick to make sure the special ointment doesn’t rub off on your sheets. Why white? Dyes that can irritate cracked feet aren’t usually used to make white socks. So they should be dye free.

Doing this daily should help you see a change in your dry, cracked peeling feet after a few applications. Once you get your dry feet under control, you can forego the soaking and just moisturize probably every night or every other night or when you see the need. Just be careful not to let your feet get back to the same dry, cracked state!

Link to the pedicure guide from the dry feet page