The dry, cold weather of the winter can generally cause our feet to become dry and callused or cracked. The severity of this common foot problem can range from having dry, scaly looking skin all the way to causing problems with standing, walking and the risk of infections.
The skin of our feet is dry by nature because, contrary the rest of our skin, our feet don't have any oil glands to keep them moisturized on their own. Our feet depend on our sweat glands to help keep them stay moisturized and they don't do a very good job of it. Nearly all people should moisturize their feet on a daily basis. Dry feet are quite common in seniors and diabetics who should take extra care of their feet.
There are many causes of dry feet, the most prevalent being cold weather and the dry air caused by our home and office heating systems during the winter months. Other factors that could change the skin of our feet are non-moisturized soap and extremely hot showers or baths. Spending a lot of hours at the beach can also cause dry skin due to too much sun exposure and the drying property of sand. Some causes of dry feet can be caused by medical circumstances such as diabetes, psoriasis or eczema, and as our skin naturally becomes drier with age.
There are a wide range of symptoms and methods to treat each. For moderate symptoms such as itching, redness or rough skin, relief can be sought through creams and foot baths. More serious symptoms such as cracking and calluses may have to be examined by a specialist as you may be suffering from dermatitis or psoriasis. When your feet become really bad, you may have problems walking or standing for any length of time.
If your feet are at the moderate stage of dryness there are many natural ways to cure the unpleasantness of dry feet.
You can add all sorts of things to a warm foot bath to help soothe your feet and get rid of dry, dead skin through exfoliation.
Lemon juice works well because the acidity of the lemon helps soften the dry skin for easy elimination with foot brush or loofa. Soak for 10 minutes, dry then exfoliate.
Add to your foot bath a capful of baby shampoo along with a cup of white vinegar. Or try a few tablespoons of Epsom salts or baking soda, or a cup of milk.
A combination of lemon juice and olive oil works terrific as a moisturizer. Add a few drops of your favorite scented oil and mix together into a milky liquid. Make a batch of this and apply as needed, shaking bottle prior to each use.
Vaseline and lemon juice also works nicely, if you leave it on overnight and exfoliate in the morning. It's a good idea to wear socks over this mixture so as not to discolor your sheets at night.
When you're sitting in front of the TV, slather on a banana mash and sit with your feet up for half an hour, then rinse.
My favorite solution involves cocoa butter, Epsom salts and plastic wrap. First immerse your feet in the Epsom salts to draw out the dryness of your skin and then pat dry. Next slather on lots of the cocoa butter (you can use other moisture based lotions but nothing that is alcohol based) and wrap your whole foot in plastic wrap and put on a pair of socks. Go to bed and dream of beautiful feet , then rub your feet in the morning. If you do this for three days straight, I'm sure you'll see a great change.
These natural, homemade recipes should help out with mild to moderate dry feet, but if you find that your feet are not responding after a few weeks of applications, you should request the advice of your doctor. Your general practitioner may recommend you to a specialist, who should be a podiatrist rather than a dermatologist as a podiatrist is trained to treat skin conditions of the feet.
Author Resource:-
I hope you liked this story and found the natural remedies useful. If you'd like to discover more easy and natural ways to cure prevalent skin conditions, or for loads of natural skincare tips, please check out another of my articles, Soothing Bath Recipes Made Naturally. Or go to Natural Skincare Secrets Simplified and sign up for the newsletter to have interesting and descriptive skincare tips and tricks sent to you by email.
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