Are you having issues with your feet, such as dry, rough skin or even sweaty, smelly feet? Below are eight things you can do to take care of your feet.
- Wear Shoes That Fit
Wearing comfortable shoes with a snug fit is essential especially for people who are frequently on their feet; such as runners and waitresses. Wearing the wrong pair will tear the feet quickly. Shoes with a tight fit rub against the feet leading to unsightly and painful corns and blisters. As such, people should be careful when purchasing footwear and go for something stylish and attractive like this from Sole Trader. Inasmuch as you may have to take some time to break in some shoes, it is vital to ensure that what you get feels comfortable and not just focus on the aesthetics of the pair. In addition to this, checking out some insoles with Shoe Hero will add the comfort of the shoe and the overall health of your feet.
- Soak Your Feet Often
Feet occasionally develop dry, rough skin. It is possible to mitigate this by soaking them from time to time; it will keep them soft and clean. A bucket of warm water is enough to do the trick, though you can still opt for something else such as a luxurious footbath at a spa. At home, you can add several drops of scented essential oils such as rose or lavender essential oil to give your home footbath a luxurious oomph. Let the feet soak for around 10-15 minutes; they become pruned if they stay for too long and this will not aid in removing the dry, dead skin.
- Scrub
After the soak, give the feet a good scrub paying more attention to the dry areas to remove the rough, dry, dead skin making soft and smooth. A facial scrub and work for this and followed with a pumice stone; rub these over the rough parts of the feet. Keep in mind that the pumice stone works best when the skin is damp and run it along the grains of the feet.
- Let Your Feet Breathe
Allow your feet to have a breather when you get home. Remove your shoes and put up your feet to rest. They most likely will have collected sweat and dirt during the day even if you are wearing quality cotton socks, especially during the warm day. Let them rest for a while before you wash them. Always clean and lotion the feet before wearing shoes, and put on a fresh pair of cotton socks and clean shoes. The socks will help lock in moisture and prevent the shoes from getting damp. Remember dirty feet that are full of sweat make for the perfect breeding grounds for diseases and other problems such as athlete’s foot.
- Remove Your Polish
Too much of nail polish wear down the nails. It is wise to give them some time to breathe before applying a new coat. Always ensure the old layers of polish are removed and the nails buffed before reapplying a new coat. Give them a few hours before the next coat of polish and remember to use a brand that has properties that strengthen the nails.
- Trim Your Nails
Ingrown toenails are painful and unsightly; the same goes for broken ones. Trimming them is the most effective way of preventing such issues. However, cut them to the suitable length; do not trim them too short because it will feel uncomfortable especially when wearing socks.
- Moisturize The Feet
The use of quality foot creams or natural oils is an answer to baby-soft feet. Since the skin on your feet is thicker than any other part of the body, the feet require thicker oils or creams than what is applied to the rest of the body. For creams, give preference to products with coconut oil and Vitamin E; the latter is also a common product in foot massage because it soothes and hydrates dry and tired feet. For adversely dry skin problems, regular soaks, and moisturizing treatments offer the ideal remedy. A few minutes in a warm foot bath and them massaging them with cocoa butter and putting on cotton socks will lead to soft and smooth feet in the morning.
- Wash With Purified Water
Unfortunately, some people seemingly have feet more prone to issues. Some will apply lotion and take some measures to prevent their heals from cracking but all in vain. They will try different products, but nothing seems to work. Well, the cause is often in their surroundings. For instance, they may be in an area with hard water, which is known to cause the skin to be dry and flakey. As time, they could be using tap water, and this is not seating well with their sink. For such people, purified or well-treated water is their only recourse to having soft and smooth feet.