Although many of us will be staying put this year, there is still plenty of reason to get super excited for the up and coming summer months, especially as lockdown starts to ease. But are you ready for those beachy sandals?
In this article, we will be exploring some home remedies to remove dead skin, cure cracked heels and get your feet summer ready!
Hopefully, you won’t need to rush out to the shops to get any of the home remedies we are going to suggest today, and with some luck, you may just find everything you need in your kitchen cupboards.
HERE ARE OUR TOP TIPS TO CURE UNSIGHTLY FEET.
Before we get onto the home treatments, we just want to make sure we have covered the basics. This should be done before treatment to ensure the very best results.
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Soak your feet in warm water for up to 20 minutes.
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Scrub your feet with a pumice stone to remove any hard skin.
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Dry your feet with a soft towel; avoid scrubbing them dry.
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Trim toenails, but make sure you do not over cut them.
If you do keep on top of your foot care, then at this point, a moisturiser or oil, such as coconut, will keep your feet soft and beach-ready. Remember to do this weekly to keep thick hard skin from building up.
Now onto the home remedies for that extra care.
Believe it or not, foot care practice goes back 2400 BC in Ancient Egypt, with some of the treatments and ingredients used back then still recommended and used today. Items such as garlic or, more recently, and bizarrely, vapour rub can be applied to cure cracked heels. Let’s explore!
THE GARLIC TREATMENT
A 2009 review found that garlic has some antifungal and antimicrobial capabilities. Although it may leave your feet smelling a little, it has been known to cure fungal infections such as athletes’ feet and leave them feeling healthier.
There are two ways to use this treatment –
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Crush the garlic to a paste and apply directly on to the affected area.
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Chop garlic and place in a bowl of warm water, and leave your feet to soak for twenty minutes.
For a more “fresh” treatment, you could try ….
THE LISTERINE AND VINEGAR TREATMENT
Listerine contains thymol (an antibacterial composition) and alcohol which will again help fight off fungal infections and treat plantar warts. Whereas vinegar is a mild acid that will help soften dry, dead skin ready for you to exfoliate.
What to do –
Find a suitable bowl for your feet and add one full cup of Listerine, one full cup of white vinegar and two cups of warm water. Simply leave your feet to soak in this solution for 20 minutes, and then scrub your feet with a pumice stone to remove dead skin.
VAPOUR RUB
Many people would have heard of this trick, either from a parent or grandparent, and it has been used for many ailments, including stopping a dry cough, ease muscle aches or pains or healing dry, cracked heels.
To use this method to cure cracked heels simply –
Rub a thick layer of vapour rub onto your feet before getting into bed for the night,, concentrating on the heel area and put on some cotton socks. This is to protect your sheets and lock in the rub.
Make sure you wash your feet in the morning!
THE BANANA RUB
Banana is a natural skin moisturiser that also helps maintain the skin’s elasticity due to its rich vitamins.
Simply –
Take two ripe bananas (it is vital the bananas are ripe!) and mash them into a paste. Rub the paste all over your feet and leave it on for twenty minutes. Rinse once done and pat dry with a soft towel.
THE RICE FLOUR, HONEY, AND VINEGAR TREATMENT
By far my favourite as this remedy really gives you that spa treatment feeling. With the natural antiseptic trait, honey helps heal cracked feet, and as above the vinegar will help break down that hard, dry skin. The flour, in this instance, helps exfoliate and remineralises the skin. If you do not have rice flour, you can always swap this out for sugar to give you that exfoliation that would be missing without this coarse ingredient.
Make up your scrub by –
Taking two tablespoons of rice flour, one tablespoon of honey and just a couple of drops of cider vinegar to create a thick paste. Soak your feet for 15 to 20 minutes, and then use your paste as a natural foot scrub.
JUST HONEY
If you only have honey in your cupboards at home, then simply mix half a cup of honey into a bowl suitable to soak your feet in. Leave your feet to soak for twenty minutes and then exfoliate and dry.
Remember, all of the above should be done at least twice a week until you achieve your desired effect. Thereafter, make sure you maintain your feet by covering the basics listed above, at least once a week.
If you feel you need extra help getting your feet ready for the beach or simply do not have the time and need your feet treating straight away, get in touch today!
