Cracked feet are a common problem in winter. On the onset of winter if you do not take the right care of the feet there would be undesirable cracks and opens. Even there can be blood oozing and the openings in the feet can be breeding grounds for germs and dirt. Winter is a nightmare for some as they have to withstand the problem of cracked feet.
Showing cracked portions on the feet is really embarrassing. Thus, it is important that you take the right measures to let the feet appear smooth and proper. This way you can keep the feet protected from the undesirable inflictions of winter.
The skin on the feet is generally dry as it doesn’t consists of oil glands. Indeed it depends up on several thousands of sweat glands to keep them moisturized. And, this condition is severe among the people who are under the medication of diabetes, athletes foot – that causes the dry feet and also among the people who are not taking proper care to their feet.
Symptoms of dry feet
Dry feet is a symptom of another problem, an individual who is having dry feet may experience the additional signs like: Flaky skin, cracks in the feet, itchiness, rashes, worse in winter season, rough skin and redness.
Causes of dry feet
When there is no proper moisture in the feet it leads to the heavy dryness and some other common factors of dry feet includes.
- Using harsh soaps
- Soaking or retaining the foot in hot water for long time
- Excess hot showers
- Cold weather
- Some skin disorders like psoriasis, eczema and etc.
- Medical conditions like thyroid disease or diabetics.
- Heavy exposure to sun
- Aging, it is a common factor leads to dry feet because we lose the moisture as we age.
Homemade remedies for dry cracked feet
The below are the homemade remedies to treat dry feet, how ever consult your doctor before going to try them.
Protecting the skin
It is very important to stay cautious and take proper precautions, especially during the winter season. The skin goes through more damage during the cold. The feet are the least cared part whereas it suffers more damage. It is very necessary to keep your feet covered at all times, even when you are going to bed.
Drinking water
Water keeps your body hydrated and healthy. A healthy body will provide strength to the body to fight against damages and heal the cracked-up skin of your feet.
Exfoliating
Spa for the feet is very crucial during the winter season. After proper washing, the skin of the feet needs to be exfoliated thoroughly in order to remove the old and dead skin and bring up the fresh skin to the surface.
Natural care
Feet are the most ignored part, but it is very important to take care of them during the winters. The best care is natural care. Natural care involves eating fruits, drinking juices and taking in the items that make your body healthy.
Foot mask
Foot mask made up of lemon, salt, glycerine and rose water has proved to be an effective remedy to heal your cracked feet. The salt helps in exfoliating the skin. The lemon juice has acidic properties which have healing effects on the rough and dry skin. The combination of glycerine and rosewater has a soothing effect on your skin and makes it soft.
Natural wax remedy
A mix of paraffin wax and mustard oil has very positive effects on the skin, especially on the cracked and damaged the skin of the heels.
Paraffin wax has a natural soothing element that helps in making your skin feel softer, and this, in turn, proves to be an effective treatment for your cracked heels.
Moisturize
A daily application of moisturizer is a good idea to deal with the dry feet problem. Shop a mild moisturizer and try applying for at least two times a day.
Lemon juice
Squeeze a lemon and add it in to half bucket of water. Now soak your feet in the lemon water for about 10 minutes. The acidic properties of lemon helps to dissolve the dead and flaky skin present over the feet, so it will become easy to remove the dead skin. Use a soft foot brush or loofah to scrub your feet after soaking them.
Olive oil
Pour a half cup of olive oil and half cup of lavender oil in a bottle and shake it well until it forms a thick solution. This mixture works like cracked heel cream. Apply it on the feet when ever you feel like dry feet. Every time you apply, shake it well.
Vegetable oil
Make a habit of applying vegetable oil to your feet after your shower. Well, after the application of oil wear a pair of thick socks.
This remedy when tried before going to bed will help to reduce the cracks on the feet along with the dryness.
Vaseline
Apply Vaseline directly over the dry feet to keep them moisturized. Alternatively you can apply the mixture formed by combining one portion of Vaseline to one portion of lemon juice. Before going to apply this, wash your feet and pat.
Apply it on the entire feet concentrating on cracked areas followed by wearing a pair of cotton socks. This remedy will also works effective in treating the dry feet if you practice it before going to bed.
Soaking the feet is important
First, it is important to have regular foot soaking. For this you need to soak feet in warm water for a long time. However, prolonged soaking can make the feet dry. So you have to take measures for the better protection of the feet.
Just remember to add one fourth cup of apple cider vinegar to the warm water. This should be a separate solution. Once you have taken out feet out of the usual warm water you should make sure to soak both the feet for ten minutes into the vinegar solution.
You can do this at least for three days in a week and then you can go to the next step.
Pumice rock is a good solution
To erase and eliminate all dry skins from the feet you can apply pumice stone. This is the variety of natural volcanic rock and it is a great tool to get rid of those unwanted dry skin at the heel area.
However, you can only apply pumice stone when your feet are wet and soft. This is the best way you can smoothen the heel area and the sole of your feet. You have to rub the stone hard on the parts where the skin has become too dry and scaly. You can so this at least one in a week after you have soaked your feet in warm water.
In case the cracks are large and painful and there is blood then the method can really be painful. However, not to make things adverse it is best that you talk to a podiatrist in time. He would be the best person to advice you the measures in the right way.
This way you can really save the feet from major damage. The kind of feet will take time to heal, but you should strictly follow the measures being suggested.
The effects of natural moisturizer
When all the scrubbing is over it is time that you take care of the feet and plan to moisturize the same.
You can apply the natural moisturizing agents at night before going to bed and when you get up the next morning you will find your feet so smooth and soft. For this you can make use of any natural moisturizer and apply it well on the portions of the heel and soul. The effect of the same is sure to be fantastic.
Shea butter can change the nature of your feet
You can even treat your feet with coconut Shea butter. This is an amazing recipe for your cracked feet. These are special nuts found in Africa. From the nuts you get a creamy fatty substance in the coloured form and this contains a good amount of Vitamin A and Vitamin E.
The same is also rich in contents of essential oils and fatty acids. The application of the same on the feet is going to give the best result. So you can be happy to apply Shea butter on the affected parts of the feet.
Coconut oil can greatly heal the cracked feet
Coconut oil is one more ingredient which can be used to heal the damaged parts of the feet. There is no doubt that coconut oil is great for application and the effect starts immediately.
The oil is a kind of saturated fat and it can really help the feet heal in time. This is the best winter recipe for the feet you can have. The oil can moisturize and nourish the feet well and once you start the application before winter starts then the effect is greatly witnessed.
Salt and lime remedy
Your feet is soft and delicate as any other part of your body. But, people hardly care about their feet. Especially when the winter wind strikes the extreme cold gives rise to cracked feet. The skin over your heels becomes rough.
It is the time for you to go ahead with cracked feet remedy. Salt and lime is one among the remedies of the cracked feet. All you require for this remedy will be a tablespoon of salt, 2 cups of glycerin, pumice stone and warm water.
Procedure
You should take a bowl and add 2-3 cups of water. You need to add 10 drops of lemon juice, 2 spoons of rose water, a tablespoon of salt. Now dip your feet in water for 2-3 minutes. Then you will find that the skin across your heels have become soft.
You need to use the pumice stone to remove the dead skin layer from the skin. Then you must apply paste of lime and little salt in it. The granules of salt will remove the skin layer. Then wash it with warm water, dry it with lower and apply little glycerin or moisturizer.
Banana foot mask
You can now get a spectacular foot mask in a natural way. For this you will require banana as a pulp. Now clean your legs and take away the dead skin layer from it. It will be great if you can dip your feet in warm water. Once it is done you need to remove water and apply the banana foot mask with banana pulp and honey as its main ingredients.
You need to apply the pulp over your feet and heels. Let it be for half an hour time. Once the time is over you need to wash it off with water. The warm water will be fine for this remedy. Once you have washed with warm water apply olive oil or a deep moisturizer as it is winter and you need protection of legs.
