The dry, cold weather of the winter can frequently cause our feet to become dry and callused or cracked. The severity of this widespread foot problem can range from having dry, scaly looking skin all the way to causing problems with standing, walking and the prospect of infections.
The skin of our feet is dry naturally because, unlike the rest of our skin, our feet don't have any oil glands to keep them moisturized on their own. Our feet rely on our sweat glands to help keep them stay moisturized and they don't do a very good job of it. Most people should moisturize their feet on a consistent basis. Dry feet are very prevalent in seniors and diabetics who should take extra care of their feet.
Just like the rest of our body, our skin dries out more during the winter because of the cold temperatures and the dry heat of home and office heating systems. Using non-moisturizing soap along with having very hot baths and showers also helps to dry skin. There are also medical conditions such as diabetes, psoriasis and eczema which will exacerbate skin that is already dry. Other natural enemies of our feet can be age and spending too much time in the sun or walking on hot, dry surfaces.
As discussed there are a wide range of severities with separate symptoms and cures for each. Mild symptoms can go from itchiness and red, rough or peeling skin to calluses and cracks or fissures in our heels. Rashes are quite common, usually brought on by scratching due to the itching. When our feet get to the point of cracking, other complications may crop up. Walking can become painful and spending time on your feet may have to be restricted. More menacing skin circumstances may happen, such as psoriasis or dermatitis which may have to be treated with prescription creams or drugs.
For feet that aren't too far gone, there are lots of organic ways that you can correct the problem of dry, itching feet.
Soaking your feet in a foot bath with organic healing ingredients added is a marvelous way to slough of the old, dead skin to make way for newer, healthy skin.
Lemon juice works well because the acidity of the lemon helps soften the dry skin for easy removal with foot brush or loofa. Soak for 10 minutes, dry then exfoliate.
One cup of white vinegar and a cap of baby shampoo added to your foot bath will help tenderize feet when soaked for 10 to 15 minutes. The same goes for adding few tablespoons of baking soda or Epsom salts to your foot bath. Or try a cup of milk; it's a perfect natural moisturizer.
A great organic moisturizer can be made by combining olive oil and lemon juice, along with a couple of drops of lavender, or which every type of essential oil you prefer. This mixture can be made by the batch and stored in a container for everyday use. Just be sure to shake it before application.
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 dirty 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 remedy 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 envelop your whole foot in plastic wrap and put on a pair of socks. Go to bed and dream of exquisite feet , then rub your feet in the morning. If you do this for three days in a row, 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 physician may recommend you to a specialist, who should be a podiatrist rather than a dermatologist as a podiatrist is equipped to treat skin conditions of the feet.
Author Resource:-
I hope you liked this article and found the natural remedies helpful. If you'd like to uncover more simple and natural ways to cure common skin conditions, or for tons of natural skincare tips, please check out another of my stories, Facial Excercises Are Like Having A Facelift With Surgery. Or go to Natural Skincare Secrets Simplified and sign up for the newsletter to have interesting and enlightening skincare tips and tricks sent to you by email.
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