Cracked and dry feet can be a painful and long lasting problem. Caused by dehydration, standing for overly long hours, chemical creams, harsh commercial feet treatments, and even excessive water exposure, cracked heels definitely make you want to hide your feet.
Flip flop season suddenly doesn’t feel so exciting when you’re the only one on the beach having to hide your heels. Do not despair, there are natural ways to help alleviate the stress that is brought on by these pesky heel fissures.
Here are four easy things you can do without having to spend a lot of time or money to have the best looking heels in town.
Heal From The Inside
Often the first thought of many when faced with a skin problem is to plaster the area with cream and advertised solutions. While these methods may provide temporary relief, the long-term problem is not addressed and many of them can actually be counter productive because they contain harsh chemicals that draw moisture from the skin rather than replacing it.
The first place you should look for relief is to think from the inside out by hydrating the entire body. Not sure how much water you should be drinking? It is probably more than you think.
The recommended method for finding how much water you should actually drink each day is to take your body weight in ounces and half it. This will provide a good baseline to put you on the road to hydration.
Drinking enough water will keep your entire body functioning smoothly including every organ – especially your skin. Keep up the regime of drinking plenty of water consistently and you will notice a huge improvement in your skin tone and moisture level.
Socks and Olive Oil
Sometimes you have to hide your pretty new pedicure for the sake of healthy feet. Even wearing regular cotton socks at night can help trap the moisture in. To increase the benefit, rub your feet with a little extra virgin olive oil. The method is simple, start with clean and dry feet, then use a cotton ball to apply a generous amount of olive oil onto your cracked heels. Cover with socks, and wake up to softer feet and no messy residue left from the treatment.
Vitamins
Natural vitamins and minerals can exponentially increase the healing of heel fissures. Adding zinc rich foods to your diet can help heal cracks and prevent further ones from forming. Foods high in zinc include cooked oysters, wheat germ, spinach, pumpkin seeds, and yogurt.
Omega-3 fatty acid rich foods also help and include, flax seeds, walnuts, salmon and other cold-water fish. Just be sure to always purchase fresh caught, not farm-raised fish and eat organic whole food as much as possible. A diet laden with refined and fast foods is never conducive to overall health and well-being.
Coconut Oil Scrub
There’s the problem of needing to add moisture to your feet but also the necessity of getting off all that nasty, flaking dead skin. This simple, homemade exfoliating foot scrub will provide the perfect balance.
You will need:
- Organic coconut oil
- Lavender essential oil
- Water
- Sugar
Get a small dish or jar that you will use to mix the scrub in and store the extra. Put two tablespoons of slightly softened coconut oil into the container. Add a teaspoon of hot water. Mix in a few drops of lavender essential oils. Put in a tablespoon of brown or white sugar and stir well until everything is combined.
Apply this homemade foot scrub when you’re in the shower or over the sink. Rinse off well and pat feet dry.
Cracking feet are not a sentence to the rest of your summer spent in sneakers, nor are they an excuse to not go out and do things. These heel fissures can be cured and prevented with a little care and attention. They key to success lies in consistency. Be sure you are giving your feet the love they deserve and they will reward you by looking and feeling great.
Sources for this article include:
- health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2013/09/13/the-truth-about-how-much-water-you-should-really-drink
- www.sunwarrior.com/news/is-coconut-oil-good-for-skin
- www.foot-pain-explained.com/heel-fissure.html
