Summer is here! Whether you are holidaying overseas or enjoying a break closer to home, it is likely that you will be donning your flip flops and baring your feet. However, frequent changes in temperature, dipping in and out of water, and barefoot walks on the sand, may mean that the skin on your feet becomes drier than it was before the summer started.
How can you repair dry and cracked skin on your feet?
The skin on your feet is the hardest skin on the body and the soles of our feet don’t have any oil glands. This can consequently leave your feet feeling dehydrated, dry, and even cracked.
We would advise that an intense, concentrated, foot cream is used to penetrate the tough skin on the feet. An everyday body lotion or cosmetic foot cream is unlikely to provide the penetration needed to efficiently repair extremely dry, cracked skin on the feet.
Before applying an intensive foot cream, exfoliating can help prepare your feet. First, soak your feet. A footbath filled with warm water works well and if you want to soothe your feet, Epsom salts can help.
To exfoliate, a pumice stone is the best implement to have to hand. It effectively removes hard skin from the heels and other areas. Apply and press the pumice stone to the area with the tough skin and rub back and forth to remove the dead skin, ensuring that you stop before the skin becomes irritated.
Once your feet are exfoliated, be sure that you use an intensive foot cream. There are properties found within an intensive foot cream that can help to not only repair, but can also improve the look and feel of dry skin, sometimes in a matter of days.
The first ingredient that will help to repair dry and cracked skin is glycerin. Glycerin helps the skin to attract moisture and works to retain it, effectively locking moisture in.
The next ingredient you should look for is Allantoin. Allantoin is a skin conditioner that contains protecting properties to help make skin smoother and healthier.
With regular application of an intensive foot cream containing glycerin and allantoin, you will notice a change in the look and feel of the dry skin on your feet.
How can you maintain moisturised, healthy feet?
If you are on your feet all day, if you regularly participate in a sport, or your summer activities have taken a toll on your feet, a massage can release tension in your feet and boost circulation. By taking a few minutes at the end of the day to massage your feet, your skin will feel refreshed.
To maintain moisturised and supple feet, the most important advice of all is to ensure that you regularly apply an intensive foot cream, in the morning, after showering or bathing and before bedtime.
How can you prevent dry skin on your feet from returning?
We often hear tales of people moisturising their feet at night and then wearing socks or wrapping their feet in Clingfilm, sandwich bags, or even tin foil, to try to lock moisture in. Unfortunately, this can turn out to be not very effective.
When using an intensive foot cream, it is important that your feet are left exposed and uncovered, at bedtime, to allow the moisture to be drawn in from the air. If your feet are covered up, moisture can’t be drawn into the skin and the results won’t be as successful as when the skin on the feet is left uncovered.
Once you have repaired the dry skin on your feet and put a regular foot care routine in place, you should successfully prevent dry skin from returning.
Your feet will be ready for the next party season, and next summer you will be proud to show off your supple, moisturised healthy feet!
O’Keeffe’s Healthy Feet differs from other foot creams on the market due to its unique formulation of moisturising ingredients. These ingredients help to penetrate the thicker and rougher surface skin on the feet and provide guaranteed relief that can be felt in days. It is also free from scents and is non-greasy, so that the skin on the feet is moisturised, and it’s hypoallergenic.
Further Reading:
Finding The Right Pairs of Shoes For Your Baby’s First Steps
