How to Get Dry Skin Off Your Feet

DECORATED SANDALS

Healthy feet with soft, smooth skin don't have to be a luxury. With a little extra attention and care, your feet can have beautiful smooth skin without any dry patches, flakes or peeling skin. Sometimes dead skin builds up due to lack of care, too little moisture, too much sun or humidity changes. Other times, too much moisture from being in socks or shoes all day contributes to peeling, dry, irritated skin. Adding a few steps to a weekly or monthly foot-care routine can eliminate dry skin quite easily.

Things You'll Need

• Small tub
• Product for a foot bath or shampoo
• Small towel
• Foot scrub product
• Loofah, scrubbing stone, or foot exfoliating stick
• Foot or body lotion
• Socks
• Foot spray or cream (optional)

Instructions

Soak, Scrub and Moisturize

1. Fill a small tub or a bath tub deep enough to cover the feet with warm water. Add foot soak or bath product according to the directions or a dime-sized amount of shampoo. Soak feet for 5 to 15 minutes. Dry feet with a soft towel.

2. Rub a foot scrub product all over the feet. Massage in and scrub feet. Wash the foot scrub off of feet and dry. Now use either a loofah, scrubbing stone or exfoliating stick to scrub the feet, and pay particular attention to any spots that have dry skin buildup. Rub feet briskly with towel to cause the remaining dry skin to fall off.

3. Apply moisturizer to feet. Massage lotion into skin, which increases the blood flow and skin health. Cover feet with socks to allow the lotion to be fully absorbed and the skin to be moist and softened, and most important, dry-skin free.

Tips & Warnings

• If dry skin is very thick, painful to remove, or not clearing up after two weeks of over-the-counter foot spray or foot cream, it may be necessary to see a physician or specialist. Stubborn peeling skin on the sides or bottom of the feet or between toes might need an over the counter or prescribed foot spray to be applied as recommended by the directions to clear up dry skin permanently.

• Persistent dry skin can be a symptom of a larger health problem, see a doctor if dry skin is cracking, bleeding, painful, spreading or persistent. If you have diabetes, your skin care needs are very different (see resources). Always seek the advice of your family medical practitioner or a specialist in the area.

References

• Taking care of your feet
• Foot Care for Diabetes: Material Adapted from American Diabetes Association
• Athlete's Foot: Symptoms-MayoClinic

Resources

• Recipe for an Easy Lavender Salt Foot Soak-All Natural, Refreshing, & Relaxing
• Signs and Symptoms of Athlete's Foot for Kids and Parents