The feet are probably the most sensitive parts of the body. They are flexible bones and joints that collectively work together to help us move from one place to another (thankfully), and also help us to perform fun activities like jumping, dancing, playing sport and so on. The feet are divided into three sections:
The forefoot
The forefoot contains the five toes which are referred to as phalanges, as well as the five long bones which are called metatarsals.
The mid-foot
The mid-foot is a pyramid-like collection of bones that form the arches of the feet, and these include the three cuneiform bones, the cuboid bone, and the navicular bone.
The Hindfoot
The hindfoot forms the heel and ankle. The talus bone supports the leg bones (which consist of the tibia and fibula), forming the ankle. The calcaneus (heel bone) is the largest bone in the foot.
Feet vary from person to person and have different textures and they vary based on different seasons, so it is important to care for our feet. I know personally that I can’t stand my feet being scruffy! They must be soft and in top-notch condition (at all times!), and while feet can be iffy sometimes, caring for them is something that we must absolutely do. Without much ado, I’d like to share some tips on how to take better care of your feet, and each of them has helped me personally, and they consist of the following:
Don’t Walk Bare-feet
Walking barefoot can expose your feet to germs, fungi and other diseases. In order to stay on the healthy side, keep your shoes and flip flops on. This could avoid a huge chunk of the problem.
Wear Shoes That Actually Fit
Wearing tight shoes can cause painful ingrown toenails. If you consistently wear shoes that are the wrong size, you could risk causing yourself a painful infection as well as irritating your nail beds. To avoid all of this, wear shoes that are the wrong size because it is important to trim your toenails as well to keep feet happy and healthy.
Use a Tennis Ball
To give a soothing feel to your feet, roll a tennis ball under your feet and on a plane surface (the ground or floor). Doing this will help to give your feet a relaxing massage and help your feet relax.
Keep it Personal
Pedicure grooming tools are quite personal and directly relate to your sense of personal hygiene, so it is important to keep those items to yourself and not share them around because sharing items around with friends or family can really spread diseases and fungus. You might want to get a solid set of pedicure tools and keep them safe.
Use Sun Screen!
Sometimes we forget just how powerful sunscreen can be, but sunscreen can be really helpful especially in the summertime. Sunscreen can help to protect your feet from bad burns that are caused by the sun depending on where you are.
Treat Yo Cuticles, Treat Yo Self!
Cuticles can be so annoying! They have the ability to get dry, cracked, gross and visually unappealing, especially in the dry season, so don’t forget the to use cuticle balms and oils on your cuticles to keep your cuticles clean and shiny.
Wear Heel Socks
Keep your heels dehydrated and moisturized by wearing heel socks to bed, or around the house depending on what your preference is. Wearing heel socks to cover your heels can help to protect them from the harsh and dry weather especially during summer and winter.
Use Home Remedies
I love home remedies because they tend to be cheaper and more convenient as well. If you are a busy professional or a student, chances are you don’t usually have much time to unwind and relax or even go to the spa to get a pedicure after a long day. If this is the case, taking advantage of home remedies can help you save time and money.
There are a few popular conditions associated with dry feet and they include cracked feet. If you struggled with cracked feet, you have come to the right place. Here are a few home remedies that can relieve any issues that you have with cracked feet.
Lemon, Salt, Glycerine, Rose Water Foot Mask
Sounds interesting eh? This concoction is brilliant because it really gets the work done.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1/2 cup of lemon juice (lemon juice has some acidic properties that can cause irritation to your skin. Do a patch test first to make sure that you are not allergic to it).
- 2 tablespoons of glycerine
- 2 teaspoons of rosewater
- A lot of warm water (Use a basin)
- Pumice stone
How To Make This Mask
- Take a basin of warm water, add raw salt, eight to 10 drops of lemon juice, one tablespoon of glycerine, and one teaspoon of rosewater.
- Soak your feet for about 15-20 minutes in this water.
- Using a pumice stone, gently scrub your heels and the sides of the feet.
- Mix one teaspoon of glycerine, one teaspoon of rosewater, and one teaspoon of lemon juice.
- Apply the mixture on your cracked heels.
- Since this will be a sticky mixture, to avoid making a mess, you can wear a pair of socks and leave it on overnight.
- Wash it off in the morning with lukewarm water.
- You can repeat this procedure for one week until your feet are soft and tender to the touch.
- The acidic properties of lemon juice can help to heal rough and dry skin and prevent the feet from cracking.
- The combination of rosewater and glycerin complements lemon’s acidic properties, which turns out to be an effective treatment for cracked heels. Glycerin works well to soften the skin (which is why it is mostly used in cosmetic products) whereas rosewater has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties that help in healing cracked heels.
Honey Remedy
Ingredients
- 1 cup honey
- Warm water
How To Make Honey Remedy
- Mix one cup of honey to half a bucket of warm water.
- Soak your feet for about 20-25 minutes.
- Scrub feet off gently to obtain soft and supple feet.
- Do this on a regular basis to get rid of cracked heels quickly.
How This Works
Honey is considered to be a natural antiseptic that helps heal cracked feet, and its soothing properties help rejuvenate the skin.
Listerine Remedy
Ingredients
- 1 cup of Listerine
- 1 cup of white vinegar
- 2 cups of water
- A basin
- Pumice stone
How To Make This
- Soak your feet for 10-15 minutes in the liquid mix containing the above-mentioned ingredients.
- Remove your feet and scrub using the foot file or pumice stone to slough off the dead skin.
- Rinse with clean water, pat dry, and moisturize.
- Repeat this every day for three to five days until the dead skin eventually wears off.
Soaking your feet in Listerine will soften the hardened dead skin and will also make it easier to scrub off. Listerine is also an antiseptic and soothes the skin because of the phytochemicals contained in it like menthol and thymol.
Conclusion
Although keeping feet can often be tricky, it is very rewarding when you actually do and reap the results. Making sure that you invest in some basic ingredients that will help you make create your own feet-healing solutions at home is both efficient, creative, and cost-effective. Good luck to you and your feet!
