Solutions for Dry Skin on Feet

Dry skin on feet can be a source of embarrassment. Have you pushed your favorite sandals to the back of your closet because your dry, cracked heels are too disgusting to put on display?

Do you cringe each time your husband’s dried out feet scratch against yours under the covers at night? If so, you’re in desperate need of a foot makeover. Even if you suffer from minor dry skin on your feet, it’s time to take action so that the problem doesn’t become more serious in the future.

Identify Potential Causes

In many cases, the cause of dry skin on the feet is dehydration. Pick up your water intake and start using a moisturizing foot cream to see if this makes any difference. You may have to rehydrate over an extended period of time before you start to see a substantial change in the dryness or cracked nature of your feet.

Other potential causes for dry foot skin may include:

Diabetes
Thyroid disorders
Eczema
Psoriasis
Excessive standing
Harsh soap chemicals
Exposure to cold
Excessive immersion in water
Poorly fitted footwear
Excess bodyweight

You may never know exactly what is causing this problem, but this list should give you some ideas. If you think you may have diabetes or a thyroid disorder, talk to your doctor for an official diagnosis. Treating that medical condition should help clear up the dry skin on your feet.

If you’re pretty certain that your problem isn’t medical in nature, there are some things you can do to take care of your feet and prevent infection. These steps will also help moisturize and heal your skin, and you may eliminate the problem entirely if you’re consistent with these recommendations.

Develop a Nighttime Routine to Nourish Dry Skin on Feet

Parents read stories to their children to help them fall asleep, but you need a different type of bedtime routine for dry skin on feet. Before your head hits the pillow, try to follow this routine to work on improving the condition of your feet:

Soak your dry feet for 5-10 minutes in a salt and oil scrub like this one from Secreat.
Use a pumice stone to scrub away the dead or loose skin. This should make your feet much smoother and softer immediately, but that doesn’t mean you won’t need to do it multiple nights before you see satisfying results. Make sure to rinse your feet afterwards to knock off any lingering loose skin.
Apply an intensive moisturizer like a mud therapy foot cream and then immediately put on a pair of thick socks. Ideally, you will sleep in these socks to help your skin lock in the moisturizing ingredients of your lotion or cream. This is done overnight to allow your feet to really soak in the moisture. Some professionals recommend applying coconut oil rather than a moisturizer or lotion. You may combine all of this advice by looking for a natural cream or lotion that contains coconut oil.

There are a variety of foot care tools on the market which can replace the pumice stone. That’s your cheapest option, but there are rollers and other inventions which now make it much easier and faster to remove dry skin cells from your feet. As long as you’re using healthy moisturizers or lotions made with natural ingredients, you should see improvement in the condition of your feet within a week of consistently following these recommendations.