Even if sandal season is over, taking good care of your feet has never been more important. Having healthy feet involves much more than aesthetics because simply walking comfortably depends on it!
Unhealthy feet are often marked by swelling, color changes, cracked nails, cuts, and blisters. As with any health and beauty regimen, there no need to slather a bunch of chemicals on your feet to improve your hygiene. Here are some healthy and natural foot care tips for every season.
Wash, Exfoliate, and Moisturize
The first and most obvious step to improve the health of your feet is to wash them regularly. Warm, soapy water will do the trick, and don’t forget to dry between your toes!
Using a pumice stone or foot scrub after washing helps remove dead skin cells and smooth cracked heels. Before you go to bed, apply moisturizer to your feet and toes and slip on a pair of socks so it doesn’t just rub off onto the sheets.
All-Natural Foot Soak Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup lemon juice
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon powder
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup milk
DIRECTIONS:
- Fill your bathtub with warm water and all the ingredients
- Soak your feet for 15 minutes
- Thoroughly wash, dry, and moisturize your feet after soaking
All-Natural Foot Moisturizer Recipe
Sure, there are dozens of foot moisturizer products for sale at the pharmacy, but you can also take the DIY approach and make your own natural version at home!
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 parts shea butter
- 1 part coconut oil
- 2 drops of lavender essential oil
DIRECTIONS:
- Mix the 2 ingredients well and store in a reusable container
- Use nightly and store at room temperature
Toenail Tips
It’s important to keep toenails trimmed so that they don’t snag, crack, or become infected. Trim them straight across the top and smooth the edges with a nail file. In-grown toenails occur when your toenail begins to grow into the surrounding skin. You can avoid this painful condition by trimming nails straight and wearing comfortable shoes.
It’s always best to do your trimming right after a shower or bath so that the nails are softer. This is also a great time to gently push your cuticles back and trim cuticles with jagged edges.
Common Foot Conditions
Some of the most common foot conditions include dry skin, calluses warts, athlete’s foot, and cracked skin. Other foot conditions include plantar fasciitis, heel fissures, heel spurs, eczema, bunions, and overlapping toes.
To fight foot fungus and soothe skin with omega-3 fatty acids and natural vitamin E, we recommend all-natural OliveViate Topical Skin Relief. All you need is a couple drops 2-3 times per day to relieve rashes, dry itching skin, flaking, burning, scaly and inflamed skin, cracks between toes, and symptoms of eczema and athlete’s foot.
Feet Strengthening Exercises
But as you might expect, there’s more to healthy feet than just hygiene. Try these strengthening exercises to extend the range of motion of your feet and toes and strengthen all those muscles.
- Put some marbles in your bath and roll your feet on them to stimulate nerve ending
- Grip a towel on the floor with your toes and pull it up towards you
- Roll your feet over a tennis ball to stretch tired muscles
Shoe Selection
Not all shoes are designed for comfort, but your feet love to have room to breathe and relax.
Next time you reach into your closet to pick out a pair of shoes for your day, keep these healthy feet tips in mind!
- Get your feet properly measured to know you’re wearing the correct size
- Don’t wear the same shoes two days in a row so they can air out
- Check the insides of your shoes for foreign objects that may cause discomfort before putting them on
- Bring a pair of comfortable “backup shoes” for days that require you to dress up and walk
- Always wear clean cotton socks
- Take your shoes off and wiggle your toes as often as possible