How To Remove Dry Skin on Feet: Causes and Best Treatments
How To Remove Dry Skin on Feet: Causes and Best Treatments
You follow a religious skincare routine when it comes to your face, but are you also caring for your feet in the same way? Probably not. This is an area of the body that many people neglect to care for simply because they don’t pay close attention to it.
However, when you think about how much the feet go through on a daily basis, you’ll realize that they require just as much care to avoid things like dry skin, cracked skin, thick skin, or even fungal infections.
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What Causes Dry Skin on Feet?
While it may be tempting to just jump right into the treatments for dry feet, first we need to cover some of the potential causes of this issue in case the dry skin on your feet is actually being caused by a medical condition that will require a specific treatment. So, explore some of these different causes of dry feet and consult with your doctor regarding any specific concerns.
Environment: Our feet often experience a hot and humid environment, especially when you frequently wear closed-toed shoes such as sneakers and boots. In that type of environment, the feet aren’t able to retain the moisture they need to stay nourished. As a result, you can develop dry or cracked areas on the feet.
Irritation: Our feet really do go through a lot on a daily basis -- and we expect a lot from them! However, it’s still possible for them to get irritated as a result of walking too far in the wrong pair of shoes. Too much pressure and friction on the feet can cause irritated and dry skin.
Aging: While you may not immediately think of your feet as an area of the body affected by old age, that doesn’t mean that they don’t experience changes as you get older. After all, the skin throughout the entire body loses moisture, collagen, and elastin as we age -- leading to dry skin and wrinkles commonly seen around the face, neck, and chest. However, the causes of dryness in those areas can affect the feet as well, it just might not be as noticeable.
Cosmetic products: Even though you may not apply that many cosmetic products directly to your feet, odds are that some of your products like your shampoos and body washes are ending up on your feet anyway. When you bathe, these products tend to trickle down to your feet before they go down the drain. If these products have harsh and irritating chemicals in them, they could very well affect your feet and contribute to dry skin.
Athlete’s foot: This is a fungal infection that causes a peeling rash on the bottom part of your foot near the toes. Its name stems from the fact that it commonly affects those with sweaty feet who consistently wear tight shoes that don’t allow the feet to breathe -- like athletes. Furthermore, this fungus is extremely contagious and is easily spread through a locker room where people often walk barefoot. The good news is that athlete’s foot is more annoying than concerning and can be easily treated.
Hypothyroidism: This is a medical condition in which your thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones to maintain the body’s normal functions. When your thyroid is underproducing sweat hormones, the skin on your feet can become really dried out.
How To Treat Dry Skin on Feet
Now it’s time to talk about treatments. Some causes of dry feet can be treated with a quick and simple fix, while others require more in-depth treatment. Here are some different treatment options to consider for your dry feet:
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Exfoliation: You’ve probably heard that you should exfoliate the skin on your face, but what about the skin on your feet? As it turns out, this area of the body also needs regular exfoliation in order to stay healthy and nourished. Dead skin cells tend to really accumulate on the foot and contribute to dryness and thickness. Exfoliation helps remove these dead skin cells either through physical scrubbing or chemical reactions. For example, you can use a scrub with rough particles like sugar to physically exfoliate your feet. On the other hand, you can use a chemical peel with acid ingredients to dissolve the top dead layers of the skin. PROVEN Skincare uses chemical exfoliants like azelaic acid, mandelic acid, and glycolic acid for gentle yet effective exfoliation. No matter which exfoliation method you choose, make sure that the ingredients are natural and safe to use on any part of the body.
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Moisturizing: Another basic facial skincare step that your feet are probably missing out on is moisturizing. If your feet are especially dry, you may want to look for a thicker moisturizer like a cream with emollients and humectants to give your feet a much-needed boost of moisture. PROVEN Skincare uses nourishing ingredients like shea butter, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides in many of their custom moisturizers.
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Foot soak: Sometimes your feet just need a little pampering, and a foot soak is the perfect thing to remove the dry skin and get them back to normal. When you soak your feet in warm water, you’re able to loosen the skin and improve blood circulation. If you’re dealing with athlete’s foot, you can add a little bit of vinegar to the foot soak to treat the fungus. You can also add soothing and nourishing ingredients like epsom salt, honey, oatmeal, and lemon juice to your foot soak.
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Pumice stone: If your dry feet also come with really thick skin and calluses, you may need to go a step further in the removal process by using a pumice stone. A pumice stone allows you to effectively rub the dead and dry skin off the foot without much effort or discomfort. Before using a pumice stone on your feet, you should soak them in warm water first to loosen up the skin. Then wet the pumice stone and gently rub it in circular motions around the problem areas on your feet.
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Moisturizing socks: Sometimes there’s just not enough time in the day to deal with the dry skin on your feet -- but what about the night? With moisturizing socks, you can simply throw them on before you go to bed and let them do all the work for you! With components like natural oils and vitamins, you can go to bed with dry, cracked feet and wake up with smooth, nourished ones. You can even make your own set of moisturizing socks by applying your regular moisturizer generously to the feet and putting on a pair of breathable cotton socks before going to sleep.
How To Properly Take Care of Your Feet
So many people are solely focused on taking care of their face and hair, but your feet also require some level of care to keep them smooth and healthy. So how can you properly take care of your feet and avoid issues like dry skin, cracked skin, and thick skin?
Here are a few care tips that your feet will definitely thank you for implementing:
Practice proper foot hygiene by washing the feet, exfoliating the feet, and moisturizing the feet. You don’t necessarily have to do all three steps every day, but just make sure that you’re doing it regularly enough to keep them in good shape. For example, you may have to cleanse every day, moisturize every other day, and exfoliate once a week.
Pay close attention to the ingredients in all of your cosmetics products and avoid harsh chemical ingredients that tend to irritate and dry out the skin. This tip isn’t just beneficial for your feet but for your entire body! Look for naturally soothing ingredients in your products. PROVEN Skincare, for example, uses natural and gentle ingredients in their skincare products that are safe to use on any part of the body.
Avoid exposing your feet to hot water. Hot water tends to strip the feet of their natural moisture and can leave them feeling really dry. Instead, use warm water that’s soothing and gentle on the skin.
Treat your feet with care by gently patting them dry with a soft towel after bathing instead of roughly drying them with an old towel. After all, you wouldn’t do that to your face, so why would you do that to your feet?
Finally, you can take care of your feet by wearing the right shoes. Make sure that your shoes aren’t too small or too constricting. Also make sure to let your feet breathe every now and then if you consistently wear tight, closed-toed shoes.
Conclusion
Conclusion
While it may be easy to ignore dry skin on the feet, addressing this issue is actually quite easy to do and will be well worth it. All you need are the proper care products with gently nourishing ingredients, like those from PROVEN Skincare, to take care of all your skin from head to toe.