15 Best Home Remedies For Treating Cracked Heels On Feet Naturally

 

Dry cracked feet is a very common condition that affects both adults and children. Though it is not a serious condition, when the cracks get deep it does get really painful. But what causes cracked feet in the first place? If you have dry skin, the skin on the feet gets even drier during winter months causing it to crack. Using harsh soaps, not moisturizing the feet during winter months worsens the problem. Certain diseases like diabetes, eczema, and psoriasis can also be the reasons for developing cracked feet. Symptoms Of Cracked Feet: Deep cracks in the heels, skin peeling, red patches, itching and if the cracks go deep there will be pain and bleeding too. Cracked heels are easy to prevent if you follow certain basic steps. The first step in preventing cracked heel is to always moisturize your feet. We always tend to moisturize our body but not our feet. Make sure to moisturize your feet with pure ingredients like coconut oil, olive oil or Aloe Vera gel regularly. But before moisturizing your feet, try to soak your feet in warm water. You can also try anyone of the homemade foot soaks given below. Foot soaks softens the feet really really well, try to use them at least weekly once for best results. After soaking your feet, gently scrub to remove the dead skin with a scrubber or pumice stone and then apply the moisturizer. If you are suffering from extremely severe painful cracked heels, there are amazing home remedies to treat them. I have given all of them below, choose the ones you like and follow them regularly. How To Make Cracked Heel Cream At Home? Along with the remedies given below, you can also use homemade cracked heel cream. To make cracked heel cream, take 1/4 cup of coconut oil and 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a bowl.  Add in 2 tsp of grated beeswax to it and melt everything together in a double boiler till the beeswax is fully melted. Add in 6 to 7 drops of tea tree essential oil, let cool slightly and pour into a glass bottle to set completely. Use this cracked heel cream regularly for best results...

 

4 Top Benefits & Side Effects Of Fish Pedicure | Fish Spa | Garra Rufa Fish Therapy | Doctor Fish Therapy

 

Nowadays fish pedicure salons are popping up everywhere! We all know about regular pedicures done at spas but what is fish pedicure? Fish pedicure | Fish spa | Fish therapy is a procedure in which a person places his feet in a tank filled with fishes and the fishes does the job of cleaning the feet. Fish therapy does have some benefits and here are some of the benefits of fish pedicure: 1. Fishes do an excellent job of nibbling away the dead skin from the feet. 2. After the fish therapy you will find your feet soft and smooth. 3. Fish therapy is believed to greatly help in psoriasis but it does not cure it.  4. Fish pedicure is a great stress buster as the nibbling makes us laugh and giggle all the time. Usually the type of fish that is used for fish pedicure is called garra rufa also called as doctor fish | nibble fish. But even other fishes like the ones shown in the main picture are used but usually garra rufa is the preferred fish for the procedure. Garra rufa are toothless tiny dark colored fishes that does an excellent job of sloughing away the dead skin. There is a small stream at the back of our farm and whenever there is water flowing there, I love to put my feet in the water. Usually there will be small fishes nibbling at my feet and after the immersion, my feet will usually be soft and smooth as the dead cells are sloughed away by the fish. But there is a lot of difference between immersing your feet in running water and in a tank. I took the above picture in an island in Srilanka where the fish pedicure was done in large tanks. The main problem with fish pedicure is the sanitation. If a person with skin disease has immersed his feet in the tank and the fishes have fed on the infected skin and again feeds on the dead skin of an another person, the chances of the second person getting infected is very very high. There is even scientific evidence to proof it, you can read the study that proves it here. My whole intention of writing this is not to scare anyone away from fish therapy. Fish pedicure is fun and we should experience new things in life but not at the cost of getting an infection. If you are planning on getting fish therapy make sure the tank is cleaned and the water is changed for you. If you have small cuts and wounds on your feet, I would suggest not doing fish pedicure at all....

 

DIY Epsom Salt Foot Soak Recipe + Benefits

 

I had a huge bottle of Epsom salt left in my pantry and I wanted to make something nice with it. Of late I didn't make any homemade products at all and I thought homemade Epsom salt foot soak would be a good idea. Magnesium sulfate also called Epsom salt is easily absorbed by the skin and treats all foot related problems. Epsom salt foot soak blends make great gifts and if you have a little patience you can make stunning gifts with this Epsom salt recipe. Epsom salt foot soak treats toe nail fungus and regular use prevents it. It smooths out rough skin leaving the feet soft and smooth and it also treats foot odor. This soak can be used for sprains and bruises as it reduces the swelling and pain considerably. It also helps to exfoliate the dead skin on the feet effectively. After soaking the feet scrub gently with a pumice stone and the dead cells will come off quickly and easily from the feet. This foot soak is a great detox and after a long tiring day soaking the feet in this aromatic foot soak will relieve a person of the days stress and tension. Foot soak blends are quite expensive when got from the shops, this homemade foot soak blend costs very less when compared to it and is a perfect project to do on a weekend with your kids. They will greatly enjoy layering the blend in the bottles. Epsom salt, sea salt, baking soda, essential oil and food coloring are the ingredients needed for making this foot soak. It is always nice to customize recipes to our liking and this recipe is wonderful for trying out our favorite blend of herbs and essential oils. I didn't add any herbs because I didn't want the herbs poking and disturbing the layers but you can add any dried herbs that you like. I am planning to add fresh herbs from the garden when I am soaking my feet. I thought layering the salts will make great gifts so I tried layering for the first time and I was quite happy with the result though I feel it is far from perfect. This foot soak also will be very good for elderly people, who suffer from leg cramps, aches and pains. Take a foot tub, fill it with warm water, add the foot soak blend and ask them to immerse their feet in it. It will ease the inflammation and the aches and pain also will reduce. If done at night it will give them a good night's sleep....

 

DIY: Listerine & Vinegar Foot Soak Recipe For Toenail Fungus, Calluses, Dead & Dry Skin!

 

After hearing so much about Listerine vinegar foot soak combo, I wanted to try it for almost a month now. When I first read about it, I though it was such a weird idea, but since it was so raved upon, I had to try it at home. I really loved it, mainly because it was so easy to make and effectively removed the dead skin, leaving my feet smooth and soft. Listerine and vinegar foot soak is very easy and effective remedy for dry cracked heels. Vinegar has been used for years to treat toenail fungus, so if you are a person who is suffering from toe nail infection, then this Listerine and vinegar foot soak will work beautifully for you. Listerine has Thymol and it helps to kill the bacteria in the feet. Vinegar is also very effective in killing bacteria in the feet, so it pairs up beautifully together. Listerine also has been proven to be very effective in treating calluses, try it continuously for a few weeks to see results. Many people have reported that their toenail discoloration also was better, after using the foot soak. I used white vinegar for this recipe. To make the foot soak, combine equal part of Listerine mouth wash and white vinegar in a wide basin. Top it up with twice the amount of warm water. To use, wash your feet well with soap, dry and immerse it in the foot soak. Immerse the feet till the water turns cold. Dry your feet with a towel and using a pumice stone gently remove the dead cells from the feet and apply moisturizer. You will find yourself with a softer and smoother feet.

 

DIY Shoe Freshener to Get Rid of Shoe Odor (Best Home Remedy)

 

Smelly shoes are a common problem that everyone face during the summer time, when our feet sweat a lot. Even during rainy season, when our shoes get damp they start smelling. These baking soda shoe freshener bags are a good home remedy to get rid of shoe odor very quickly. If the inside of the shoes are damp, it might be the main reason for your smelly shoes. If you have time and the weather cooperates, try wiping the inside of the shoes with a tissue and then dry it out in a sunny area in your home. If it is a rainy season, where you don't get sunlight to dry the shoes, you can use a heater or a hair dryer to dry the shoes. You can also use perfumed tissues, when wiping the inside of the shoes. Once the inside of the shoes are dry, then you can use this homemade shoe freshener to freshen up smelly shoes. This shoe freshener has got baking soda mixed with tea tree essential oil. Baking soda absorbs the bad odor from the shoes and the tea tree essential oil is effective in killing the bacteria that is usually present and is the reason for smelly shoes. To make the shoe freshener, take a muslin cloth and add baking soda and few drops of tea tree essential oil and mix well. Tie it into a bundle and push it into the smelly shoes and leave it over night. Make sure that the shoes are dry before doing this. Usually this takes care of the problem. If you were wearing smelly shoes, it might be a good idea to immerse the feet in vinegar foot soak to prevent infections in the feet. You can also store the shoes for a long time with this shoe freshener tucked in, to prevent smelly shoes.

 

Mustard Foot Bath - The Benefits + DIY Recipe

 

Mustard foot bath is the best answer for people who suffer from nasal congestion, body aches and pains. I always love remedies that involve common kitchen ingredients, as you don't have to go searching for ingredients when you are ill and in pain. This mustard bath is one such recipe that can be made in no time. If you have a foot bath, use that or even a wide tub will work beautifully. This mustard foot bath detoxifies the body naturally, helping a person come out of illness quickly. If you are feeling tired, sluggish or ill, then it is the best time to use this homemade foot bath. Both ginger and mustard increases the circulation and warms one up. Since it increases the body temperature, it also increases perspiration thus helping the patient to eliminate toxins effectively. I used the residue of ginger paste that was settled down, after I used it for my honey and ginger home remedy. But you can use freshly crushed ginger paste to make this remedy. After using this mustard foot bath, one feels relaxed and refreshed. If you had a hectic day or you were on your feet for long duration of time, then you will greatly benefit from this mustard foot bath. Try using it before bed time to get a good nights sleep. To make this mustard foot bath, first make the ginger infusion by mixing fresh ginger paste with hot water and set aside. Take mustard seeds and pound them in a mortar and pestle to a fine powder. Sprinkle the ground mustard powder in a tub, that you are going to soak your feet in. Add warm water to it and then add the ginger infusion to it and mix well. Check the temperature of the water before soaking your feet. Make sure that the water is in lukewarm temperature. If the person has cold or chest congestion, it is best to cover them with warm towels, while using the foot bath. Let your feet soak for 15 to 20 minutes and then rinse your feet well with warm water and pat dry. People with toenail infections and even people who suffer from varicose veins will find this mustard foot bath helpful. 

 

DIY: Vinegar and Lemon Foot Soak Recipe

Many of us, including me, always have a bottle of white vinegar in our pantry. We mostly use it only for our cooking, but vinegar can be used a medicine too. Vinegar is especially helpful in treating and preventing problems in the foot like foot odor, athletes foot, etc. During rainy season, many school going children get their socks wet and they don't remove their socks till they get home. This leads to foot odor and all sorts of infection in the toes. All young children love to play in the mud, which increases the chances of them getting infected even more. This vinegar and lemon foot soak is an effective way to prevent foot problems in children. The acidic nature of the lemon and vinegar prevents foot infections. This vinegar soak also helps to soften the feet, thus reducing foot cracks. Weekly once, Make your children immerse their feet for 5 to 10 minutes, till the water turns cold. Then apply moisturizer after patting their feet dry. Adults can use a scrubber after this home made vinegar soak to remove the dead skin from their foot and then can apply a moisturizer. This soak, if done weekly once, can prevent foot infections. To make this vinegar foot soak, take a fresh lemon and grate the outer skin with a grater. Boil 2.5 liters of water in a pan along with grated zest, once it comes to a boil, switch off. Wait for it to come to lukewarm temperature, then add the measured out vinegar and lemon juice. Enjoy using this home made vinegar foot soak!

How to Use Fitkari (Alum) to Treat Cracked Heels!

 

This remedy made with alum in English / fitkari in Hindi to treat cracked heels might sound strange to some of you, but it really works. For this home remedy, we use alum powder. Alum (we call it "Padikaram" in Tamil) will be well known to men, who visit barber shop for their shave. After the shave, barbers usually massage the face with alum stone. Alum is an astringent and helps to prevent bleeding from shaving cuts. Alum was also traditionally used as a deodorant, as it has anti bacterial and antiperspirant properties. Alum is a chemical compound and in India it is available every where in block form as shaving alum. Alum powder is very useful in treating cracked heels. For this remedy alum is heated in a small empty kadai. When we heat alum, it liquifies and foams. Once all the water evaporates, we are left with a crumbly mixture. Once it cools down, it is powdered and mixed with coconut oil and applied on the legs. The mixture in the picture appears a bit dry because the wooden pot absorbed all the oil, before I could photograph it. This remedy gives amazingly good relief, if applied regularly for some time.