Expert tips on caring for dry, cracked feet
Overview
Discover some common causes of dry, cracked feet and more importantly, learn how to look after your feet.
Our feet carry us for hundreds of miles throughout our lives, so the skin that protects them deserves just as much care and attention as the rest of our body. Below are some common causes:
Simple Ways to Care for your Feet
1. Foot Soaking
2. Nail Clippers
3. Cuticle Care
4. Nail Filing
5. Exfoliate & Hydrate
Sandals
Summer is when we want our feet to look their best but wearing sandals can actually be the cause of skin dryness and cracking. This is due to the extra pressure sandals put on the feet which causes the heel to veer sideways. As a result, the skin on the heel can become thick, dry and even look yellowish in tone.
Your diet
It may not be the first thing you think about, but your diet can actually affect the health of your feet and may be the cause of extreme dryness. If you’re deficient in important vitamins and minerals such as iron and zinc, you may be more prone to skin health problems especially around the heels.
Genetics
You may take really good care of your feet with creams, pedicures and visits to the podiatrist, but find that the dry skin on your heels just keeps coming back. If this is the case and you’ve ruled out underlying health problems, it’s probably just a case of genetics. This means that your good habits are even more important and you may need to increase cream application to twice a day.
Your age
Age is another reason that the skin on your feet may have started to become drier. This is because the skin loses a percentage of its elasticity and essential proteins such as collagen during the natural ageing process. It’s advisable to switch to a richer foot cream as you get older and to also increase the amount of times you apply it.
How to care for your feet:
Foot Soak: soak your feet for about 5-10 minutes in lukewarm water with any soap of your choice. Any longer than 10 minutes can cause further drying of the skin. Nail clippers: cut the nail back so that you are left with 1mm of white line and the nail edge meets the tip of your toe. Cuticles: use a rubber hoof to gently push your cuticles back without too much force that could cause any inflammation of the cuticles. Trim the excess skin very gently. Filing your nails: gently file the top edge of the nail tip, in a gentle circular motion
Exfoliate & hydrate: we now need to exfoliate and hydrate the smooth buffed skin to strengthen and seal the moisture in and increase the water capacity. Apply CeraVe SA Renewing Foot Cream moisturiser all over your feet avoiding areas in between your toes.
CeraVe SA Renewing Foot Cream
Ghazaleh describes the CeraVe Renewing SA Foot Cream as a “fast-absorbing, non-greasy foot cream”. The formula contains salicylic acid to gently exfoliate and soften the dry, rough skin, and 3 essential ceramides to protect the skin’s natural barrier."