3 Ways I Finally Got Rid of Dry Winter Feet
I’m veering off of home decor today for a post on…..feet. Specifically, how to get rid of dry, cracked winter feet. And for full transparency, my feet were awful all year round, just worse in the winter. So, the title of this post should really be “How to get rid of dry feet”.
I promise not to show any gross feet pictures, so read on!
(*affiliate links used in this post; see full disclosure here)
One evening I was sitting on my knees giving the little one a bath. I turned to reach for something behind me and caught a glimpse of the bottom of my heels.
Yikes! They were so bad, I felt embarrassed for them.
Now it’s not like I had just completely let them go. I had tried tons of different pumice stones, a couple of rotating foot sanders, and one shaped like an egg. Nothing really worked that well for me.
But I’m not one to give up and I knew my heels deserved better. After all my searching, I finally found some things that actually work.
And, wait for it….the one that works the best (#3 on my list) is both the easiest and the cheapest!
That never happens, right?
Baby Foot Peels
These are one-use plastic booties that are filled with an exfoliator cream. The first step is to soak your feet (either by taking a long bath or by soaking them in a foot bath). Then you dry them off and put the booties on with socks over the top. Then, they stay on for at least an hour. When I do a peel, I make it a spa night by sending the kids to bed, finding something great to read or watch on tv, and grabbing a snack before putting on the booties.
After the time is up, remove the booties and wash everything off your feet.
Now, you just have to wait.
Within a few days, your feet will start peeling like a snake with a sunburn. You really have to wear socks during the whole process unless you want flakes of skin all over the house. Gross!
Pros: These really do leave my feet super soft and smooth. And, while it’s a bit time consuming during the application, there’s no effort.
Cons: Because of the shedding, you HAVE to wear socks. So, I only do a peel in the winter when there’s no chance of wearing sandals or flip flops.
Diamancel Foot Files
I told you that I had tried many pumice stones and foot “sanders” and such, but none really worked that well until I bought a Diamancel foot file. These files are super long-lasting, sanitary because they can be soaked to clean them, are easy to use, and they work!
At first, I didn’t want to pony up the money for this file (it’s pricier than the others I had tried), but then I thought about how much I had spent on the others all together, plus the cost of pedicures, and it turned out to be such a great decision.
Here is the one that I have (the Diamancel #20)…
Here is another one (the Tough Buffer #11) that is supposed to give a finer buffing and be used after the #20. I don’t have this one but would like to try it out…
*If you buy a Diamancel, be sure to use it on completely dry feet. If you use it after a bath or shower, you must wait until all the moisture is gone from your feet first or it just doesn’t work.
Pros: It works quickly and is very effective.
Cons: The initial cost of the file is higher than others. (But compare it to the cost of a pedicure and it doesn’t seem high anymore).
Kerasal
I can’t even believe it, but this one works so well for me!!!
I started putting Kerasal on my feet after my nightly shower or bath. When I get into bed, I put some of this foot repair ointment on my feet and slip on a pair of cotton spa socks and leave it on for a few minutes until it’s absorbed. After doing this for about a week, all the cracks in my heels were gone and no more scratching the sheets when I get into bed:)
*Update: I found another kind of socks that just cover your heels and have a gel pad in them to help the foot cream really soak in. They work really great!
Now, I use it just about every night for maintenance. The “hardest” part was conditioning myself to remember to put it on at night. It’s now part of my evening routine and my feet have never looked better.
Pros: It’s inexpensive, it’s easy, and it works!
Cons: It’s greasy when you first put it on and you have to let it absorb before that feeling goes away.
Now that my feet are better, here’s how I keep them that way:
I might do one foot peel in the winter (I skipped this winter, though, because my feet are in pretty good condition. I might do one right before sandal weather.)
Use my Diamancel foot file about once every week or two.
Use Kerasal just about every night at bed time.
Now my heels don’t have to hide in shame!
Here’s to soft feet all year long!
