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Home remedies for cracked soles

Cracked heels and rough scaly skin on the feet are usually the result of years of negligence towards feet care. This condition is still more aggravated by exposure to chilly winter air. Cracked soles or feet are painful and many a times they bleed. Such feet feel like sandpaper against towels and bed sheets, indicating an immediate need for treatment. At weddings, functions and parties, one tends to notice that beautifully attired women in expensive sarees, displaying sizeable gold ornaments, and wearing costly footwear, have cracked feet that look dry, dirty and extremely ugly. Yes, there are many creams and lotions available in the market promising us soft, smooth feet in just two or three days. But for those who have used it, they know that the results are not as magical as it is hyped nor are the results everlasting. Prevention is surely better than cure. So if you take care of your feet religiously so that it becomes a part of your daily routine, you will have beautiful, problem-free feet for life.

soles of feetA few tips in feet care may be useful:

  • Clean your feet with warm water and soap every night before bed.
  • Rub a thick lotion or moisturizing cream on them.
  • Avoid exposure to sunlight or cold wind by wearing day time socks.
  • Avoid exposing the heels and toes to dirt and grime.
  • Clip and file long nails.
  • Try a good pedicure occasionally.
  • Polish those nails and remove peeling polish promptly.
  • Do not walk barefoot if you have developed cracked soles.

Home remedies for cracked heels

* Pour hot water into a big basin sufficient enough to immerse your feet. Dissolve one tablespoonful of baking soda (soda bicarb) in water and keep your feet immersed in it for about 10 minutes. Continue this treatment for 2-3 days. If necessary you may gently slough off using pumice stone; wash and dry. Read Pamper your feet. After that you can treat your feet with medications and creams.feet soaked in water

* Prepare this medication for treating your cracked heels; it works as effectively as those expensive foot-care creams.

Ingredients:
Wax
Coconut oil
Ghee
Camphor (kapur) tablets

Method:
Take three parts of wax, one part of coconut oil, one part of ghee and 10-15 tablets of camphor. Heat the whole thing in a vessel using the double boiling method. Then allow it to cool. On cooling it becomes a soft mass. Preserve this ointment in a bottle. Clean the heels and soles well, or treat yourself with a warm foot bath as mentioned above. Apply this ointment before going to bed and cover the feet with clean cotton socks. Repeat this treatment for three days.

* You can also crush an onion; apply the pulp over the cracked area and bandage it.

* Or you may burn the outer skin of a ripe banana and fill the cracks with its ash.

* Another remedy is to boil a cup of milk and then add the juice of a lemon and a teaspoonful of glycerin to this boiled milk. After half an hour apply this mixture over the cracked heels and soles, preferably in the night. This not only soothes your cracked heels but also makes you feet smooth.

* For not so severe cracks, you may try massaging the soles of your feet with sesame (gingelly) (til) oil and then foment the feet by keeping them in warm water.

* If you can procure the juice of an unripe mango/mango leaves or gum collected from the bark of the tree, then this can also be applied on the cracks of the soles effectively.

Comments

  1. The method, (near the end of list), combing milk, lemon juice and a teaspoonful of glycerin to the boiled milk doesn't state how long to leave on the mixture. Overnight?

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  2. Yes you have to leave it overnight.

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  3. Anonymous3:07 PM

    If you have cracked heels, melt paraffin wax; mix it with little mustard oil and apply on the affected area. Leave it overnight. After 10 or 15 days, your heels will become smooth.

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  4. Anonymous9:52 AM

    Don't waste money on expensive foot creams. Just slather on vaseline after cleansing and exfoliating your feet. Pop on socks, hit the sack, and wake up to softer tootsies.

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  5. Shaila4:25 PM

    best thing...exfoliate

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  6. Sometimes cracked feet, is not caused by dry skin, but a fungal infection. Vasaline can make this worse. I would use a good anti-fungal cream first

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  7. Harish3:04 PM

    These can be prevented by wearing comfortable footwear and avoiding standing for prolonged periods. The feet must be soaked in warm water and gently scrubbed at least once a week. It helps to apply a moisturizing cream to the soles every night

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  8. Anonymous4:43 PM

    Unsightly cracked heels are painful and embarrassing. In many cases, this common problem is caused by dry skin, the presence of calluses and prolonged pressure on the heel, particularly for people with a job that requires a lot of standing. Thankfully, there’s an easy and inexpensive solution - The Heeltastic roll-on soothing balm

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  9. Anonymous3:55 PM

    Apart from this i kw some more remedies : Cracked heels are perhaps one of those problems which majority of the people have to face yet it mostly ignored. They not only look bad but also are extremely painful and become a perpetual problem due to lack of care.
    The best way to prevent them is to keep soles clean. Wear shoes which cover the whole feet while going out especially in sandy and dusty or dirty places.
    Wear sleepers at home because there are dust particles on the floor also.
    Keep feet in warm water for 10 minutes and then scrub them with pumic stone. It will remove dead cells and keep the foot skin soft and healthy.
    Dry the heels properly. Moisture left in cracks is injurious.
    Apply some good moisturizer or foot creams and wear soft socks. The best time to do the cleaning is before sleeping as feet will take rest and will not be in touch with dust. They will get time to heels.

    Cracked Heels

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  10. Becky9:25 AM

    Apart from this i kw some more remedies : Cracked heels are perhaps one of those problems which majority of the people have to face yet it mostly ignored. They not only look bad but also are extremely painful and become a perpetual problem due to lack of care.
    The best way to prevent them is to keep soles clean. Wear shoes which cover the whole feet while going out especially in sandy and dusty or dirty places.
    Wear sleepers at home because there are dust particles on the floor also.
    Keep feet in warm water for 10 minutes and then scrub them with pumic stone. It will remove dead cells and keep the foot skin soft and healthy.
    Dry the heels properly. Moisture left in cracks is injurious.
    Apply some good moisturizer or foot creams and wear soft socks. The best time to do the cleaning is before sleeping as feet will take rest and will not be in touch with dust. They will get time to heels.

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  11. Samant3:06 PM

    Dry feet can be healed after one night of this treatment. Before bed, rub olive oil into your dry, cracked feet. Do not rinse. Then, put a cozy pair of socks on and go to sleep. Your feet will drink in the moisture and feel much better by morning.

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  12. Navyashree8:38 AM

    For cracked heels, combine coconut oil with petroleum jelly (Vaseline) and apply over those areas before going to bed

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  13. unknown9:12 AM

    When I take a bath, I put Skin So Soft (by Avon) in my bath water and I use soap and clean my feet REAL good. It makes your skin so soft and it works for me and when I get out the tub, I moisturize. That works for me!

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  14. Anitha2:46 PM

    Try using Shea butter before you go to sleep and place socks on your feet to seal in moisture. You can find Shea Butter at a local health store. You can also use Cocoa Butter or Vaseline as a substitute.

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  15. Anonymous2:48 PM

    I have had this problem! I found that the foot file works best on DRY feet, and the pumice works better on wet feet! Each time you are in the tub, use the pumice stone with soap. When your feet are dry (not fresh from bath) I would begin with the foot file on hard calouses and dark-colored pads. It is all dead tissue so you want to uncover what is underneath. I bought several two-sided foot files at the dollar store and the work great. You just buff your feet with it and the dead skin comes off like talcum powder....Start with the roughest side of the tool, then buff all the rough spots until you see pinker skin -- but not too much or you will be sore. Then flip the device over. It looks like it is smooth and won't do anything, but the results are amazing....that smooth side really does smooth the skin! Then put yourself in the tub, or put your feet in a foot bath. You can use a light pumice to further clean and exfoliate each time you bathe. I agree with using lotion or shea butter or vaseline and socks for sleeping. You could be all better in just 2-3 days! Deep, sore cracks will take longer. Clean well and use triple antibiotic ointment which will kill the germs and also soften. Be careful with the filing around cracks that are raw...try to heal them first. If you are prone to this condition, drink lots of water and use pumice and soap every time you bathe, and lotion every day.

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  16. Prateeksha2:51 PM

    I would recommend using a foot file while in the bath or shower. The water makes your skin softer and easier to file away the dry skin. I would think anyway. I would also use a cream or lotion specially for this problem. Not just your everyday hand lotion. I would think that applying a bit of baby oil or something like that and wearing socks would help as well. I had this problem and I did all the above and it didn't solve the problem over night, but being consist ant worked wonders.

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  17. try using a moisturizer with lots of shea butter and/or jojoba oil. Bath & Body Works has a great treatment in their True Blue Spa line, it's called Cracked Heel Treatment and it works wonders. Also invest in some moisturizing socks to wear at night while your feet are being treated with the heavy moisturizers, B&BW has aloe infused socks that are great, but you can also get them at like walmart or ulta. :)

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  18. Try using exfoliates on your feet while in the shower so buy a cheap body scrub and a scratchy loofah and use that as it will get rid of dry and rough skin really well, then make sure you dry for feel well and apply any moisturizer, but don't just slap it on really rub it in until it doesn't feel wet or sticky.

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  19. Philiph9:51 AM

    Try getting some Fungicure for nails and use it on the bottom of your feet. I had tried every foot cream known to man (okay, so that's an exaggeration!) but I have tried for years to get rid of that really hard stuff on the back of the heel and nothing worked until I used the stuff for toe nail fungus.

    Also look for a particular type of foot file. The one that I've found to be the best is made from metal and is covered with something that resembles sand paper. NOT the one that looks like you could grate cheese on it, the one I'm thinking of is usually kind of long and about as wide as a wide nail file and usually has little holes in it near the end. Dr. Scholl's came out with one recently but it is kind of hard to find. I found one in the "fancy" foot/pedicure things in the makeup section at Walmart.Oh, and if it does work on your feet, you may need to treat the inside of your shoes too as the fungus can live there too.
    These two have been the only things that ever worked for me - hope you find they work for you too!

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  20. Arjun9:52 AM

    Wash them no more than once a week, dry gently and thoroughly then apply a good lotion, vaseline or olive oil. Rub it well in and wear cotton socks. Within a few weeks all will be well.
    Remember that your feet take a lot of pounding over your lifetime and need to be taken care of - after all, you'll have a job to get around without them!

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  21. Anonymous9:56 AM

    causes cracked skin on the feet.--
    If you spend a lot of time on your feet
    - If you go barefoot often
    - If you wear sandals or open backed shoes regularly
    - If you are overweight as this will put more pressure on your feet
    - If you have a medical condition like diabetes or a circulatory disorder
    - If you smoke
    - If you have a physical disorder of the feet
    - If you are elderly
    - If you suffer from a lack of omega 3 fatty acids or zinc in your diet.
    There are two aspects to healing cracked feet, the first is to treat the cracked skin and the second is to prevent it from happening again.
    Oils that are effective on dry skin include Olive oil, Sunflower oil, Hemp seed oil, Evening primrose oil, Walnut oil, Thistle oil, and Grape seed oil but any oil will do the trick.First bathe your feet in tepid water, never hot water as this will dry the feet out even more. You can use a pumice stone or exfoliating pad to gently remove some of the hard skin on the feet but be careful if the skin is broken as you could make it worse. Never try to remove hard skin with razor blades or other sharp objects or you could seriously injure yourself and perhaps introduce infection into your skin.

    Once you have bathed your feet gently pat your feet dry with a clean towel and massage warmed vegetable oil into your feet and then put on a clean pair of cotton socks. It's best to do this last thing at night before you go to bed as it will give the oil a chance to work overnight.Repeat this every night and in a few days you should start to see a noticeable difference in the condition of your feet although it may take a few weeks to heal them completely.

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  22. Preeti9:33 AM

    A quality lotion applied regularly and often.

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  23. Leela9:34 AM

    Put a thick coat of vasaline on your feet at night before bed and put a pair of footies over them it will be gone by morning.

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  24. Dheeraj9:22 AM

    For immediate relief from cracked heels, apply a mixture of 3 tablespoons of turmeric with 3 drops of coconut oil. This mix will also help prevent fungal infections that may form between the toes, also known as athlete’s foot.

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  25. Ranjana8:18 AM

    A regular application of a mixture of glycerin and rosewater is known to soothe and cure cracked heels.

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  26. Anonymous8:19 AM

    melt paraffin wax and mix it well with little mustard oil. Apply on the dry or cracked area of the heels. Rinse it off in the morning. A continuous application for 10 to15 days can achieve desirable results.

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  27. Komal8:21 AM

    Avoid wearing open backed shoes or thin soled shoes.
    Wear shoes with a good shock absorbing sole.

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  28. Mamata8:36 AM

    Generally speaking and from experience dry cracked feet is from dehydration, so increase your water intake, 2 litres a day preferrably.

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  29. Puneet8:38 AM

    Definitely increase your vitamin A & fish oils. wear cotton socks in bed & smother your feet with an enriched cream. That will help too

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  30. Anonymous8:47 AM

    heels are connected to our kidneys. I have just done a kidney cleanse based on Andreas Moritz's method.

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  31. Hritik8:57 AM

    A regular application of a mixture of glycerin and rosewater is known to soothe and cure cracked heels.

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  32. Babita9:00 AM

    Add a bit of chopped parsley to a foot soak or bath to take advantage of its antibacterial effect, as well as boost circulation.

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  33. Sweety9:05 AM

    you could just take big globs from an aloe plant and wrap it on Huh

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  34. Abhijit9:00 AM

    Well, there are some moisturizers that really work.
    For example, my brother used to have this really weird foot condition where his whole foot was dry, and dead skin would peel off. Just wash your feet regularly, as you do now, and apply neutrogena lotion.
    Especially on the soles of your feet.

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  35. Mandavi9:01 AM

    wash your feet in hot water mixed with salt &turmeric powder daily. Then apply cream named clobetasol propionate for a period of month or two. This is my personal experience and I have got it cured myself of very long time menace.

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  36. Avinash8:56 AM

    For sore feet or gout : soak feet in hot water and mint leaves.

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  37. Jennifer8:31 AM

    keep the foot in warm water for some time. Wipe the water off the feet and apply a mixture of hibiscus flower10,

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  38. Implementation of a ripe banana for 20 minutes every day.The lard-butter can be used alone or in the cracks of the heels or take a spoonful and mix it with honey.

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  39. A foot bath with a dash of bath salts is very soothing and relaxing and does away with pain and odors.Rub the heels and soles of feet with pumice stone to slough away dead, dry skin and to whiten the heels.

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  40. Pramila8:11 AM

    I bought some Vaseline, and rubbed it into my feet and then put a pair of socks on to keep the moisture in and went to bed. Within a few days, my feet were healthy looking again

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  41. This are truly great infos and very useful tips, Thanks! One option if you need a lotion to use in conjunction with the above remedies, use Pure Pedi. Our exclusive formula of exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids AHAs will easily remove dry, cracked skin build-up and calluses from the heels and feet.

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  42. Soak: Soak your feet regularly in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes, with a small sponge or a soft brush, remove dry skin and clean your cracks properly. Wash your feet again and apply foot cream to the cracks.

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  43. Bhavya10:37 AM

    Improperly fitting shoes. Once you purchase a new set of shoes, you have to make sure there is an allowance for your feet to move around and breathe. Wearing too tight shoes would result in dry and irritated feet.

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  44. Apply a mixture of coconut oil/castor oil and turmeric powder on cracked heels preferably 15 minutes before you head to take a bath.

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