I am a bit of a beauty junkie about many things – bath and body products, skincare and lately, I’m even starting to take care of my hands, now that I’ve found a hand cream to love. But there’s one part of my body that’s quite sorely neglected.
My feet.
Are you the same?
For whatever reason it is, I have never really paid much attention to my feet. Sometimes, when I remember, I apply my body oil to my legs. Most times, I don’t and so its only applied on my arms. I never used to take care of my hands either, but I do believe that my nightly hand cream treatments have helped the skin on my hands. They look better, and even clearer in tone. At least my hands aren’t giving away my real age 😉
I was pondering this conundrum about my feet while I was cutting my toenails recently, and realised just how awful looking the skin on my feet and toes were. It looked so dry 🙁 I’m lucky I don’t suffer from cracked heels but I can never say never!
I think our feet are hard done by most of the time. They work so hard, taking us places, keeping up upright and we reward them with… nothing. So I’m going to try to take a little extra care of my feet. I plan to start by applying some creams or even just my regular body oils to my feet before bed. I figure that this way, I won’t track oily patches all over my bedroom and house as I pad about.
I was even contemplating getting one of those bed socks. I read that you can slather on some oil or thick cream or body butter on your feet, wear your socks to bed and wake up with lovely soft feet. I naturally have no idea where to start so if you have some tips for taking care of your feet, please do share!
Do you take care of your feet? Do you have recommendations for foot creams or tips to care for your feet?
I discovered that I have some foot cream and even a foot mask pack lying around so I might start there. If you have more recs, please please do share! My poor feet will thank you for it 😉
Paris B
Kay says
August 28, 2012 at 8:40 amI have an AHA lotion I bought to use on my arms to reduce scars, now I extend the use to my feet, massage in the lotion and put on socks before I sleep. On warm days I mist my feet with DIY lemon peppermint baking soda spray to minimise odor because I have to wear shoes for my work the entire day and I walk around a lot. At night I just mist DIY geranium lavender spray to cool down.
I scrub my feet on those days I don’t have to start work at 10am, together with my body. And I always start from my feet so I don’t neglect them. That’s all I do for caring my feet. Not particularly pampering for something I walk on everyday.
Paris B says
August 28, 2012 at 3:18 pmAh Kay, you are doing 234987 more things than I’m doing for my poor feet! I really should start with at least a cream or scrub or something – thanks for the ideas!
Hanny Daforcena says
August 28, 2012 at 8:49 amI try to apply QV cream to my heels when they’re too cracked and dry. Heh heh. A tip that I’ve learned from my grandma is wearing plastic bags over my feet after the QV cream and using socks to secure them plastic bag. Feet with be smooth in the morning~
Paris B says
August 28, 2012 at 3:19 pmOh my sounds uncomfy with plastic bags and socks! But I don’t doubt it’ll help the skin be much more moisturized – I think I’ll try this but without the plastic bags 😀
Sze Ling says
August 28, 2012 at 9:02 amI’m absolutely horrible with my feet. ~guilty~ 😛
They are definitely neglected. LOL.
Paris B says
August 28, 2012 at 3:19 pmSame here! Thought I’d better do something before they show off my real age LOL 😉
Charlotte says
August 28, 2012 at 10:35 amHaha! I used to neglect my feet too, until I noticed a slight crack in my heels when I moved over here to Australia (stupid cold and dry weather >:( ) For me, I just scrub my heels to get rid of all the roughy bits, and apply lotion generously, then wear my socks to sleep. It was hard to start a ‘feet routine’ I feel, even now I don’t do it every night, once or twice a week is sufficient to keep my feet looking taken care of 😉
Paris B says
August 28, 2012 at 3:21 pmThanks for the tips, Charlotte! I think I’ll start as you say, with a scrub and cream or lotion once or twice a week and hopefully it helps my feet look better 😀
krisz says
August 28, 2012 at 10:58 amI have very very dry skin on my feet and I use Neutrogena Foot Cream (http://www.britstore.co.uk/p4355/Neutrogena-Norwegian-Formula-Dry-Foot-Cream-100ml/product_info.html) which is a very heavy cream, but it’s the only one that works for me. But it works very well 🙂 I love it!
Paris B says
August 28, 2012 at 3:24 pmThanks for the recommendation Krisz 🙂 My feet do look very dry too and I’ll see if I can find this one here 🙂
krisz says
August 28, 2012 at 11:13 pmI hope You will find it. And I really like your blog! 🙂 Greetings from Hungary!
Paris B says
August 30, 2012 at 10:57 amThanks Kriz! I would love to visit Hungary some day 😀
Ting says
August 28, 2012 at 8:52 pmI am so happy you mention neutrogena foot cream!!! This. One. Works!!! I discovered it in the UK and was happy to find they sell in watsons malaysia. Although I think the formula is a little different. You should really try it. 🙂
Paris B says
August 30, 2012 at 10:51 amI guess I have to try this one now, don’t I? 😀 Thanks for letting me know its available locally 😀
Becca says
August 28, 2012 at 11:48 amI definitely neglect my poor feet–which I really shouldn’t since I pretty much live in flip-flops 😛 But I do have some foot creams that I use when my heels are in dire need. Burts Bees definitely makes some good ones (I don’t personally like the Coconut Peppermint one [I think that’s what it is…] at all but the Honey & Bilberry one is really nice [if they still make it]). A good one for VERY dry and/or cracked heels is Amlactin. It exfoliates and softens and hydrates very well. Most of the time, a good scrub down with a pumice stone in the shower is all I need though
Paris B says
August 28, 2012 at 3:26 pmI sometimes think that wearing too many open toed shoes or flip flops make our feet drier or cause cracked heels. Just a personal theory 😛 I wear a lot of flip flops off work too LOL! Thanks for the Burts Bees rec, I’ve got the Peppermint one but Honey & Bilberry sounds nice 🙂 I also need to get a pumice stone methinks >.<
peach_ says
August 28, 2012 at 12:04 pmI don’t do too much, other than a weekly foot scrub. They get a lotion rub after a bath at the same time I moisturize my body. I don’t get cracked heels, either — I think the excruciating humidity really helps! 😛
Paris B says
August 28, 2012 at 3:26 pmAh Peach, you already do 3 more things than I ever do for my poor feet! I better start – weekly foot scrub it is! 😀
Monstro says
August 28, 2012 at 12:53 pmI found that wearing harder sandals like Birkenstocks gave me very rough calloused feet. But since switching to Fitflops, the roughness has lessened-must be the awesome cushioning effect. I really don’t do much other than apply my body lotion onto my feet occasionally when it gets dry. I have a Loccitanne foot cream that’s just sitting in my cupboard that I really ought to break into!
Paris B says
August 28, 2012 at 3:29 pmHey Monstro, I did find too that the harder the shoe, the worse my feet look. Doesn’t help that I have bunions and some calluses. I really need to find me a pumice stone and get cracking on pampering my poor feet 😛
jk says
August 28, 2012 at 1:25 pmCompared to the almost nightly attention my hands get, my feet are very neglected. I recently tried out for the 1st time ever, a pedicure and I have been converted – but only with time permitting. In between, I do DIY scrubs regularly using the St Ives Apricot scrub (a bit of catch up pampering after all the years of neglect :-D) and pumice stone.
On feet pampering nights, the feet get slathered with:-
a) Kiehls Intensive Hand Cream (pretty decent for feet also, sticky and all); or
b) Neat Feat’s Foot cream (seriously thick and sticky); or
c) Cetaphil’s Moisturising Cream (the least sticky of the lot)
and then snuggled into socks. Zzzz and happy feet.
Paris B says
August 28, 2012 at 3:31 pmHaha I remember going for a pedicure the first time and was so impressed at how soft my feet were after that! So nice right? 🙂 I then found it too expensive to keep going back just to “wash my feet” so I stopped. Didn’t help my nails got a fungal infection after one of the sessions too (so be careful of the salon you go to especially if you are having your nails painted etc) that put me off. Thanks for the recs for your feet pampering session. I think I’ll start with St. Ives Apricot too (cheap and effective!) and one of those creams 😀
Bugs says
August 28, 2012 at 4:29 pmAnother guilty one here… my toes and heels are so pity
I tried Elgy cream for crack heel but din help much, it’s kinda greasy but my feet are still dry. Later I found out I juz need to file my heels more to get rid of dead skin and they will look better…. Now, if only I could be more diligent with the foot care routine.
Paris B says
August 30, 2012 at 10:47 amI guess I”m lucky I don’t have cracked heels… yet! I find wearing shoes (and less flip flops or sandals or exposed feet) reduces the chances of getting cracked heels. But then maybe its just a theory 🙂 I’m going to have to get me a pumice stone.
Esther says
August 28, 2012 at 5:08 pmOh yes I agree!! MY FEET LOOK SO OLD FOR A 20 YEAR OLD! *gasp* But I always find feet creams a little rich and… -_- yeaa… I tend to have that whole “leave my oily footprints behind! bwahahahha” issue… bed socks? hmmmm~ But what about those feet peeling masks? Ever going to try them? Heard it makes your old icky feet skin peel and “reveal soft baby skin underneat” =O
Paris B says
August 30, 2012 at 10:48 amYep, I think feet creams have to be rich because the skin on our feet is so thick 🙂 Try applying your creams while in bed just before you sleep. That way I find I don’t walk around and track oily cream all over the floor 🙂 I have heard about those feet masks too. Will try if I come across one, if only for the fun factor 😀
Callie says
August 28, 2012 at 5:11 pmYes, the socks work. I’ve tried. I can attest to it! BUT! I’m lazy like most women. I also neglect my feet. When I see that they need some help, I head down for a pedicure. I also torture them by walking on 4″ heels frequently. I guess I need to give them some TLC… Gotta make some effort! *winks*
Paris B says
August 30, 2012 at 10:49 amOoh salute you for traipsing in 4″ heels! I get a back ache if I have to wear those for too long and then my feet ache like crazy too! We should set up a weekly feet pampering routine – our poor feet deserve it 😉
Lily says
August 28, 2012 at 9:29 pmIf i took care of my feet with half the care i do my skin, huh! My feet will look 20 years younger. Unfortunately, the only time i do is when i go get a pedicure…and the last time i did so was last year. Omg… I’m horrible at this. I’m going to put lotion on my feet later just because i feel guilty.
Paris B says
August 30, 2012 at 10:52 amHaha I think we’re all mostly the same. The one part of our body we don’t take care of, and the most important!
BunBunMakeupTips says
August 28, 2012 at 10:23 pmGuilty of ignoring my feet too! It\’s that body part that brings us to the most beautiful places yet it\’s the one we care for the least. Sorry, feet! My feet look really… bad. Haha!Becoz I dance Latin, I dance in heels and since the toes will sometimes get scraped by friction from moving, I don\’t do pedis either. And if my feet are too soft, they feel really raw when I\’m dancing, to the extent that it hurts sometimes. So I just don\’t feet exfoliation.I do extend moisturizer to my feet when I remember to apply on my legs (rarely), but that\’s all I do.
BunBunMakeupTips says
August 28, 2012 at 10:24 pmOMG what’s with the extra ‘\’? I didn’t put them there. lol
Paris B says
August 30, 2012 at 10:53 amI don’t dance but I know what you mean. I swear one of my feet is deformed thanks to heels 🙁 But I will be trying to take a little better care of it – something nice about having nice soft feet as well as nice soft hands 😉
Cindy Tong says
August 29, 2012 at 2:28 amoccassionally do DIY pedicure with trimming,,,but I hate the blister located on the bottom of my feet..it just wont go away..
Paris B says
August 30, 2012 at 10:58 amOuch, a perpetual blister sounds painful!
LeGeeque says
August 29, 2012 at 8:33 amThe moisturiser/oil before bed is very very handy. Alternatively, if you wear stockings/tights/socks to work, you can always slather on a layer and wear your socks and head off to work. That’s sort of my morning routine. Because it’s bitterly cold in the mornings, I wear both socks and tights with my boots. (Moisturiser, socks, tights) And I hate wearing socks to bed cos it gets too warm and wakes me up.
Paris B says
August 30, 2012 at 10:59 amGood point but I don’t wear socks/tights to work (too hot!) I might see if I could try a socks to bed routine once a week. Its not too bad since my air conditioning is on anyway and its all nice and cozy under the duvet 😀
Lisa says
August 29, 2012 at 8:42 amI’ve been wanting to get the Bliss Softening Socks for the longest time but it’s so pricey for a pair of socks i’ve been putting it off! And i wonder whether if it actually works. But it looks like the perfect solution to moisturize the feet without the hassles and mess.
Paris B says
August 30, 2012 at 11:00 amHaha I thought about those socks too! But it seems a bit of a waste since they will only last a few uses right? I have a hand glove thingy somewhere. I should try it 😀
Stacey says
August 29, 2012 at 12:41 pmI always wash my feet with body shower gel whenever i take a bath so that helps to prevent it from cracking and drying out. I would apply my body lotion on my legs and feet whenever I remember to.
there’s a skin renewal mask pack for feet that you apply and wrap around your feet, and over the next few days, the skin on your feet will peel off. i saw some photos and thought it looked absolutely disgusting. but after the peeling process is over, you’ll get soft and smooth feet.
maybe you want to try that? 🙂
Paris B says
August 30, 2012 at 11:10 amI’ve read about those feet masks that make the skin peel and it sounds (and looks) scary awful! But yet I’m intrigued. Maybe I should give one a go and see what all the fuss is about? 😉
Stacey says
August 30, 2012 at 11:23 amtake pictures and show us! haha 😛
Paris B says
August 30, 2012 at 11:30 amYou bet I will! 😉
Kay says
August 30, 2012 at 3:48 amHi, I like your blog and would like to contribute.
I have had painful dry cracked heels all my life and have experimented with many, many options and wasted a lot of money. This routine keeps them soft and supple.
The first step is regular exfoliation to take off the ugly hard parts: mildest is pumice stone (cheap) or Diamoncel foot files (incredibly expensive), but for heavy duty exfoliation, the PedEgg works wonders. They say do not use wet but it works better for me on moist skin after a shower…just be careful to not get carried away. Now, I only use the PedEgg because it is faster, easier and more effective than any other exfoliation method.
Second is application of a cream: cheapest and very good is vaseline, best is 40% Urea Cream which I get from my dermatologist but which can be bought over the counter. I alternate Urea Cream with other creams as I find I don’t have to use it daily. The urea cream softens hard skin so wash your hands after application or you will find your palms peeling!
Lastly, I use cheap thin ankle socks to cover the cream so I don’t track it all over my carpet or on my sheets.
Paris B says
August 30, 2012 at 11:19 amThanks so much for sharing, Kay 🙂 I have heard about the PedEgg and I thought it looked painful! LOL I’ve seen urea cream in the pharmacies and its not too pricey. Might be a good place to start 😀
Callie says
August 30, 2012 at 10:54 amThanks! I do have quite a few pairs of 4″. I think I might need to keep them away for a while and give my feet the pampering they deserve. I intend to apply lotion and put the socks on every night. It’s just a matter of when I start! Ha!
I wish you a great day ahead!