Very dry heels - what to use
 

Does anyone have any products to recommend for dry, not yet cracked but could get there, heels? Used to use a pumice-cream product by Philosophy but they discontinued it. (Need to get my feet in shape before my next trip). Posted this on Europe forum, too.

orangetravelcat:

I lik and use Flexitol Heel Balm

I recently clipped this column of
Paula Begoun from one of her recent health & beauty columns. The column was called Fast treatment makes dry, cracked skin on heels and hands vanish.

List of supplies:
olive oil or vaseline,
2 percent salicylic acid (BHA) lotion
topical antibiotic
plastic wrap
lightweight cotton socks or gloves

Clean your feet thoroughly but gently; you can't scrub away dry skin so treat your skin tenderly. If you have any problems with your cracked skin becoming infected apply a topical antibacterial such as Neosporin First Aid Antibiotic Ointment or Polysporin. Then apply a 2 percent salicylic acid lotionor gel over th esoles of your feet. Neutrogena Clear Pore Nighttime Pore Clarifying Gel 2oz and Clean & Clear Advantage Daily Acne Clearing Lotion 1 fl oz are great options (and just ignore the acne and clear pore product description, the main ingredient in these two products, salicylic acid, workds wonders on dry cracked feet).

After that, in a thin layer apply the olive oil, followed by a thick layer of Vaseline. Finally wrap your feet and hands in plastic wrap and cover that with the socks or gloves.

Do this nightly until the problem goes away (it can take up to a week or two) and then intermittently to maintain results.

If you try this please report back.

Sandy

My doctor recommended an over-the-counter product called Lac-hydrin Five for very dry skin, and it works very well.

I like to use a shea butter that they sell at Rite-Aid, Walgreens, etc. It's inexpensive and I use it at night and then put socks on so it won't get everywhere (it's greasy but does the job).

L'Occitane sells a similar product, but I can't notice a substantive difference between their more expensive product, and the $5 drugstore variety.

After your "heels are healed", don't go barefooted at all. Living in Arizona, I used to go barefoot all the time and always had cracked heel skin, it hurt and sometimes bled....someone mentioned to never go barefoot and it would never happen again and it hasn't...I always wear slippers, sox or shoes.

orangetravelcat - you have received some good tips.

My doctor also told me to stop walking around bare foot which I liked to do in the summer. So I agree with desertduds wear sandals, slippers etc.

Sandy

I'd recommend Burts Bees products if any avail. I've used the lip balm, carrot lotion and hair products which are excellent for dry skin and hair.

While I shower, I let the tub fill with a scoop of bath crystals (sometimes a foot soak) so my feet soak as I shower and wash hair. I then drain tub and use a foot scrub product with a loofah. After that, I put shea butter for feet all over feet and heels and put on my clean, white socks. I do this every day. Sometimes I use vaseline or had cream with vaseline and I have also used olive oil. A good pedicure every once in a while helps also and that makes it easier to keep feet in good shape.

Try Kerasal - I found it at Walmart and swear by it. Here's a website for them:

http://www.kerasal.com/promo/Kerasal...le/default.htm

All above advice is good - notice that the key to each is an occlusive fat/oil product followed by some sort of covering. An added ingredient is that salicylic acid.

Nothing is really "absorbed" thru thick skin - so the key is to soften it up with moisture - and the only way to keep the moisture in is the put on an occlusive product and a "dressing" - in this case plastic wrap is great.

I find a variation on that theme is one of the products mentioned above, slip feet into plastic bags (the cheap, non-zipper kind are great), and then follow with socks to keep the bags on. Caution that this makes for very slippery walking as the bags slip around inside the socks.

What I have found works best for me is #1 consistency, doing this often, using a pumice stone in the shower, and Burt's Bees coconut foot balm or Rocky Mountain Soap Company's "foot butter"...I also never wear shoes at home, but try to at least wear flip flops or slippers, that seems to help...

In the winter, the skin on my heels gets dry and scaly.

My dermatologist recommends sanding the heels gently with medium or fine sandpaper to the point where I can just feel it, then applying a heavy ointment such as Eucerin Original Cream.

This is simple, and if I do this weekly, it works well.

In the first recipe reply provided above, I would also include the appropriate dose of sodium pentabarbitol.

Pis

Hi O,

My Lady wife also recommends Kerasal.

((I))

This probably wouldn't be good if your heels are cracked and bleeding but when they heal this might help. I soke my feet to soften the skin and then us a file (Dr. Scholl's) the fine side and remove the layer of dead skin on my heels and then use vasoline with socks as previously mentioned. I also have stopped going barefoot. I HATE feet..the only pretty or cute feet, IMHO, are those on children 6 months and under...LOL

I have three products to recommend to you. One is available at Walmart, CVS,etc. and it is a Sally Hansen 18 Hour foot cream. This stuff is great! If I use it every night, usually after a shower, it absorbs in and keeps my feet in good shape...plus, it has a nice, citrus-y smell and it's only about $6.95 per tube. I also like a product by Kiehl's..I can't remember the exact name, but it's a heavy duty cream for very dry skin and it works very well on heels. The last one is Elizabeth Arden's 8 hour skin cream. This stuff works well, but beware the smell! Good luck!

I use a foot cream by "Fresh" at night when I need to repair my feet. But I think any thick cream will work.
For removing thick dry skin, try Diamancel foot buffers. They are wonderful!

After spending hundreds of dollars on stuff that either didn't work, or would work temporarily and then the problem returned, my dermatologist told me to go to a very reputable nail place and have a spa pedicure once a month. This has done the trick very nicely.

I have a sanding paddle that I bought for 3.99 at Sally Beauty supply. One side is fine the other is coarse.
Once a week I spend about 10 minutes 'sanding' my heels and along the edges of my big toe, etc...
EVERY DAY I take a bath before bed. As I take a bath I rub my feet with a Basin massage bar.
http://www.basin.com/web-cart/custom...255&page=1
They are cheap and WAY too hard to be real massage bars BUT they are perfect for feet!!!!
I have been following this regimen for about 1 year and my feet are so soft and pink it hurts to walk barefoot outside at all.

I highly agree on the spa pedicure idea and always get one when I'm in the US, but unfortunately they aren't available where I live. :(

I love all the exotic, more expensive remedies, but have found the most affordable cure that really works is simply plain, old Vaseline and a pair of socks at bedtime for a few days. :)

When they do a spa pedicure at the places I go they use the mechanical file they use to file down the fake nails! ouch, it makes my heels hurt! I have a file the looks like a cheese grater, if I use it daily in the shower and moisturize it keeps things under control. Anything to avoid what my husband calls my hooves!

Oh crefloors, I beg to differ!
My daughter is at the ripe old age of 19 months and her feet are darling! ;)

I second the idea of a pedicure. Ihad my very first one a few months ago and - wow. I had the softest feet and heels! They used that "grater" on my heels too - took off a bunch of dead skin. Made them so soft. I use a pumice stone on them now a few times a week. Then just use lotion on them. I may try a few mentioned here.

Not sure about elsewhere but there are some strict regulations about the use of blades, pumice and rasps.
I NEVER get pedicures at salons... no need, my feet look beautiful using the easy method I outlined above.
Save the money and possibly your health, skip the pedicure and head to a massage therapist for a real foot massage!

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/...salon.dangers/

I agree with tcapp completely. Here in Hawai`i, barefoot is the rule, so a monthly pedicure keeps my heels smoothe and my toenails lover-ly. :-)

For really dry feet (or hands), I have to agree with Statia. There is nothing better than Vaseline. Slather it on your feet, cover with white socks, and go to bed. You'll be amazed the next morning. It's the best bargoon for the $$$.

If your heels get really, really bad try Miracle Heel Repair. You can find it in any drugstore.

Ahava Foot Cream made with minerals from the Dead Sea works great. I got several tubes of both foot and hand cream last fall in Israel and gave some for gifts. People are now asking me to go back and get them some more. (I wish!) It is available in Louisville, KY, at a Beauty First store; or you can order it online. It was a lot cheaper in Israel, but the airfare gets you.

quotiong Gail:
"I find a variation on that theme is one of the products mentioned above, slip feet into plastic bags (the cheap, non-zipper kind are great), and then follow with socks to keep the bags on."

So now the mystery of elderly ladies wearing plastic shoes over regular shoes is solved: nobody told them plastic goes INSIDE! :))

What's wrong with me? It should've been "quoting" not what it came out! Too bad we can't spell-check. At least some of us can't :)

Daily in the bath with a light scrubber, do your heels, balls of feet and wherever else is necessary; lotion (or any cream, vaseline, etc.) the feet along with the rest body when out of the bath. And a weekly pedicure (along with manicure)... they're certainly cheap enough in NYC with a shop on about every street corner. Bring your own supplies (files, orange sticks, scrubbers/pumice, clippers, etc.), never use those from the shop... what to see how the foot baths are cleaned and sanitized... who knows what germs lurk!

Try to avoid high heels(except for those special occasions), wear slippers in the house. Save your new beautiful bare feet for the beach only.

www.aslaskin.com - Here's a product line made in Europe. Try Gerovital H3... it's simply the best, I guarantee it!

My best method is Creamy Vaseline slathered on just before I put my socks, shoes on. I like that formula much better than regular petroleum jelly. Have tried expensive foot creams and haven't found any that did much. This also eliminates friction in your shoes when you walk. (Learned this from a friend who hikes a lot.)

Another tip is to use cruise control when you're on the open road. A few years ago, I was driving off and on for several days, in sandals, under stress. I wasn't using cruise much and ended up with a bad cut on my right heel.

The Creamy Vaseline helps soften the skin, but if there are cuts, the only thing I've found that heals is Watkins Menthol.