Are You Taking Good Care of Your Feet?

Most people don’t take good care of their feet. They don’t even think about their feet until they start hurting. When I watch movies from the cities, I am amazed at how many people who run around in 4″ heels every day of their lives, even on ice and snow! And, I want to ask, “Ladies, can you drive in those things?” What about bunions and hammer toes? Ouch!!! Is it really worth it?

I’m a Pisces, and Pisces rule the feet. So Pisces HAS to have comfortable shoes. In my reality there is no such thing as “walking them in.” Either they feel good, or I won’t buy them! My poor mom, who wore heels when she was young, just had to go through surgery to get her bunion reduced. Evidently, the effects of mistreating your feet can take years before they show up in the form of deformed bones.

I have to admit, the highest pair of heels I have in my closet is 3″ and I only wear them once or twice a year. The rest of the year, I wear boots, or comfortable Clarks, Born or Dansko sandals with long skirts. If you don’t know those brands, they are amazing European leather shoes made to fit real feet and still look good. You might be able to find some on Ebay…

Cracked Heels

But, even someone like me, who despise uncomfortable shoes, can still end up with foot problems. Because I walk barefoot most of the time, my biggest foot problem is cracked heels. First the skin gets dry, then it starts to crack all the way around the heel. And if I ignore it long enough, the cracks will go deep enough that they start to bleed. When that happens, I have to do something about it. And, because I know that many other people have cracked heels as well, here is my recipe for curing the cracks:

To Cure Cracked Heels, Here is What You Need

You only need four things. A relaxing bath, a foot rasp, a lavender lotion and a soft pair of socks…

Here is what I do:

Get yourself a good foot rasp – it looks like something you could grate ginger on… You can also use a foot file, or a pumice stone, but I have personally had best luck with a proper foot rasp.

First soften the skin on your heels. Hop in the bath, or put your feet in a foot bath.

Then start filing away, all the way around the heel. Don’t be afraid to really go for it. If you want it to get better, you have to do it like you mean it. The goal is to remove as much of the dry, cracked skin as possible. This is because there is softer skin under the dry stuff. And you don’t want to waste the lavender lotion by using it on skin that is too thick. It won’t make any difference unless you prep your heels first.

The only way the cracks will heal, is if you file them all the way down to the soft skin below. If it starts to hurt, you have gone too far and it is time to stop. But, definitely keep filing until the cracks are less visible and the skin actually feels soft.

Then, apply a couple of pumps of Lavender lotion, and keep massaging it in properly. Put a pair of socks on, and let the lotion work its magic! Apply the lotion morning and evening, and within a few short days, all the cracks will be gone. Lucky for you, samples are available. You might want to try one. The lavender lotion is amazing for hands too…

Photo by Rune Enstad on Unsplash