Are you reluctant to wear your pretty sandals in the summer because your feet look neglected? Have your feet become dry and chapped or have your heels cracked, even during the winter months?
These conditions are usually a result of a buildup of dead skin on the feet.
Hard calluses are a rough layer of skin as a result of accumulated dead skin cells on certain parts of your body, especially your hands and feet.
While dead skin is not pleasing to the eye during the summer months, in winter, the excess layer of dead skin is often prone to dryness and chapping.
The skin on your feet is naturally dry since feet have no oil glands. Consequently, you need to keep them well-moisturized in order for the skin to stay soft and healthy.
Dead skin can accumulate on your feet due to various factors that include:
- Using strong soaps that are harsh on the skin.
- Standing on your feet for long periods of time, which applies extra pressure on your feet.
- Being overweight, in which case your feet have to bear a heavier load.
- Not wearing the right footwear. For women, wearing high heels can lead to the accumulation of dead skin.
Therefore, it is important to start taking care of your feet.
Here are six simple remedies or treatments that you can do at home to remove dead skin from your feet.
Contents
Method 1: Soaking and Pumice Stone
Soaking your feet in the water is not just a great way to relax after a long, hard day at work, it also helps loosen up the dead skin on your feet so you can scrub it off and reveal clean and healthy skin.
It’s best to use this method at night before going to bed.
Things you’ll need:
- Pumice stone
- Liquid body soap
- Towel
- Moisturizer
Step 1. Add liquid body soap to water and soak your feet
- Fill a small tub with warm water and add some liquid body soap.
- Soak your feet in it for about 20 minutes.
Step 2. Scrub off the dead skin with a pumice stone
- Use a pumice stone to gently scrub off all the softened dead skin.
- Take special care to thoroughly remove all the dead skin on and around your heels, because they bear the most damage in the course of everyday life.
Step 3. Rinse, pat dry then moisturize your feet
- Rinse all the dirt and dead skin cells off your feet by pouring some cool water over them.
- Pat your feet dry thoroughly using a soft towel.
- Massage some moisturizer or foot cream into your feet to keep the skin soft.
- Do this at night and wear cotton socks to bed in order to lock in the moisture.
Do this daily for at least a week to remove accumulated dead skin from your feet. Then, continue the soaking-scrubbing ritual once a week to maintain beautiful feet.
Method 2: Vinegar and Listerine
Vinegar and Listerine both have strong exfoliating properties that can help you get rid of the rough layers of dead skin on your feet.
A warm water foot soak with vinegar and Listerine will help soften your calluses and loosen the dead skin so you can scrub it off.
It’s best to perform this treatment at night before going to sleep.
Things you’ll need:
- Vinegar (exfoliating/skin peeling properties) – ¼ cup
- Listerine (exfoliates and softens dead skin layers) – ¼ cup
- Warm water – 2 cups
- Loofah
- Towel
Step 1. Mix hot water, vinegar, and Listerine in a small foot tub
- Take 2 cups of warm water in a small foot tub.
- Add ¼ cup each of white vinegar and Listerine.
- Stir once to mix all the ingredients.
Step 2. Soak your feet and gently scrub them with a loofah
- Soak your feet in the warm bath for 30 to 60 minutes.
- You can add more warm or hot water after 30 minutes.
- After 20 to 30 minutes, use a loofah to gently exfoliate your feet, especially your heels.
Step 3. Rinse and dry your feet
- Rinse your feet with cool water.
- Pat them dry with a soft absorbent towel.
Do this every alternate day for at least one to two weeks to get rid of dead skin on feet.
Method 3: Epsom Salt
Epsom salt soaks extremely relaxing and a wonderful treat for your much-overused feet. This salt contains some wonderful minerals, among them magnesium which improves blood circulation in your feet and also draws out toxins.
A good, long foot bath with Epsom salt can soften up your calluses and rough layers of dead skin. Applying the aspirin-lemon paste will further help soften the hardened skin layers.
Like other methods, finish this treatment by applying moisturizer on your feet. It’s best to do this before going to sleep to let the moisturizer work overnight.
Things you’ll need:
- Epsom salt (detox agent)– 1 cup
- Aspirin (softens calluses)– 7 to 10 tablets
- Lemon juice (softens hard skin)– ½ lemon
- Moisturizer
- Plastic wrap
- Towel
- Cotton socks (locks in moisture)
Step 1. Prepare and soak your feet in an Epsom salt foot bath
- Fill the small tub with warm water.
- Add 1 cup of Epsom salt and stir until the salt is completely dissolved.
- Soak your feet in it for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Wash your feet thoroughly.
Step 2. Make a paste of lemon juice and aspirin
- Put 7 to 10 aspirin tablets in a bowl.
- Squeeze the juice of ½ lemon into the bowl.
- Stir until the tablets have completely dissolved and you have a smooth paste.
Step 3. Apply the paste on your feet and seal them with plastic wrap
- Rub the aspirin-lemon paste on the rougher patches of skin on your feet.
- In order to let the aspirin loosen up the dead skin, wrap your feet with plastic wrap to seal in the paste.
- Keep the wrap on for 4 to 5 hours.
Step 4. Wash, dry and moisturize your feet
- Remove the plastic wrap and wash your feet with cool water.
- Gently pat your feet dry with a soft absorbent towel.
- Apply a generous layer of moisturizer to further soften and moisturize your skin.
- Go to bed with cotton socks on your feet to seal in the moisture.
Do this daily for 1 week to completely remove dead skin from your feet.
Method 4: DIY Scrub
Another effective way to remove dead skin from your feet is to use a DIY scrub.
Lemon works to soften and loosen up the rough dead skin, while olive oil and honey nourish the skin to keep it moist and healthy.
Brown sugar is used in many exfoliating DIY skin scrubs. As you massage the scrub on your feet, the brown sugar gently exfoliates scrubbing off the softened dead skin.
Things you’ll need:
- Brown sugar (gently exfoliates) – 2 tablespoons
- Honey (heals and moisturizes) – 1 tablespoon
- Olive oil (nourishes and enriches skin) – 1 tablespoon
- Lemon juice (softens dead skin) – ½ lemon
Step 1. Combine all the ingredients
- Put 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in a small bowl.
- Add 1 tablespoon each of honey and olive oil.
- Squeeze the juice from ½ lemon into the bowl.
Step 2. Mix well and exfoliate your feet with the scrub
- Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
- Soak your feet in lukewarm water for about 20 minutes and wash them thoroughly to remove all dirt and impurities.
- Rub the prepared scrub all over your feet using circular motions to remove all the dead skin.
- Wash your feet with cool water to reveal smooth and glowing skin.
Use this scrub 2 to 3 times a week for proper exfoliation.
Method 5: Dead Sea Salt
Dead Sea salt contains many minerals that are beneficial for your skin. It also gently exfoliates hardened and rough skin and helps it to retain moisture.
This makes this special variety of salt from the Dead Sea a wondrous and simpler remedy to remove dead skin from your feet.
Single-Step Treatment: Add Dead Sea salt to your foot bath and soak
- Fill your foot bath with warm or hot water, depending on your preference.
- Add 1 cup of Dead Sea salt and stir until the salt dissolves completely.
- Soak your feet in it for at least 15 minutes.
Do this once every week for gorgeous feet that you can be proud to show off.
Method 6: Ped Egg Foot File
Ped Egg is a commercially available foot file, which is shaped like an egg and is extremely useful for manually scraping dry, dead skin and calluses off your feet.
The egg-shaped device actually breaks into 2 halves. The file surface resembles your average cheese grater with scalloped holes.
Single-Step Treatment: Scrub off the dead skin with the file
- Gently remove dead skin from your feet by scrubbing them off with the file side of the device. Under the file surface, there is a hollow interior that collects the dead skin when the file is used.
- The lower portion of the egg-shaped device contains an emery pad or a sandpaper-type surface. After you have filed away the dead skin, gently rub this on your feet to give your skin a smoother look and feel.
Use this wonderful device at least once a week for beautiful feet.
Additional Tips
- Use a pumice stone or loofah to gently exfoliate your feet every time you bathe.
- Apply a good foot cream regularly. Wash your feet, then massage in the cream. Do this nightly to help prevent the buildup of dead skin cells.
- Get a DIY pedicure kit and use it once a week to maintain healthy skin on your feet.
- Avoid standing on your feet for long hours. Get shoes with orthopedic or padded soles to relieve the pressure on your feet, or wear sandals to allow your feet to breathe.
- A wide range of specialized compression socks is available that can improve circulation and ventilation for your feet.