Why on earth are my feet so dry? Dry feet can feel rough to the touch and result in callouses, cracks, and overall painful feet. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to fix. Try some of these dry feet remedies and get to the root of the cause. Soft, silky skin is on the horizon!
In this post, you’ll learn…
- Dry Feet Causes
- How to Remove Dead Skin on Feet
- Foot Soak
- Oatmeal Bath
- Foot Scrub
- Pumice Stone
- Lotion
- Wear Socks to Bed
- Keep a Routine
- More Natural Self-Care Ideas
Dry Feet Causes
Wondering what actually causes your feet to be dry and flaky? Here are a few common culprits.
- Extreme heat or cold. My skin gets much drier in the winter, and I instantly notice how rough my feet get. Extreme cold or hot weather can easily affect your skin. In the winter, the lack of humidity and the moisture-sucking indoor heating leaves the skin dry. Likewise, the lack of moisture in certain summer heat also dehydrates the skin.
- Exposed skin. If you wear sandals or walk barefoot, your skin may also dry out quicker since they’re exposed to the elements. I often notice this happens in the summer when I’m wearing flip-flops.
- Soaps. Too much bathing and scrubbing and the use of harsh soaps can also lead to dry feet.
- Naturally dry skin. You may be reading this and thinking, none of this applies to me. So why are my feet so dry still? Some people just have naturally dry skin if their body produces less sebum, the skin’s natural oil. However, the body does not produce sebum on the soles of the feet (hello, cracked heels!).
- Aging also means your body produces fewer oils and can leave your skin drier than you’re used to.
- Medical issues. Some people may also have dry feet due to a medical issue such as eczema or athlete’s foot.
How to Remove Dead Skin on Feet
Luckily, whatever the root cause is, you can help soften your skin fairly easily. Here’s how.
Foot Soak
Start off with a foot soak. This helps to clean up dirty feet while also minimizing aches and pains. Filled with Epsom salts and essential oils, it will help to improve circulation and soften dry feet prior to removing dead skin. The process itself is soothing and relaxing.
Oatmeal Bath
For cracked heels, you may also want to try an oatmeal bath. Colloidal oatmeal has been used for dry skin for centuries. It binds to your skin and creates a protective layer to help you lock in moisture and reduce inflammation.
Foot Scrub
Next, apply a foot scrub as a dry feet remedy. Foot scrubs have exfoliants (such as sugar) that will scrub away dry and rough skin. I make mine with peppermint to help invigorate the senses since it has a stimulating and cooling effect on the skin. I also include coconut oil to help soften cracked heels.
Pumice Stone
For really dry skin, you can also consider filing off the dead skin on your feet with a pumice stone or callus shaver. But be very careful you don’t take too much off!
Lotion
After the scrub, apply a generous amount of lotion. For the feet, a thicker lotion tends to work best. The lotion is essential to help soften and soothe dry feet and prevent future cracks and callouses. Once again, I include peppermint essential oil in my foot balm as a pain reliever.
Wear Socks to Bed
I also suggest wearing socks after you’ve lotioned and before you go to bed so you wake up with baby-smooth soft feet.
Keep a Routine
Keep up with this routine every night before bed (do the scrub every few days only), and you’ll see results quickly. No more wondering why are my feet so dry?
Once you’ve got a handle on your dry feet, keep up with the lotion and do the full routine once a week!
Struggling with dry hands too? Here’s how to get soft hands (with 10 natural recipes to try!).
Got any more tips for dry feet? Leave them in the comments down below and help a fellow gardener out!
