Have you ever considered the role your feet play in maintaining your overall health? Keeping your feet in great shape means you can stay active and maintain your fitness, which in turn improves your longevity and overall health as you age. Physically caring for your feet, by soaking them and carrying out spa treatments at home, can also benefit your mental health and help you to de-stress, making it an ideal way to take care of yourself.
At Foot Solutions, we can help you with every aspect of your foot care plan, from daily care to identifying potentially painful foot conditions. Our foot wellness experts can carry out a Foot Assessment to provide you with essential advice and guidance, and we can help you find footwear that works best for your feet. You’ll be surprised at the difference a few simple measures can make, and your feet will begin to feel the difference straight away.
Creating a Spa at Home
Finding the best options for your feet means trying out different things to see what works for you and your lifestyle. You can create a footcare regime that is as complex or as simple as you like, and some ideas you can try at home include:
- Soaking
- Exfoliating
- Moisturising
- Massage
- Pedicure
Washing and drying your feet daily is a basic essential in order to keep them clean and bacteria-free, but adding a little luxury into your foot care routine, even once a week, can help to maintain healthy skin and muscles and reduce inflammation. We’ll take a look at the options so that you can try these for yourself.
Of course, wearing the right footwear is one of the most important ways to protect the health of your feet and finding shoes and socks that support your circulation and cushion your feet in all the right places can make a big difference to your general health, too. We can help you to find a good fit for your unique foot shape, whether you are looking for sports trainers, running shoes, work shoes or casual shoes, and we have a great selection to choose from.
Soaking Your Feet: Top Tips
Creating a ritual of soaking your feet can be grounding and nourishing as a daily or weekly practice, and this can give you some much-needed time to slow down and rest. Epsom salts are a great option, but you can also use a relaxing bath milk or soap, and you can add a few drops of your favourite essential oil if you wish to. Lavender oil is a popular choice, as it is relaxing and gentle on the skin, but you will need to take care when dispersing the oil in the water to ensure that it is properly diluted, and never apply the oil directly onto the skin.
If you have a dedicated foot spa, you can simply follow the manufacturer’s directions. Most foot spas are designed to be filled with warm water, and some even have massage and jet functions, which can add an extra element of luxury to your foot soak. If you do not have a foot spa, you can simply use a washing-up bowl that is kept for this purpose. It is important to ensure that the water you use is not too hot, and a temperature of around 34-37 degrees is recommended to ease muscle and joint aches. Soaking your feet for 10-20 minutes, twice a week, is generally regarded as the best way to incorporate foot soaks into your routine, and you should ensure that you dry your feet well after soaking to prevent a buildup of bacteria. This is a great opportunity to massage a good moisturising cream into your feet, giving them a good rub to benefit your circulation and help to promote healthy skin.
Exfoliation: Why it Matters
Exfoliating may seem like a process that is purely cosmetic, but dry, cracked skin and calluses can be perilous for the health of your feet. Infections can be debilitating, and pain while walking can have a big impact on your general health and well-being. Regular exfoliation can be carried out with a pumice stone or using a sugar or salt scrub, which can be made at home. It is vital to exfoliate gently, as taking an aggressive approach can worsen the problem as the skin becomes damaged.
To make a scrub at home, you can combine olive or coconut oil with sugar or salt, or you may find that oats are a helpful addition if you have sensitive skin or your skin is prone to irritation. You can use this in the shower or while you are soaking your feet, and you should take care to dry your feet carefully afterwards. It can help to maintain your newly exfoliated skin if you apply a rich moisturising cream and put socks on to help with absorption.
If you experience calluses developing regularly, you may find that this is due to your footwear, which may not be offering enough support. Correcting this issue, perhaps with custom-made orthotics, can resolve the unequal pressure and help to balance the spread of weight more evenly throughout your feet.
Hydrating Your Feet
We have mentioned moisturisers several times already, and this is because they are crucial to a healthy footcare routine. It is worth taking your time to find a moisturiser that suits you, remembering that the skin of the feet is often harder than in other areas, and a heavy-duty moisturiser that is designed specifically for this area may be the best choice.
You can use homemade moisturising creams or balms to nourish your feet if you wish to, and there are many great recipes for these. Most are based on Shea butter, which is especially nourishing, or Coconut oil, which has antimicrobial properties, although some include beeswax, and this can help after washing the feet, by sealing in the moisture.
You can use moisturising creams daily to protect and nourish your feet, or use an overnight ‘foot mask’, which is a deeply nourishing treatment for tired or dry, cracked feet. You can do this by washing and drying your feet well and then rubbing in a thick layer of your favourite cream or balm. You can then put on socks – preferably cotton, breathable socks- and wear these to bed. You’ll be surprised at how effective this simple trick can be!
Massage: DIY Luxury
Massaging your feet can benefit your circulation and your stress levels, and you can do this with the cream or oil of your choice after washing and drying, or after soaking. Treat yourself by taking your time to apply your moisturiser and pay special attention to any areas that ache or are sore.
Pedicure at Home
Keeping your toenails trimmed will help to keep your feet in great condition, and you should always cut nails straight across and avoid shaping to prevent ingrown toenails. You can push cuticles back, but take care not to damage them, as they help to prevent infection.
You can treat yourself to a mini pedicure at home by following the advice above and soaking, drying and moisturising your feet before cutting your toenails and maybe even painting them! This can make you feel good, and can be a nice way to finish off your footcare routine.
If you are concerned about the health of your toenails, especially if you notice pain, thickening of the nail or discolouration, you should seek help from a podiatrist.
Care for Your Feet at Foot Solutions
Our experienced team at Foot Solutions can help you keep your feet in great condition. Visit us in your local store or book an appointment online for a free foot assessment to get started.
