Foot care is a particular issue many of us address as we get older. Over time the strains and stresses we put on our feet cause issues with our arches, with bunions and even with the shape of our toes.

There are numerous things you can do to improve your foot health and one of these is to reduce the cracked, dry skin that can form around the toes and heel.

Thankfully there is a solution to cracked skin in the form of foot butter, which moisturises the dry areas of your feet to leave the entire surface soft and smooth.

Introducing your skin to effective, natural moisturisers will not only improve how your feet look, but also salve the pain associated with dry skin. 

And at Take Good Care we’re here to help by offering guidance on how to best take care of your feet…

Feet skin is naturally thicker and tougher than skin you’ll find elsewhere on your body because we put our feet through a lot. We average around 4,000 steps a day and many more if we’re out and about – and our skin needs to be durable in all conditions.

To cope with this many steps, we wear comfortable socks and shoes so that our bare feet aren’t coming into contact with hard concrete and other such surfaces all day.

However, socks actually contribute to our feet skin drying out. They absorb moisture from our skin to such an extent that our feet can eventually become tough and leathery. This is found particularly around the toes, the ball of your feet and the heels.

Hard foot skin is a common issue and is exacerbated by exercise – where your feet may be rubbing more on the sides and soles of your shoes – and simply not washing properly.

We need to look after our feet and, iIf not treated well, the hard skin can become cracked and even blistered. This usually results in causing unnecessary pain that can be relieved if we just take good care of our footcare routine.

How to treat hard feet skin

The answer to treating hard skin is not to simply stop doing exercise! While it may be painful to walk on hard skin at first, the health benefits of regular exercise will mean your body can better revive itself from head to toe.

To treat hard feet skin you can:

• Change your exercise routine
• Wear bamboo socks
• Wash your feet regularly
• Use foot butter to moisturise your feet

As we mentioned, exercise is important for our overall health and wellbeing. If you find that your exercise routine is affecting your feet then consider changing your workouts. There are many exercises you can do that don’t involve running – which is a high-impact activity on your hips, knees and feet. Swimming, cycling and even brisk walking will reduce the stress on your feet.

Wearing bamboo socks that are free from harmful chemicals and synthetic materials will also help cushion your feet better and won’t wick away quite as much moisture as cotton.

Of course, you should also wash your feet regularly. It’s actually something many of us forget to do in the bath or shower – probably because it’s hard to reach your toes without risking slipping over! Ensuring you have clean feet means you’re less likely to pick up skin infections that can get worse with dry skin.

Once you have rested and cleaned your feet, it’s time to restore them with a bit of pampering – and this is where applying foot moisturising products such as Take Good Care’s luxury foot butter comes in.

How to apply foot butter

Foot butter is a moisturiser that helps soothe and replenish cracked and dry skin. Bringing moisture to dry areas of your feet will help your cells’ restorative processes and calm inflammations.

Here’s how to apply foot butter in three easy steps:

1. Take off your socks and wash your feet, using warm water and skin-friendly soap to ensure they’re clean, relaxed and your pores are open. Make sure you’re sitting somewhere comfortable and can reach your feet with ease.
2. Next, take a small amount of luxury foot butter in your fingers and massage it into your feet. Feel free to target a specific dry part of your foot if it requires more attention – but make sure your whole foot receives the benefit of the butter. Note: It’s worth starting with a small amount of foot butter to begin with. You can always apply more if you need!
3. Once you’ve rubbed the butter into your feet it’s time to sit back and relax. This will give the shea butter and natural oil blend time to get to work soothing your skin. In the meantime, why not enjoy some calm with some meditation practices, or enjoy a cuppa with a good book?