If there’s one area of our skin that gets neglected during the winter, it’s our feet. When they’re constantly tucked into wool socks, boots, or slippers, it’s easy to let cracked heels and dry skin go unnoticed until it’s uncomfortably itchy. Even if you don’t have time to stop by the spa, you should still take the time to give your tootsies a little love with an at-home foot care experience.
Here’s what you’ll need for a DIY foot spa experience:
- Large tub
- Warm water
- Botanical oil, such as coconut, jojoba, olive, or sunflower
- Colloidal oatmeal
- Towels
- Pumice stone
- Baby Foot Exfoliating Peel
- Your favorite hydrating body cream
Step 1: Start with a Soak
Create a relaxing space with a few candles, put on your favorite podcast, or your favorite playlist. Fill your soaking tub halfway with warm water and set it on top of a towel in front of a chair. Be sure to bring a few extra towels for drying off your feet after the soak.
Add around 1/4 cup of your botanical oil and a packet of colloidal oatmeal, which will help relieve dry, itchy skin. Stir the ingredients into the water and soak for 20 minutes.
One thing to be particularly mindful of is the temperature of your water. If it’s too hot, it can worsen the problem by pulling even more moisture out of your skin. However, cold water won’t work to soften the thickened skin. Opt for 92-100 degrees for best results.
Step 2: Exfoliate Dry Skin
Once your skin has softened, use your pumice stone to exfoliate the calloused outer skin. Go slowly, ensuring you don’t accidentally take off more layers than necessary. Not only is this painful, but it also compromises your skin barrier and can lead to abrasions. Once you’ve taken care of flakes, give your feet a good rinse and dry them well.
If your skin is particularly thickened or cracked, you may have to spread the process over several days, allowing your feet to resoak between exfoliation sessions.
Step 3: Indulge in a Foot Peel
Foot peels are similar to chemical peels for your face, as they use acids to break down dead skin cells layer by layer. The result is fresh, rejuvenated feet that are soft and flake-free.
Our favorite is Baby Foot, an innovative 1-hour peel that uses sixteen exfoliating, hydrating fruit extracts and oils, including:
- Ivy
- Horsetail herb
- Burdock root
- Sage
- Orange
- Grapefruit
- Watercress
- Green tea
- Lemon
- Bladderwrack
- Soapwort
- Camelgrass
- Chamomile
- Clematis
- Meadowsweet
- Chameleon
It also includes a touch of salicylic acid to help start the peeling process.
Each pack includes two treatment bottles and disposable booties designed to fit women’s shoe sizes 4-13 and men’s shoe sizes 4-12.
This treatment is as easy as slipping your feet in and setting a one-hour timer. Once your peel is done, wash your feet with warm water and soap. You should see the peeling start 5-7 days after application, and it will continue for up to two weeks.
Step 4: Apply a Rich Moisturizer
They say prevention is worth a pound of cure, and when it comes to keeping your feet hydrated in the winter, that means investing in an ultra-luxurious moisturizer. Choose a rich, thick body cream or butter, which will have a higher proportion of moisture-retaining oils than standard body lotions. Work the product into your skin, then slip on socks to give your skin more time to absorb the ingredients.
For even better results, use NeoStrata Problem Dry Skin Cream to intensely moisturize with it’s emollient formula and slough off dry skin with a 20% AHA/PHA blend.
With AST, Your Skin is Cared for From Head to Toe
Typically, winter foot dryness is as simple as applying a daily moisturizer. However, with the holidays keeping everyone busy, it’s easy to let self-care slip off our to-do list.
If you’re concerned about your dry skin or need a few tips for simple routines that will keep your feet buttery soft all season, we encourage you to chat with our experts at Advanced Skin Therapeutics. We offer a range of treatments, products, and insider info on the best ways to care for your tootsies when the temperature drops.
No time to drop by? We also offer online and phone shopping, so you can have all your must-haves delivered to your door.
Best of all, thanks to our December Holiday Specials, there’s never been a better time to give Baby Foot a try. With your $50 Baby Foot purchase, you’ll receive a free Exfoliating Scrub and booties, making it even easier to show your skin you care.
