How to Keep Your Feet Soft and Smooth This Winter

In order to keep our feet soft and smooth in the winter, they need to be cared for just as we care for our skin in the winter. During the cold months, our feet spend a lot of time stuck in shoes with heavy socks. Indoors the air is usually overheated and dry. Outside it's cold. The result can be peeling skin, itchy skin, flaky skin, and cracked heels. Knowing how to care for your feet will help keep them soft, smooth and comfortable all season long.

Moisturize. Moisturizing your feet when they are damp helps to hold the moisture in. Apply moisturizer after every shower or bath. Products that contain petrolatum, vitamin E or glycerin are effective at locking in moisture.

Apply petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly is a great moisturizer that will help to moisturize and keep your feet soft and smooth. Wear socks over the jelly to prevent a mess.

Apply safflower oil. Safflower oil has linoleic acid which helps prevent evaporation. Before you go to bed, rub the safflower oil on your feet. If it's too messy, cover with socks after application.

Wrap. If your feet are extraordinarily dry, you can apply moisturizer at bedtime and then wrap your feet in plastic wrap. This will help the heavier oils penetrate your skin. You will wake up with your feet as smooth as silk.

Use a pumice stone. Use a pumice stone once a week to help remove dead skin and callouses. You can do this while in the shower with your feet wet or you can do it out of the shower when your feet are dry.

Soak your feet to heal your heels. Heels tend to get very dry and cracked in the winter time. Soaking your feet 5 or 10 minutes a day in plain warm water or warm water with 1/4 cup of lemon juice will help keep your feet from cracking.

Apply olive oil. Olive oil is an excellent moisturizer to use on your feet. The only problem is that it is very messy. So rub a thin layer on your feet, massage in, and put some socks on. The longer you leave it on, the better treatment your feet will get. It will be most beneficial if left on overnight.