Pamper Your Feet!

Our feet are subject to some of the most extreme opinions from friends, lovers, and strangers. Some people hate them, some people love them. These tips and ideas can really help boost your confidence in your feet, and have you wearing your strapped open toed shoes in no time.

The biggest problem both men and women face with their feet is the texture of the skin on your heel, and the "palm" of your foot. If it's too soft, it's painful to walk in shoes, and if it's too hard, itchy, or callused, it's just plain unbearable and ugly! You want the precious skin on your tootsies to be soft, but firm, and able to withstand all of your body weight well while looking healthy, radiant, and pretty.

For tough skin on the "palm" of your foot and your heel, it's good to use a rejuvenating foot soak made from Epsom salts, oatmeal, and lemon juice. Put equal parts of each into about 3 liters of very warm water and let them soak for about 6-12 minutes. Before you stick your feet into any soak, test the water with your hand first to make sure it's cool enough. It should still be as warm as bath water when you soak your feet in it, because the warm water makes it easier for all the ingredients to soak into the tough skin on your feet.

Normally, a home made foot soak like this only has to be used for about the same time it took for the ingredients to settle together, 6-12 minutes should be enough to feel an astonishing difference in the skin on your feet. As you should with every foot scrub, gently step and pat dry your feet on a clean, dry towel before you step onto your floor or put on shoes or socks.

Another popular soak for your feet I've used for years is a simple milk, sea salt, and water soak. In about 3 liters of warm water, mix 3 cups of whole milk, the creamiest and most natural and local milk that you can possibly find. Toss in enough sea salt to coat the bottom of your basin with a thin layer, enough to gently rub your feet against until it dissolves into the water and soaks into your skin. This soak doesn't last very long because of the conflicting agents in the salt and milk, but while it's soaking into your tired feet, it's making miracles happen to your skin! In 10 minutes or so it's a good idea to dry your feet off and dispose of the soak properly. Run your hands along the heels of your feet and see the difference!

For skin on your feet that desperately needs to be exfoliated, you might want to try a foot scrub remedy that I've been using since I was in my early teens. In a small basin, mix any aloe vera and vitamin E lotion you have handy with some kosher salts and a tiny bit of sugar. Mix it all together until it's a gelly, salty, globby concoction, and scrub it onto the problem areas on your feet. Keep massaging it into your skin until you start to feel a difference, which should take no more than two or three minutes.

A great tip is to rinse the scrub from your feet in a simple sea salt and mineral oil foot soak, using only ¾ of the water you would normally use. Dispose of the water and step and pat dry as normal. Your feet are now exfoliated, smooth, and beautiful! Wear those open toed shoes with pride!