Foot Lotion: Your Feet Deserve Care

Most times, our skincare products shopping list looks like this: skin moisturizer, sunscreen, toner, face mask, cleanser, hand cream, eye cream and that’s all.  We virtually have every part of our body covered except our feet. Your skincare routine isn’t complete if you don’t use a foot lotion.

Burt's Bees Peppermint Foot Lotion - 3.38 Ounce Tube - Pack of 3

Your feet require as much care and attention as you give to other body parts. We demand a lot from them daily and this takes a major toll on them.

In this buying guide, we will help you understand why a foot lotion is very essential. In addition, we will guide you in choosing a foot cream that will make you glad you chose it.

 

Why Your Feet Need Special Attention

The feet can be regarded as the driest body part and we have science to back up this claim. The skin naturally produces its own oil known as sebum that keeps it moisturized.

Every part of the skin produces this oil except the underneath of the feet. This enables us to maintain friction with the ground as we walk around.

Lack of naturally-moisturizing oil requires that we deliberately moisturize our feet. Doing this is essential as some of us might have experienced severe dryness and even cracks on our feet.

Apart from the fact that our feet cannot moisturize itself naturally, the skin lotion for our body won’t work effectively.

The thickness of the sole of the feet requires a lotion that is specially formulated to address that. Hence, the need for a foot lotion. It can readily penetrate that thick skin to effect amazing changes.

 

What Is a Foot Lotion?

A foot lotion is a topical mixture specifically designed and formulated to be applied on the foot. It rejuvenates and heals skin dryness by softening and enriching it with enough moisture to keep it soft and supple.

It also deals with foot conditions that are caused by fungi and bacteria. Formulated with active ingredients that are soothing and therapeutic, it relieves you of foot pains and aches.  A good foot lotion would perform these stated functions comfortably.

However, certain foot lotions are specially formulated to tackle certain special foot condition. Some of such include dry feet, cracked heels, pain in feet, and so on.

Depending on the severity of the condition, a regular non-specialized foot lotion would handle it if it’s not serious. But if it is serious, then your best bet is to go for a foot lotion that specifically addresses the foot condition you seek to treat.

Let’s take a look at some of these foot conditions as well as the foot lotion that is required to deal with them.The Body Shop Peppermint Cooling Foot Lotion, 8.4-Fluid Ounce

 

 

 

 

Special Conditions and Recommendations

Dry Feet

This is when your feet are feeling and looking dried out than it naturally should be.

There are several reasons responsible for this and they include:

Staying too long in hot water

We all long to enjoy that hot steamy bath once in a while. But as much as we might love it, we shouldn’t indulge in it excessively.

Hot water easily dries out the skin and makes it thicker. It makes you develop a kind of tolerance to hot water that others don’t have. The feet also develop this thickening and dryness as we do this excessively.

 

Use of soaps that are non-moisturizing

This is another bathing mistake we make. Ensure your soap is moisturizing instead of harsh. Be picky about the kind of soap you use.

 

Excess exposure to the sun

The sun basically dries out everything under its blazing heat and that includes humans. Just like our skin on other body parts experience dryness due to the effects of the sun, the feet suffer too. No sebum production makes them more vulnerable.

 

Shoes

A lot of us wear shoes as we go about the day’s routine. Our feet are literally crying out for help because they get suffocated and can’t breathe.

When this happens the tension causes sweaty feet which are extracted from the moisture reserve in your feet’s skin. This leaves it dehydrated after a while and even unable to sweat.

This is easily solved if we would just let them breathe. Wear shoes that allow fresh air penetrate into the feet. Or reduce the length of time you wear shoes per day.

 

Medical Conditions

Certain medical conditions can bring about dry feet. Some of these include psoriasis and eczema.

First and most important thing to do if you have dry feet is to hydrate them as much as possible. A foot lotion that is packed with active moisturizing ingredients should be sought after.

This foot lotion should be light in texture, which will make it easier to seep into the skin. Such foot lotion should include ingredients such as Jojoba, avocado, wheat germ oils, sweet almond, aloe vera and glycerin.

Tea Tree Oil Antifungal Cream Extra Strength, Athletes Foot Balm Dry Skin Cracked Feet & Heel Jock Itch Relief Toenail Fungus Treatment Callus Ringworm For Humans, Best Natural Anti Fungal Foot Care

 

 

 

 

Athlete’s Foot

It is important to mention that athlete’s foot can most times look like common dry feet. You can easily distinguish it by checking between the toes for dry skin. Using a regular foot lotion won’t fix the issue; rather, it most likely will aggravate it. Your best bet, if it isn’t so serious as to see a doctor, would be an anti-fungal lotion.

 

Cracked Heels

This is when your feet have gotten so dry they literally crack around the heels and even the sides. This can make one’s feet look very unattractive. Cracked heels are a sequel to dry feet. If you prevent dry feet, there will be no need to treat cracked heels.

Standing for long periods consistently coupled with dry feet can also contribute to having cracked heels.

Another reason for cracked heels is the kind of shoes we wear. When the shoes cannot support the heels, they cause them to spread. Since the ability of the feet to stretch has been damaged due to dryness, the heels crack to create fissures.

Special care is required in order to effectively combat this embarrassing condition. There are certain foot lotions that are specially designed and formulated to treat cracked heels.

Check the label of your potential choice of a foot lotion to see if it has anything crack-heel related written on it. Ensure it does before you buy any or you could combine your regular foot lotion with a cracked heel cream. You’ll get better and faster results if you employ this method.

 

Painful Feet

This can either be an offshoot of dry feet or cracked heels. Look for a foot lotion that contains ingredients that relieve pain such as menthol, tea tree oil or arnica Montana.Kerasal Intensive Foot Repair, Deeply Moisturizes - Visible Results in Just 1 Day - 1 Ounce

 

 

 

 

Three Essential Things You Must Do

For the above conditions discussed and all sorts of foot treatment, it is required that you do the following:

 

Hydrate

Your skin requires internal moisture in its reserves that can easily be used in extreme cases. This is only possible when there is sufficient water content inside you. And you can only achieve this by drinking an adequate amount of water.

 

Exfoliate

Dead skin cells build constantly and excessively on the feet than any other skin area of the body. Therefore it is important exfoliation is done regularly to get rid of these dead skin cells.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids serve as excellent exfoliators that can help you with that so that you can properly moisturize the feet. You would do well to ensure your foot lotion contains AHAs.

 

Moisturize

Your feet needs adequate amounts of moisture externally as well as internally to prevent them from drying out. A good foot lotion will do this efficiently.

 

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Ingredients Your Foot Lotion Should Contain

A foot lotion is only as good as its ingredients. So let’s find out what ingredients your foot lotion should contain.

 

Jojoba Oil

This amazing foot cream ingredient functions to maintain your feet’s moisture and hydration at the same time. Its ability to imitate sebum plus maintaining oil level gives your feet the moisture it naturally does not get.

Regarded as an emollient, jojoba oil can trap in water keeping your feet well hydrated. All these make it an essential ingredient for your foot lotion.

 

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil acts as a healing agent that combat bacteria and fungi responsible for certain feet conditions and infections.

 

Shea Butter

Shea butter is a favorite foot lotion ingredient. It functions as an antioxidant, hydrating, healing and anti-aging agent.

If you’re beginning to get older, go for a foot lotion with shea butter. It will leave your feet feeling soft and nice as well as restoring its elastic nature.

 

Urea

Urea moisturizes, hydrates, heals and combats fungi. Those with sweaty feet and skin conditions such as keratosis, psoriasis, eczema, burns, rashes and acne will benefit from it.

 

Lanolin

It’s a product gotten from animals and can treat the worst cases of cracked heels. Functioning as an emollient, lanolin deals effectively with dryness of feet and even callouses.

 

Exfoliators

This set of ingredients gets rid of dead skin that are still on the feet’s surface. Examples of such that you will find in foot lotions include salicylic acid and lactic acid.

 

Cucumber Extract

Those that have swollen or inflamed foot would benefit immensely from this ingredient as it serves as an anti-inflammatory. It serves this purpose while leaving your foot feeling refreshed and cool.

 

Skin Soothing Ingredients

These ingredients simply soothe the skin of the feet, relieving unnecessary pressure. Some of them which are worthy of mention are macadamia oil, allantoin, fruit acids from orange and lemon.

 

Hydrating Ingredients

These groups of ingredients ensure your feet are properly hydrated. Examples include avocado, wheat germ oils, sweet almond, aloe vera and glycerin.

Biotone Herbal Foot Massage Lotion, 32 Ounce

 

 

 

 

Factors to Consider When Buying a Foot Lotion

 

Price

A good foot lotion does not have to be expensive for it to be effective. Most foot lotions out there contain ingredients that get the job done irrespective of the price.

However if a foot lotion is somewhat expensive it most likely contains ingredients that are hypoallergenic and all natural. But to be doubly sure, check for reviews of the product you intend to buy.

 

Quantity of its Content

Most foot lotions require daily use hence, you need a product that would last you for some time. In making this consideration, you should also consider the amount that is needed for you to apply per usage.

Some foot lotion can just require a little blob on the finger tip and you are good to go. Others may need you to splurge it lavishly in order for it to be effective.

 

Packaging

It is best you choose a foot lotion that comes in a tube or pump container. This is to avoid your hand coming in contact with the entire foot lotion as much as possible.

Your hand, when in contact with your feet as you apply your lotion, might pick up particles and maybe micro-organisms.

If this is put back into the foot lotion that is open, it can cause contamination. Furthermore, a tube or pump container will prevent air and light from messing up the lotion.

Heel to Toe Peppermint Sloughing Lotion

 

 

 

 

Tips to Get the Best Out of your Foot Lotion

i. Apply it after taking your bath. This will enable it get absorbed easier into the skin.

ii. Be generous when using it except where instructed otherwise.

iii. Wearing socks can prove beneficial in some cases. However, you’ll need to wait for about 10 minutes after applying your foot lotion before putting on your socks.

Has this buying guide been helpful? Please feel free to share with us in the comments section.