How to Treat Your Feet with Natural Remedies

Feet need to be taken care of, even though we too often forget this basic need of our bodies. Sweat, high heels, uncomfortable shoes, to name just a few, put their well-being to the test. What can we do? How can we protect them? There are many natural remedies: from a foot bath (which is also incredibly pleasant for the sensation of well-being it provides) to pumice stone; from massages to coconut oil. But be careful: feet can also be cared for and protected by avoiding unsuitable shoes and with a pedicure, even a DIY one.

Index of topics

Footbath

It's one of the top natural remedies for maintaining healthy foot skin. To maximize the benefits of foot baths, you can do them twice a week. Place a teaspoon of baking soda in a bowl of warm water, no hotter than 36 degrees Celsius. Besides making your skin soft and fragrant, This substance has antiseptic properties, which counteract the growth of bacteria and fungi on the skin.

As a good alternative to baking soda, you can use sprigs of rosemaryby soaking them in water. With its emollient, deodorizing, and disinfectant properties, this aromatic shrub helps soften the skin, also leaving it fragrant. For a refreshing effect, it's best to add a few drops of chamomile or butcher's broom essential oil to the footbath water. If you suffer from excessive sweating, you can instead opt for sage, which has disinfectant and deodorizing properties.

At the end of the foot bath, to stimulate blood circulation, you can quickly rinse with cold water. Finally, remember to dry your feet carefully, paying particular attention to the creases between one toe and the other, where the persistence of humidity could turn into the ideal habitat for fungi and bacteria, favoring the onset of skin mycoses.

Foot bath with chamomile and Epsom salt

A foot bath with chamomile and Epsom salt (or magnesium sulfate), a mineral compound made up of magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen, helps relax the feet, soften the skin, and relieve any inflammation or swelling.

How doAdd 2-3 chamomile tea bags to warm water along with 1-2 handfuls of Epsom salt. Soak your feet for 15-20 minutes.
La chamomile It has soothing properties and Epsom salt promotes relaxation and softens the skin.

Coconut oil

Coconut oil is an excellent remedy, especially for dry skin, for keeping feet soft and hydrated. It's rich in fatty acids that deeply nourish the skin.

How doAfter washing your feet, massage coconut oil all over your feet, focusing on your heels and other dry areas. You can do this the night before bed.
The coconut oil nourishes and softens the skin, preventing the formation of calluses and cracks.

Sodium bicarbonate

Baking soda, as we said before, is an excellent natural exfoliant that helps remove dead skin and fight bad odors.

How do: Make a paste with baking soda and water, apply to your feet and massage gently to remove dead skin cells.
Il sodium bicarbonate It exfoliates the skin and fights bad odors. It's also useful for preventing calluses and corns.

Pumice stone

At the end of the foot bath, after carefully drying your skin, you can rub the soles of your feet with pumice, a rough volcanic stone readily available at pharmacies. To maximize the pumice's effectiveness, use circular motions on your skin. insisting especially on the hardest areasWith this gesture you can remove dead skin cells, prevent the formation of calluses and improve microcirculation, essential for maintaining healthy and beautiful skin.

Hydration

Proper hydration is essential for daily skin care. To rebalance the hydrolipidic film, the natural protective layer that covers the skin, you can apply a nourishing cream based on substances such ashyaluronic acid, glucosamine, phospholipids, or ceramides. When applying, pay particular attention to the heel area, which is most prone to dehydration. Let the product act for about ten minutes. Then, remove any cream that hasn't been absorbed with a tissue. This will keep your feet dry and velvety soft. To avoid skin dehydration, also remember to protect your feet with adequate sunscreen when exposed to the sun.

Massage

Feet, like other parts of the body, deserve special massages. This is an effective way to promote microcirculation and relieve any swelling that can occur, for example, when you spend a lot of time on your feet for work or in the hottest seasons. Any time is a good time for a massage. In fact, it only takes a few minutes and simple stepsHowever, you can find the ideal position when applying moisturizer. Start from the soles of the feet, moving up toward the heels and the tops of the feet, and then move along the ankle joint until you reach the calf.

Right shoes

In most cases, calluses are formed as a result of repeated pressure, friction, and rubbing between the skin and uncomfortable or unsuitable footwear. This is why it's important to know: how to choose the right shoes. They are especially Tight shoes, shoes with heels that are too high or with an excessively pronounced toe are not recommended.

A good habit, however, is to wear footwear that facilitates perspiration. The goal is to avoid sweat from accumulating in shoes, which in turn creates a suitable environment for the proliferation of fungi, which can lead to common ailments such as athlete's foot or Tinea pedis, a skin infection that manifests itself in the spaces between the toes with itching, flaking, and redness. For the same reason, when playing sports, it's advisable to wear orthotic insoles inside your shoes. These insoles, in addition to preventing excessive sweating, also help maintain good posture. During the summer, however, it's important to wear open shoes to prevent excessive sweating. Also pay attention to the material of socks worn with closed shoes: wool is best avoided. Breathable fibers, such as cotton and silk, are ideal.

Don't walk barefoot

This is a golden rule for preventing the onset of warts, among the number one enemies of foot health. These are thickened, rough skin growths. They are caused by a virus from the family Papovavirus which nests and proliferates in warm, humid environments, such as poolsides, locker rooms, gym showers, and beach resorts. To become infected, the virus that causes them simply enters the skin through a wound, a small scratch, or a graze. warts They can affect any area of the skin but are especially common on the feet, with a higher incidence, not surprisingly, during the summer, when people have the bad habit of walking barefoot in places prone to contagion. Once they appear, they can be eliminated with specific ointments, but if the lesion is particularly widespread or deep, it is best to consult a dermatologist with cryotherapy sessions, or cold therapy, or laser treatments. However, Prevention remains the winning weapon against warts: just be careful to always wear slippers when using swimming pools, showers, and shared changing rooms to significantly reduce the risk of infection.

Taking care of your nails

Often, problems affecting the feet are linked to pedicure Performed aggressively or carelessly. Be careful when removing dirt from under your nails, avoiding sharp objects that, instead of helping, push dirt deeper and can cause wounds, facilitating the onset of infection. For proper cleaning, you can use a soft-bristled brush after soaking your feet in warm water for a minute. During a pedicure, avoid removing the cuticles, the protective layer at the base of the nail. Removing them can encourage the entry of viruses, bacteria, and fungi, increasing the risk of infection.

To safeguard the health of your feet it is also important prevent the formation of ingrown toenailsA condition that occurs when a nail grows sideways and penetrates the adjacent soft tissue, causing symptoms such as redness, swelling, pus, and pain. Prevention is essential in this case: remember to cut your nails straight across, without rounding the edges, thus allowing them to grow back into their natural position.

Finally, don't overdo it with the enamelIt's advisable not to keep your nails covered all the time, but to take two or three days between applications. Nail polish should also not be applied to stained nails, as this could lead to infection and prevent healing.

Counteract swelling

Proper circulation is the basis of healthy and aesthetically beautiful feet. To facilitate it, preventing heaviness and swelling, you can resort to the help of nutrition, for example by consuming foods such as berries, rich in bioflavonoids, substances that strengthen blood vessel walls. Pineapple is also beneficial, due to the fruit's bromelain content, which has anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties, helping eliminate excess fluids. Salmon is also effective, as it contains large amounts of omega-3s, the healthy fats that support healthy blood circulation.

While showering or bathing, you can instead take advantage of the beneficial effects of cold water by spraying three or four jets on your legs and feet before getting out of the shower or tub.

Exercise remains a fundamental rule: try to walk for at least half an hour every day. Finally, at night, you can sleep by placing a pillow under your mattress. This small trick helps keep your legs elevated, encouraging blood to return to the heart.

DIY pedicure

You don't have to go to the beautician to get a good pedicure. You can also do it at home, following this schedule.

Remove nail polish with a cotton ball
Soak your feet in warm water with white vinegar and lemon juice for at least 7-10 minutes.
Apply one scrub design
Do a second foot bath
Use pumice stone for calluses and corns
Make a nourishing mask
Cut and file your nails
Finish with a moisturizing cream shea butter

Why do feet stink?

Feet smell because they are affected by the bacteria Brevibacterium, which produces the smelly gas methanethiol. To prevent the feet stink Always wear socks, change your shoes often, and use menthol and thyme.

How to treat your feet with natural remedies