Figured since winter is coming ..and many suffer from this.
I did a little research: (copied from http://www.karitegold.com/foot-problems.htm)
The following treatment has been proven to speed the healing process of dry, cracked feet and guard them against recurrences. In addition, your feet will be restored to a much softer, youthful condition.
The essential component of this treatment modality is the use of substances that effectively enhance the skin’s moisture-retention capabilities. In early adulthood, skin cells begin to gradually succumb to the effects of age, becoming more porous and less elastic. When a moisturizer is applied, it hydrates the cells, but then the cells quickly lose that moisture. There are only a few natural substances that effectively restore the skin cells' elasticity and the capacity to retain moisture.
The most effective of these natural substances is unrefined shea butter. Shea butter is a wonderful agent for revitalizing skin cells so that they regain their moisture retention capacity. Unrefined shea butter not only contains a high moisturizing fraction, but also contains an extraordinarily high and active healing fraction. The active properties of unrefined shea butter have been proven to speed the healing process. Because of its high moisturizing fraction, shea butter is a powerful softening agent with a fast absorption rate, able to penetrate the skin’s layers.
Treatment:
Follow these proven treatment steps to heal and protect your dry, cracked, feet, revitalizing them to a soft, healthy, more attractive condition.
Expect to begin seeing some results almost immediately, with the greatest healing and softening occurring over the course of 7 – 10 days. Regular use of this therapeutic process will keep your feet in healthy, soft condition.
Apply a good quality Shea Butter to your feet - especially to the dry, cracked areas twice daily; carefully working the shea butter into the cracks.
Use a pumice stone to reduce the thickness of the hard skin. Pumice stones come in many shapes and sizes. The beauty industry now makes many different types, but a basic pumice stone can be found in a hardware store or in the cleaning section of a grocery store. They are relatively inexpensive compared to the beauty pumice appliances.
If your feet are very dry, cracked and rough, use caution when you use a pumice stone. It can be painful if you rub too hard. A pumice stone can be used on wet or dry feet with different degrees of skin removal. Begin by using it on dry feet. With a gentle back and forth motion, rub the pumice stone over rough heals or the balls of your feet. Do not rub hard, but rub lightly back and forth. The pumice stone works essentially like sand paper, slowly removing layers of rough, dry skin. Don’t try and do it all in one day; begin with just a few minutes.
Treat your feet to a therapeutic footbath (at bottom of this page) at least twice per week.
Using the footbath recipe and very warm water, fill a pan or container large enough to allow you to submerge your feet. Soak your feet for at least 5 full minutes.
Wash your feet using a cloth and shea butter soap. You should avoid using normal hand soap that strips the natural oils from your skin (despite what marketing geniuses claim).
Once again, use the pumice bar and repeat the very gentle back and forth motion. Because your feet have been softened by immersion in the footbath, this will remove the dead layers of skin much faster, so be very careful. Don’t try to make your feet perfectly smooth the first time. You may take off too much skin and cause more problems.
Dry your feet well. If you are going to bed, cover one foot with a generous coating of Karite Gold Shea Butter. Then carefully put on a sock. It’s probably better to use an older sock that you no longer care about. Follow the same procedure on the other foot and sleep overnight with the socks on. If you are not going to bed, apply a thinner coat of Shea Butter, and then put your shoes on as usual.
Repeat this entire procedure two or three times a week. This therapeutic footbath process is key to helping feet become smooth, soft, and crack-free (not to mention more attractive).
Do not use normal hand soap when washing your feet (if you want the softest skin, you should avoid using normal hand soap anywhere on your body). Find a gentle soap with natural softening properties.
Avoid harsh chemicals and detergents. They dissolve and carry the natural protective oils away from your skin, causing it to dry and crack.
Select shoes with a good shock absorbing sole. Avoid open backed shoes or sandals.
Proper daily water intake is very important in keeping skin hydrated. A person should drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day. Water helps to flush out our body's impurities and excess salt that hinder healthy skin. Colas, tea, coffee, and beer don’t count (sorry!).
Practice healthy nutrition. As difficult as it may be in today’s fast-paced world, good dietary habits are important. Diet has a profound affect on the way our bodies’ function. When we lack an important food group intake, our skin can suffer unhealthy effects. Be sure to include plenty of vegetables, fruits and grains.
Also:
Barielle has some fabulous products also for feet ...click here
Or try Flexitol
Therapeutic Foot Bath Recipe
Ingredients:
Sodium bicarbonate - 60 grams
Sea salt (fine or coarse) - 940 grams
Peppermint Tea (contents of two tea bags)
1 drop pure lavender essential oil
Shea Butter - 1 teaspoon
Round pebbles/Flower arrangement glass beads (optional)
Add the sodium bicarbonate, sea salt, and peppermint tea. Mix all in a blender until the consistency is a fine powder.
Place the pebbles or glass beads in a bucket or washing bowl. Half fill with very warm water.
Add the shea butter to the water and allow to melt (a few seconds), followed by a drop of lavender essential oil.
Stir in the footbath powder to the water.
Soak your feet, rolling the soles across the pebbles to stimulate the reflex points
This would also be nice to make up ahead of time (the powder portion) and put into a nice jar ...attach a chunk of shea butter and a small bottle of lavender essential oil and instructions and give as a nice gift for someone that is always on their feet!
The following treatment has been proven to speed the healing process of dry, cracked feet and guard them against recurrences. In addition, your feet will be restored to a much softer, youthful condition.
The essential component of this treatment modality is the use of substances that effectively enhance the skin’s moisture-retention capabilities. In early adulthood, skin cells begin to gradually succumb to the effects of age, becoming more porous and less elastic. When a moisturizer is applied, it hydrates the cells, but then the cells quickly lose that moisture. There are only a few natural substances that effectively restore the skin cells' elasticity and the capacity to retain moisture.
The most effective of these natural substances is unrefined shea butter. Shea butter is a wonderful agent for revitalizing skin cells so that they regain their moisture retention capacity. Unrefined shea butter not only contains a high moisturizing fraction, but also contains an extraordinarily high and active healing fraction. The active properties of unrefined shea butter have been proven to speed the healing process. Because of its high moisturizing fraction, shea butter is a powerful softening agent with a fast absorption rate, able to penetrate the skin’s layers.
Treatment:
Follow these proven treatment steps to heal and protect your dry, cracked, feet, revitalizing them to a soft, healthy, more attractive condition.
Expect to begin seeing some results almost immediately, with the greatest healing and softening occurring over the course of 7 – 10 days. Regular use of this therapeutic process will keep your feet in healthy, soft condition.
Apply a good quality Shea Butter to your feet - especially to the dry, cracked areas twice daily; carefully working the shea butter into the cracks.
Use a pumice stone to reduce the thickness of the hard skin. Pumice stones come in many shapes and sizes. The beauty industry now makes many different types, but a basic pumice stone can be found in a hardware store or in the cleaning section of a grocery store. They are relatively inexpensive compared to the beauty pumice appliances.
If your feet are very dry, cracked and rough, use caution when you use a pumice stone. It can be painful if you rub too hard. A pumice stone can be used on wet or dry feet with different degrees of skin removal. Begin by using it on dry feet. With a gentle back and forth motion, rub the pumice stone over rough heals or the balls of your feet. Do not rub hard, but rub lightly back and forth. The pumice stone works essentially like sand paper, slowly removing layers of rough, dry skin. Don’t try and do it all in one day; begin with just a few minutes.
Treat your feet to a therapeutic footbath (at bottom of this page) at least twice per week.
Using the footbath recipe and very warm water, fill a pan or container large enough to allow you to submerge your feet. Soak your feet for at least 5 full minutes.
Wash your feet using a cloth and shea butter soap. You should avoid using normal hand soap that strips the natural oils from your skin (despite what marketing geniuses claim).
Once again, use the pumice bar and repeat the very gentle back and forth motion. Because your feet have been softened by immersion in the footbath, this will remove the dead layers of skin much faster, so be very careful. Don’t try to make your feet perfectly smooth the first time. You may take off too much skin and cause more problems.
Dry your feet well. If you are going to bed, cover one foot with a generous coating of Karite Gold Shea Butter. Then carefully put on a sock. It’s probably better to use an older sock that you no longer care about. Follow the same procedure on the other foot and sleep overnight with the socks on. If you are not going to bed, apply a thinner coat of Shea Butter, and then put your shoes on as usual.
Repeat this entire procedure two or three times a week. This therapeutic footbath process is key to helping feet become smooth, soft, and crack-free (not to mention more attractive).
Do not use normal hand soap when washing your feet (if you want the softest skin, you should avoid using normal hand soap anywhere on your body). Find a gentle soap with natural softening properties.
Avoid harsh chemicals and detergents. They dissolve and carry the natural protective oils away from your skin, causing it to dry and crack.
Select shoes with a good shock absorbing sole. Avoid open backed shoes or sandals.
Proper daily water intake is very important in keeping skin hydrated. A person should drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day. Water helps to flush out our body's impurities and excess salt that hinder healthy skin. Colas, tea, coffee, and beer don’t count (sorry!).
Practice healthy nutrition. As difficult as it may be in today’s fast-paced world, good dietary habits are important. Diet has a profound affect on the way our bodies’ function. When we lack an important food group intake, our skin can suffer unhealthy effects. Be sure to include plenty of vegetables, fruits and grains.
Also:
Barielle has some fabulous products also for feet ...click here
Or try Flexitol
Therapeutic Foot Bath Recipe
Ingredients:
Sodium bicarbonate - 60 grams
Sea salt (fine or coarse) - 940 grams
Peppermint Tea (contents of two tea bags)
1 drop pure lavender essential oil
Shea Butter - 1 teaspoon
Round pebbles/Flower arrangement glass beads (optional)
Add the sodium bicarbonate, sea salt, and peppermint tea. Mix all in a blender until the consistency is a fine powder.
Place the pebbles or glass beads in a bucket or washing bowl. Half fill with very warm water.
Add the shea butter to the water and allow to melt (a few seconds), followed by a drop of lavender essential oil.
Stir in the footbath powder to the water.
Soak your feet, rolling the soles across the pebbles to stimulate the reflex points
This would also be nice to make up ahead of time (the powder portion) and put into a nice jar ...attach a chunk of shea butter and a small bottle of lavender essential oil and instructions and give as a nice gift for someone that is always on their feet!
