We’re only just taking the first baby steps through 2023 but we’re already thinking ahead to the summertime, especially those days out on the beach with sun and sand. The problem that some people face when they’re preparing and getting their summer body ready though is that they focus on the more visible areas like their arms, legs and tummies, but the hardworking areas like the feet that get you from A to B get left behind as an afterthought. It doesn’t matter whether it’s summer or winter, keeping your feet in tip top shape all your round can help to avoid further problems that can damage your feet and your confidence.
Issues with hardened skin, dry patches and cracks in the feet, also known as fissures, can become pathways for athlete’s foot and other fungal infections to occur (which is something that nobody wants to experience). To try and keep your feet looking and feeling at their best, we’ve put our best footcare tips together below so that you can switch up your routine and keep your feet soft and smooth all year round!
Avoid taking hot showers and baths
As we age, the feet getting cracked and dry is something that happens naturally because that glands in the body begin to slow down their production of things that are vital for the skin like oils, collagen and elastin. Taking hot showers or baths using soaps that contain harsh chemicals can also speed up the process of drying out the skin on the feet, which is bad as it leads to hard and cracked skin.
Instead, washing your feet (not soaking them) in warm water can help you to avoid the appearance of dry, cracked skin and can help you to take good care of your toes.
Exfoliate your feet when you’re in the shower
Exfoliation is a key part of any good skincare routine, and that’s no different when it comes to the skin on your feet. It helps you to shed any excess dry skin that has built up, allowing hydrating formulas and lotions to soak into the skin better leaving it feeling soft and smooth.
Apply moisturising creams straight after showering
Directly after showering or bathing, the pores are wide open and this is the best time to apply any moisturising creams or lotions as it allows much better penetration into the skin. Most moisturising creams are made up of a carefully selected range of oils and a high percentage of urea that are chosen specifically to provide a boost to the health of the feet.
It’s super important to make sure that you pick a cream that is designed for the feet and not the body as the ingredients that are selected are for different reasons. The oils and urea percentage in a foot cream will be designed to fight away the cracks and dryness that don’t present themselves on other areas of the body. Another tip when choosing a moisturising cream is to find one that contains vitamin E, it’s a key ingredient that helps to keep your heels in their best possible shape.
You should also avoid putting any creams between your toes where possible, the skin here is already generally very soft and adding moisturising creams can help to create a breeding ground for bacteria if you’re not careful with it.
Protect your feet from the sunlight
If you’re going out in the sun, maybe it’s to the beach or even just a nice walk, you’re going to make sure to put sunscreen on to protect your face or arms, right? If you’re going anywhere with your feet on display, you need to make sure that you’re keeping them protected as well as the rest of your body. Sunscreen can help to protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays as well as fighting the signs of aging skin and defending against skin cancer, so it’s vital to protect your feet in the same way you would with your face.
A nighttime footcare routine is equally as important
There’s 24 hours in a day and roughly 1/3 of that is taken up by sleep, so that’s 8 hours of your footcare routine that’s unaccounted for if you only operate with a daytime footcare routine. A nighttime routine can help to take care of your feet while you’re resting, taking care of some of the hard work for you.
There’s moisturising creams that can be applied and left overnight to leave your feet feeling soft and smooth when you wake up, as well as medicated creams that can help to exfoliate and remove any dead skin while you slumber. Pairing this together with a daily routine will leave you with happy feet in no time at all.
Make sure you change your socks regularly
Keeping your feet trapped in your socks and shoes can cause them to sweat a lot which invites bacteria to breed and flourish. Switching them out or taking them off when they aren’t needed can let your feet breathe and helps to fight the risk of odour at the same time.
So there you have our top tips to care for your feet all year round. It doesn’t matter whether the snow is falling or whether the sun is cracking the flags, a good footcare routine is just as important for you as a good skincare routine. If you’re experiencing any problems with your feet, our podiatry team is available to discuss these with you and can provide a range of different solutions to match your situation. To find out more, contact us today on 01270 627118 or use the form found here.