Cracked heels are a common foot problem. One survey found that 20 percent of adults in the United States experience cracked skin on their feet. This can occur in both adults and children and seems to affect women more often than men.
For most people, having cracked heels isn’t serious. It may cause discomfort when going barefoot. In some cases, cracks in the heels can become very deep and cause pain. Read on to learn about the best home remedies for treating and preventing cracked heels.
Cracked Heels? For those of you who look at their feet and feel they are neglected, here are easy home remedies for cracked heels that are sure to help.
What Causes Dry, Cracked Feet?
The skin on the feet tends to become drier as there are no oil glands present there. This dryness causes the skin to crack. Lack of moisturization, overexposure to pollution, and medical conditions, such as eczema, diabetes, thyroid, and psoriasis, leading to dry and cracked feet. Read on to learn more about the home remedies for treating cracked heels.
The factors that increase your risk of cracked heels include:
- Obesity
- Wearing open-heel footwear, such as sandals (cause the sideways to expand)
- Prolonged standing, especially on hard floors.
Cracked heels can occur as a sign/consequence of other skin disorders, such as:
- Psoriasis
- Eczema
- Fungal infections
- Acquired keratoderma (menopause makes you prone to develop this condition)
How to heal dry, cracked heels
Here are some simple ways to soothe your cracked heels and give them some much-needed relief. You’ll be back on your feet and feeling good in no time.
Home treatments for cracked heels
1. Heel balms or thick moisturizers
The first line of treatment for cracked heels is using a heel balm. These balms contain ingredients to moisturize, soften, and exfoliate dead skin. Look out for the following ingredients:
- urea (Flexitol Heel Balm)
- salicylic acid (Kerasal)
- alpha-hydroxy acids (Amlactin)
- saccharide isomerate
2. Lime + Sugar
A daily 5-minute routine that you can do is to take lemon halves and 3 tsp of sugar. Dip the lemon halves into the sugar and scrub on the heels daily until all the granules have melted into the skin. Let it dry and wash off with water and pat dry.
3. Salt, Glycerine, And Rose Water Foot Mask
Rosewater contains antioxidants that prevent cell damage. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that may help relieve dry and irritated skin, Glycerine is an effective humectant that helps your skin retain its natural moisture levels. These properties can help moisturize cracked heels.
How to apply:
- Add raw salt, one tablespoon of glycerine, and one teaspoon of rosewater to a basin filled with warm
- water. Soak your feet in this mixture for about 15-20 minutes.
- Scrub your heels and the sides of the feet with a pumice stone or a foot scrubber.
4. Vegetable Oil
Studies show that vegetable oils contain emollient properties, along with antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing properties. They act as nutritional building blocks for healthy skin. These potent qualities of vegetable oils can help treat cracked heels
How to apply:
- Wash your feet and dry them with a clean towel. Apply a layer of vegetable oil on the affected area.
- Wear a pair of thick socks and leave them on overnight.
- Wash your feet in the morning.
- Do this daily before going to bed.
5. Banana and Avocado Foot Mask
Avocado contains vitamins A, E, and omega fatty acids and other nutrients that promote wound healing. Banana works as a moisturizer. These properties may help treat cracked heels.
How to apply:
- Blend a ripe banana and half an avocado.
- Apply this thick, creamy paste over your heels and feet.
- Keep it on for 15 to 20 minutes and then wash off your feet with lukewarm water.
- Do this daily.
6. Paraffin Wax Natural Remedy
Paraffin wax acts as a natural emollient that helps soften your skin. It is an effective treatment for cracked and sore heels.
How to apply:
- Mix paraffin wax with mustard oil or coconut oil.
- Heat the mixture in a pan until the wax melts properly.
- Allow this mixture to cool down to room temperature.
- Apply it to your feet before going to bed and wear a pair of socks.
- Wash off in the morning.
- 1-2 times a week before going to bed.
7. Wearing 100 percent cotton socks to bed
Wearing 100 percent cotton socks to bed after applying petroleum jelly to the heel may help to:
keep the moisture in
allow the heel skin to breathe
prevent the bedsheets from becoming stained
The skin on the heels should soften after this routine is repeated for a few days.
8. Using a liquid bandage
Liquid, gel, or spray bandages can be used to cover the cracked skin. These may provide a protective layer over the cracks, help reduce pain, stop dirt and germs from entering the wounds, and aid in faster healing.
People should see a podiatrist or dermatologist if their heels are severely cracked, or if self-treatment does not improve cracked heels after a week.
Also read: How to Use Vitamin E Capsules On Your Face
9. Honey
Honey is a natural antiseptic that helps heal cracked feet, and its soothing properties help revitalize the skin.
How to apply:
- Mix one cup of honey in half a bucket of warm water.
- Soak your feet for about 15-20 minutes in the water-honey mixture.
- Scrub off gently.
- Do this regularly for soft and supple feet.
Foot Creams for Dry, Cracked Feet, According to Dermatologists
1. Look for hydrators
A good foot cream needs the right cocktail of ingredients. The dermatologists we talked to recommend looking for humectants (substances that draw water into the skin), like urea, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid. You’ll also need occlusives (to seal in other ingredients and moisture), such as petrolatum, ceramides, dimethicone, and shea butter.
2. Don’t forget skin smoothers
An effective foot cream also contains exfoliating ingredients that help speed skin cell turnover, like salicylic, glycolic, or lactic acids. “Getting rid of dead skin is important to keep feet looking their best,” says Dr. Jaliman
While it’s tempting to just use a pumice stone to remove flakes and scale, make sure you’re always following with a foot cream. “Otherwise, you aren’t changing the root of the problem,” Dr. Waldorf says.
3. Apply before bed
You can lather on a foot cream whenever you want, but a beneficial time to apply one is after a shower when the skin is still moist (but not wet), says Ramsey Markus, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at Westside Dermatology in Seattle. Put some socks on afterward and head to bed. This ensures your skin has enough time and the ability to really absorb the product as you sleep.
“For an extra boost, stick your moisturized foot in a baggie or plastic wrap under a sock for all or part of an evening,” adds Dr. Waldorf. She also recommends applying foot cream whenever you’re going to be wearing gym socks (say, before a hike) to reduce friction and blisters, and to moisturize while you’re working out.
Not sure which foot cream is best for you? We asked the dermatologists above to recommend their favorites—and you can find most of them at drugstore prices. Here are the best foot creams to moisturize and soothe dry, cracked skin.
How to choose (and use) the best foot cream to heal dry, cracked feet
1. Aquaphor Healing Ointment
“I like heel balms,” says Dr. Jaliman. “Creams and lotions are good but look for balms because they are richer.” She recommends Aquaphor for dry, cracked feet because it contains panthenol (a form of vitamin B5 to help retain moisture) and glycerin (to draw in water from the air into the skin’s outer layer). The best part? The multipurpose product can be used beyond your feet on dry, cracked, or irritated hands, elbows, and even lips.
2. Vaseline Petroleum Jelly
“Vaseline petroleum jelly is still a go-to and will soften, smooth, and soothe,” says Dr. Waldorf. Whether you have cracked heels, a minor cut, or rough calluses, Vaseline will bring relief, even if your skin is sensitive. Petroleum jelly (a.k.a. petrolatum) forms a protective barrier on the skin to prevent moisture loss. Apply on its own or over another lotion for double-duty power.
3. O’Keefe’s for Healthy Feet Foot Cream
With more than 32,000 reviews and a 4.5-star rating on Amazon, it’s clear that O’Keefe’s is a tester favorite for cracked feet. Its formula contains a “high concentration” of glycerin, along with allantoin (a skin-protecting compound) to boost moisture levels in rough, dry skin.
“THIS STUFF WORKS. Like most everyone else, I have tried every paste, cream, solution, pumice stone, skin grinder, etc. to find something that would get rid of the thick, ugly, and painful cracked skin on my diabetic feet,” one reviewer wrote. “I AM ABSOLUTELY AMAZED! After two weeks (with only one daily application) my feet looked and felt like a baby’s. I am not kidding.”
4. PurSources Urea 40% Foot Cream
You don’t have to spend a ton of money to find a quality foot cream, says Dr. Markus. For less than $20, he likes this tub from PurSources, which contains 40% urea. “Urea is the most popular ingredient [in foot creams], as it smooths rough skin and kills the fungus responsible for athlete’s foot,” he explains. It also contains nourishing botanical oils, tea tree oil (which has natural antibacterial properties), and soothing aloe vera.
5. CeraVe SA Cream for Rough & Bumpy Skin
Dr. Jaliman recommends this cream from CeraVe because it contains salicylic and lactic acids, which gently buff away dead skin cells on rough feet, along with ceramides and hyaluronic acid to deeply hydrate. The formula is also very gentle, fragrance-free, and non-irritating—it even earned a seal of acceptance from the National Eczema Association.
Also read: How Do You Get Ringworm: Home Remedies For Ringworm