Are Your Feet Ready for Spring?

by Rebecca J. Gomez ©

Spring has sprung, and that means it’s time to get your feet ready for sandal season.

Winter can be hard on skin, and feet are no exception. Are your heels so dry and cracked that they snag the sheets when you climb into bed? Do you feel like you need a power sander to soften up your heels after the long, dry winter? Perhaps you simply want your feet to be soft and supple, with no visible signs of harsher weather.

If either of those statements describes you, then hope is here. Believe it or not, you can soften your feet—gently and without using major power tools. Follow these simple instructions and your feet will be sandal-ready in no time.

Start in the shower or bath. Once your feet are softened by the warm water, rub the bottoms of your feet with a pumice stone (found with the manicure stuff at your local department store). Doing this regularly will help get rid of the dead skin.

Don’t stop with the pumice stone. Moisturizing regularly is a must, but your regular hand lotion might not do the trick. Try a thick dry skin cream such as Eucerin (or its generic equivalent), or plain petroleum jelly. Rub it on your feet every night to help keep your feet soft and supple. It will feel a little greasy, so it is a good idea to wear socks.

After a week or so, you will see--and feel--that the extra effort is worth it. Especially when it’s time to show off those great new sandals you got a the spring shoe sale.