Dry skin on your feet can be more than just annoying and unsightly. Dry calluses on your heels are prone to flaking and cracking, causing painful fissures. Fortunately, a little bit of tender loving foot care can help reduce symptoms significantly. See a doctor if your feet itch--it could indicate a fungal skin infection. Also, if the skin on your heels is cracked and the cracks look red and inflamed and feel warm to the touch, they could be infected. Dry cracked heels are of particular concern to diabetics as well, so consult with your doctor for the best treatment regimen to follow.
Moisturize
Moisturize your feet daily. You have a great range of products to choose from, but avoid those containing alcohol, which can be drying. Highly recommended brands include Bag Balm, Barielle, Burt's Bees, Eucerin and Neutrogena. You can even use plain olive oil, petroleum jelly or even vegetable shortening if you like.
Wear Socks At Night
The best time to moisturize your feet is at night, right before bedtime. Apply a thick coating of your chosen cream, don a pair of cotton socks and hit the sack. The socks will help keep the cream in place and moist for longer, allowing it to work harder on your behalf. Reapply another layer of cream in the morning, after you shower but before getting dressed.
Remove Excess Skin
At least once a week, scrub away dead, callused layers of skin with a pumice stone or similar tool. Follow up with an application of your chosen foot cream.
Dietary Supplements
Sometimes nutritional deficiencies can delay the healing of dry heels, so you may want to consider vitamin and mineral supplements to aid your foot care regimen. Vitamin E promotes skin regrowth; it can also be applied topically as an oil. Zinc also promotes the healing of skin wounds. One symptom of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency is dry skin, so you may wish to add this supplement to your roster as well.
Bathing
Keeping your feet clean is good, but soap can dry the skin and aggravate heel fissures. Choose a moisturizing soap such as Dove or Basis. Or skip the soap entirely and use colloidal oatmeal instead: tie some in cheesecloth or a handkerchief, dampen, and use like a washcloth to scrub your feet clean. Oatmeal is soothing to skin. When you're through washing, gently pat your feet dry instead of scrubbing them with a towel, and follow up with your moisturizer of choice.
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