Many people experience severely dry and cracked feet, especially in the winter. Drying and cracking can be exacerbated by improperly fitting shoes and long baths or showers. Dry and cracked feet are not only unattractive and rough to the touch, but may be painful, slow to heal and vulnerable to infection. Fortunately, there are a number of products that can help.
Moisturizers
Moisturizers are key for softening calluses and allowing severe cracks and fissures to heal. Like facial moisturizers, foot and body moisturizers contain humectants to help the skin retain moisture and emollients for smoothing and soothing dryness. Sleeping with clean socks over heavily moisturized feet can save your sheets and increase your moisturizer's effectiveness. Curel, Vaseline and L'Oreal are among the many brands that offer moisturizers for the feet.
Antifungal Medication
Thickened skin on the feet with cracks and fissures may simply be caused by dryness, but can also be due to athlete's foot, a common fungal infection. If the cracking skin on your feet is accompanied by peeling, itching or stinging, try an antifungal medication. Several antifungal agents are used in over-the-counter antifungal creams, powders and sprays. The ones commonly used are clotrimazole, miconazole, terbinafine and tolnaftate, according to the Mayo Clinic. Wash and thoroughly dry your feet before applying an antifungal. Tinactin, Lamisil, Lotrimin and Micatin are commonly available brands of over-the-counter antifungal medication.
Antibiotic Ointment
Antibiotic ointments are helpful for cracks and heel fissures. When the skin on the feet cracks or splits, it becomes vulnerable to irritation and bacterial infection. These ointments are useful for combating and preventing infection. They also typically are in an emollient base, which in itself can soothe and soften the skin. Additionally, some antibiotic ointments contain a topical analgesic that can temporarily relieve pain and discomfort. Popular brands of antibiotic ointments include Neosporin and Polysporin.
Exfoliants
Exfoliants work by helping dead skin cells slough off, revealing healthy fresh skin below. The skin on your feet is especially prone to thickening and calluses, partly due to the pressure of standing. You can exfoliate your feet with a foot brush, a pumice stone or with scrubs containing slightly abrasive ingredients like walnut shells or polymer microbeads. Exfoliating products for the feet may also contain hydroxy acids. Some hydroxy acids used in exfoliants include lactic acid, salicylic acid and glycolic acid, which comes from sugar cane. Hydroxy acids not only help turn over skin cells, but can help generate collagen, a fundamental building block of skin and connective tissue. Sephora, Bath & Body Works and Avon all make exfoliants for the feet.
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