The cure for cracked and bleeding feet.
Oct 30 '00
The last thing I expected to happen to me from my daily walks on the beach were dry, cracked and bleeding feet. I always wore a hat to protect my hair and sunscreen to protect my arms and legs but my feet were getting the third degree. Face it, you can’t walk in sand with shoes on unless you want to be cleaning it up for the next few days.
I have tried several different products to help my dry skin; all of them worked to a certain degree but each had a specific draw back. Most lotions worked well but left my feet greasy and resulted in every piece of hair in the carpeting or on the floor being glued to my feet. Not a nice feeling at all. I tried Freeman’s Bare Foot Plum & Pumice Foot Scrub after a friend recommended it. This is a great product for removing small amounts of dry skin but it wasn’t strong enough to really clear away the mass amounts of dry skin I had accumulated.
Bath & Body Works Juniper Breeze was another product that I found that worked to a certain degree. It smelled wonderful but drove my dog crazy. Every time her even smelled the bottle he started licking. The Juniper Breeze Body Crème contains avocado oil and fruit enzymes that really penetrate the skin however I found myself applying it five to six times a day and went through an 8 ounce bottle in under a week. In that amount of time I had hoped to have the situation under control but alas my poor feet were still looking like I had walked over hot coals and razor blades.
When I started looking for products my feet had severe cracks between the toes and on the back of the heel. I had to find something that did not contain anything with dyes or perfumes that would agitate the cracks and cause further pain. I was also left with the question of what shoes to wear; sandals were comfortable and allowed my feet to remain open and get air but also put them in contact with dirt. Tennis shoes were comfortable as well but if I did any extended walking I would find my socks dotted with blood from the cracks. Ever have to try to pull socks off your feet when they’ve bonded with the blood? Not fun – in fact – down right painful.
When all my attempted failed I did what any smart girl should do – call Grammy. My grandmother has a cure from everything from pink eye to head lice. Grammy has a simple rule of thumb; the most expensive products aren’t necessarily the best. She told me her secret to soft silky feet – and after she told me I felt like slapping my forehead. Her secret – Johnson’s and Johnson’s Baby Lotion. It’s dye free, perfume free and available everywhere.
Grammy doesn’t use it straight from the bottle either; she mixes in spearmint oil and eucalyptus oil and creates a “super lotion”. I have no idea how these two oils interact with the baby lotion but after three days my feet were almost completely healed. The small paper cut like cracks were gone and the skin was soft. The areas between my toes that were cracked were about 90% healed and no longer hurt or bled. Grammy told me to buy cotton socks and wear them as much as possible until the cracks were completely gone. This concoction is a little messy so buy several pairs or new white socks if you plan to try this on your feet. I asked her why white socks? [Remember in gym class you always had to wear white socks?] The trace amounts of dye in colored socks could agitate a blister or open cut or scrape on a foot and since your feet are usually nice and warm that creates a breeding ground for bacteria and it’s best friend – infection.
Grammy also warned that if you have large amounts of dry skin on your feet that a pumice stone might do more harm than good. Since you are removing dry skin (usually in the shower or bath) you don’t realize how much skin you are taking off; this can lead to feet that are overly sensitive and lead to cracks and even more dry skin. I have done this myself and felt like a complete moron the next day.
So treat your feet to something sweet. If you find yourself at wits end in regards to dry feet – try the Johnson’s and Johnson’s Baby Lotion first. If you still don’t have any relief then add about five drops of spearmint oil and eucalyptus oil. These oils can be purchased at any health food store in small amounts (usually a 1/8 th ounce size bottle). I purchased mine at a Wicca store for .89 cents each. Simply take about 1 ounce of lotion, mix in five drops of each oil and stir until mixed. The smell is extremely soothing as well but this concoction should not be used on the face or on children. Some children can have a reaction to eucalyptus oil if they are allergic to grass or pollen.
Thanks for the read and I hope this helps!
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