7 signs that your feet need better care.

So, you have an 8-step beauty regimen for your face that includes a cleansing oil, foaming cleanser, exfoliating enzyme mask, toner, essence, serum, moisturizer and oil…

Likewise, your body gets treated to all manner of lotions and potions (and dry brushing!) to keep it feeling great. Oh, and your hair gets a weekly ACV scalp treatment and hydrating mask… But what about your feet? Yeah… that’s what we thought.

Even though they’re one of the hardest working parts of us, our feet are so often neglected, and they’re not happy about it.

Here are 7 of the most common ways to tell that your feet are in need of some serious TLC.

1. Dry Skin

Let’s not be flakey about this: the skin on your feet loses moisture faster than anywhere else on the body. Thanks to hundreds of tons of downward pressure your body puts on them, as well as being trapped all day long in sweat-inducing saunas known as shoes (most days), temperatures on your feet can soar to over 100°, causing constant moisture loss.¹

In addition, the skin of your feet is up to 8x thicker than the skin on the rest of your body, making them especially vulnerable to dryness. And extreme weather doesn’t help: hot, cold and dry weather can dry your feet out even more, leaving them flakey and cracked.

Trust us, we’ve done the research and regular moisturizers simply don’t cut it for your feet. That’s why we developed High Dive, an intensive hydration cream that includes 15 of the world's best moisturizers to restore water content, retain hydration and promote cellular elasticity. Plus, there are all 4 methods of moisturizing, including humectants, emollients, ceramides and occlusives.

We recommend drinking plenty of water & regularly slathering on foot cream specially formulated for the thick skin on your feet.

2. Calluses

Not sure if you heard, but during an average day of walking, the total pressure on your feet can total hundreds of tons, equivalent to the weight of a fully loaded cement truck.

Over time, all that pressure causes our feet to build up layers of hardened, dead or compressed skin (e.g. calluses)² that get more and more difficult to remove, especially the tougher and thicker they get.

Then wearing shoes doesn’t help: the downward angles and constrained space of shoes squeeze your toes into 50% less space making the issue even worse.

The best way to deal with callused feet is to soak the skin in warm water to soften and then use an exfoliating scrub with a super effective rasp like The Gratest or a pumice stone.

Even better, have someone else do it for you while you lounge and eat grapes.

3. Aches & Pains

Perhaps the most obvious signs that your feet need some love are aches and pains.

Our feet are incredibly sensitive with 7000 nerve endings³—which is the reason a foot rub feels so good, but also why foot pain can be extremely intense.

The extraordinary pressure, compression and stress that daily life throws at our feet can cause soreness, tightness and inflammation that continually build up in your joints and muscles. It’s fair to say that the poor guys deserve a real break.

One way to relieve stiffness and cramping is by a simple stretch or massage. Our Spaced Out toe stretchers do the job for you by gently stretching foot and toe muscles in the opposite direction of the compressing forces from cramped shoes. 

For more stubborn aches and pains, Sigh Of Relief is our powerful pain relief cream that numbs pain, reduces swelling and calms inflammation. You’ll experience an instant cooling effect that quickly numbs pain, before a deep therapeutic warmth that relaxes, relieves and creates a lasting sense of calm.

4. Odor & Infection

We don’t want to be the ones to tell you this, but your feet probably smell.

Every day, over 1 billion bacteria and 100 types of fungus can latch onto your feet, leading to delightful cheese-platter-left-in-the-sun odors and even infections.

Damp, dark, warm shoes and socks provide the perfect environment for these bacteria and fungi to multiply and thrive, making it particularly hard to get rid of funky smells.

Thankfully, we created Twinkle Toes, the ultimate odor-eliminating, bacteria-killing, foot-freshening super spray.

Our proprietary formula instantly wipes out the bacteria and fungus that cause funky odors. Use it on your feet, socks, shoes, yoga mats and so much more. It’s about to be your new BFF.

5. Dirt & Sweat

You can’t always see it, but the microgrooves in the bottom of your feet as well as the squeezed spaces between your toes are constantly collecting millions of microscopic bits of dirt, bacteria, fungus, oil and viruses throughout the day.

Micro-ridged skin can act like a sponge, collecting dirt, sweat, oil, bacteria and fungus from every single surface your feet touch. This means that, no matter where you’ve been, your feet are probably a lot dirtier than you think. And your very clean sheets don’t appreciate you bringing your day home with you into bed.

A quick swipe with Clean Slate is all you need to wipe the day away and return your feet to a state of pristine cleanliness. You’re welcome.

6. Blisters & Burns

Whether you’re a high heel fanatic or a sneaker obsessive, chances are you’ve experienced a super annoying blister that takes forever to heal.

Our shoes rub back and forth on our skin over 5000 times a day, and when the skin on our feet gets injured, this rubbing makes it almost impossible to avoid re-irritating the broken skin. The result? A slow, painful, unattractive, multi-week healing period that constrains your lifestyle and increases the potential for scarring.

The solution? PreHeels+: our award-winning blister prevention spray that creates an invisible barrier on your skin to block friction from all types of shoes. Simply spray it on before your shoes for ~4 to 6 hours of protection that works with any type of shoe.

However, if you made the unfortunate mistake of going out without a spray of PreHeels+, then it’s Rehab to the rescue! This scientifically advanced antibiotic serum supports the full wound healing cycle for cuts, scrapes and burns. Essentially, you’ll heal faster, healthier and with less scarring. Problem solved.

7. Unhealthy Nails

We’ve focused on feet, now let’s get to your nails. Unfortunately, nails also face a steady stream of injustices that push them to the brink.

They’re often squeezed into tight shoes and stripped away at with harsh nail polishes. These effects weaken nails, making them more susceptible to chips, cracks and even infections. If your nails are looking and feeling a little less than pedicure-ready, you need to reverse the daily damage from the inside out.

Enter Inner Strength, a nail & cuticle oil formulated with a proprietary celery seed extract that's clinically proven to promote nail thickness, hydration and smoothness. It’s basically a nourishing juice cleanse for your nails.

Now that you know the signs (dry skin, calluses, aches & pains, odor & infection, dirt & sweat, blisters & burns and unhealthy nails) and solutions, there’s no excuse to neglect your feet any longer.

Treat them well and they’ll keep you a step ahead of anything life throws your way. Treat them badly and let’s just say they know how to make you trip up in the most public and embarrassing ways possible. Something to think about.

 

 

  1. https://www.healthline.com/health/why-are-my-feet-peeling#:~:text=Dead%20skin%20can%20build%20up,cracked%2C%20or%20loose%20or%20hanging.
  2. https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/blisters-corns-calluses#1
  3. http://www.bridgewater.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Foot-Facts.pdf
  4. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/5/130522-fungus-feet-health-body-science-weird-gross/