Teaching Tuesdays - Stomp Out Some Good Summer Foot Care

While our feet may not show age like the hands do, they support our body weight, pound the pavement, bask in the sand at the beach, walk in ridiculous shoes, have circulation issues, and are often covered with socks and heavy shoes. Unless they are aching or smelling, feet are generally ignored. 


Well, we should not ignore our hard-working feet, and with a few simple steps, we can care for them and ensure their health, just as much as we care for the rest of our skin! 


Of course, as with all other skin care, good health begins on the inside. So make sure that you are eating right, getting plenty of sleep, and plenty of water to drink. 


Of course, common sense works well too, so make sure that your shoes fit  well, and that you wear the appropriate shoes for the activities of the day. 
It is best to purchase new shoes in the middle of the day, when your feet have had time to swell slightly. This will help to ensure that you get a comfortable fitting shoe.


Additionally, here are a few more tips that you may not have given much thought to.


Make sure to completely dry in between your toes after bathing or swimming. Moisture can lead to yeast infection/athletes foot, so we want to eliminate any possibility of that.


Inspect your feet and take appropriate care of any small cuts or nicks. Some diseases, age, and even some skin conditions may impact the feeling in your feet. It is imperative that you take care of small cuts before they become large infections.  


Keep the toe nails and cuticles away from soaps, detergents, and hot water as much as possible. Avoid the frequent use of nail polish remover, it dries out the nail bed and leads to splitting.


Massage and moisturize as often as possible, but daily at minimum. The feet are always subject to issues of poor circulation, massaging not only feels good, but stimulates and increases the circulation.   


Give yourself or get a pedicure once a week or more frequently if you can swing it. 


Do not use a sharp object to remove dirt from under the nails, use a nail brush with baking soda as a cleanser. If your nails are dull and /or yellowed. brighten them with white vinegar! 


Never cut the cuticles (or use cuticle removers), instead, soak your nails in warm water to soften the cuticles, then gently push them back, using a soft, moist towel, or by gently applying pressure with an orange stick. 


Keep your nails trimmed, and make sure that you cut straight across when you cut, to prevent hang nails. 


Soak feet for 20 minutes in a warm footbath before exfoliating.


A couple of drops of peppermint essential oil will help to stimulate the circulation of the feet.


Come back tomorrow for some great recipes to aide in your foot care!