Our body keeps shedding skin to make a place for new. But dead skin from the foot is visibly black and painful.
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Causes Of Dead Skin On Feet
You could be having dead skin because of one of the following reasons:
a. Pressure
Our skin tends to dry and become scaly due to pressure applied to our weight. More the weight more the pressure and your feet tend to get the effect.
b. Shoe Wear
What you wear to protect your feet plays an important role in the maintenance of its health. Tight shoes or shoes made with unbearable skin material can cause harsh results. Wearing high heels also tend to leave adverse effects on feet.
c. Disease
Skin diseases like psoriasis, scleroderma and atopic eczema cause thickening of the skin.
d. Atmospheric Conditions
Extreme heat or dry air causes the skin to dry.
e. Showering For Long Periods Of Time
It has been observed that when people take long hot shower baths the skin on their feet dry up. This is mainly due to loss of oil.
f. Soaps And Detergents
The chemicals in these tend to remove oil from the skin more than assumed. This causes accumulation of dead skin.
You can get rid of the dead skin easily at home by following a routine with some basic ingredients. You can prefer foot masks, foot scrubs to get rid of the dead skin; scrape off the loosened skin tough using scrubbers.
Home Remedies To Remove Dead Skin From Feet
Here are simple methods to remove dead skin.
1. Soak Solutions
The first best step to loosen dead skin on feet would be soaking it in hot water for minimum 20 minutes. You can do this simply by filling a container with warm water till you can dip your feet.
You can now add different ingredients according to availability to fasten up the process and also help to moisturize your feet.
Different ingredients that do wonders are:
a. Epsom Salt
Benefits
Loosens dead skin and calms skin.
How To Use It
Add two to three teaspoons of Epsom salt to warm water. Now submerge your feet into it for few minutes. Scrub off the dead skin, pat dry with a towel and apply moisturizer. Repeat it twice or thrice a week.
b. Lemon
Benefits
The acid in lemon helps in removing dead skin and brightening it. It cleans the skin without stripping natural oil.
How To Use It
Squeeze two lemons and add it to a tub of warm water. Soak it till it cools down. Scrub dry and moisturize.
c. Honey
Benefits
Honey has antioxidants. Antioxidants help in repairing skin. It helps in exfoliating dead skin cell and softening it.
How To Use It
To make honey soak solution dissolve one-third cup of honey in one cup of hot water. Add this to a tub of warm water. Wait till it cools down. Scrub it with a scrubber and wash your feet with cold water. Pat dry and apply moisturizer.
d. Apple Cider Vinegar
Benefits
Vinegar can be substituted for lemon. It is diluted form of acetic acid which not only helps in removing dead skin treating cracked dry feet but also stops the fungal activity. It also helps in eliminating stinking feet.
How To Use It
Pour one-third cup of vinegar into cold water and soak your feet for minimum 20 minutes. Don’t use warm water as it will only dry the feet more.
e. Chamomile Tea
Benefits
This tea not only helps you feel better inside, but it can also help your feet baby soft. It helps in softening the dead skin. Its antiseptic properties make it an organic treat for healthy feet.
How To Use It
- Brew two bags of chamomile tea. Pour the solution into warm water and dip your feet into it.
- Your feet might get stained. Wash it off with soap and water. Scrub it to remove the dead skin.
- Pat dry and apply moisturizer.
f. Baking Soda
Benefits
Baking soda exfoliates your skin due to the presence of acid products in it. It will help in loosening hard parts on your feet. But make sure that you don’t use it a lot as it could strip off moisture.
How To Use
Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to warm water. Scrub the dead skin, pat dries your feet and moisturize it.
2. Some Combinations
You can combine two or three of above ingredients to get quick and effective results. Here is a list of such combination:
a. Apple Cider Vinegar, Lavender Oil, Baking Soda
Mix two tablespoons of baking soda with one spoon of vinegar and oil until it forms a smooth paste. Pour this paste into your tub of warm water. Rub it all over the feet and let it dry.
b. Lavender Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar
Pour two spoons of each into warm water and soak it till it cools down.
c. Lavender Oil, Epsom salt
Pour a spoon of each into warm water.
d. Epsom salt, Apple Cider Vinegar, Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Add two spoons of salt and one spoon of each liquid into warm water.
e. Listerine, Baking Soda
Add two spoons of each into warm water.
f. Listerine, Chamomile Tea
Make the tea and pour the liquid into water. Now add Listerine into it.
3. Homemade Foot Scrubs
Foot scrubs helps in softening hard heels and in the exfoliating skin. Massage the foot scrub in a circular motion for increasing blood circulation.
a. Oatmeal Scrub
Benefits
Oats exfoliates the skin due to its gritty nature. It is the best option for sensitive skin.
How To Use
Mix a cup of oatmeal with rosewater. Now rub the paste all over your feet especially on the area which is hard. Use a scrubber to remove the dead skin layer.
Wash off with cold water.
b. Epsom Salt Scrub
Benefits
Epsom Salt is full of minerals which help in flushing out toxins. Mixing it with olive oil and lemon juice would help in applying and rejuvenating the skin.
How To Use
Mix 3 teaspoons of Epsom salt with one tablespoon of olive oil. Apply it on feet in circular motion and leave it for few minutes. Scrub with a scrubber and wash it off with cold water. Apply moisturizer and wear socks for best results.
c. Glycerin Scrub
Benefits
Glycerin has humectant properties making it a good moisturizing agent for dry feet.
How To Make It
Combine 1 tablespoon of glycerin, lemon juice, rose water and 3 tablespoons of sea salt together. Apply it on the dead skin cells of your feet and massage for 5 minutes. Leave it on for 20 minutes. Rinse with plain cold water.
4. Homemade Foot Masks
Leave in foot masks are easy to make and use. They give you best results with least effort.
a. Paraffin Wax Foot Mask
Benefits
Paraffin wax is a petroleum based product which hydrates and moisturizes the skin. It also increases blood circulation. It is also a good pain reliever. Combining it with coconut oil helps in hydrating the skin as wax tends to open pores.
How To Use
Melt the paraffin mask with coconut oil. You can melt the wax using double boiler method or microwave. For a cup of paraffin wax using the same amount of coconut oil or mustard oil. Mix both of t
f. Banana Avocado Foot Mask
Benefits
The fats in avocado and moisturizers in banana helps in softening and nourishing feet.
How To Use
Mash one ripe banana and half ripe avocado together. Apply and leave on for 20 minutes.Wash it with lukewarm water and then cold water.
g. Vaseline And Lemon Mask
Benefits
Vaseline locks moisture and heals skin while lemon exfoliates.
How To Use
Mix 3 teaspoons of vaseline with lemon. Apply it on feet and leave it overnight wearing thick socks over them. Wash it in the morning while bathing.
h. Multani Mitti Foot Mask
Benefits
Multani mitt helps in removing dirt and impurities and acts as a deep cleanser. Milk, on the other hand, helps as a moisturizer. Thus the combination is great for removing dead cells and moisturizing skin.
How To Use
Mix 4 teaspoons of Multani Mitti with rose water and milk. Mix it into a thin paste. Coat your feet with the mixture and wait till it dries. Wash it off with warm water.
i. Fruit Mask
Benefits
Other than banana and avocado you can also use fruits like papaya or pineapple. These are skin soothers and also beneficial in removing dead skin.
How To Make It
Mash the fruit and apply it for 20 to 25 minutes. Wash it off with warm water and scrub if required.
j. Honey Mask
Benefits
Honey, when combined with olive oil, rice flour, and apple cider vinegar, makes a great foot mask for an instant even toned and great skin.
Here olive oil and rice flour make the mixture better. Rice flour acts as a great binding agent while olive oil improves skin health.
How To Make It
Mix one teaspoon of each ingredient and make a smooth paste. Apply and let it dry for 20 minutes.Scrub with a scrubber after washing the paste off.
k. Liquorice Sticks
Benefits
These have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Applying it could help in preventing fungal activities along with removing dead skin.
How To Make It
Powder two to three of the sticks. Pour one tablespoon of olive oil or just enough to make a paste out of it. Apply the paste at night with socks over them. Wash it off in the morning.
4. Scrubbers
On soaking or scrubbing dead skin tends to soften up and it would be best that you remove it gently.
This can be done by opting one of the following tools
a. Pumice Stone
This stone has a soft surface capable of softening thick surfaces. Since we have already weakened the skin, it works great on removing it. It is essential that you wet the stone and use it very gently for removing the dead skin. Use it twice or thrice.
b. Foot Brush
The soft bristles will help in exfoliation with no pain. It is easy to use and will take less time. Wet it before applying it.
c. Foot File Or Shaving Razors
These are sharp and can specifically help in removing callus. It can also help in getting rid of dead skin. Use it carefully, or it can cause bruises.
d. Washcloth
In case you have none of the above tools you can use a clean washcloth. It is soft and causes the least harm.
5. Moisturisers
For best and prolonged results it is best to apply moisturizer after the end of any used routine.
You can use any mild foot moisturizer that you like.
If you want to make one by mixing two drops of lemon juice with a tablespoon of petroleum jelly.
Conclusion
Maintaining happy feet easy and relaxing too. You can remove dead skin with basic ingredients at home like lemon and salt. Best results would be obtained by scrubbing and moisturizing.
