Home Remedies for Cracked Heels

Not gonna lie – I used to suffer from cracked heels!

And I have myself to blame for that because I just didn’t moisturize my feet well enough. Dry feet are often a sign that we haven’t been giving our body due attention, and the likes of psoriasis, thyroid issues, diabetes and eczema are among the causes.

And because there are no oils in the skin of our heels, the skin just becomes drier and drier and drier until it cracks. Not pretty at all. However, all hope is not lost. For this post I’m sharing some ideas I gathered about popular well-known home remedies to soothe and treat your cracked heels.

1. Vegetable Oil

Clean your feet and  make sure that they’re completely dry. Take 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil and apply to the affected areas. Then, put on a pair of thick socks and wear them overnight in bed. This might cause your feet to get warm and uncomfortable but stop yourself from taking off your socks until morning. Remove the socks in the morning after you wake up and wash your feet. Do this each night before going to sleep until your heels start to heal.

Take half an avocado and a single banana before blending together, add a couple of teaspoons of avocado oil (or olive oil). Then, apply the paste to any affected areas and leave for up to 30 minutes. Wash with warm water and do this each day until your heels are healed or at least looking better.

3. Lemon Juice

One way is to add lemon juice to mashed papaya, so that you form a foot mask that you then apply to your heels for up to 20 minutes.  Another way is to squeeze lemon juice into a basin of warm water before soaking you feet for 15 minutes. You could also split a lemon in two and massage each half gently onto your heels. Massage each heel with one half of a lemon for around 5 minutes before rinsing with warm water then apply a moisturizer. Do this each day until your heels clear up and look a lot better.

4. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil will not just moisturize, but it will also keep your skin fissures from getting infected. Take a spoonful of coconut oil and gently massage it on any affected area. Cover with socks and leave overnight.

5. Heel Scrubbing

Fill a tub with warm water before adding soap to soften your heels. Place your feet in the tub and keep them there for around 20 minutes, while scrubbing gently with a stone to clear up the dead skin. Wash your feet with water before drying with a clean cloth. An optional step is to apply foot cream to your heels before covering them with socks and leaving on overnight.

6. Aloe Vera

Crush a few basil leaves before mixing a teaspoon of turmeric powder with 2 tablespoons of aloe vera gel and a tablespoon of camphor powder. Apply the mix to your heels, leave for 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water.

7. Honey

Take half a cup of honey and mix it with a bowl of warm water. Then, put your feet into the mixture and leave for up to 20 minutes. Gently scrub the honey off, so that your feet feel soft again. Do this each day until your heels start to feel better.

8. Wool Socks

Sometimes, you don’t even need to spend time making a mixture. Sometimes, you can simply wear wool socks to bed! It would be amazing if this home remedy for cracked heels worked every time, and a lot of times it does. Why? Because wool socks are very good at trapping body heat, which in turn stops your feet from losing much-needed moisture. If it’s cold, wear wool socks during the day and at night in bed. Keep your feet nice and warm and keep that crucial moisture in.

19. Baking Soda

Make a solution with water and soak your feet for 15 minutes. Repeat each day so that baking sodas anti-inflammatory and exfoliant properties can do their job.

10. Vinegar

Remember – it’s no use for you just applying plain vinegar directly to your feet, because this can dry out the skin even more. You need to create a foot soak first. To do this, pour a few cups of warm water into a basin and then add a quarter cup of vinegar, as well as some sweet almond oil (or olive oil). Soak your feet in the basin for around ten minutes and scrub your feet gently with a pumice stone. Rinse afterwards with warm water.

Paraffin wax is actually used in the beauty industry because it’s so effective at softening and moisturizing skin. Put a block of paraffin wax in a double boiler, so that it melts. Add a tablespoon of coconut oil and allow it to cool. Place your feet inside the mixture for 5 – 10 minutes before removing, and repeat a few times. A layer of wax will form on your skin, which you will then need to remove. If you do this a few times a week, you should start to see results.

12. Oatmeal

Mix some instant oatmeal together with olive oil to make a paste and then apply to your cracked heels. Let its moisturizing properties do their jobs before rinsing off after 20 minutes.

13. Petroleum Jelly

Fill a tub up with warm water before placing your feet in for 10 minutes or so, while rubbing the dead skin off. Apply the petroleum jelly to your heels and then cover with socks. Leave the socks on overnight, and see wonderful results in the morning!

What are some other home remedies for cracked heels? Let me know in the comments below!