Did I show you a picture of my very badly cracked and peeling feet? I can’t remember if I had posted pictures of the cracks on the sole of my feet.
As there were cracks on the sole of the feet, which were also flaky, dirt got inside very easily and once this happened, it would take forever to remove the dirt from under skin! Even with a foot file, the dirt cannot be removed as it is embedded under the skin. So even though my feet are clean, they would look black and dirty as the dirt is embedded underneath the skin. I was terribly embarrassed of my feet and disliked entering friends’ house as this would mean exposing my disgusting feet! Even with an immaculate art nail on my toe nails, it cannot mask the unsightly feet.
About a month ago, I started wearing slippers indoors. Within 3 days, I could see dramatic improvement on my feet! The cracks are starting to close up now. My feet look clean and pinkish for once! And they are smooth too! With a once-weekly foot filing (with a stainless steel foot file that looks like a fruit and veggie scraper), wearing of indoor slippers and application of Melaleuca’s Renew Intensive Lotion, I feel like I have new feet now 😀
Last weekend, when my hubs could not find a plumber to come over, he had to fix a clogged sink with a broken pipe himself. My hubs has never been taught how to fix clogged sink or how to fix broken pipes and what nots. With 5 trips to the hardware shop to finally get the pipe with the correct length, with him sawing off part of the pipe himself with a metal saw, he finally fixed the pipe and sink! My hubs is indeed a handy man who could fix almost any defective items in the house, including doing victor torches cutting. I am so proud of him!
The soles of my feet are one of the ugliest I have ever seen. I used to tell the hubs that the sole of my feet have a worst off appearance than that of our former live-in helper’s feet. To begin with, I have very dry skin. I started to have cracked heels ever since I became a SAHM. Wetting my feet with soap and water all the time has taken a serious toll on the skin of my feet and heels. Over the years, the peeling and cracking of the skin have become really bad. The cracks and peeling on the soles of the feet have caused dirt to enter beneath the skin and this has caused the soles of my feet to look dirty.
The chronic dry skin on the soles of my feet and cracked heels have improved ever since I started to use Renew skin therapy from Melaleuca. Recently, I started using Melaleuca’s Body Satin foot scrub and this has helped to soften the skin on the sole of my feet.
One sure way of keeping the skin on my feet supple is to avoid wetting the feet so often but this is impossible right now with house work in my way.
I am too ashamed to even post pictures of my unsightly feet in this blog. If you ever see the pictures of my feet, I’ll bet you won’t believe that they belong to the person with a face with such soft skin! I have now set aside 10 minutes each day to soften my feet with Melaleuca’s foot scrub and a pumice and hopefully, I can get rid of the dirt beneath the skin. Next, I have to do something to ‘close up’ all the cracks and peeling on the soles. Hopefully by year’s end, I can see some improvement on my feet.
Remember my earlier post on cracked heels? I finally made the mixture of Vaseline with fresh lemon juice to apply on my feet. I used the juice of half a lemon and squeezed it into my jar of Vaseline, which was about slightly less than a quarter jar left. I applied the mixture onto my feet twice a day – before going to bed at night and in the morning before I run. After applying the mixture, I put on a pair of socks. However, I did not apply the mixture consistently everyday.
On some days, I only apply plain Vaseline (without the lemon juice) and on other days, I apply Waiora’s skin repair cream and Aqua / Simple cream.
I also bought a tube of Prolin Skin Guard cream from Cosway recently. One of the ingredients in Prolin is Evening Primrose Oil. Other active ingredients are Plantolin and Resveratrol.
After applying the above creams on my feet for about a month, my feet are not so wrinkled and dry. The cracks on my heels are closing up. The problem now is my itchy hands! I tend to peel the skin whenever I see stray skin jutting out on my feet! Peeling and cutting the skin only aggravate the problem. I guess I’ll just have to stop looking at my feet and resist the urge to touch them!
This post will be continued, where I will update everyone on the progress of my heels and feet.
I’ve been having cracked heels for several years now. I’ve tried almost every cracked heel cream in the market including Vaseline petroleum jelly but none really works. Each time I show the hubs my cracked heel, he would suggest bringing me to see a skin specialist. But being a procrastinator, I have yet to make an effort to see a skin specialist. I’m the type who will only make a trip to the clinic/hospital if there are issues concerning life and death for me and my kids. My feet? It’s only hard skin, callouses and peeling / flaky skin, not much pain unless my itchy fingers start peeling the skin…. and I think I can bear with it coz who would stare at my heels anyway? LOL!
During Baby’s 3-week stay in the hospital recently, my cracked heels’ condition improved and the skin was quite soft. During my stay in the hospital, I only wet my feet a couple of times a day, unlike now. My feet are wet all the time now coz I have 3 toddlers to mind and it’s impossible to keep my feet dry. I can only surmise now that if I keep my feet dry all the time, the skin would remain soft and not start to peel.
Perhaps I should really make it a point to seek medical help for my feet coz they look gross and hideous, like a grandma’s feet, with dry and wrinkled skin….
Macro shot of my upper foot and toe. Notice the unsightly flaky skin?
Macro shot of the cracked heel…
I did a Google search on home remedies for cracked heel and here’s what I found from www.home-remedies-for-you.com :
-Apply any shortening or hydrogenated vegetable oil after washing the feet clean on dry and cracked areas of the feet. After applying a thick coat of shortening on the feet, wear a pair of thick socks. Leaving this application overnight can surely provide positive results in few days.
-Apply the pulp of a ripe banana on the dry or cracked area of the heel. Leave it on for 10 minutes and rinse it clean.
-Soak the feet in lemon juice for about 10minutes. Follow this therapy on a weekly basis until one finds a change.
-A daily regime of cleaning and moisturizing is a good cure for dry or cracked heels. At the end of the day soak the feet in warm soapy water for about 15 minutes. Rinse feet and pat dry. Make a healing mixture comprising of: one teaspoon Vaseline and the juice of one lemon. Rub this mixture onto the cracked heels and other required areas of the feet till it is thoroughly absorbed. This can be done daily until visible results are obtained.
-A regular application of a mixture of glycerin and rosewater is known to soothe and cure cracked heels.
-Another result oriented solution is to melt paraffin wax and mix it well with little mustard oil. Apply on the dry or cracked area of the heels. Rinse it off in the morning. A continuous application for 10 to15 days can achieve desirable results.
Diet for Cracked Heels
Consume a diet rich in calcium, iron, zinc and omega-3 fats
Cracked heels are caused by deficiency of vitamins, minerals, zinc and omega 3 fatty acids. Therefore it is essential to have a diet rich in vitamins, minerals and zinc. Omega-3 fatty acids are not naturally produced by the body, therefore it has to be ingested from food or supplements.
Here is list of essential foods that one can include in a regular meal and help curb deficiencies that may cause cracked heels:
-Vitamins (Vitamin E) rich foods include: vegetable oils, green vegetables, cereals, wheat germ, whole-grain products and nuts.
-Minerals (Calcium and Iron) rich foods include :
1) Calcium: milk, cheese, yogurt, goat’s milk, fortified soya milk, mineral water, ice cream, tinned fish, juices, cereals and broccoli are excellent sources of calcium. Dairy products such as milk and yogurt are also considered as one of the best sources of calcium.
2) Iron: Meat, chicken and fish are good sources of iron. Iron is also available in cereals, eggs, vegetables and beans; however it is not as easily absorbed into the body as the iron from meat, chicken and fish.
3) Zinc rich foods include: Oysters, chicken, crab, kidney beans, yogurt, brown rice, spaghetti.
4) Omega-3 fatty acids are largely found in: Purslane herb, cold water fish, and flaxseed oil or flax seeds. Here are some simple suggestions towards caring for the feet effortlessly:
-Keep feet clean and dirt free
-Exercise the feet regularly
-Alternate hot and cold water for a feet bath to soothe the feet
-Moisturize and exfoliate the feet whenever possible
-Avoid walking bare feet as much as possible
I really think the above natural remedies and suggestions are way too burdensome for a super busy mummy like me. I’m constantly on my feet and hardly have the time to rest my feet. The only suggestion I can try is to apply a concoction of Vaseline + lemon juice on my feet and put on a pair of socks each night before I hit the sack.
I am a WFHM with 3 beautiful girls - Alycia, Sherilyn and Cassandra. I quit the job that I love to stay home with my 3 angels as that's what I've always wanted to do. I am a health freak, fitness freak and a clean freak too. I love to eat and live the clean and healthy way; I want my kids and hubby to do the same too.
I always believe that your health is your wealth and if you have good health, that's the best gift you can ever ask for from God.
I have been writing product reviews, food reviews / restaurant reviews and product advertorials since 2007. Please email Shireen at shireenyong@gmail.com to inquire if you are interested to place an advertorial or review in this blog.
