Suggestions Needed for Softening Heels/soles of Feet

Updated on October 23, 2009
J.W. asks from Lexington, KY
22 answers

Over the past year the heels of my feet have become very callused! I've tried slathering them with vaseline and wearing tube socks over night and using a pumic stone but haven't had a lot of luck. And because we're on a budget, I'm unable to treat myself to pedicures as often as I'd like. Does anyone have any suggestions, home remedies or products that could help soften my feet? Thanks much!

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So What Happened?

Thanks, everyone, for the overwhelming and helpful suggestions! I'm definitely going to try the ped-egg, along with one or two products that were highly recommended (but NOT vaseline). LOL! Thanks again!

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J.T.

answers from Louisville on

Go to www.arbonne.com they have a before and after pic of a woman's heels with the Re9 body serum and lotion. I know when I was working as a consultant I offered the set for 25 dollars...it's worth 95. If you want more info give me a buzz.

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J.K.

answers from Raleigh on

Try the ped egg which really works well followed by AmLactin lotion. It is found at the drug store but IS expensive (about $14 a bottle) but it lasts a while. My mother in law says "the doctor said if you don't apply it twice a day then don't bother" which we laugh about. I don't have time to apply it twice a day but once at bedtime seems to do the trick. Good luck!

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N.J.

answers from Owensboro on

Hi J.,

I have found three foot lotions/creams that work great to soften the heels and bottoms of the feet. The first one is Dr. Scholls foot cream for dry feet.They have Dr.Scholl's For Her Ultra Overnight Foot Cream,Dr. Scholl's Ultra Overnight Foot Cream,Dr. Scholl's for Her Intensive Heel Repair Foot Cream. The other, which I like a little better is made by Yves Rocher.http://www.yvesrocherusa.com/control/body-and-suncare/foo...
http://www.yvesrocherusa.com/control/body-and-suncare/foo... It is a lavender foot cream/lotion for dry heels and feet. It works wonders. Now the other one is made by Melalueca, www.melaleuca.com. It is their Body Satin™ Foot Lotion and it has peppermint, spearmint and other things in it that is both pleasing to smell and you can feel it tingling as you apply it to your feet.http://www.melaleuca.com/ProductStore/Product.aspx?sku=9750 My feet when using both the Yves Rocher and the Melalueca products felt so good afterwards. They felt refreshed.

These are all a little expensive but they do work wonders, at least they have for me. I hope this helps.

Blessings,
N.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.H.

answers from Asheville on

First of all Vaseline does nothing for the skin. It is a petroleum based product that does not absorb into the skin. If you check you labels for skin care product make sure that it does not contain mineral oil, this does not absorb either. Emu oil and shea butter are excellent products for skin repair. I had the same problem and after using a combination of the two with white socks for a few weeks they were good as new.

Do you go barefoot alot? If you wear shoes only when you go out then go barefoot other times, (which I do) You tend to develop the rough dry heels. To counter act this use your lotion every night. If you have access to a heating pad to also use that for a while on your heels after you put your socks on.
A.

1 mom found this helpful
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P.B.

answers from Raleigh on

You are doing all the right things. But the problem may be fungal. Try infusing garlic in olive oil, or for big guns, use the lotramin cream for athletes foot.

Soak your feet to get them soft, pumice the **** out of them, oil them up or use the fungal cream, put socks on them & go to bed.

Do it every night for a week, you WILL see a difference. It is hard, I have high maintenance feet, too. But they cleared up when I was taking oral meds for toenail fungus...

Hope this helps.

Also, take some vitamin E, for skin/hair/nails!

P. : )

1 mom found this helpful
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C.R.

answers from Knoxville on

My heels were really rough and dry. I had mentioned it to my doctor on a visit. She told me that it looked like I had a form of athletes foot on my entire foot. She told me to get Kerasol. I believe it is in a tube by the other athletes foot creams. She gave me some samples and they helped. I am not sure of the cost but if it helps then it is worth it. My other suggestion is to get a good thick lotion. I usually go for whatever is cheapest but sometimes when it does not help it is money wasted. I got a gift from Bath and Body Works. Our boss purchased tubes of lotions for gifts. She got a bunch of different scents and we all got to pick what we wanted. I think they are normally around $12 for a tube but it is thick and you don't need to use as much so it last a long time. Sometimes they have sales, clearance bins, etc...

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A.C.

answers from Charleston on

Buy some salicylic acid lotion like you would use on your face for acne and rub it on your feet and put socks on over night. The salicylic acid disolves skin cells and in the morning use something like a ped egg or a pumice stone to get the excess skin off.

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J.R.

answers from Nashville on

I, too have this problem. My feet are extremely dry and callused and crack very often. I have tried all the creams and lotions over the counter, over the years and some worked okay but nothing ever really did the trick. A friend of mine told me about Bag Balm and I tried it. You can find it at Walgreens for about $8 a can. I also have one of those emery boards for feet. I use the emery board to take down the rough areas, then using the Bag Balm I spread it on my feet a bit thick and put socks on. I do this at night when I go to bed and in the morning before I go to work. I am a nurse so I get to wear tennis shoes. After just a day or so, I can tell a real difference. I know $8 seems like a lot of money these days, but the can of Bag Balm last quite a long time. I hope this helps and good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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L.M.

answers from Nashville on

Hi J.. Try Foot Cream by Arbonne. I work in a Podiatrist office and that is what we use for our patient's. They LOVE it. Be consistent and try to put on twice a day. It has salicylic acid in it which works as an exfoliant, promoting the sloughing away of dead skin cells. Hope that helps. If you don't know anyone who sells Arbonne, let me know and I can provide you a website. The doctor I work for sells it just because of the foot cream! Or you might be able to find something in the store with salicylic acid. Good luck and let me know it it works.

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G.M.

answers from Raleigh on

OMG! you have got to check out www.sarah-noelle.com I don't know where you are located, but if you are anywhere near Cary, NC this stuff is fabulous and you don't have to pay for shipping if you pick it up yourself! anywho, it's this lady in Cary who makes her own skin care stuff so it's all natural. She has this stuff that I use all the freakin time! it's called "Da Balm" and you can use it for ANYTHING. i wear sandals in the summer and i get HORRIBLE heals and big toes. So at night, i put it on there and socks and by morning totally gone! it's made out of bees wax, olive oil and honey. She also makes these oatmeal masks and scrubs that are really good.

If i've been on my feet all day, i come home and use one of the masks on my feet and put it on just like i would on my face...let it dry a little and then soak them in a tub of warm water so that the oatmeal and milk dissolve in the water and it makes them really soft. Also, the scrubbing with the oatmeal helps get rid of that dead skin.

but back to Da Balm :) i use it for my feet, knees and elbows when they get dry and cracked. I aslo use it on my lips when they are chapped or if i have onlipstick and i don't want it to look dry and cracked. I also use it in the wintertime when my nose gets really raw (inside and out...not that you wanted to know that about me :) but it's really good because of the wax, it doesn't rub off easily onto clothes, drinks, etc.

anywho, as you can tell. I REALLY like this stuff :) she also has this under eye syrum that I thought was a crock, but it actually works. I was the idiot who just put it under one eye to see if i could tell a difference. in about 10 days, i really could so then i had to start putting it on the other eye as well :)

ok, i'll stop rambling now :)

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A.A.

answers from Raleigh on

Whichever moisturizer or cream you use, the best time to apply it is right after a bath or shower. My heels used to be so dry that they were cracking. Now I always put a good quality lotion on my heels as soon as I get out of the shower. No more problems!

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W.M.

answers from Nashville on

I heard the Ped Egg really works. About $12

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M.S.

answers from Greensboro on

Hi J.,

Joy is right about the Renew lotion. It works wonders and is inexpensive as well. A sugar scrub will also break down the calluses. Vaseline is a petroleum product that does absolutely nothing to moisturize or soften tissue as you have figured out. It only helps topically for a short time.

Regards,

M.
www.squidoo.com/ifyourbabycouldtalk

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S.D.

answers from Nashville on

Go get a complete physical and have your blood sugar checked. Dry, callused feet is a symptom of diabetes.

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K.S.

answers from Raleigh on

A pumice stone works well. Use a good cream like eucerin or nivea. Keep it on at night with socks, and if you wear socks in the daytime, use it then too. Socks will really help if you go without all of the time.

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K.D.

answers from Dallas on

Get a Ped-egg or something similar. It works like a grater to take the callus right off...gross huh? It works great, and doesn't hurt you either.

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S.T.

answers from Nashville on

is there a beauty school near you? You can get pedicures for about 1/2 the cost. They need people for models.

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P.A.

answers from Raleigh on

Have you tried a "PedEgg?" Available at CVS, Walgreens, etc. for about $10 -- really make your feet stay nice!

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A.H.

answers from Chattanooga on

My podiatrist said to make sure that urea is one of the first two ingredients of your lotion. It has made all the difference in the world for my feet!

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A.M.

answers from Parkersburg on

I'm with the other ladies that suggested the PedEgg. It works great! My husband & I both use it. And if it softens his rough, hard, callused heels, then I'm sure it will do the same for you :) After I use it, I rub in a generous amount of lotion for extra-dry skin (I'm sure any type would work).

J.B.

answers from Memphis on

J. - Melaleuca has a lotion called Renew that will show a difference in just twenty four hours. Below is a web site (not sure it will open for you - it's from my customer account page) that proves it is far better than Eucerin - the leading recommended lotion.

We have not had a recurrence of our sking problems in 17 years since finding about about Melaleuca - a lotion that really works - and using personal care products that have no harsh chemicals in them, which helps, also...shower soap, bath soap, etc. - all for less money than the store shelf quality products.

J.
www.joyboudreau.com

http://www.melaleuca.com/contentimages/WebContent/bcDoc/U...

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K.L.

answers from Raleigh on

Cetaphil lotion in the jar. Every morning and every night. Works wonderfully and the jar will last a while. 14 bucks.

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