Honestly, dry callused feet aren't pretty or sexy in any way, yet hard, dry, even cracked, callused feet are a common problem. Believe me, I know. I'm the poster child for callused feet with my high heels and notorious bare footin'!
How do we get rid of calluses on feet?
What is a callus?
A callus is thicken skin that is hard and becomes very dry and sometimes cracks. The body builds up more skin as a defense mechanism. The body is trying to give the feet more padding to protect against something that is irritating to the feet.
Get monthly pedicures to help keep your feet looking and feeling pretty. A pedicure is an intensive salon or spa treatment that will not only pamper you, it will soften callus, reduce callus, and moisturize dry feet. Pedicures are most effective when done every 3-4 weeks.
You can give yourself a pedicure if you like to DIY. Watch my Youtube video to see all the steps to give yourself professional style pedicure in the comfort of your own home.
Epsom Salt
Gel callus removers are amazing products that help soften hard calluses and make the exfoliating process more effective. These are gel treatments that have a high pH level. They are to be used on the callused area only, not on the entire foot. It can feel burning or be irritating on non-callused or cracked skin.
Now that the callus has been softened by the callus remover, break out the foot file and sand them down.
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Foot creams are designed to meet the specific needs our feet have. It is important to apply a foot cream to your feet daily to keep them soft and healthy.
Let's have a look at why feet get callused in the first place then, we can talk about foot soaks, effective exfoliating products, and moisturizing products that do wonders to get rid of calluses on feet.
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A callus is thicken skin that is hard and becomes very dry and sometimes cracks. The body builds up more skin as a defense mechanism. The body is trying to give the feet more padding to protect against something that is irritating to the feet.
The irritation comes from pain, friction and/or pressure to the feet. It's odd that the body is trying to protect you from pain by thickening the skin, when thick calluses can actually cause pain. We need to manage those calluses.
What exactly causes calluses?
Irritation, pain, pressure and friction on the feet cause calluses. Walking bare footed can create pain and pressure on the feet. Your feet sliding around in your shoes can cause friction on the feet. Wearing socks reduces the chance of building calluses, but if your feet are sliding, even with socks on, you will be creating friction and building calluses.
Irritation, pain, pressure and friction on the feet cause calluses. Walking bare footed can create pain and pressure on the feet. Your feet sliding around in your shoes can cause friction on the feet. Wearing socks reduces the chance of building calluses, but if your feet are sliding, even with socks on, you will be creating friction and building calluses.
Those fabulous high heeled stilettos can cause a thick callus on the ball of your foot. A shoe that doesn't fit right and hurts will cause a callus and blisters too! Sometimes the feet just hurt due to age. The feet have a protective natural fat pad that thins and breaks down with age. Maybe a specific foot problem, such as a bunion, is causing callus can build.
Genetics
Some people seem to be more prone to thick calluses than others. I chalk it up to genetics. If you noticed your Mom's dry callused feet on the beach, chances are your feet are looking dry and callused on the beach as well!
Will a callus go away by itself?
If you stop the foot irritation that caused the callus, the callus will eventually go away. We can make them go away with sanding, filing, and scrubbing foot remedies, though. Just know that they will come back if the foot is irritated in some way.
Prevention
Pamper your feet to help prevent thick dry calluses. My clients who wear sensible shoes and thick socks everyday have very little callus.
Genetics
Some people seem to be more prone to thick calluses than others. I chalk it up to genetics. If you noticed your Mom's dry callused feet on the beach, chances are your feet are looking dry and callused on the beach as well!
Will a callus go away by itself?
If you stop the foot irritation that caused the callus, the callus will eventually go away. We can make them go away with sanding, filing, and scrubbing foot remedies, though. Just know that they will come back if the foot is irritated in some way.
Prevention
Pamper your feet to help prevent thick dry calluses. My clients who wear sensible shoes and thick socks everyday have very little callus.
My bare footers and flip flop wearers need a lot of scrubbing during their pedicures!
Wear comfortable shoes that fit your feet well. Wear nice thick socks. Save the heels for occasional wear. Take good care of your feet by using foot scrubs and creams.
Get a Pedicure
You can give yourself a pedicure if you like to DIY. Watch my Youtube video to see all the steps to give yourself professional style pedicure in the comfort of your own home.
Please note: If you are diabetic or have a circulatory problem, consult your doctor before doing any callus removal treatment or getting a pedicure at a salon or spa. After receiving your doctor's permission, be sure to let your pedicurist know that you are diabetic.
Products to Heal Dry Callused Feet
Foot Soaks
A foot soak will soften the hard dry skin and help heal the skin depending on the kind of soak you use. It prepares your feet for scrubbing, sanding and foot filing.
I like Epsom Salt for a foot soak. Epsom Salt is the mineral Magnesium Sulfate. It makes the water feel silky and softens and soothes the skin. It will also reduce tension and inflammation in the muscles.
Fill a large bowl or foot bath with warm water. Add about 1/4 cup of Epsom Salt. Mix it up to help it dissolve. Soak for 10-20 minutes.
I like especially like Dr. Teal's Epsom Salt with healing extracts. They offer a variety of extracts for healing and aromatherapy such as eucalyptus, lavender and green tea.
You can find Epsom Salt in your local drug store or in the drug section of grocery and super stores.
Vinegar
Apple cider or white vinegar is another favorite soak. The acetic acid in vinegar will soften and gently exfoliate callused skin.
Apple cider or white vinegar is another favorite soak. The acetic acid in vinegar will soften and gently exfoliate callused skin.
Fill a large bowl or foot bath with warm water. Add 1/4 cup vinegar of to your foot bath. Soak for 10-20 minutes.
After soaking, dry your feet with a nice fluffy towel. The feet are ready for more intense exfoliation now that they are warm and soft or you can apply a thick layer foot cream if you are not feeling like tackling the exfoliating job.
Foot Exfoliating Products
Calluses should not be removed completely. They should be reduced, smoothed and moisturized. When the callus is completely removed and the skin is left pink, the foot is sore, and the callus will come back with a vengeance!
Gel Callus Remover
Wear gloves to apply a gel callus remover. If you don't, your hands will feel it and you will rush to rinse it off asap!
Follow the manufacturer instructions. Generally, you will leave the product on the callused areas of your feet for 3-5 minutes then rub it off with a towel. The towel rubbing will remove some callus. Remove more callus by using a foot file next.
There are two brands I like. They both contain Potassium Hydroxide. This ingredient helps to break down the protein in the callus cells making the callus easier to file down.
Prolinc be natural callus eliminator
Ingredients: Water (Aqua, Eau), Potassium Hydroxide, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Disodium EDTA
Gena Callus Off
Shop Callus Off on Amazon
Ingredients: Water (Aqua, Eau), Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Acrylates/ C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Disodium EDTA
Foot Files
A sandpaper style foot file is a gentle foot file. It is very good at smoothing rough callus.
The more aggressive metal rasp type of foot file will reduce thick calluses faster for you, but it can also leave a roughed up surface on the skin. It works well to start with the rasp followed by a sandpaper type file or a foot scrub to smooth the roughness.
You can also use a battery opperated foot file such as Emjoi. I tried Emjoi. It did a great job!
Do not use a blade callus remover. They can remove too much callus and also cause dangerous cuts.
Foot Scrub
Now your feet are feeling smooth. Help keep them that way by using a scrub 2 times a week. Scrubs contains gritty ingredients in an oil base. Sugar scrub and salt scrub are popular foot scrubs.
I love Tree Hut scrubs with their yummy scents! They are very effective and very affordable sugar scrubs that can be used on your whole body (except your face. It's too rough) including your feet.
Always, be careful using oily products in the shower. It can get very slippery!
Ingredients: Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Silica, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Fruit Extract, Butyrospermum, Parkii (Shea) Butter, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Aqua (Water/Eau), Caprylyl Glycol, Talc, Microcrystalline Wax, Ascorbic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, CI 77492 (Iron Oxide), CI 73360 (Red 30), Parfum (Fragrance), Linalool, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Geraniol
You can also make your own sugar scrub.
The Best Exfoliating Foot Creams for Dry Callused Feet
I have done a bit of research to find the best foot creams to help reduce the callus on the feet and, of course, moisturize. The most effective foot creams contain exfoliating ingredients such as lactic acid (which is an alpaha hydroxy acid), sodium hydroxide, and retinyl.
I created a Youtube video for you comparing two of my favorite, very effective foot creams.
Foot creams are designed to meet the specific needs our feet have. It is important to apply a foot cream to your feet daily to keep them soft and healthy.
Even better, apply it twice each day, morning and bedtime.
The best time to apply foot cream is while the feet are still damp after a foot soak, a bath or shower or hot towel. The cream will seal in water. Towel dry then apply the cream.
Here are my favorite exfoliating foot creams:
AmLactin Foot Repair
AmLactin contains 15% lactic acid to gently exfoliate dry hard callused skin. This product does not contain parabens.
Ingredients: Water, Ammonium Lactate, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Steareth-21, Steareth-2, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum
O'Keefe's Healthy Feet
I tried the Healthy Feet Exfoliating Foot Cream. It seems the name has changed to Intense Renewal. It contains Lactic Acid and Sodium Hydroxide to gently exfoliate callused feet. This product does not contain parabens.
Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Urea, Cetyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Lactic Acid, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, Distearyldimonium Chloride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Beeswax, Polyquaternium-10, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Laureth-4, Laureth-23, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Gold Bond Therapeutic Foot Cream
Gold Bond Therapeutic Foot Cream contains retinyl palmitate and potassium hydroxide to gently exfoliate. This product does contain parabens as preservatives if you are concerned about using them.
Ingredients: water, urea, dimethicone, glycerin, petrolatum, cetyl alcohol, jojoba esters, cetyl esters, stearyl alcohol, distearyldimonium chloride, steareth-2, steareth-21, propylene glycol, cetearyl alcohol, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) flower extract, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract, tocopheryl acetate, retinyl palmitate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, polysorbate 60, stearamidopropyl PG-dimonium chloride phosphate, methyl gluceth-20, glyceryl stearate, diazolidinyl urea, dipotassium EDTA, mentha piperita (peppermint) oil, fragrance, methylparaben, hydrolyzed jojoba esters, menthol, eucalyptol, potassium hydroxide, propylparaben
Silicone Socks
Silicone socks are great to wear after applying foot cream. Regular socks will absorb some of the cream. Silicone socks will not absorb the cream allowing you to get the full benefit of your foot cream application. They are soft, stretchy, washable and reusable.
Silicone Lined Socks
There are also silicone gel lined socks. There socks are infused with ingredients such as aloe, vitamin E and jojoba oil. They are also reuseable and washable.
You can also apply the foot cream of your choice, put the gel lined socks on, and get a super moisturizing treatment!
Shop for silicone gel socks on Amazon
Our feet carry a lot of weight and get a bit abused by us. Give them some TLC to keep them healthy, feeling good, and looking beautiful. Use these products regularly and you will banish those dry callused feet for good!
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