3 quick and easy steps to get rid of dry, hard skin on your feet
Desperate to get rid of dry, hard skin on your feet, but nothing seems to be working? Read our expert, podiatrist-approved guide on how to remove hard skin on your feet quickly, safely and effectively, and stop the build-up re-occurring.
Why do I need to look after my feet?
Studies show that just two in ten people consider their foot health regularly, which is all the more shocking when you consider that the average person walks about 115,000 miles in a lifetime – more than four times the circumference of the globe! Each foot takes 1.5 times your body weight while you walk and up to 5 times when running- in short, your feet work hard to keep you healthy, so it’s important to show them the same respect.
How does hard, dry skin build-up on my feet?
Standing, walking and exercising means our feet are under constant pressure all day from the brunt of our entire body weight, this coupled with the shoes we are wearing and gait and age related changes means that our body weight distribution is altered and this can cause a build-up of hard, dry, callous skin to form on the affected areas. One of the most common ways we neglect our feet is to allow dry, hard skin to build up on the soles, particularly around the heels, beside the big toe, and under the ball of the feet or metatarsal heads.
Dry feet and cracked soles are more common than dry skin in other parts of our body because our sweat glands reduce in effectiveness as we get older, this together with the lack of oil glands in the feet leads to dehydration, one of the most significant causes of dry skin. Feet instead rely on sweat glands to stay moisturised and this is why you often hear the expression “my feet didn’t used to look like this” – it is true – they didn’t and it is all part of the ageing process.
I’ve tried to remove the hard skin, but it doesn’t work. What am I doing wrong?
More often than not, it’s simply a case of not knowing the correct tools or the correct method to remove it. Using a pumice stone in the shower isn’t effective, and a cheaply made foot file just doesn’t work and can give you more problems than you started with! In order to remove hard, dry skin effectively and safely, we must use the correct tools and treatment products as part of a regular foot care regime.
Follow our three quick and easy steps below to remove hard skin and leave your feet looking and feeling silky smooth, illuminated and light in no time. Brand new feet await!
1: File
All the foot creams and foot moisturisers in the world won’t work if you leave the hard, dry skin in place, so the first step is to use the Margaret Dabbs™ London Professional Foot File. It really is the Rolls Royce of foot files and lasts a lifetime. Not only does it remove all the hard, dead, dry skin easily, but it will also leave the skin even and smooth to the touch. You can also use our foot tile to safely take off corns and hard skin from your toes including the ridge of skin that builds up under the little toe!
Foot filing should always be performed on dry skin for the best results – wet skin masks the area to be treated and weakens the tissues, making cracks in the skin more likely to open. The Professional Foot File will not adhere well to wet skin, meaning that the skin isn’t removed as effectively, and the results are not long-lasting. Foot file once or twice a week and, after foot filing, follow with The Intensive Hydrating Foot Lotion to help soften the skin and prevent the hard skin from recurring so quickly. Use this daily.
2: Scrub
Don’t underestimate the benefit of using a foot scrub to bring dull, dry skin back to life and reach the areas that the file can’t touch. Use a very small amount of the PURE Natural Foot Scrub on your wet hands, rub it all over the foot, concentrating on the heels and ball of the foot, and then take it in-between the toes, and to the top of the foot and all over the nails before rinsing off with warm water. As soon as you use it you will see a visible difference. The skin will look brand new and appear refreshed and replenished! It will also help to keep away bacterial infections and the associated odour, the symptoms of Athlete’s Foot and fungal foot infections from between the toes, and this is because of the key ingredients of ground tea tree leaf and pumice. It also helps to stop itchiness of the feet and between the toes.
3: Hydrate
Finish with the Intensive Hydrating Foot Lotion. This is Margaret’s favourite product and is formulated to reduce hard skin build-up and to keep the skin soft. The skin on the feet is 12 times thicker than the rest of the body so it’s so important to use a dedicated foot lotion as regular body moisturisers simply won’t work. Don’t forget that this is your daily foot product – Use it every day to get feet that look and feel brand new and give that walking-on-air experience. It is formulated with key antibacterial, antifungal, and emollient properties. Apply all over the feet starting under the feet, and very, very slowly massage it all over increasing the speed of the movement as you reach the ankle – take this time to relax your mind and unwind.
Done
This three-step routine is very easy to follow at home and will give you feet which look brand new and make you feel like you are walking on air. Use the foot lotion every day to recreate that feeling and to stop the hard skin building up again and use the foot file, and scrub once or twice a week. You’ll be amazed at the results and you will have feet you can reveal and show off at any time. Say goodbye to bare feet embarrassment, and hello to feet you can be proud to show off and keep that way.