Foot Care

With the heater running and drying out the air O Wise One and I have started to have a problem with the heels of our feet. For us this problem comes with over exposure ( going barefoot or wearing flip flop or garden clogs) during the summer, a lack of exfoliating and moisturizing ( shame on us) , and dry skin. It seems with heating the house it flares up every winter. From what I have read this is also something that older people tend to have problems with as well but we won't go there. Part of our New Year's resolution is to pay more attention to this part of our bodies. In my web surfing over the holidays I ran across several DIY products that have really helped us with this issue.


DIY Foot Scrubs

During the holidays you find lots of these recipes floating around the net as homemade gifts. I personally don't give cosmetics as gifts but that doesn't keep me from experimenting with these for myself. I made up a wonderful concoction by mixing brown sugar, vanilla, and olive oil. I put this in a small jelly jar and placed it in the bathroom. At night I exfoliate my feet with this foot scrub and they feel wonderful. I guess the sugar helps get rid of that dead skin on your heels and the olive oil moisturizes. I have started also using it on my elbows and knees to exfoliate and moisturize. It works wonderfully. The only downside is you need to make sure and clean the tub afterwards with a little baking soda as it will leave your tub slippery.  


Basically I add enough brown sugar to loosely fill a pint jar then add enough olive oil to make a paste and a Tablespoon of vanilla extract. Stir well and put top on jar. At bath time you just dip your wash cloth in the jar and get a small scoop to wash heels and elbows. Sometimes it will separate and settle and you may have to take your finger and remix your scrub.   


You can find lots of these sugar scrub recipes at this link : Tip Junkie


I think a small tub of this for washing those dirty gardening hands will be by the bathroom sink this summer as well. 






DIY Moisturizing Lotion

The other foot care product I have started making is a homemade lotion.There is a great tutorial for making this lotion over at Lisa Takes Six Blog Spot


Following her advice I went to the Dollar Store and bought a jar of  inexpensive Vitamin E Lotion, Petroleum Jelly and Baby lotion. Put them all in a bowl and got out my mixer. This whipped up a quart jar and a pint jar of fluffy moisturizing lotion that we must say is the best we have ever used on our feet. Although with the Petroleum Jelly it is a bit heavy to use anywhere else. We keep a jar in the end table between our recliners. We put it on every night while we sit in our chairs and watch tv, read or crochet. We use a foot file first to remove any dry skin and put on clean white socks after applying the lotion. I must say the improvement has been wonderful, and inexpensive. 


In the future I would also like to experiment with making a beeswax and olive oil solid lotion bars for a little more natural approach.  But for now we are seeing a daily improvement to that dry itchy skin and cracking heel problem that so many older people experience.  


Anyone else have any great cures for this ailment?

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter