The Importance of Skincare for the Health and Feel of Your Feet
Published October 19, 2021.
Our skin is one of those things that, unless it bothers us (either its appearance or the way it feels), we don’t really give it a second thought. However, our skin is essential. It protects us from infection, stops us from dehydrating, and even coordinates our balance.
Why Is Skin Health Important for the Feet?
When it comes to our feet, our skin has the additional task of protecting the muscles, ligaments, and bones from damaging forces such as pressure and friction, which it can only do if it is in optimal condition.
Hard skin, especially on your heels and under the ball of your feet, can be the primary cause of pain.
The skin on our feet is different from the rest of the body in that it is much thicker with many more sweat glands, but no oil glands. This lack of oil glands means that it tends to dry out much quicker.
The skin also grows quicker in response to friction and pressure, leading to a vicious cycle – the thicker and dryer the skin, the less effective it is at protecting us from friction and impact, causing the skin to thicken, etc.
When it comes to sports, the biomechanics of the skin are especially important as impact and friction are significantly higher, and maintaining the elasticity of the foot is key to foot health.
When used together with custom orthotics, an excellent moisturizing routine directly affects walking mechanics and overall comfort.
Top Tips for Proper Foot Care
1. Use a quality foot cream daily
Unfortunately, regular face and body moisturizers do not work in the same way due to the addition of foot-specific ingredients.
To use foot cream correctly, simply:
- Apply it after a bath or shower when the skin is most receptive to absorbing the cream
- Apply it all over the foot except between the toes (moisture in this area can lead to “Athlete's foot” - A common fungal infection that occurs when the integrity of the skin is compromised )
2. Use great foot scrubs
These are both invigorating and effective at improving the penetration of moisturizers. Use them once a week for the best results
- Supercharge your moisturizing regime by using the double sock method:
- Apply your foot cream as usual, then put on a damp sock.
- Add another sock over the top of the first pair to protect bed linen.
- Leave on overnight and take both off in the morning.
Extra tip -if you don't like the feeling of wearing socks in bed, cut off the toe areas of both pairs, which will make the feeling a lot more comfortable.
So, take good care of your skin; your feet will thank you.