While you can cover most of your skin, your feet usually take the brunt of the harsh weather, be it cold or heat. Standing for long periods of time, walking barefoot, wearing ill-fitting shoes or even using harsh soaps can cause your heels to become dry and develop cracks or fissures with time. These cracks can bleed, be painful and may even increase your risk of infections.

Fortunately, taking care of dry and cracked heels is pretty easy. If they are not caused due to an underlying medical condition, some easy home remedies are said to be quite effective in improving the skin texture and quality of your heels.

Here are four things you can do to get soft and smooth heels:

1. Soaking in warm water and exfoliating

The easiest and most effective way to deal with cracked heels is to soak them in warm water. This will help soften the skin so it is easy to remove all the dead skin. Here is how you can do it.

• Take lukewarm (plain or soapy) water in a bucket.
• Dip your feet in the water for 10-20 minutes.
• Gently rub a pumice stone or loofah on your heels to remove the dead skin.
• Pat dry.
• Apply petroleum jelly or a thick layer of moisturiser.

2. Glycerine and rose water

Experts say that glycerine helps hydrate your skin and locks in the moisture. It is especially effective on skin damaged by shampoos and soaps. Here is how you can use it.

• Mix 1 teaspoon of glycerine in 1 teaspoon of rose water (this will ensure that glycerine does not dry the inner layers of your skin to hydrate the upper layers).
• Wash your feet properly with soap and water and gently pat them dry.
• Now, apply the mixture on your feet and gently massage it over the affected area with your fingertips.
• Wash with cold water after about three to five minutes.

3. Honey and aloe vera 

Honey has excellent antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties and aloe vera is good for hydrating skin. Honey is also good for improving skin hydration. Here is how you can use these ingredients for dry and cracked heels:

• Mix equal amounts of aloe vera and honey in a clean and dry bowl.
• Apply a thick layer of the mixture on the affected area. Make sure to wash your feet properly with soap and water before applying the mixture.
• Leave it for about five minutes.
• Wash with normal temperature water.
• Apply a cream or oil to lock the moisture in.

4. Coconut oil

Coconut oil, especially virgin coconut oil is suggested to be an excellent anti-inflammatory agent. It softens the skin, improves the skin barrier and helps heal wounds and cuts quickly. Here is how you can use coconut oil for your dry and cracked heels:

• Wash your feet with room temperature water before going to bed and then pat them dry gently.
• Now, take some coconut oil in between your palms and gently massage it over the affected area. The oil will keep on being absorbed as you massage it.
• Alternatively, you can also just simply apply a thick layer of melted coconut oil on your entire feet.
• Then wear a pair of cotton socks. You don’t need to wash the oil off.

For more information, read our article on Home remedies for dry hands and feet.

Health articles on News18 are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.

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