12 Amazing Ways to Heal Cracked Feet

Cracked feet are not only embarrassing but painful too. You can’t just be normal with cracked feet. You keep on finding ways to hide the ugly cracks in your feet and the more you hide them the more you get uncomfortable while walking. You limp and in your efforts to hide the cracked heels as well as walk naturally, you end up walking in such a way that everyone makes out what’s stopping you from walking comfortably. Sometimes harsh weather conditions like dry air in winters and some other times, your dryness-prone skin become the cause of your cracked feet. But most of the times, it is the neglect, the carelessness that you show towards your feet that results in cracked heels. You can always adopt home remedies for cracked heels to get smooth flawless feet. Here are some such home remedies for cracked feet including some very good homemade foot mask for cracked feet.

Remedies for cracked feet

1. Honey for Cracked Feet

Honey is a great natural gift to all of us. It can even be miraculous for your cracked feet. Not only does honey moisturizes your feet excellently but also acts as a great humectant. The humectant is anything that is capable of trapping moisture from surrounding environment and once trapped it also seals the moisture therein. If you are prone to an ultimate dry skin and thus suffer from cracks in feet, you may consider using honey. What more! Due to its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, honey can even treat any infection that causes deep cracks in your feet such as those caused by athlete’s foot!

1st Way to Use Honey for Cracked Feet- Honey Soak

Get this:

• Warm water- ½ bucket
• Honey- 1 cup

Do this:

• Take the warm water in a foot basin.
• Add honey to this and mix well.
• Soak your feet in this water for about 20-30 minutes.
• Scrub off the dry skin gently.
• Repeat this 1-2 times a week.

As this remedy uses a lot of honey, it wouldn’t be possible for some people to follow it regularly. What you can do is take a honey foot soak once or twice a month and for daily usage, make a honey foot cream to heal your cracked feet. Here’s the recipe.

2nd Way to Use Honey for Cracked Feet- Honey Foot Cream

• Honey- 1 cup
• Milk- 1-2 tbsp
• Orange juice- from ½ – 1 orange

Do this:

• Warm the honey slightly.
• Add milk to this. You may warm it a little but it’s not essential.
• Add orange juice to this honey-milk mixture. Adjust the quantity as per your requirement. Add more juice, if you want your cream to be thin and add lesser if you want it to have a thick consistency.
• Mix them thoroughly and store in a jar with a lid.
• To apply this cream, first, wash your feet with warm water and using a pumice stone or a foot file, slough off the dry dead skin from your cracked heels.
• Now apply the homemade honey foot cream to your feet and leave for at least 40-45 minutes.
• If required wrap it up with a clean cloth, bandage or gauze.
• Wash off with warm water.
• Repeat this 1-2 times a day depending upon the severity of your cracked feet.
• You may even apply it before going to bed at night and leave it overnight.
• This homemade cream will stay intact for about a month if you store it in the refrigerator.

Milk in this recipe helps to repair the cracked skin of your feet due to the presence of various nutrients, especially Vitamin A. The abundance of Vitamin C in orange juice helps stimulate the production of collagen giving your skin elasticity and softness of a new skin.

2. Vegetable Oil for Cracked Feet

Vegetable oils, especially the organic and cold-pressed one are loaded with various phytochemicals and nutrients that may help moisturize and protect your skin, of your feet too. Vegetable oils are excellent emollients. An emollient soothes and softens your skin. You may use any vegetable oil such as olive oil, mustard oil, soy oil or sunflower oil. High amounts of linoleic acid in sunflower oil forms a barrier on the surface and upper layers of your skin. This helps prevent the moisture in your skin from leaving your skin. Other oils derived from olive, mustard and soy etc. on the other hand allow more moisture to go deep into your skin. Virgin coconut and olive oils are also antibacterial and help protect you from infections that may lead to dry skin and cracked feet.

How to Use Vegetable Oil for Cracked Feet?

Get this:

• Any vegetable oil (olive, coconut, mustard, soy, sunflower or other)
• A pair of socks (optional)
• Warm water- ½ bucket

Do this:

• Before going to bed at night, soak your feet in warm water for about 10 minutes.
• Now take your feet out of the water but do not pat it dry. Let the feet dry for a couple of minutes but don’t allow it to dry completely.
• Apply a thin layer of vegetable oil on your still wet feet.
• Massage for some time so that the oil goes deep down your cracks and skin.
• If needed, apply one more layer of oil.
• Now wear the pair of socks and go to sleep. This is a precautionary measure so that your bed doesn’t stain due to oil.
• You may also omit wearing socks. Just use an old bedsheet or cloth under your feet that you don’t mind getting spoiled by oil.
• Do this daily until you get rid of cracks in feet. Thereafter, repeat once a week and then once in fifteen days.

3. Brown Sugar Scrub for Cracked Feet

The smaller and gentler granules of brown sugar can do wonders as a scrub for your dry cracked feet. It can gently scrub away the dead skin cells so that your feet get all new and healthier skin that is soft and crack-free. Brown sugar also contains glycolic acid that can fight off bacterial infection. Glycolic acid, an alpha-hydroxyl acid, can give you younger, smooth skin by helping in new cell turnover. The most important factor is that brown sugar is a natural humectant and thus attracts moisture from surrounding environment and locks it in your skin. This helps to keep your heels soft and smooth and gets you rid of cracked feet.

Homemade Brown Sugar Scrub for Cracked Feet

Get this:

• Brown sugar- 2tbsp
• Lemon juice- 1tsp
• Honey- 1tbsp
• Olive oil- 1tbsp
• Warm water- ½ bucket

Do this:

• Combine brown sugar, honey, olive oil, and lemon juice.
• Mix them well to get a thick sticky paste-like consistency.
• Take the warm water in a basin.
• Soak your feet in this warm water for 10 minutes.
• Now apply some of the brown sugar scrubs on one of your feet and rub in circular motion.
• Do this for some time till the sugar granules melt away.
• Repeat the procedure with the other foot.
• Wash the feet with warm water.
• Repeat 2-3 times a week and then once a week.

4. Milk for Cracked Feet

Not only milk is rich in Vitamin A and other nutrients to give you glowing healthy skin, it is also a good exfoliating agent. Lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid, present in milk can gently slough off dead skin cells and help grow new cells. What is also important is the fact that this lactic acid in milk hydrates your skin well by promoting its water retention capacity. This fights off dryness effectively which is one of the major causes of cracked feet.

How to Make Foot Scrub with Milk for Cracked Feet?

Get this:

• Milk- 1 cup
• Sugar Or Brown Sugar Or Salt- 4 tbsp
• Coconut oil Or Baby oil- ½ cup
• Warm water- 5-7 cups

Do this:

• Add milk and warm water in a foot basin.
• Soak your feet in this for 8-10 minutes.
• Add sugar or salt, whatever you are using, to the oil and mix well to make a paste scrub.
• Apply this scrub to your feet and rub gently in circular motions.
• Do this for 5-8 minutes.
• Now wash off with warm water and pat dry your feet.
• Apply some moisturizer or some oil to your feet. You may also apply glycerin-rosewater mixture to your feet.
• This works better when done at night before going to sleep.

5. Petroleum Jelly- Lemon Juice Foot Mask for Cracked Feet

Petroleum jelly, a by-product of petroleum and is popular by its most used brand name Vaseline. Petroleum jelly, in fact, is an oil-based emollient. Oil-based means it will repel water and thus prevent it from drying out your skin. These types of emollients help replace fats by filling in gaps in between skin cells just like the cracks in your feet! And thus you get a soft and hydrated skin. When you mix petroleum jelly with lemon juice, you make arrangements to slough off the dead skin. The acetic properties of lemon juice exfoliate your feet to drop off dead skin cells replace it with new soft and smooth skin.

How to Make Petroleum Jelly Foot Mask with Lemon Juice?

Get this:

• Petroleum jelly- 1 tsp
• Lemon juice- from 1 lemon

Do this:

• Soak your feet in warm water for 10 minutes.
• Now dry your feet properly.
• Mix petroleum jelly and lemon juice.
• Apply this mixture to your feet, filling in the cracks with this mixture.
• Rub gently for some time.
• If needed, take some more mixture and fill up the cracks in your heels.
• Leave it for few hours. Its good to apply this remedy at night before going to sleep. Wear a pair of socks if you are bothered about your bedsheet.
• Wash off in the morning.

6. Sesame Oil for Cracked Feet

Till now we had been reading about ingredients that can either work as a moisturizer or an emollient to give you back your smooth feet. Sesame oil can act as both moisturizer and emollient due to its miraculous list of components that include vitamin E, linoleic acids, stearic acids, and palmitic acids. This oil also helps repair damaged skin cells like those of you cracked feet. Sesame oil can also fight off bacterial infections and can get you rid of cracked heels due to such infections.

How to Use Sesame Oil for Cracked Feet?
Get this:

• Sesame oil- 1-2 tsp
• Castor or Almond oil (optional) – 1-2 tsp

Do this:

• Soak your feet in warm water for 10 minutes and pat dry.
• You can directly apply sesame oil to you feet and rub gently for some time so that it goes deep into you skin.
• If you find the smell of sesame oil too strong, mix it with some other oil like Castor or almond oil and then apply to your cracked feet.
• Do this daily, preferably before going to sleep at night.

7. Turmeric for Cracked Feet

This is a very effective Ayurvedic remedy for cracked feet. Turmeric, the humble herb spice used extensively in Asian cooking, is rich in curcuminoids. This component of turmeric is responsible for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. If your cracks in feet are due to some infection like athlete’s foot, turmeric is the remedy for you.

1st Way to Use Turmeric for Cracked Feet- with Coconut Oil

Get this:

• Turmeric powder- 3 tbsp
• Coconut oil- few drops

Do this:

• Mix turmeric powder with coconut oil to make a thick paste.
• Apply this to your cracked feet.
• Leave it for 20-30 minutes. Fill in the cracks properly and also apply it in between the toes.
• Wash off with warm water and a mild soap.
• Take care not to walk or place your turmeric ridden feet anywhere as it stains anything that comes in its contact.
• You may want to wrap your feet with bandage or cloth after applying turmeric.
• Also, know that your feet will get a yellow tint when you apply turmeric. This will go in a few days after you stop using turmeric.

2nd Way to Use Turmeric for Cracked Feet- with Basil, Camphor, Aloe Vera

Get this:

• Turmeric powder- 1-2 tbsp
• Tulsi (holy basil) leaves- 12-15
• Camphor- 1-2 tbsp
• Aloe vera gel- 1-2 tsp

Do this:

• Crush the Tulsi leaves to get its paste.
• If the camphor is in crystal form, grind it get its powder.
• Combine turmeric, basil leaves paste and camphor. Mix them well.
• Now add enough aloe vera gel to get a paste-like consistency.
• Apply this paste to your feet.
• Leave for 20-30 minutes.
• Wash off with warm water using a mild soap.
• Repeat daily till you get rid of cracked feet.

8. Essential Oils for Cracked Feet

Like many other conditions, cracked feet to have remedy through essential oils. For this, you need to use such essential oils that are good for dry skin, those that will make the skin of your feet soft and will moisturize them well. You may also use such oils that have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties because sometimes, the cracks in your feet result due to infections.

Foot Soak with Essential Oils Blend

Get this:

• Peppermint oil- 2-3 drops
• Tea tree oil- 2-3 drops
• Eucalyptus oil- 2-3 drops
• Lemon oil- 2-3 drops
• Boiled water- ½ bucket

Do this:

• Pour the hot water into a foot basin and let it cool down.
• Once it cools down to room temperature or is just lukewarm, add all the oils to this water.
• Soak your feet in this water for 20-30 minutes.

You may do this every night before going to sleep. Not only will you get relaxed and sleep well, but your feet will also get excellently moisturized. This will fight off foot infections too.

9. Cooked Rice Water for Cracked Feet

While rice powder makes a very good exfoliating agent for cracked heels, the water that is discarded after cooking rice can also come to your help when it’s about cracked feet. This water is sometimes called rice starch. It is full of nutrients- folate, phosphorus, zinc, Vitamin C, A and E and many others. These vitamins are all good for skin and may help in promoting growth of new cells to give you soft smooth feet. Sometimes, deficiency of zinc and Omega 3 fatty acids also lead to cracked feet. While consuming these nutrients is essential, rice water can help with absorption of some zinc that is present in it.

How to Use Cooked Rice Water for Cracked Feet?

Get this:

• Cooked rice water- 5-6 cups
• Baking soda- 1 tsp

Do this:

• You just need to boil rice in water to get its starchy water. When the rice gets cooked, strain the water and save it to use for cracked feet. Eat the rice as you wish.
• Take the rice water in a foot basin.
• Add baking soda to this. It will help exfoliate skin and slough off the dead cells.
• Soak your feet in this while it is still warm.
• Soak for about 15-20 minutes.
• Now wash off your feet with plain water, pat dry and apply some moisturizer.
• Repeat this daily initially and then 1-2 times a week.

10. Patchouli Essential Oil for Cracked Feet

Patchouli essential oil, derived from the leaves of the Patchouli plant, are considered to have cicatrisant and cytophylactic properties. cicatrisant properties help speed up the healing process of cuts and wounds, apart from making scars disappear. Cytophylactic properties, on the other hand, help in regenerating new skin cells to give younger, smooth skin. These properties of patchouli oil can be beneficial in healing the cracks of feet. After all, they are nothing but wounds only! However, you need to blend this oil with other essential oils while making a foot soak. Lavender oil too has cicatrisant properties, tea tree oil fights of fungal and bacterial infection and rose oil provide good moisturization.

Make Foot Soak with Patchouli and Other Essential Oils

Get this:

• Patchouli essential oil- 2-3 drops
• Lavender essential oil- 4 drops
• Tea tree essential oil- 4 drops
• Rose essential oil – 2 drops
• Warm water- ½ bucket

Do this:

• Take the warm water in a foot basin.
• Add all the essential oils to this.
• Soak your feet in this water for 20-30 minutes.
• Repeat daily, preferably at night before going to bed.
• After you get rid of cracked feet, do it once a week.

11. Parsley for Cracked Feet

Parsley is a nutrient-rich herb. It has vitamin C in it that helps in collagen production that makes your skin smooth and supple. Vitamin K in parsley also helps with your skin’s elasticity as well as in speeding up wound healing process. Beta-carotene in parsley can repair dry and flaky skin. All these properties make parsley an essential herb to be included in your diet. However, you can also use it externally for your cracked feet.

Make Foot Soak with Parsley

Get this:

• Parsley sprig- 10-12
• Warm water- ½ bucket

Do this:

• Chop the parsley.
• Add this to warm water in a foot basin.
• Soak your cracked feet in this for 20-30 minutes.
• Repeat daily.

12. Diet Remedies for Cracked Feet

Your feet is an important part of your body and it too needs essential nutrients to keep itself healthy and smooth. Deficiency of certain nutrients such as zinc, vitamins A, C and E, essential fatty acids can lead to dry cracked feet. Therefore, along with home remedies for cracked feet, you also need to improve your diet and include such vegetables and fruits as well as other ingredients in your daily diet that will provide sufficient nutrients to your body including your feet.

What Foods to Eat to Get Rid of Cracked Feet?

Zinc – Shellfish, sardines, beef, cheese.
Vitamin A- Carrots, goat milk, green vegetables and orange fruits like papaya.
Vitamin C- Lemon, oranges, papaya, cauliflower, guava, berries.
Vitamin E- Leafy green vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.
Essential fatty acids- Nuts and seeds like linseed, sesame seeds, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, oily fish, avocado, olive oil, etc.
Water- Drink enough water daily. This may be up to two liters a day because dehydration is one of the most common causes of cracked feet.