Winter care for your feet: Shahnaz Husain's home remedies are the solution to your cracked feet

During winter, the feet can become really dry and need special care. Give yourself a weekly treatment at home to revitalise the skin. 

Soak your feet in hot water, adding some coarse salt and coconut oil. Add rose petals to heighten the experience. After washing the feet, take 2 tablespoons sunflower oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 3 tablespoons coarse sugar. Mix till it becomes a paste. Apply and rub into the skin of the feet. Rinse off after 15 minutes. This helps to nourish the skin and lighten skin colour. 

Or have a weekly pedicure or foot spa treatments at a salon. They are great ways of taking care of the feet and preventing dryness. These salon treatments also include foot massage, which is most relaxing.  

Problems like cracked heels can be prevented by giving the feet daily care, massaging the skin with creams.  After your bath, moisturise while the skin is still damp. It helps to seal in moisture. 

(Beauty guru Shahnaz Husain)

Follow a one-week daily treatment for cracked heels. At night, before retiring, soak the feet in hot water for about 20 minutes. Add some coarse salt and shampoo to the water, before soaking the feet. Hot water helps to soften the dead skin on the heels. With the help of a pumice stone or a heel scrubber, rub the heels gently, to remove the dead cells. Avoid metal scrubbers. After washing the feet, massage them with cream, rubbing it into the skin. Then, apply the cream generously on the heels. Bandage the heels with a clean cloth. Wear cotton socks and go to sleep. Keeping the heels smeared with cream all night will soften the skin and replenish moisture loss. Repeat this every night for one week. If there is pain or bleeding, consult your doctor. 

Home Remedies

Give yourself a Foot Wrap at home. Mix milk, oats, aloe vera gel and pure almond oil. Apply on the feet and tie a gauze bandage or clean cloth around the feet. Lie down and relax for 20 minutes. Aloe Vera is a powerful moisturizer and also has healing properties. It especially helps the skin on the heels. It repairs the cracks on the heels and makes the skin soft and smooth. Milk, oil and oats help to cleanse and nourish. 

After washing the feet, take 2 tablespoons sunflower oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 3 tablespoons coarse sugar. Mix together till it becomes a paste. Apply and rub into the skin of the feet. Rinse off after 15 minutes. This helps to nourish the skin and lighten skin colour. 

Then apply a fruit mask. Mix together pulp of ripe papaya and pineapple with yoghurt. Apply on the feet and leave on for 20 minutes. Papaya and pineapple contain enzymes that help to remove dead cells and also soften the skin. Fruits are rich in vitamins and help to nourish the skin. This mixture also lightens skin colour. 

For dry feet, add 2 tablespoons honey, one tablespoon herbal shampoo, one tablespoon almond oil to one-fourth bucket of warm water. Soak feet in it for 20 minutes. Also, mix one tablespoon almond oil, one tablespoon sesame seed (til) oil, one teaspoon wheat germ oil. Apply daily and massage it into the skin.  

At the end of your foot treatment, add one teaspoon pure glycerin to 50 ml rose water. Apply and leave on. Or, if you have aloe vera gel, apply on the feet for at least 20 minutes and wash off with plain water.  

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