Be thankful there’s no photo with this post! My feet are terrible. Flip flops and dirt . . (my feet are always dirty from being in the garden) cause my heels to be rough and have splits. I’ve tried so many products – creams, home pedicure kits, even prescription cream, which worked but was expensive. I had been seeing on Facebook that Listerine could be used as a soak so tonight I decided to try it. What I found said to use 1 part Listerine and 2 parts warm water and soak your feet for 20 minutes. I made the mistake of going in the bathroom and sitting there with my feet soaking with nothing but the iPad and 20 minutes was an eternity. Tomorrow or the next day, I’ll do it during the day and sit on the porch and knit.
I used Wal-Mart brand “similar to Listerine” and it worked great. My feet were softer after 5 minutes. I’m not sure how they’ll feel in the morning but even after taking a shower, they still feel cool and tingly. After a hot day of working outside, that alone makes it worth doing but if my feet end up being softer and not to splitty, that will be great.
I also read that an Epsom Salt soak was good but I didn’t have any Epsom Salt that I could put my hands on quickly so I’ll try that another day.
Try the Listerine and see what you think . . I love the cool feeling right now!
Linda H says
I saw this on Oprah many years ago: Wipe each foot with a stidex pad, slather on some lotion and sleep in socks. I do this once a week or so 🙂 my feet are nice and soft
Linda H says
that should say *stridex” (I some no name brand at the dollar store, salicylic acid is the key ingredient)
AngieG9 says
That sounds like a winning idea to me. I go barefoot around the apartment all day and the carpet tears my feet up, but I hate wearing shoes of any kind. They make my toes twitch. I see a trip to the dollar store in my future.
Susan says
Thanks for the idea. I do have epsom salts – I water my roses with them about once a month and they bloom like crazy. Of course, right now, it’s raining so much they are drowning, so I’m not watering them with anything!
Mel Meister says
Two things:
1. My heels did that for years until I started wearing thin white socks. I put lotion on my feet then put the socks on and over the last couple of years, the heel splits are gone.
2. My doctor told me that heel splits are caused by athlete’s foot. So the “”lotion” I started using last year was an antifungal cream.
Not sure which finally cleared up the heel splits. I suspect it was the antifungal cream. I still wear thin white socks now. I’m just too used to wearing them anymore.
Firelei says
Years ago a nurse practicioner told me to use BagBalm, comes in a green square tin, very inexpensive, and REALLY works. Sometimes I rub it on my heels then just wear my sandles. Sometimes I rub it on at night. Sox would probably be good but I am way to hot to wear them. When I use it my heels are soft as baby skin. Sold in most drug stores and I have bought it at CostCo. Great stuff!
Lois in TN says
I have horrible calluses and get my feet done by a wonderful lady who works on them for almost 2 hours once a month! She cleans them up great, but I was still having cracked heels, etc. and tried everything, even prescription creams with urea. I get a big ole’ cheap jar of vaseline and slather it all over my feet after my shower at night. I wear socks until they drive me crazy and then I take them off and go to sleep. Every now and then I use a “rasp” like tool to clean them up. I used to have deep, deep cracks that never really healed and they are gone. My foot lady has been amazed at the difference. I”ve been doing this or 4 months and just now started a 2nd big vaseline jar. Very cheap remedy for me!
KatieQ says
When I was a kid, my crabby aunt Emily went through so much Listerine, I was convinced she was bathing in it. Maybe she was really soaking her feet. I never saw her feet outside of her shoes so I will never really know. She was so nasty, she probably boiled it and drank it for tea. I will pick some up and try your foot remedy. My feet are ugly enough to try anything.
Tracy says
This makes me chuckle!
Tracy
Deb says
I know you mentioned trying the Stridex and Vicks too Judy, since I then went out and bought some for my husband. I have to get him to USE IT yet, but soon. Did this work for you, or only for a while? Who really knows what it is that “works”, the Sridex? The Vaseline? The Soaking? And of course it is probably different for everyone…have to keep trying tho!
Deb says
And that too should say STRIDEX!
Linda H says
🙂
Betty Edwards says
Months ago I read to use your pumice stone in shower, wipe with Stridex and then slather in Vic’s Vapor rub put on socks and sleep. Well I cannot sleep in socks so I would do this in the morning and leaves socks on for an hour or so. It works my feet were as soft as a baby’s. hiney! Lol but the kicker for me was no ugly cracked heels showing when I work flip flops,or scrappy heels! I now just pumice with every shower or bath and use my foot cream. Just do the Vic’s every now and then,
Linda Steller says
I’d love anything cool feeling right now. I know it’s not nearly as hot here as it gets in Texas, but man! I’m praying this will be our last day of intense heat. It’s just after nine and I’m taking Oz to the dog park. It’s been too hot to go the past few days.
Char Scott says
I use a mix of 50% Listerine (or store brand) and 50% apple cider vinegar. Soak for 20-30 minutes and the dry skin and callouses wipe off with a towel. My feet feel great!
Jean says
I tried the Listerine treatment but only had the BLUE kind and it turned my feet blue!!! Too funny! Finally went for a pedicure and now I have “happy feet” and put lotion on every morning to keep them nice and soft and smooth.
Jane says
Judy, that homemade lotion you shared the recipe for has worked well for me. My feet are bad right now but once life gets normal I will concentrate on them again.
Peg H says
Judy, I’ve never tried the Listerine soak but will do it soon – can’t hurt, right? But I gotta tell you, the homemade cream recipe you shared here many moons ago works wonders for me and some of my friends; in fact, they call me every couple of months asking for refills because it WORKS, especially on cracked heels!