Baking soda is a pretty common ingredient you can use for a lot of things. It’s not just useful for cooking or baking, it’s also great for your feet.
This is for those that have cracked or dry feet from exposure to the cold winter months or too much cardio.
The older you get, the more you have to take care of your feet. They just get more and more cracked and dry as time passes.
Instead of going out for pedicures or monthly foot massages, you can try a nice, wet soak with baking soda.
Not only will it help you remove the dead or cracked skin, but also get rid of the dry texture.
So here are a couple of ways that you can use baking soda for dry cracked feet.
Baking Soda Scrub
You don’t need much for this. You can get three parts baking soda and one part water in a bowl and mix.
Make sure that you get a solid bowl and some distilled water. Hard water or contaminated water, even it’s a little muddy, won’t do it.
Mix the solution together properly until it forms a semi-solid paste.
Make sure the solution has a consistency to it and then rub it on to your feet. You should cover the areas on the front and the back of the feet as well.
You can use either a cotton swab or a cotton cloth to do so. You can remove a lot of dead skin and rough patches through this technique.
Your skin will definitely feel smoother. Pay attention to the calloused areas on your feet. They require the most attention either way.
After you’ve completely covered your feet and swabbed off any rough skin, you should rinse the feet. Use warm water to open up the pores of the feet.
You can use cold water after you’ve bathed your feet at least once in warm water.
After this, you can apply lotion to your feet if they start drying up. Remember, it’s as important to prevent dry skin from forming in the first place.
If the baking soda burns at all or if it causes too much irritation, you should stop and consult a physician.
Baking soda doesn’t usually cause allergies, but if it does, you shouldn’t take the chance.
Baking Soda Soak
The first thing you need is a bucket or tub filled with warm water. Make sure the water is warm and not lukewarm or boiling.
You need a balance since boiling water can harm sensitive feet and lukewarm water won’t dissolve the baking soda well.
Use 3 tablespoons of baking soda and add it to the water. You can also use some essential oils in order for better aroma.
The oil can not only help to get rid of foot odor but also ease swelling and pain.
Wintergreen oil, Rosemary oil, Lavender oil, Cypress oil, Tea Tree oil, and Lemon oil all do the trick.
For soothing dry skin, you can either use Epsom salt, Dead Sea Salt, or Baby oil.
You can either swish the water around to mix these ingredients or stir with a wooden stick. Make sure to clean the stick if you use it.
You don’t want any dust, gunk, fuzz, or any other contaminants dissolving in the water. They may infect the foot if there are any openings or wounds.
After the baking soda has been mixed in the warm water, place your feet in it, and relax. Keep your feet in the warm water for 10-20 minutes.
This will soften the rough skin and remove the callouses on the feet. The soak will also allow water to get into the cracks of your feet and between your toes.
After the soak, take a cotton cloth or swab to wipe the dead skin or rough patches on your feet.
Make sure to dry your feet well since the soles of your feet may be slippery from the oil. Make sure to rinse your feet after the wipe with warm water.
To close the pores of your feet after, you can rinse with cool water as well.
After this process, you can apply lotion to your feet so that they don’t dry up again.
As always, the main objective is to keep your feet soft as well as clear the rough and dead skin.
Bonus
The best part about using baking soda for dry cracked feet is that it gets rid of foot odor.
Baking soda soaks are more effective at this than scrubs. Soaking the entire foot in a bucket or tub does this much more effectively than a scrub.
It allows the baking soda to enter in between the toes and cracks to rinse out the dirt and gunk.
How Baking Soda Reacts With Rough Skin
Baking soda works to remove callouses because it breaks down dead skin cells. Hence, the rough coarse skin on the bottom of your feet gets softer as a result.
This makes the skin a little looser and easier to remove. Removing the skin on your own without a soak will result in the skin growing back the same.
Unless the breakdown of skin cells is extensive, the skin grows back the same.
Using these few methods you can break down the dead or rough skin on your feet. It’s an easy way to smooth out your feet skin.
It’s also a great way to save money on pedicures. Doing this won’t just help your feet at the moment, but also maintain the skin’s smoothness in the long term.
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