Overview
Calluses and dead skin are incredibly common – it’s something that most of us will have to deal with in our lifetime!
It is usually due to a lack of proper moisture, ill-fitting shoes, or other issues such as athlete’s foot.
Regardless of how and why you have rough skin and calluses on your feet, you are here because you want to learn how to get rid of them.
Did you know that you can use a foot soak to remove dead skin and calluses?
Yes, you can!
Below we will outline some of the most popular ways to treat your foot issues using various foot soaks.
Apple Cider Vinegar Soak
One of the most common ways to help get rid of your dead skin and calluses is to use an apple cider vinegar foot soak.
This method is great because apple cider vinegar is something that most people having laying around the house, whether in their laundry room or kitchen.
Plus, making a vinegar soak is incredibly easy! Simply add one part vinegar to two parts cool or room temperature water, and let your feet soak for up to ten minutes.
Some people may find cold water unpleasant, so feel free to use warm water. However, avoid making the water too hot, because it will actually make your feet drier, which will lead to more dead skin.
If you have a foot file or pumice stone, use it after the soak to remove all of your dead skin and calluses.
If you have a particularly stubborn callus, keep in mind that you may need to slowly file it down over the course of a few weeks. Don’t be too aggressive!
You can use a vinegar foot soak multiple times per week to start – if you find that it drys out your skin too quickly, cut it down to once or twice a week.
If your skin handles the vinegar particularly well, you can use it once a day if need be.
Epsom Salt Foot Soak
Another incredibly common foot soak ingredient for foot issues is Epsom salt.
This is a particularly common ingredient because Epsom salt is common and affordable, and can be used to exfoliate your feet or even your whole body.
If you are going to use Epsom salts in a foot soak, place half a cup and swirl it around to help it dissolve. Then relax for up to twenty minutes.
Alternatively, you can use an entire cup if you decide to soak your whole body in the tub.
If you find that your skin is drying out too much after your soaks, cut back on the level of salt you are using.
After your soak, again, gently use a pumice stone or foot file to remove your dead skin and calluses.
Lemon Soak
A lemon soaks isn’t our top recommended foot soak option, but it does work to soften the hard skin and calluses on your feet.
Why are we averse to using lemon as our main ingredient? That’s a good question.
Have you ever accidentally squeezed lemon juice in your eye, or got it in an open cut on your hands?
Ouch!
It hurts to no end. This means that if you have any cuts or sensitive skin on your feet, a lemon soak is going to be extremely painful.
Additionally, because lemon is so acidic, it can also send your bodies natural pH balance out of wack, thus making your skin drier and more prone to cracking and developing dead skin.
If you are absolutely set on using a lemon soak, this is how you do it – take one lemon and gently squeeze it into your warm foot bath.
Alternatively, you can take 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and carefully place it in your foot soak. Soak for fifteen minutes, and then reevaluate.
If your feet have not softened in that time, add another tablespoon and wait another ten minutes.
Keep in mind that you can always add more if the mixture is too weak, but if it is too strong, you have to start over or add more warm water to properly distill it.
Try An Oatmeal Mix
Oats have been used for centuries for their exfoliating properties – if you check the various creams in your medicine cabinet or bathroom, I’d be willing to bet that a good portion of them utilize oats!
Do you have a giant container of oats in your pantry?
If so, you can easily make an oatmeal paste to exfoliate your skin, and then simply remove your dead skin and calluses using a file or pumice stone.
This is a great option for someone who doesn’t have a foot soak basin or is afraid of spilling water on their nice hardwood floors.
Here’s how it is done: mix together oats with a thickening agent such as milk, rose water, or even water. The idea here is to make it pasty and sticky, but not runny.
If your oats become too runny, they might not stick to your feet, and it will make it harder to clean up. Plus, you’re wasting oats that you could use for future foot scrubs or breakfast!
Apply the mixture to your feet, particularly your calluses, and let it sit for fifteen minutes. Then, using either gloves or paper towels, remove the mixture and wash your feet.
Use Listerine
Listerine is touted as another popular way to soften your skin and calluses, and for good reason.
It’s powerful, and another ingredient that most people having laying around the house.
Plus, it can help treat things like nail fungus and athletes foot, making it a solid option for a number of issues.
However, the same warnings apply as with the lemon soak before – it is acidic, so if you have any open cuts or wounds on your feet, this is to be avoided.
Also, if you have traditionally had an allergic reaction to Listerine or any mouthwash in the past, this foot soak obviously needs to be avoided.
If you want to try a Listerine foot soak at home, here is how you do it – take half a cup of the Original Listerine, half a cup of apple cider vinegar, and 4 tablespoons of honey and mix it all together with a gallon of warm water.
Soak your feet for up to 20 minutes, and then use a pumice stone or file to help file down your calluses and the dead skin.
You may be wondering why I insist you use the original Listerine and not the blue kind.
Well, if you use the blue kind, it will definitely help exfoliate your feet, but it will also die your feet a wonderful shade of blue!
Pick Up A Pumice Stone – You Can Thank Me Later
You may have noticed that in all of the foot soak directions above, they end with you either using a pumice stone or foot file.
Why is this? Because using a foot soak is only half of the story here. Foot soaks exfoliate the skin, making your feet soft, supple, and moist.
While this will help wash away some of your dead skin, it won’t help all of it, and it definitely won’t tackle rough calluses.
This is where the pumice stone comes in – because of its abrasive surface, it helps truly widdle down your calluses and easily clear out all of your dead skin. It is a must-have.
I am a big fan of PIXNOR Pumice Stone because it is high-quality, but there are many ones out there.
Plus, you can use a pumice stone to clean your toilet and tiling, just make sure you clean it afterward!
Get A Nice Foot Bath
Look, you do not need a high-quality foot bath.
You can get away with using any one of the foot soaks on this list, along with a basin, and pumice stone.
However, if you chronically have rough, dried skin or calluses, I highly recommend investing in a nice foot bath.
With a nice foot bath, you simply plug it in, turn it on, and add water. You’re good to go, and it is incredibly quick and easy.
Plus, a high-quality foot bath, such as Giantex Foot Bath Massager Spa has a built-in electric foot callus remover that can help you easily exfoliate your skin, and it also has a jacuzzi-like bubble feature, making it super easy for you to relax.
What Causes Calluses And Dead Skin?
Calluses form when your skin experiences constant friction.
When it comes to calluses on the feet, this is normally due to poor-fitting shoes, or a constant repetitive motion such as running.
They also tend to appear on your feet if you forget to wear socks.
Dead skin usually forms on your feet due to a lack of moisture, oftentimes caused by tight, ill-fitting shoes or socks.
Calluses, corns, and dead skin frequently appear together, and certain people are more likely to develop them, such as those with diabetes or bunions.
Do Foot Soaks Help With Any Other Issues?
One of our favorite things about foot soaks is that they actually help with a variety of issues.
In addition to helping soften calluses, and making it easier to remove thick dead skin from your feet, a quality foot soak can help treat athlete’s foot, nail fungus, exfoliate your skin, help tame your incurvated toenails, reduce your bunions and provide plantar fasciitis relief, and so much more!
Granted, some of these benefits come from which ingredient you chose to use in your foot soak – for example, apple cider vinegar is a known antifungal agent, while just regular hot water is not.
However, foot soaks, in general, are highly beneficial, and we recommend implementing them into your daily life.
Plus, let’s not forget that they are incredibly relaxing!
Conclusion
There you have it! How to use various types of foot soaks to remove dead skin and calluses from your feet.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this article, and we hope this guide is useful for you!
In the future, do your best to help prevent calluses and rough skin from forming in the future – get better-fitting shoes, new socks, and moisturize your feet daily.
However, you also need to understand that some people are just more prone to developing these issues, so don’t beat yourself up about it if your calluses and hard skin keeps coming back.
Pin This Image
I am the founder of DestroyNailFungus, and I do my best to provide comprehensive guides on health and wellness.
When I’m not running the site, I enjoy spending time outdoors and drinking coffee.