How to care for your feet this winter

Scrub your feet and moisturise it regularly to keep it healthy and supple.

Everyone talks about home remedies for a glowing winter face or beautifully radiant skin.

How often do you pause to wonder how difficult it gets for your feet to support you every day?

The fact that feet are often the most easily neglected part of your body holds true for a lot of people out there.

Here are quick and handy tips that you can use to take better care of your tender feet.

Heat 'Em Up

If you haven't done it already, try slowly dipping your feet in hot water at the end of a long day.

Soak them in until you feel the water getting cooler.

Very few things in life feel as good, you know.

Scrub 'n' Dub

All the accumulated dead skin that your feet gathers on its daily routine needs to be taken care of.

Using a foot scrub at least twice a week is essential to avoid cracked heels and ensure that the pores on your feet are not clogged and can breathe.

Magic of Moisture

Dry and flaky toes or heels do not go well, come what may.

And while the phenomena used to occur only during winters, thanks to rapid weather changes, skin is prone to a lot more damage than what they were once subjected to.

Mandatory moisturising of your feet every day helps your feet retain the skin's natural supple quality.

It also helps to clean and moisturise your feet before you go to bed, covering them up in cotton socks, which will give them enough time for cell restoration and repair when the body is asleep at night.

Pampering Pedicures

It is time to bust the myth that states only women can get their feet pampered.

A large number of men have realised that they too can get the care that their feet deserve after days or months of keeping them to the grind.

Allow yourself the luxuries of foot spas and relaxing massages that will better the blood flow that your muscles require for proper functioning.

Paraffin Wax Treatment

Don't be alarmed if you're thinking of scalding wax being poured on your feet for treating them.

Paraffin wax melts at a significantly lower temperature because it contains paraffin oil and it is actually quite soothing to have to dip your feet in them.

Paraffin wax is mainly used as a preservative to prevent moisture loss and provide glossy finish and its purpose is to soften and smoothen the skin on your hands and feet.

The Hot Chocolate Treatment

Just like the recently made popular chocolate wax that guaranteed a de-tanning effect on your skin, there are several feet masques made of chocolate and almond oil that keep your feet rejuvenated and younger for longer.

There are also specific foot treatments available with granules of cocoa and Dead Sea salt that help in getting rid of impurities beneath the layer of dead skin on your feet.

Acupuncture

It's surprising as to how many people suffer from foot problems on a regular basis.

From infants learning how to walk to older individuals, falling prey to old age, as well was women who wear high heels on a regular basis, and athletes who indulge in sports.

A 1999 study, meanwhile, found that electrical stimulation of acu-points on the feet could increase blood flow to the foot and lower leg.

There have also been anecdotal reports of individual acupuncturists using different techniques to relieve pain associated with the ankle, heel, and the ball of the foot.

Ice Therapy

This is a good way to reduce pain and swelling on the feet.

Put a small amount of crushed ice in a small plastic bag and use it to massage the affected area in a circular motion.

The cold temperature will temporarily numb the nerve endings in the painful area and give you relief.

Swelling will also be reduced. Do not use an ice pack for more than 10 minutes at a time; longer use can damage the skin and nerves.

Cayenne Pepper

This is known to be an excellent cure for muscle aches and pains, arthritis, muscle strain, lower back pain, and even aching feet.

If you sprinkle cayenne pepper in your socks before you wear them, it can help keep your foot warm in cold places, as it is a rich source of capsaicin.

You could also add half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder to a bucket of hot water and proceed to soak your feet in for a few minutes. This will give you relief from pain in your feet.