Warning: This post is full of nasty pictures of my feet.
My feet are gross. They are the only part of my body that my husband truly cannot stand. They are SUPER dry and my heels crack and sometimes bleed.
Once, as a gift, my mom even gave me a cream meant for a cow’s udders, hoping it would help. It didn’t.
Yes, I have already had a pedicure this year (and paid extra for the “scraping”) and my heels still looked like this:
Yuck. I know.
But then I read somewhere (I think it was a Facebook comment on a recipe) that coconut oil made a great moisturizer, so I decided to try it on my heels.
Method #1: Coconut Oil
We had this one on hand because it is what I like to use to pop our popcorn. They sell it at our regular grocery store. You can also buy it here.
I’ll walk you through how I use it in case you need to heal your heels too.
It is solid in the container and looks like this
I use about a teaspoon’s worth for each foot.
I spread it on with a washcloth because I don’t like the way it makes my hands feel greasy for hours if I use my fingers.
Grease up your feet and put on a pair of socks. Otherwise you will slip and fall trying to walk on laminate or tile floors. Not that I would know. (Yeah, I totally fell on my butt the first time.)
This is after 2 treatments. I’m going to continue twice a day every day until Thursday. There are still a few small cracks in the back right now. Hopefully after a few more treatments I won’t be too embarrassed to break out the flip-flops when we are in North Carolina for Bloggy Boot Camp this weekend!
I should also note that I have REALLY sensitive, fair skin. I can’t even use most laundry detergents without breaking out in hives. The coconut oil is very gentle and doesn’t cause me any irritation. It also doesn’t have any odor, which is a plus.
Method #2: Stridex and Vaseline
I have also had very good luck in the past with a tip I leaned on an old episode of the Oprah show. The doctor on the show said to use a Stridex pad (if I remember correctly, the dermatologist on the show said it has to be Stridex because the active ingredient in those pads was a little different than other brands), and then coating my feet with Vaseline and sleeping in a pair of white cotton socks. After about a week of using that method my feet were perfect!
Let me know if you try either one of these tips and how they work for you!
My feet are a disaster. I was actually thrilled when it got cold here again! lol Thanks for the tip…I’ll try it!
hehe, do people gift you utter butter too? 🙂
i LOVE coconut oil! And for the record, my feet get SO bad too. Bleeding. Painful. Ugly. Snag on the blankets. Scratch my honey. Oh, and then they look super dirty because summer dirt gets caught in the cracks. It’s so embarrassing and not flattering at all! I’m going to try the coconut oil trick starting tonight! Thanks girl!
I know! My heels scratch my husband at night sometimes. He’s not a fan. And I feel you on the looking dirty. Let me know if it works for you!
Coconut oil just went on my shopping list – thanks for the tip!
I hope it works for you, Robyn! It’s a little pricey, but not much more than a bottle of good lotion and you can still use it in the kitchen too. (Just separate out the amount you want to use for your feet. 😉 )
My feet looked like that for years. Pedicures actually made my feet crack more. My heels are probably in the best shape ever at this point…but might actually be better if I tried this trick! I use a scrubber that looks like a zester at the end of every shower…then rub gold bond softening with shea butter on my heels before I put my socks on. It has made all the difference!!
Great tip! Vaseline can also be used, then put on the socks. I’ve done this for years. Leaves your feet feeling like a baby’s bum 😉
Yayy!! Im so happy i found this,, for how long do i leave it on for??
Hi Donna. Use it like lotion, you don’t have to take it off. Just make sure you wear socks until it is soaked in because your feet will be slippery.
I need to try this. My feet are so dry and peely that I’m too embarassed to even go in for a pedicure! Bookmarked!!!
thanks for the tips and the pics! it’s good to know others have “nasty heels” haha 😉 !
I’m so glad I’m not the only one with the same problem! I’m trying it! I wasted money on many different heel creams that have done nothing!!! Worth a shot!
I am an Aussie living in Sydney and I have tried this and it works wonders. I actually put it on everynight just to keep ,y feet beautifully soft. It’s also fabulous for after sun care and as an anti wrinkle cream 🙂
Should you keep using the same socks? I hate to get all of my socks greasy!!
That’s for the simple tip! I’m going to start tonight:) my question is how long did u have to do it to start seeing and noticing a difference?
I saw a noticeable difference after two or three days, but it takes a few weeks for them to really heal, depending on how chapped they are.
What is the difference between pure and organic?