Footcare matters, and here's why.

Just as we regularly take care of our hands and face, it's important to take care of our feet. But unfortunately, our feet are often neglected and excluded from our skincare routine.

During the colder and wetter seasons, our feet are often enclosed in our footwear and unexposed to much air or moisture. We know the following equation to be true:   

(skin – moisture) + (skin – air) = dry skin

And we know that dry skin can lead to cracks, premature wrinkles, burning sensation, and sometimes, even cuts and bleeding. Therefore, we do not want to dry out our skin, whether that's our hands, face, or feet.

In the warmer and drier seasons, for those of us who are sandal aficionados, our feet are exposed to dust and germs. While not always detrimental, depending on your skin and body (and honestly, chance), lingering dust and germs can possibly lead to unpleasantries such as body odour, staph infection, athlete's foot, and plantar warts. 

In summary, our feet are often exposed to conditions that we wouldn't voluntarily put our face and hands through but rarely given much or any attention. As champions of skincare, we want to make it loud and clear: footcare is important too.

With that said, here's a list of tips and resources we think would be helpful for you. (You didn't think we'd forget to share the goods with you, did you? 😉)

Three simple steps to footcare

1. Start with a good wash. Make sure to use soap or body wash to gently cleanse your feet thoroughly (don't forget to wash the spaces in between your toes!).
2. Dry your feet. We recommend you gently tap the towel on your feet rather than wipe it.
3. Apply foot cream*. Take the product of your choice (check out our recommendations below) and gently massage the cream onto your feet. Give it a moment to dry before you put on socks or shoes.

*The ideal time to apply foot cream is right after you wash your feet as your feet will be clean and absorbent of the minerals and nutrients in the product (ingredients will vary depending on the product you choose). 

Quick and easy tips

• Trim your toenails regularly. Avoid cutting them too short to prevent ingrown toenails.
• Wear the right-sized shoes. Your toes should not be scrunched inside the shoes, nor should there be too much space between your big toes and shoes.
• Avoid wearing high heels regularly. As beautiful as high heel shoes are, they're not exactly the best for our feet.
• Check your feet regularly. Do you notice any cracks, dryness, or irritation? Whether it's soaking your feet in hot water and massaging them or applying foot cream, we recommend you take action. If it's serious, we recommend you connect with your doctor for a thorough checkup. Remember, it's better to be safe than sorry!

Footcare products 

Based on our research, we believe the following brands have done their research to ensure their products effectively moisturize and soothe the skin.

1. Dermal Therapy Heel Cream
2. Burtsbee’s Coconut Foot Cream
3. Cerave’s Diabetic Foot Cream
4. O'Keeffe's Healthy Feet
5. Eucerin Complete Repair Foot Cream

Foot creams are usually made to help our feet stay soft and hydrated, keeping dry skin, calluses and cracks at bay. Even if you don't notice the effects right away, it's important to be patient and stay committed to taking care of your feet as you would with your hands and face. 

There you have it! Our first of many posts on footcare. At Osme, we’re committed to helping you expand your horizons—we want you to remember that there’s more to skincare than just our face and hands and how important it is to take care of our bodies.

Stay tuned for more snack-sized lessons and useful tips and resources.

Take care <3