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Begone, Hard Skin On Your Feet! These Creams Will Banish It Forever

by Andrea Hannah
Amazon/Bustle

When your feet are trapped in restrictive boots and slippers all winter, they're bound to need some extra TLC. The constant rubbing against your skin can cause it to harden and dry out, especially around the heels. Luckily, the best foot creams for hard skin offer pain relief while making your feet buttery soft.

Before you go out and buy a treatment, it's important to take a hard look at what's going on with your skin. If you're dealing with mild dryness or flakiness, using a cream that has granules or microbeads might actually cause irritation. But if you're struggling with dry, cracked feet, consider an option that offers fast-acting relief (like a cream with granules to help break down the outermost layer of skin for maximum absorption).

Another thing to keep in mind is your scent preferences. A lot of foot creams include peppermint to help sooth the skin. But if, like me, you find minty scents overwhelming, I have good news: Some of the most effective treatments include lavender or sage-scented herbs like arnica as a substitute for peppermint.

Cream or scrub? Organic or anti-fungal? With so many choices, it can be tough to figure out just which treatment you need. To help narrow down your options, here's a roundup of some of the best foot creams for hard skin. Start scrolling!

1

Best For Inflamed Skin

Made with a rich shea butter base, L'Occitane's skin-quenching cream naturally softens tough skin, while potent arnica oil helps improve your circulation and reduce any unwanted redness or puffiness. On top of that, this luxe foot cream includes lavender oil to help soothe irritation. Reviewers can't say enough good things about this cream, even raving that it can dramatically reduce hardness in just a few weeks.

2

Best For Itchy Skin

This miracle skin repair cream is made with a 60 percent aloe base, applies smoothly, and is easily absorbed. The aloe leaves used to concoct this cream have restorative agents that lock in moisture and calm your skin to relieve itchiness. And considering its relatively affordable price tag, this one's a great value. One fan says, "I've used other foot lotions with peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus, etc. and while I like those and use them for day to day use, this is a great product for repair. It goes a long way too so I think the price is great for the size of the tube."

3

Best All-Natural Cream

Made with all-natural ingredients, this organic foot cream does the trick without compromising on results. The active ingredient is urea, which is a powder created from salt compounds naturally found within the body. When applied to dry, painful skin, urea helps the skin rehydrate without unnecessary chemicals. Translation: It basically retrains the skin to retain moisture. Besides that, this cruelty-free cream is made without silicones or parabens, and as a bonus, reviewers mention that it also helps to dissolve calluses.

4

Also Great: A Soothing Scrub That Gently Exfoliates Your Feet

If you're really struggling with tough skin, consider this gel-based scrub from The Body Shop. Infused with fair trade peppermint oil to rejuvenate tired, achey feet, this treatment also features volcanic rock granules to exfoliate the outermost layer of skin. Once the skin softens, the menthol creates a cooling sensation that'll leave your skin feeling silky smooth and less irritated. According to one reviewer, "I have never used anything on my feet until last year I noticed that my feet were becoming rough and dry. I have tried many foot scrubs and now I found the one I liked."

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