This year after doing a lot of research I finally figured out a way to heal my dry cracked feet and heels. All it took was two simple things you can find at any discount store.
2% Salicylic Acid
Gold bond ultimate healing with skin therapy cream
That’s it! The Salicylic Acid is an exfoliant and it helps get rid of the dead skin. Then the Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Cream moisturizes so that the dry skin doesn’t come back. When I tried this the FIRST night I noticed a big difference. Now my feet aren’t horrid by any means but they were dry and and starting to crack and not look so great so I was very happy for this easy fix.
2% Salicylic Acid is just acne medicine. You can get it in the pads, cleanser or as a toner. I used all of them and they all worked great. After I figured this out I was going though e-mail tips and found this one from one of our faithful readers Rose and I wanted to share her tip for helping diabetic feet.
Help with Dry Feet in Diabetics
My hubby, who is disabled and has diabetes, was told by his foot doctor to make sure to put a lotion on his foot (he is an amputee and has only one leg). The dr. told him to make sure the lotion has cocoa butter, aloe vera and vitamin E in it.
I went to 2 different places (Walmart and Walgreens) and both pharmacists said they didn’t have any kind of lotion with all three in there, but both recommended this one brand (highly recommended), for diabetics who have severely dry feet. It is Gold Bond Ultimate Healing with Skin Therapy Cream . It has 7 intense moisturizers, I got the one with aloe, it also has vit’s A, C and E. It does penetrate fast, non greasy (big plus because I hate greasy lotions!) and it has a nice scent.
Normally do not like to recommend stuff like this (esp lotions because everyone seems to have their own favorite) but last night I used a bit of this on my own feet, and I must share with you all, my feet feel so soft and smooth (i have diabetes too so I do suffer from very dry feet). Normally when I do put lotion on my feet the next day it still feels dry (really no improvement) but with this stuff, after almost 24 hrs of putting it on, my feet feel like just put lotion on them.
I did buy this at Walmart (it’s cheaper there). I paid less than $6 but this is for 2 people and hubby and I won’t use this everyday… in fact, I bought this 4 days ago and used it once on him and now once on me. We figure, it’s good stuff but will use it once every 5 days.
I did sleep with a pair of cotton socks on last night too (I normally do because if my feet get cold, I get cramps in my feet and legs, one of the symptoms of having diabetes, as per my doctor, not sure if that is true but my dr. told me this)… sorry so long, but i wanted to share this with everyone.
Rose
By the way, Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Cream is the stuff that Mike LOVES to use in the winter. His hands get really cracked bad. I’ve never tried it because I have a ton of other lotion to use up but I’m using this one from now on! (Can I get them to pay me to be a spokesperson! LOL)
So, do you have problems with dry feet. If so what do you do for them?
Tawra
PS. I have almost given up on any thing working on any area of my body after trying so many things but last night I rubbed an acne pad Tawra had given over my feet as I crawled in bed. I didn’t expect anything to happen at all but during the night rubbed my feet together and they were as soft as a little baby’s bottom. I was shocked.
Jill
photo by: sillygwailo
Hi….I have severe dry skin that cracks and weeps. When it gets bad, I use a little vaseline, then socks. I also do this for my hands (socks too!!). Save your old/mismatch socks for this purpose. I also use a VERY thin amount as a moisturizer on my face/eyes…Olive oil works as well
If you need a good product, Walmart has something in their EQUATE brand called dry skin cream. It comes in a tub and is the same as AQUAPHOR, which can be pricey. Walmart’s is much cheaper and works the same. FYI: use SPARINGLY as it can get greasy. I read somewhere that the BEST time to apply these things is after a warm shower to lock in the moisture. Sounds like a good excuse for a foot soak with a few drops of peppermint oil. AHHHHH!! I also use the Ped Egg on my feet….Check with the Dr if you have diabetes first!!….Have a Blessed day!!!
I agree with all the good tips and have used all of them including the Ped egg. They all work super good but boy last night I took one of the acne pads Tawra gave me and just swiped my feet with them let them dry for 5 secs. and that was it. No grease, no more socks and the last stuff I tried smelled so bad, so no smell. I woke up this morning and once again my feet feel like a baby’s bottom.
I just can’t get over it. All the years I have had to do the grease and socks things and even the time let alone the mess to do it and now all I do is swipe and I am done. No grease left on my feet nothing. I had been running bare foot all day and my feet felt so bad I knew I would have to get out the Ped egg and work on them but decided to wait and try my acne pads without doing anything and they were so smooth. It is still blowing my mind away as you can tell.
Wow that is great to know. Being in Florida I live in my flip flops and also go barefoot alot (drives my Dh crazy lol) and I spend several minutes a day with the whole pumice stones, vaseline, socks, routine. Plus I hate to sleep in socks so I end up kicking them off in the middle of the night. My feet look pretty decent but it takes too much time. I can’t wait to try this tip!!!
Really, you have to try it! I was totally amazed! Tawra
i am going to try those pads jill and tawra… i have the ped egg but i think the little things that seem to scrape off the dry skin is too rough/harsh (i have very sensitive feet too) … my daughter got one at the dollar store and the little ridges seem not as sharp as the ped egg..
thanks for the advice … everyone…
hope all is well jill and tawra… we are fine… hubby is in good spirits… happy there is no chemo so far… we are changing his diet again… back to the caveman diet (only whole fruits/vegi’s… no processed foods)… its the paleo diet (or something similar to that)…
rose
Rose I am so glad your husband is doing ok. Be sure to let us know if anything changes.
So do you use the acne medicine on your feet first then apply the lotion?
Brandy, use the acne medicine first then the lotion. You can use the acne cleanser or toner or pads you don’t have to use all three. I haven’t used the lotion yet because I haven’t been to the store to buy any. I have just been using the acne pads so far and they alone are working great for me.
I agree with Jayne. Exfoliation is really important.
According to my dermatologist, people think that their skin is so dry that the lotion isn’t moisturizing enough, when what is really happening is that the skin isn’t sloughing off well enough for the moisturizers to actually touch the fresh skin. So you’re just moisturizing the dead layer.
Exfoliation is a great thing and overlooked. I actually use a glycolic acid product (AHA) that is a wonderful exfoliater. The salicylic sounds even better though since glycolic acid can really sting. Great tip!
Thank You! Can’t wait to try this awesome tip.
Hi: I love the tip on using the acne pad on cracked heels. I am going to give it a try. I have used the ped egg and right now my heels are so sore I can hardly walk on them (must have over done it!) So be careful. This message is also for Rose – I noticed she mentioned her husband and chemo. I was just wondering what type of cancer he had. My brother has esphogeal cancer and just finished 2 1/2 rounds of chemo & radiation and surgery. But now we have just learned he must have more chemo & radiation. I love this site – because of my brothers recent sickness and surgery I have not had time to check it out and chat. I miss you all though and glad to be back!
We are glad to have you back Glenda. It is so hard to keep up with everything when you have someone you love who is sick. I am so sorry to hear about your brother.
I have been having a horrible time with one foot for a couple of years. They are dry, cracked, and itch and hurt.The one foot almost feels PLASTIC. I have tried everything I could find-olive oil, vaseline, crisco,expensive diabetic foot creams, fungal meds and so on. I get regular pedicures but that doesn’t help. I read this yesterday and when I was at walmart I bought a store brand acne pads for less than $3. I tried one last night. I could immediately see a difference;) but I thought it will be back in the morning. Well it wasn’t! I am truly amazed-i just rubbed one pad over my feet and put on some moisterizer-without socks. It didn’t burn in the cracked areas either. Thank you so much!
Isn’t that the coolest thing Billie. I was like you and knew it would all be gone in the morning but it wasn’t. I feel so funny about being excited over something so little but after years like you of messing with things this is so easy I still can’t believe it. With me being sick too some nights of the thought of having to mess with lotion, grease and socks could be too much for me but this is so easy. I love it.
When I first told mom about it I know she didn’t believe me! It’s just the coolest thing and so cheap!!!
I read an article about the salicylic acid while at the doctors office being used for the back of arms that are broken out with those little bumps, stopped up oil glands. Now I will be using on my feet which are dry and cracked. Thanks for the tip.
I’ll have to try that. I’ve had that problem for years! Thanks for the tip!
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Thanks for the welcome back Jill. I love this site and the people that post comments. I feel like I have known you all for years!
Okay, I have to try this now. I have some cream from Dollar General that is 5% Salicylic Acid. It works well, but I have to put socks on for a while. I’ll try out those acne pads. I love going barefoot or at least wear my crocs (ugly as they are)or sandals, but my feet dry out so much, I have to keep something on them to keep them from cracking horribly.
Thanks again!!!
Hello to all
I have worked with 2 podiatrist for 6+ years all of lotion on feet is great! However if you are using lotion and diabetic make sure its is rubbed in good and avoid between the toes. It can cause sores and wear shoes. love the site tawra
I have never heard of this before! I use a pumice stone on my feet twice a week in my shower. That works for me, but I was trying to figure out what to use on my daughter’s skin. She has those bumps on the back of her arms and hips. I know it has to do with dry skin. My husband has ichthyosis. That just means that his skin doesn’t slough off and turns scaly. I think it would be much nicer to to swipe a pad than to scrub. I’m going to share this tip with others!
Thank you!
Hello, I agree with the Gold Bond cream being outstanding. Just so you know, and are always wanting to save money, Walmaart makes a generic form of it and it is just as good!! Maybe about $2 cheaper. Also Gold Bond makes cute little travel tubes in the mini vacation area, I love to keep one in my purse.
Thanks for the great information.
Julie R
I went to Family Dollar last night and bought some salicylic acid in pad form, in a jar, and used it on my feet. Wow. Baby soft. Thanks for this wonderful info. Will use it on rough elbows and other skin when winter comes.
I have very, very dry and cracked heels. One heel had really deep cracks that made walking painful and after just using this two nights, it is almost completely better. Thanks for this tip! I have already passed it on to two others.
I have been a diabetic for going on 41 years so dry skin, especially dry cracked feet comes with the disease.
I am also a ALL YEAR FLIP FLOP WEARER so that does not help. I have tried everything except Gold Bond.
I am here to say amazingly it improved my feet 75% over night and the next day you could barely see cracks and the softness was out of this world. It is really thick, put on liberally I wore socks most the night in bed and they were 100% better the next morning. (diabetics should not wear socks while sleeping unless they are specified for “diabetics”) I paid $5.98 at Wal Mart. This stuff we found out is great for hubbys hands and elbows. (Feet to)
Norma
It’s almost crazy how good it works! I was totally shocked! I’m so glad it worked for you too. My feet were horrid but were certainly annoyingly dry and cracked. I’m using it on my arms now too. I’ve had these red and white bumps like a rash all over them for years. In 2 days it cleared up a lot! I wonder if they have this in “whole body rub”! LOL
Norma… Love the “Norma Jean” pic!
Coconut oil I heard is the best moisturizer, even for your hair to do a deep hair conditioning treatment. It’s because it’s molecular-ly smaller than say Olive Oil is and is able to penetrate much deeper. I haven’t tried this yet… Just what I heard.
Hey ladies:
Try 100% glyserine from Walgreens it is only $6.99 for the 12 oz. bottle,it is wonderful, since I am in my menopause, my skin changed so much, it gotreally dry and rough, especialy in my elbows and heels. Try it, it works!!
Thanks for sharing this product. It is great that you were able to find a suitable solution to heal your heels.
Just a question here, isn’t salicylic acid the main ingredient in aspirin? I was just curious to see if there is an even more affordable way to make your own solution by dissolving the aspirin into some liquid to wipe your feet down with. The pads are fairly reasonable, but hey if you can do it cheaper, why not?
Aspirin’s chemical name is acetylsalicylic acid-it is not the same as salicylic acid.
Thanks Mary for clearing that up for me.
I am going to try the acne pads for my feet… they get a really thick callous and crack to the point where I can’t put any weight on my heels. Although my hubby does my pedicures, (I think he loves me!) I can’t wait to try it! Thanks for the tip!
Thanks for letting me know Family Dollar has the pads. Will go tomorrow. Have fibro and it kills me to use the pedi-egg. Love the idea.
My absolute favorite hand or foot cream is Avon’s Silicone Glove. (and no, I don’t sell Avon
This subject really hit home with me. I have the dry feet and bumpy back of arms problem. I’ll try these. Anyone used this on their knuckles?
By the way, I was trying to codify the Living on a Dime newsletter within my e-mail. Should it go under finances? Cooking? Common Sense? Spiritual, since Jill’s wise advice touches on spiritual matters at times? After today, I considered health and beauty….I think I’ll create a new category inspired by y’all….”miscellanea- a collection of several kinds matters, or things; “
Birdseye that is too funny. We need to use your post for a promo for our book. We always try to say you can find everything covered either in our book, e books or website but never know quite how to explain it.You done good.
AVON has a cream specifically for cracked heels. All the girls at the preschool where I work go on and on about the stuff. It is rather inexpensive too. The most I’ve seen it was $4.99. I might just try your acne pad suggestion and get some of the AVON cream for cracked heels to get my tootsies ready for summertime.
*Definitely* going to try this, I’m in Florida and sandals are almost required dress code… lol.
Birdseye, I don’t try to figure that out, I just have a separate folder for “Living On a Dime”… LOL. (I still have a “cooking and recipes” folder and a “getting out of debt” folder and others, but Living on a Dime just gets its own… much simpler that way
)
Thank you soooooo much for the tip about the acne med. for your dry, cracked heels. I too have tried everything under the sun. I am on my way to Wal Mart now. Also, I just want to say a sincere, heartfelt Thank You to Tawra and Jill, both. I have Fibro and Diabetes, too. Your website, and your books are so inspiring. I just started a collection for my daughter—starting with Dining on a Dime. I have loaned her all my other books, and for some funny reason she won’t return them to me. I guess I will have to buy another set. LOL
glenda and jill . i am so sorry i didnt get back to you all on this .. i totally forgot and well i tend to be a bit scatter-brained at times with all of the stuff i do for me and the house and etc ..
..
yes.. hubby’s dr (still) wants him to try some chemo/radiation but we have been keeping his white blood count kinda low with diet for the moment .. and well, bc he is an amputee if he has chemo/radiation he will have to have lots more care than what i can give him ..
and at the moment he says we will keep continuing what we are doing .. and not change the protocol until somehting drastically has to be done .. he says he feels fine .. and well doesnt want to explore that part of treatment just yet ..
so i guess the old saying no news is good news (knocking on wood) is best for this situation ..
as per the acne pads, which brand do u recommend jill/tawra? ..
i did try that ped egg on my feet and i have to tell ya .. i didnt like it at all .. i guess my feet are super sensitive (which they are) .. adn well was really afraid to use it … the little bit i did do was very uncomfortable .. my daughter uses her’s all the time ..
believe it or not, i get a huge emery board and “file” my heels .. and that seems to help .. hehehe
funny, i know! .. but it works .. esp for someone like me with my super sensitive feet ..
i wish i could wear cute flip-flops/sandals but my feet get sooo icy cold .. even in the summer .. and i live in florida .. dr said its the diabetes.. ugh .. terrible disease ..
hubby is doing well on his paleo diet .. me? .. well, i love bread too much .. its hard .. but i try ..
other than this .. nothing else is new .. hope everyone is doing well
and tawra.. hope the move was as smooth as possible ..
keep us posted ..
jill hope u have a safe trip back home ..
Rose you can use any brand just as long as it has 2% sayicyllic(SP) acid in it.
You can add me to your list of “the proof is in the pad” believers! When I first read about this I too thought aw, c’mon…seriously?? Well it is amazing how much of a difference this has made with my feet. I am really glad I stumbled across this! They are still in great shape even though I don’t always remember to do it every night. (I haven’t gotten Gold Bond because I have so many other lotions to use.)
Rose, I have used a big “glass” file on my feet as well trying to scrape off the rough stuff!!
Thanks ladies!
i finally remembered to get the acne pads .. i got clearasil bc it was the cheapest at walmart ..
omg! .. i can not tell u how good my feet feel … so easy to use too ..
i told my daughter and well she didnt think it would work (this is when we were in walmart and in the aisle to get the pads .. which by the way i got many strange looks from the people in the aisle) .. but i told my daughter it has to be true bc so many people are raving about this from the website .. and of course she was like “yeah .. ok mom” . and then i had to remind her “what about using prep h on your wrinkles?? hmmmm??? .. hehehe” .. i cant remember where we read that but it does work (make sure to use a fresh tube tho) ..
thanks again for posting this ..
i am glad i read it again .. i had forgotten about it b4 .. but now i am glad i tried this ..
i told my daughter i would let her know of the results today (i bought the pads late friday nite and used them last nite for the first time) ..
i must say .. my feet still feel better and much softer ..
thanks again ladies ..
and beth.. i hear ya .. i have tried the glass file too but i like the emery board the best ..
my feet are super sensitive ..
NOW…what about ugly toenails!!!! HAHAHA
For nighttime leg cramps try putting an unwrapped bar of IVORY soap under the fitted sheet down by the foot of the bed. My Dad swears it has relieved his cramps. The cramps come back when the bar is old, he unwraps a fresh bar and the cramp flee again. Sounds crazy, but it can’t hurt to try!
Rose
Rose this is too creepy. I have been suffering from feet cramps for about 2 years now waking up 5-10 times a night from them. 3 nights ago I finally got up and checked cramps out on the internet and 2 of the main things they said was the bar of soap and to drink a few swallows of dill pickle juice before bed.
Well I tried the dill pickle juice 3 nights ago and for the first time in 2 years I had no leg cramps. I was even going to post something about it today and here was your post on soap. Too weird. I will maybe try the soap next when I run out of pickle juice. Oh they also said if you couldn’t drink the pickle juice you could try Pedialite. (sp).
Jill, I have to laugh at your response! My dad’s story is very much the same. He is very Conservative and skeptical. He laughed at himself (along with us) as he described his ‘alternative’ therapy!
My sister says that when you learn or hear of a weird thing and then you have that same thing revisited 3 times in a week it’s called the Aardvark Theory!!
R.
That’s a new one on me – Aardvark Theory but will have to remember it because it happens to me all the time. This past week Tawra’s youngest had me sing a Bible song Behold behold I stand at the door and knock knock— He loves it and hour later at random I read in my Bible in section I don’t often go to a verse – guess what it was? Behold I stand at the door and knock. To cap it off the next day the preacher uses the same verse in his sermon. Okay is God trying to tell me something or is it the Aardvark Theory? HA!HA!
Can’t wait to try this!
A former co-worker gave this recipe to me.
1/2 Part Glycerin
1/4 part Hydrogen Peroxide
1/4 part Bay Rum
Mix well. This is a liquid. Rub into hands and feet at bedtime. Cover with socks as it is sticky. The bay rum stings a little when you first use it as it is healing. I only tried it on my hands as we use to have to wash them often in food service. It worked great on my hands. Didn’t use on feet. I AM going to try the acne pads on my feet as one is particularly dry and cracked. Nothing else has worked.
i just use a thick nail file to rub out all the dry spots…..sometimes put a lite coating of VASELINE (not the lotion kind) on feet at bedtime with a sock so it doesn’t rub off during sleep. Feet are smooth as a baby’s BUTT in the morning.
Oh my gosh!! I tried this remedy and IT WORKS!! It works very well too. I bought the ‘pimple pads’ that were the 2% and the gold bond healing cream as directed. I do one the first night then the other the next night. Now my heels have gotten so much better I just keep up the treatment every several days or so. THANK YOU so much! Oh, works on my rough elbows too. Thank you thank you. Anne
It works! It works! It works! For any Doubting Thomases out there, you only have to try it ONCE to be a believer. I too have had the painful cracked heals. The skin on my right foot was so thick that I couldn’t even feel anything when I stepped on something. Now, they are like new. I thought I was going to have to throw big bucks at a podiatrist to get my feet back to normal. But for less than $8 I have new feet again. Now, does anyone have a sure-fire remedy for toenail fungus? I tried the prescription Penlac, which was a waste of money. And I’m afraid to try the oral Lamisil (prescription) because of the concerns about what it can do to the liver. I’ll try anything(almost, LOL). Thanks.
Laura, I use Vicks Vapor rub. I know it sounds as crazy as our cracked feet remedy but it really works. It does take much longer then the meds and a little effort but it does work. All you do is rub your toenails with vicks at night and then put on a pair of socks. Now I must admit it took about 8 mons. to clear it up but it finally did. After you get it cleared up too if you ever have problems with it coming back be sure to start the vicks right away because then it won’t take as long next time.
I only put it on once a day because I didn’t want to smell like vicks all day but maybe if I had used it twice a day it would of cleared up faster I don’t know. One other thing I discovered was I never go with out toenail polish and I think that is what was causing my problem so now I don’t wear the polish in the winter only summer and I haven’t had a problem for a long time.
Hope this helps.
Epsom salt soaks for about 15 minutes several times a week helps, and so does sea salt which draws toxins from the body. You can use a little of each, or just one of them in your foot soaks.
Laura you might try combining the Epsom salt soaks and vicks and have it clear faster. It couldn’t hurt.
Thanks Jill & Bea. The Vicks solution sounds much more convenient than the Epsom Salt soak, so I am definitely going to try it. Thanks again.