Hard and cracked heels

Dry and hard skin on the soles of the feet, small cracks and sometimes even yellowish skin on the feet are more than just a cosmetic problem. Dry and hard heels are often accompanied by sensitive feet or pain, and can even cause unpleasant foot odour and other problems. A regular home pedicure gives you soft feet all year round. Find out what works for cracked heels.

What causes hard skin on the feet?

Dry and cracked skin on the feet is simply the result of poor skin hydration, which can be caused by the following factors:

The recipe for smooth feet is to regularly exfoliate the dead, hardened skin on the feet using scrubs, files or pumice stones and then to moisturise the skin. Follow these few steps and discover a way to get rid of hard heels once and for all. 

Start with a softening foot bath

Start your pedicure at home with a nice foot bath, which softens calloused skin and makes it easier to remove. Soak your feet in warm water for at least 20 minutes and warm your feet slightly.

• Try bath salts in your foot bath, as they provide the skin with important minerals and trace elements.
• Bath oils are also suitable for a relaxing bath that will improve circulation in the feet, promote skin regeneration and thoroughly nourish the skin.

Remove hard skin

Regularly buff calloused skin on the heels and soles. Callouses and dead skin cells on the feet prevent nutrients and hydration from reaching the lower layers of the skin. The hard skin on the heels and bottom of the toes should ideally be buffed once or twice a week. After the bath, the hardened skin can be removed in one go with these tools:

Do you want to get rid of dry skin on your heels with hardly any work? Try the popular exfoliating socks! After you use them, hard skin will begin to flake off spontaneously within a few days and within two weeks your skin will be perfectly smooth and soft.

In the same way that we take care of our skin every day with our favourite face creams, we shouldn’t forget to nourish the skin on our feet. A good-quality cream for cracked heels should contain keratolytics such as salicylic acid, lactic acid or urea in addition to moisturising ingredients. These substances help to thin the skin effectively and promote the removal of dry skin and dead skin cells.

• After bathing, apply a moisturiser to dry heels and feet which is quickly absorbed, does not leave a greasy film, keeps the skin perfectly soft and prevents over-drying. A safe bet is a cream for hardened heels with soothing and regenerating ingredients such as chamomile, panthenol and calendula.
• At night, apply an oily nourishing cream to cracked heels and feet. You can also try body oils such as lavender, jojoba or almond. Then put cotton socks on your feet. You’ll see an improvement in just a few days.

Try an intensive foot wrap

Once a week, try a foot mask for hard skin that deeply hydrates, softens and soothes. Treat yourself to a regenerating foot mask in the form of moisturising socks infused with active ingredients overnight or just for a few minutes while you rest.

When do you really need to be alert? If your heels are badly cracked, dirt and bacteria can penetrate through the cracks in the skin, causing inflammation and infection. Inadequate foot care often leads to deepening of cracks, sometimes even to bleeding. In this case, we recommend you visit a dermatologist, who can prescribe anti-inflammatory ointments and advise you on further treatment.