Thanks to these lovely Chicago winters, my feet have been super dry and itchy lately.  They’ve gotten so bad that I find myself waking up during the night scratching at them.  Simply using lotion hasn’t been helping, so I finally decided it was time to solve this little problem of mine.  One of my favorite (and one of the easiest) at-home spa techniques is a full-blown foot treatment.  Of course, you could choose only one part of the 3 part treatment, or mix and match depending on what you have time for and the supplies you have on hand.  You can find the recipe and a number of recommendations at the end of this article.  The full treatment would consist of a foot bath followed by a scrub and ending with a massage.  Pretty fancy, right?

I gathered the basics; a basin for water, some Epsom salt and a couple of towels.  Of course, you could always use some baking soda or sea salt if you don’t have Epsom salt.  They will all have slightly different effects, but will result in a fantastic soak none the less.  You could always avoid the assembly of all ingredients by purchasing a pre-made foot soak. Then I gathered the extras; an essential oil blend I had created (I think it contained Rosemary, Clary Sage and some Atlas Cedarwood, but it’s been so long since I made it I don’t remember), some marbles and a golf ball.  If you don’t have time for the foot massage at the end of the treatment, I would highly recommend throwing in some marbles or a golf ball, or in my case, both.  You roll your feet over these while soaking for a heavenly mini foot massage.  There are so many other extra ingredients you could use, I’ve listed a couple of examples at the end of this article.

 

I threw the marbles and golf ball into the tub, along with the Epsom salt, and filled it with the hottest tap water possible.  I purposely used much hotter water than my feet could handle, because I was going to let it sit and cool down for a bit while I put together the foot scrub.

I used up the last of my Epsom Salt in the foot soak, so I decided to use baking soda for my scrub.  I mixed it with some olive oil and tea tree essential oil in a small cup to form a paste.

To ensure I wouldn’t have to get up during my treatment, I put everything I would need within reach.  I’m probably the messiest person I know, so I made sure I had a lot of towels handy! 🙂  You will want to place the basin right under where you will be sitting, and have an elevated surface nearby.

I almost sat down and plopped my feet in the tub when I realized I had forgotten my pumice stone.  After grabbing it, I put a couple drops of my essential oil into the tub and dipped in my feet.  There’s just something about soaking my feet in hot water that feels sooooooo good!  I rolled the soles my feet over the golf ball to reduce tension and increase circulation and used the marbles for smaller areas of the feet, such as around the ball of my foot, and in between my toes for a nice stretch.  The great thing about the golf ball/marbles is that you can choose the perfect pressure and placement for your specific needs.

I let my feet soak until the water got cool.  Then, one foot at a time, I started the scrub.

I slathered some of the foot scrub paste onto my foot and then rubbed it in circles with the pumice stone, making sure to focus on extra rough areas like the heel and ball of my foot.  This part can get messy, so make sure you have plenty of towels handy if you’re not doing it in the bathtub.   I dunked my foot in the tub to rinse it and then patted it dry before following the same procedure on the other foot.  My feet still felt a little oily afterwards, which was perfect for my next step, a self-massage.  If you don’t have time for a massage, or simply don’t feel like doing one, don’t wash the remaining oil from your feet.  Slip on some cotton socks to allow the oil to continue penetrating the dry skin as you go about the rest of your day.  It should absorb fairly quickly and leave your skin super soft and smooth.

If you do have time for a self-massage, I highly recommend the next few moves.  I’ve compiled a couple of my favorite techniques for a simple, yet very rewarding foot massage.

The first move is to bring some mobility into the foot to loosen it up.  Rotate your foot at the ankle in both clockwise and counterclockwise circles.  Then use your fingers to separate and stretch each toe, moving them each in all directions.

The next move is to simply press your thumbs into the solar plexus region of the foot (right in the middle of the upper portion of the foot, as shown in the photo below) and hold for 5 seconds.  Do this several times.  It’s better to do this with both hands, but I needed to use my other hand to take the picture.

Another great move is to slide your thumb up the medial portion (inside-side) of your foot, from your heel bone to the ball of your foot.  This feels great when done on the lateral portion (outside-side) of your foot as well.  Do this on each side  2-3 times.

Finally, find the bone that runs along the medial portion of your foot and gently press into the foot and up against it, follow it up and down the length of your foot.

Last but not least, get creative and see what feels the best for you!  Feel around all the bones and muscles in the foot.  Pay attention to the top of your foot and don’t forget about your toes!

After your treatment is complete, put on some cozy cotton socks and let your feet continue to soak up the moisture from any remaining oil.  My feet were extra soft and not itchy at all once I was finished.  That was yesterday and they still feel fantastic.

Basic Foot Bath Recipe

• Basin of hot water
• 1/2 – 1 cup Epsom salt (or sea salt, or baking soda)

Foot Bath Extras

For a rejuvenating foot bath add one or more of the following to the basic foot bath recipe:

• Lemon or lime slices
• 2 TBSP dried Mint leaves
• 3-5 drops Peppermint essential oil
• 3-5 drops Orange essential oil
• 3-5 drops Tea Tree essential oil (this is a great choice if you suffer from athlete’s foot or nail fungus because Tea Tree oil is well-known for its antifungal properties)

For a relaxing foot bath add one or more of the following to the basic foot bath recipe:

• 2 TBSP dried lavender flowers
• 2 TBSP dried chamomile flowers
• 2 TBSP dried rose petals
• 3-5 drops lavender essential oil
• 3-5 drops chamomile essential oil

Basic Foot Scrub Recipe

• 3 TBSP Epsom salt (or sea salt, or baking soda)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive oil (or any other plant-based oil – just make sure you do not use a Petroleum based oil)

Foot Scrub Extras

• You can use any of the dried herbs or essential oils listed above for the foot bath as an extra for the foot scrub.