Dry cracked feet is a common foot problem and often leads to cracked feet in areas such as the heels and sole.

 For most people dry feet is a nuisance and often thought of as a cosmetic problem but if the condition is bad enough it can result in deep fissures that make it painful to stand or in serious cases bleed and become infected.

Some common causes of dry cracked feet are...

Wearing open heeled or thinly soled shoes,long periods of standing, medical conditions such as diabetes and thyroid disease Skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema

...or perhaps kicking off the shoes and enjoying a little barefooted walking during the warm summer months.

Whatever the cause, the good news is that dry cracked feet can be treated easily with a little care and moisturizing therapy.

Theraputic ways to treat dry cracked feet...

The most effective way to treat and prevent dry feet is to treat your feet to a soothing footbath, remove dead skin and apply good ointments and creams.

Try this night time regime repeated two to three times a week and your feet will thank you.

  • Pamper your feet at least twice a week with a soothing footbath - Try these refreshing foot soak recipes.
    Relax and soak feet for 15 - 20 minutes.

    Remove hard skin with a pumice stone - Use a pumice stone or sand stone to file the hard dry skin, allowing the moisturizers applied in the next step to better penetrate the skin. Rub lightly back and forth, don't try to make your feet perfectly smooth the first time. Pumice stones can be found in beauty stores and even some hardware outlets. Or try a file set such as FootSmart's Pedicure Set which includes a range of pumice like foot files.

  • Moisturize feet while you sleep - dry feet well and before bed apply a specially formulated foot treatment cream to increase skins natural renewal process and provide deep rehydration while you sleep. Next put on an old sock to help the cream better absorb into your skin.

    If you have dry cracked heels, I recommend FootSmart's NightTime Heel Treatment Kit which includes their extra-strength heel treatment cream and two 100% nylon socks with hypoallergenic polymer gel cups which form a seal around the heel to lock in the cream. Or for a more indulging experience, you can't go past the FootSmart Total Foot Care Kit with Socks, great value because it includes three specially formulated creams to soften and repair dry skin while you sleep.

Repeat this regime two to three times a week to relieve dry cracked feet and promote softer, smoother feet.