callus-on-toe

Dry And Callused Feet Driving You Crazy?

Calluses on bottom of feet are irritating, rarely painful, but usually harmless.

Calluses on feet are thick and hard layer of skin, generally formed due to pressure on feet or due to some type of friction your feet experience.

Causes of Calluses

The biggest cause of calluses is extreme pressure or friction on the skin of the feet.  Now what causes this pressure or friction can be also be taken as the causes of calluses.

  • Tight shoes
  • Loose Shoes
  • High Heels
  • Playing Sports
  • Wearing Shoes without Socks
  • Walking without Shoes

Other Causes of Calluses

  • If you typically have sweaty feet you are at a higher risk of getting calluses on your feet.  We recommend you get foot powder to keep your feet dry.
  • If you suffer from foot fungus such as athlete’s foot, you may be more susceptible to getting calluses on your feet.
  • If your job requires you to stand for long periods of time then you may get calluses.

As we said before, calluses are not dangerous or typically painful but they can be ugly and occasionally cause discomfort.

How to get rid of Calluses at Home

When you go to the doctor to remove calluses they typically recommend medicines such as lotions or they suggest trimming the calluses.

This can be avoided by treating your calluses at home with natural remedies.

Epsom Salt Foot Soak

Soaking your feet in warm water will allow your skin to soften and an opportunity to remove your calluses.  If you want to expedite this process, add epsom salt to the water which will aid in the removal of the rough skin. Here is what you will need for this:

  • Epsom salt- 3-4 tsp
  • Foot basin
  • Warm water- enough to cover your feet in the basin
  • Towel
  • Pumice stone
  1.  First fill the water basin with warm water and then add in the Epsom salts.
  2. Soak your feet in the water for approximately 20-30 minutes.
  3. After 30 minutes, take the pumice stone and start removing the calluses in circular motions.  Make sure to scrub until the tough skin becomes soft.
  4. Dry feet well and apply lotion.
  5. Repeat twice a week until your calluses are gone for good!  We do not recommend doing this more than 3 times a week.

You can either buy epsom salt and just add it to your water basin or you can get a natural foot soak that is made specifically with tea tree oil that has antibacterial properties.

This special blend of epsom salts and tea tree oil is made specifically to terminate the fungus for good. It also is great for softening your skin which can help remove dead skin and calluses with a pumice stone.

Use Apple Cider Vinegar to Remove Calluses

Apple cider vinegar is a great alternative if you do not have epsom salt in your house.  Apple cider vinegar is acidic in nature and promotes the softening of the skin.

Additionally, vinegar balances the pH levels, therefore, great for people who suffer from sweaty feet (like me).  Another hidden benefit is apple cider vinegar helps combat fungus.  Here is what you will need:

  • 1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Foot basin
  • Warm water- enough to cover your feet in the basin
  • Towel
  • Pumice stone
  1. Fill the water basin up with warm water then add the ACV.
  2. Soak your feet in this mixture for approximately 15 minutes.
  3. After your feet are done soaking being scrubbing with the pumice stone in circular motions.
  4. Pat your feet dry and add lotion or moisturizer.

Removing Calluses Fast

Sometimes calluses are extremely annoying or unsightly and need removal immediately.

If this is you then we have the right solution.  After dealing with sweaty feet for years and athlete’s foot for +6 years, I have encountered rough skin and calluses all over my feet.

From my experience, I would consider the following to be beneficial in the removal of calluses:

  1. Electric Callus Remover – I would typically use a pumice stone, however, my arms became tired.  An electric callus remover saves you energy and if typically more efficient than a pumice stone.  Also, if you suffer from foot fungus, this is great for removing dry and dead skin off the bottom of your feet.  I would recommend having both a pumice stone and electric callus remover.
  2. Cocoa Butter Lotion – For me this was one of the best foot moisturizers to keep my feet supple and soft after removing dead skin.
  3. Tea Tree Oil Natural Foot Wash – A good foot wash to keep your feet clean and healthy is essential for maintaining soft feet after you remove the calluses.  The tea tree oil will keep your feet baby soft and also fight off fungal infections.  If you would like to read more about how tea tree oil foot wash conquers foot fungus then feel free to read it from my blog.

Are Your Calluses Caused from Foot Fungus?

Often times calluses can be caused from foot fungus such as athlete’s foot.  The fungus causes your skin to thicken in certain spots and to dry out causing calluses.

If this is your case, then treating your foot fungus first should be your main priority.

I cover how to get rid of foot fungus fast in this article here.