How To Make Your Feet Soft

Get rid of those unsightly cracked feet by following a few easy home remedies.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Zeel Gandhi, BAMS
Written by Ramya Karamsetti

Edited by Subhrojyoti Mukherjee, MA (English)

Fact-checked by Joyce Joyson, MA (Mass Communication & Journalism) • Nov 14, 2023

Image: iStock

Cracked heels and feet are extremely painful and uncomfortable, not to mention, they can be quite embarrassing, too. So, if you are looking for answers to ‘how to make your feet soft,’ carry on reading!

Our feet play an important role in keeping us functional and walking around. Lack of moisture will cause the skin of your feet to harden and crack over time. It is aggravated by wrong footwear and prolonged lack of care.

Now is the time to stop hiding those feet under socks and closed shoes. Instead, check out some effective at-home pedicure and foot care tips and remedies that you can use to soften the skin of your feet. Keep scrolling!

Keep In Mind

After Shower Exfoliation: After Shower Exfoliation Gently rub the towel on your feet to quickly get rid of dead skin cells.
Caution: After Shower Exfoliation Don’t sleep with socks on every time you apply a lotion or foot cream. Give your skin time to breathe to look healthy.
Use A Foot File: After Shower Exfoliation Use a foot file on dry skin as it’s easier to buff dead skin when it’s dry rather than wet.

In This Article

How To Make Your Feet Soft?

Below are some simple everyday care tips for your feet that you can always adopt to cure cracked feet and get smooth and flawless feet. Here are some such remedies –

1. Use Baking Soda

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Here, we need the most common ingredient from the kitchen!

Add two tablespoons of baking soda in warm water
Soak your feet in the liquid for about half an hour.
For maximum benefit, you can add bath salts to it. Bath salt is easily available in the market and helps to soften the skin and ease the muscles.
Repeat it regularly!

StyleCraze Says

Pick bath salts that contain phosphates as these help soften callousesand exfoliate dry skin very effectively.

2. The Magic Of Banana

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Banana is a tropical fruit that boasts of a number of health benefits. It even helps to cure super-cracked feet without any hassle.

Whip a ripe banana in a mixer
Apply the paste evenly on your feet.
Let it dry for 10 minutes and then wash it off with warm water.
Try this remedy once in a week and achieve the desired result.

3. Daily Cleaning Regime

Make your feet soft with a daily cleaning regimen

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Following a strict regimen for cleaning the feet regularly is very important. It will prevent accumulation of dead skin as well as protect your skin from drying and peeling off. All you need to do is follow a simple procedure every night before sleeping.

Just add a bit of salt in warm water
Soak your feet in it for 10 minutes.
Once you’re done, pat them dry, and follow it up with a good moisturizer.
Wearing socks while sleeping will help to lock in the moisture.

StyleCraze Says

It is important to take care and remove any traces of water from between the toes as ignoring them can lead to fungal infections.

4. Wonder Of Olive Oil

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Olive oil is a great moisturizer, especially for dry skin.

The easiest way is to dip a cotton ball into olive oil and apply it to the affected areas.
Gently massage in circular motion and once you’re done with the massage,
wear a pair of socks and let your skin absorb the oil. Rinse off your feet after an hour.
For maximum benefit, leave oil on the skin overnight and rinse off the next morning.

5. Use Vinegar

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Prepare a warm soak at home by adding apple cider vinegar to it and treat the ugly and dry cracks on your heels!
You can also add two drops of dish wash in the liquid for better results.

6. Try Peppermint Oil

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Apply some peppermint oil on your cracked heels every day before going to bed.

The antiseptic properties present in the oil will not only kill germs and bacteria but will also prevent you from getting infections. It will also reduce the soreness.

It is one of the easiest home remedies to heal cracked feet.

7. DIY Scrub

Make your feet soft with an oatmeal and lemon juice paste

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Treat your dry and cracked heels with this simple homemade scrub.

You can make this scrub by mixing oatmeal with lemon juice.
Make a paste and apply on the affected heels for about 30 minutes
Then rinse it off with cold water.
You can also use jojoba oil or Vaseline instead of lemon juice.

Tip: For an extra boost of hydration, look for a scrub that contains aloe vera or tea tree oil.

8. Treat It With Honey

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Honey has many healing properties and is an excellent product for skin.

Add a cup of raw honey to in a bucketful of warm water.
Soak your feet in that bucket.
Repeat it every day for around 10 to 15 minutes and say bye-bye to the dryness.

9. Best Natural Moisturizer – Milk

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Prepare a warm foot soak by adding a cup of hot milk into it.
Soak your feet in it for some time.
Do this every day and you will soon love your soft feet!

10. Soak Feet In Lukewarm Water

Make your feet soft by soaking your feet in lukewarm water

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Once or twice a week, soak your feet in lukewarm water diluted with two tablespoons of sea salt or Epsom salt for about 20 minutes. To enhance the softening effects of the water, you can add some glycerin to the mix.
Then scrape off the dead cells with a mild foot scrub or pumice stone.

Anam, a blogger, shares a personal experience of using foot soak as the best way to pamper tired feet and soften the texture. She took inspiration from her friend and started washing her feet with lukewarm water every night, and the resultant baby-soft texture gave all the feels! She adds, “I have been washing my feet with warm water every night & lotioning them up before bed. To my surprise, they have gotten super soft, super fast (i)!”

11. Treat Calluses

Make your feet soft by treating any calluses

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If you have the problem of calluses or cracked heels, then apply a heavyweight moisturizing cream or lotion after bath each day or at night before going to bed. Use a heavy layer of creams like Nivea or crack cream.

12. Clean The Dirt Using Cleaning Needle

Make your feet soft with a cleaning needle

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Take a dirt cleaning needle for feet or you can also use the opposite end of a blackhead remover to clean all the dirt from the sides of toenails, especially the thumbs.
Be very careful not to prick inside your nails.
You can also use the pointed end of a stainless steel nail bufferⁱXA 3-sided cosmetic tool made of fine sand paper that is used to polish fingernails and toenails to give them a shiny finish. .
Avoid rusted dirt cleaning needles and always use clean and stainless steel ones. This protects you from any fungal infections.

Word of Caution: Please do not use a sewing needle or safety pin for this.

13. Remove Hangnails

Make your feet soft by removing hangnails

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Scrape and remove hangnails or dead hanging skin from the sides with the help of a cuticle remover.
Just swipe carefully over the hanging skin in the opposite direction.
You are not necessarily pushing the cuticles here. I personally do not prefer pushing cuticles back( that’s my choice), but I do scrape the hanging skins.

14. Trim Toenails Regularly

Make your feet soft by trimming your toenails regularly

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Trim toenails at least once every two weeks. Wearing long toenails isn’t very hygienic, stylish or even safe. If they get too long, dirt will accumulate in them. Besides, there is also a possibility of them breaking and coming off with live skin.

15. Buff Toenails

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Buff toenails as and when you can. This is as important as buffing your fingernails. Don’t forget to buff and shine your toes nails as they need the same care like your fingernails.

16. Keep Feet Dry

Make your feet soft by keeping your feet dry

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If your feet sweat and give out a bad odor or you have to wear shoes to work which do not allow air to flow, dab on some talcum powder inside the shoes (if wearing shoes on bare feet) or puff on your feet’s underside (if wearing a sock). This will absorb the sweat and get rid of the stench as well. You can also rub two drops of pure sandalwood, lavender or chamomile oil on your feet before putting on your shoes

17. Apply Base Coat

Make your feet soft by applying a base coat

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If you do not have the habit of wearing polish on your toenails, try keeping a base coat on with a transparent top coat. This will give a healthy natural look to your toenails.

18. Cleanse Feet Using Antibacterial Solution

Make your feet soft with an antibacterial solution

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If you are someone who wears shoes or sandals for long hours, then you must occasionally soak your feet with antibacterial liquid made by dropping four drops of antiseptic liquid into water. Follow this with cleansing your feet with an antibacterial soap.

19. Wash Footwear

Make your feet soft by washing your footwear

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Likewise, you can also wash your shoes with an antiseptic liquid. Later, dry them under the sun.

20. Apply A Foot Mask

A foot mask can help to deeply nourish and hydrate your feet. You can make a DIY foot mask using ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, and honey. Apply the mask and leave it on for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off.

Infographic: 5 Best Natural Care Tips For Flawless Feet

Taking care of your feet and toenails is just as important as your hand and fingernails. Having flawless and clean feet helps to prevent potential infections from dirt and dirty water. We have created a list of the top five best natural care tips for smooth feet which you can follow easily at home.

Check out the infographic below to know how you can make your feet look soft without any dryness or crack.

5 best natural care tips for flawless feet (infographic)

Save the high-quality PDF version on your device now.

Download Infographic

Our feet play an essential role in moving us around to different places. Lack of moisture, wrong footwear, and lack of care can result in cracked, hard, and tired feet. You can use ingredients from your pantry such as baking soda, honey, or peppermint oil to relax and soften your feet. Additionally, following proper personal hygiene and washing your shoes with antibacterial liquid can go a long way in keeping your feet clean and soft. We hope the tips on how to make your feet soft help!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I soften my feet fast?

Soaking your feet in warm water for 10 minutes and then exfoliating with pumice can help you get soft feet quickly.

Does Listerine soften feet?

Yes. You can use Listerine and vinegar in warm water to soak your feet and make them softer.

How can I make my feet softer overnight?

You can massage and moisturize your feet with various nourishing agents like shea butter, glycerin, and vitamin E and cover them in socks overnight to get softer feet.

Hope you enjoyed reading this article. Share your comments in the box below!

Key Takeaways

Take a foot bath and exfoliate regularly with a pumice stone to remove hardened dead skin cells.
Soak your feet in water for 15-20 mins for better exfoliation.
Moisturizing daily to get softer and more supple feet.
Protect your feet from dirt and infection with proper and comfortable footwear.

Unlock the secrets to silky smooth feet at your home! Watch this video for 10 natural home remedies to get rid of dry, cracked skin to get beautiful feet in no time!