Exfoliate Your Feet with Coconut Oil and Salt
Calluses are hard patches that are commonly found on the balls or the heels of one or both feet, although they can also form on the hands and fingers.
They can be caused by friction from certain types of footwear or constant rubbing against an object. This skin disorder is characterized by an excessive build up of dead skin cells, dry patches, and even cracking in severe cases.
While it’s not typically a health problem, it’s always best to treat them to prevent any pain or swelling. Fortunately, there are some natural ingredients whose properties will soften your skin while dramatically reducing this annoying problem.
In today’s article, we want to share a recipe made with coconut oil and coarse salt. Their exfoliating properties will help fight this problem while also hydrating your feet and preventing the growth of fungi.
Find out more!
Coconut oil exfoliant with salt
This homemade exfoliant of coconut oil and coarse salt is a natural remedy that will eliminate any hard spots forming on your feet, giving them a smoother and more attractive appearance.
Unlike commercial products sold in cosmetic stores, this treatment is much more affordable and doesn’t contain any aggressive chemicals.
Coconut oil is an organic ingredient that has been used for years in beauty applications. The medium chain fatty acids easily penetrate into the pores of your skin, helping to regulate the pH and retain your natural moisture.
The antioxidant compounds and emollient ingredients also help remove any hard patches, eliminating dead skin cells and other impurities that usually build up on the surface. Combined with its antibacterial action, a coconut oil exfoliant is the best for smoothing the skin on your feet.
Coarse salt also acts as a powerful exfoliating agent, and it’s also anti-inflammatory. This makes it ideal for softening hard skin and calming pain or feelings of heaviness.
It contains essential minerals and antioxidants that balance your pH and reduces excessive dryness once absorbed into the skin. It also acts as an antifungal agent, reducing the presence of germs that cause skin irritation and unpleasant odors.
How do you make this coconut oil exfoliant?
This coconut oil and coarse salt combo is a very affordable treatment you can make in just a few minutes. The ingredients can be easily acquired at any herbal or cosmetic store.
However, it’s best to first check their nutritional quality. Coconut oil should be 100% organic because you’ll want it to retain all of its beneficial properties.
While more refined products are available and less expensive, it pays to spend a little extra to get more benefits and nutrients.
See also: Learn How to Make Natural Oatmeal Soap to Exfoliate Your Skin
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of organic coconut oil (100 g)
- 3 tablespoons of coarse salt (36 g)
Utensils
- 1 glass container with a lid
- Silicone or wood utensil
Preparation
- Add the coconut oil to a glass jar and mix in the tablespoons of coarse salt.
- Stir this product well using a silicone or wooden utensil.
- Leave it for a couple of hours and then apply it.
How to use it
- At night before you go to sleep, wash your feet with soap and water to remove any dirt that may have built up on the surface.
- Then take a little of this scrub and rub it over the areas where you have hard spots or calluses.
- Wait for 20 to 30 minutes and then soak your feet in warm water.
- Massage your feet to enhance the exfoliating action. After 15 minutes have passed you can remove them from the water.
- Dry your skin well and apply a moisturizing lotion.
- Repeat this procedure at least four times a week to remove calluses in no time.
Remember that while there are many benefits, this product won’t completely eliminate calluses with just one application.
Be consistent with your treatment and you’ll be able to get rid of this nuisance. You also won’t need to spend lots of money on commercial products.
In addition to this, you should also try to identify which shoes are irritating your feet and avoid wearing them as much as possible.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Kolbach R Marianne, Cossio T María Laura, Sáenz de Santa María P M. Luisa, Carreño O Néstor, de la Cruz F Claudia, Fajre W Ximena. Dermatosis en los deportistas. Rev. méd. Chile [Internet]. 2008 Feb [citado 2018 Dic 16] ; 136( 2 ): 249-255. Disponible en: https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-98872008000200016&lng=es. http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0034-98872008000200016.
- Lin, T. K., Zhong, L., & Santiago, J. L. (2017). Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils. International journal of molecular sciences, 19(1), 70. doi:10.3390/ijms19010070
- Soomin Kim, Ji Eun Jang, Jihee Kim, Young In Lee, Dong Won Lee, Seung Yong Song, Ju Hee Lee, Enhanced barrier functions and anti-inflammatory effect of cultured coconut extract on human skin, Food and Chemical Toxicology, Volume 106, Part A, 2017, Pages 367-375, ISSN 0278-6915, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2017.05.060.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027869151730296X)