Why should you soak your feet?
Soaking your feet provides many benefits. Soaking your feet can help improve your blood flow, soothe heavy legs, relax you they can improve the appearance of your feet through the use of certain natural ingredients.
Tips for a good foot soak
To prepare a foot soak, fill a basin with water (hot, warm or cold, as required), and add coarse salt or essential oil (depending on the condition). Do not soak your feet for more than 20 minutes and do not soak your feet every day. A maximum of two foot soaks every week is enough to take care of your feet. After the soak, dry your feet - and don’t forget about the skin between your toes, to avoid maceration. Remember to massage moisturising cream or soft oil after soaking your feet, as water can dry out your skin.
Best water temperature?
If you soak your feet to relieve heaviness in your feet and ankles, pour in warm to cold water (never icy) to stimulate venous return. Also do this if you have pain due to inflammation. If you want to relieve rheumatic or osteoarthritic pain, it’s best to soak your feet in hot water (never exceeding 37oC).
Why should you add coarse salt?
Adding coarse salt to a foot soak removes dead skin through its exfoliating action. Sea salt (or coarse kitchen salt if you don’t have sea salt) also helps relax painful muscles and stimulates your blood flow. Coarse sea salt is commonly used as it is easy to find; however, you can also use other salts in the foot soak. Some salts have specific properties. For instance, Dead Sea salt is known for its high mineral content, which is beneficial for skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Epsom salt (or magnesium sulphate) accelerates healing.
Sea salt is available from chemists or specialist organic stores.
3 foot-soak recipes
Soaks for beautiful feet
In 37-degree water, pour the juice of half a lemon, add 125 ml of mil and two tablespoons of olive oil. This recipe will provide relief for tired feet thanks to the action of these three ingredients. The acidity in the lemon will purify your feet and remove dead skin to reduce calluses. Olive oil and milk nourish and moisturise your feet, making them softer. For the best results, soak your feet about once a week.
Foot soak to sanitise sweaty feet
Soaking your feet in cider vinegar, which is known for its astringent and antiseptic properties, will help combat the bacteria responsible for sweating and also neutralise any odours. Pour a large glass of cider vinegar and a tablespoon of coarse salt into a basin of water. Soak your feet for around 15 minutes.
Soothing soak for tired and aching feet
You may have aching feet if you spend a lot of time on your feet. To soothe them, soak them in a foot bath containing fresh mint and Epsom salt for 15 minutes. This will provide an immediate sensation of freshness, tone sore feet and reduce swelling. For the best results, let the fresh mint/Epsom salt mixture infuse for a few minutes before immersing your feet.
Sage is also a good ingredient for swollen feet, as it helps combat water retention.
