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Three Simple & Natural Cracked Feet Treats

My feet are really in need of some loving care. I love barefoot gardening and wearing open shoes. I’m a busy mum of three active young kids and I’m afraid my feet have been, well …. neglected.

I am paying attention today because they are so cracked and sore, and because we made some lovely scrubs and salves yesterday at a workshop I held here in my garden (DIY Natural Health and Beauty Products) – just what my feet are calling for. These things can be made easily and cheaply.

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Homemade mint sugar scrub – see below for instructions.

I knew my feet were in need of attention, but I recently bought a new pair of summer season shoes that seem to be ripping up my soles and aggravating the problem.  Back to closed shoes I think and a week of intensive care….

I’m going to take pictures every day and show you at the end of the week how well this has worked.

This is my three step process. It’s easy to do in the evening while I sit here and write, and catch up on emails.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar Soak

The warm vinegar soak softens the skin making it easier to remove the dead skin. I put in half a cup of vinegar into enough warm water to cover my feet and soaked them for 15 minutes.

2. Mint Sugar Scrub

This was the biggest hit of all at the DIY Natural Health and Beauty Products yesterday class I think. It immediately makes your hands and feet feel great, and it’s super easy. Immediately after the vinegar soak, while my heels are soft, I am using this scrub to help remove the dry skin and to soften, revive and nourish too.

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp raw sugar
  • 6 leaves chopped mint
  • zest of half a grapefruit (optional)

Soften the coconut oil if solid (I put the coconut oil in a bowl, then place this bowl in hot water till softened), then mix in the other ingredients. Store the scrub in a sealed jar/tin in the fridge and soften just before use.

NB: Make sure you don’t add the sugar to hot oil otherwise it will melt and not be a scrub, and don’t soften later in hot water either.

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Collecting fresh ingredients from my garden for making herb oils for homemade beauty products.

3. Herb Beeswax Salve

I have massaged this healing salve into my sore heals and have put on some socks for the evening to help it really do it’s job.

  1. On a double boiler (or with a ceramic bowl over boiling water), gently melt the beeswax, coconut oil and cocoa butter.  
  2. When fully blended remove from heat and allow to cool.
  3. When still runny, but warm (not hot) add the herb infused oil.
  4. Pour into jars or tins and allow to cool and solidify.

I’ll be repeating this every night for the next few days and going to bed with more salve and bed socks.

These are the things we made in the workshop. Everyone went home with a collection of herb oil, healing salve, hand and face cream and lip balm.

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At the end our our day together, this was our board of things we covered.

The last two workshops for the year are:

There are still places on both of the these if you’d like to come and spend a day in my garden with me learning and creating. We have fun, learn a lot from each other and eat deliciously healthy food!

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Workshop participants collecting herbs and flowers in my garden yesterday to make the products.

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The lovely ladies at the DIY Natural Health and Beauty Products workshop yesterday putting their hand and face cream in jars.

4 Responses

  1. Roaming Pixies
    Roaming Pixies at |

    Thank you. Nice post. I am going to try for my hands!! I can't do the barefoot thing where I live. I envy you.

  2. Morag Gamble : Our Permaculture Life
    Morag Gamble : Our Permaculture Life at |

    The mint sugar scrub makes your hands feel so nice. One of the workshop participants told me she just paid $40 for something like this – we made it for about 50 cents!

  3. Meg Hopeful
    Meg Hopeful at |

    I am a barefoot gardener and sandals wearer too, Morag. And, my heels often need some TLC because of it. I made a peppermint foot scrub earlier in the year that but I'm keen to try your sugar scrub recipe too. I also have a coconut fibre scrubber that I use on my heels in the shower to stop harder skin forming and I rub raw, organic coconut oil all over my feet at bedtime and cover with a pair of socks when I notice my skin really drying out. I hope your feet feel better soon. Meg:)

  4. Fiona from Arbordale Farm
    Fiona from Arbordale Farm at |

    There is nothing worse than sore cracked heals and I suspect some people are more susceptible than others as in my family myselt dad and one brother get cracked heals even in what is softish skin yet my other brother an mum never succumb. I will be giving this a try as I just ran out of my last foot cream.