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it is said that you can have an idea about the hygiene of a person by simply taking a look at his shoes or feet. In fact, the way your feet look can tell the other person much about your personal cleanliness. In other words, we can say that the health of your feet plays a much important role in your overall personality. Thus, it is quite obvious that people want to have beautiful and healthy feet. However, for the purpose, you need to take proper care of your feet, washing and scrubbing them properly, moisturizing them on a regular basis, and so on. At the same time, you need to wear comfortable shoes, which allow your feet to relax and breathe easily. Read on to explore some more foot care tips.

Tips For Healthy & Beautiful Feet

* Wash you feet on a daily basis, in lukewarm soapy water. Thereafter, rinse them with cool water, dry with a towel and apply foot cream.
* Whenever you get your feet wet, make sure to dry them thoroughly, especially between the toes.
* The best time to buy shoes is later in the day, when the feet are a bit swollen. The shoes that feel comfortable at that time will surely be comfy at all times of the day.
* If, and when, you go out in the sun wearing sandals, make sure to apply a sunscreen on your feet, just like the rest of your exposed body parts.
* Scrub your feet, especially the heels, with a foot scrubber on a regular basis. It will help remove the dead cells and make you feet softer.
* Before going to bed, wash you feet thoroughly, dry them with a towel and apply moisturizer generously, especially at the heels.
* Whenever you are applying moisturizer or cream on your feet, avoid the area between the toes.
* To keep you feet dry and odor free, make use of products like foot powders, foot sprays and specially designed insoles.

Natural Foot Care

Feet Soak

Supplies Needed

* 1 cup Lemon Juice
* ¼ tsp Cinnamon Powder
* 2 tbsp Olive Oil
* ¼ cup Milk
* Water
* Tub

Instructions

* Fill a tub with warm water and put the lemon juice, cinnamon powder, olive oil and milk in it. Mix well.
* Put your feet in the tub and let them soak in the water for 10-15 minutes.
* Now, wash your feet with a mild soap, dry them with a towel and apply a foot care cream.

Foot Lotion

Supplies Needed

* 1 tbsp Almond Oil
* 1 tbsp Olive Oil
* 1 tsp Wheat Germ Oil
* 12 drops Eucalyptus Essential/Fragrance Oil
* Bottle (dark-colored)

Instructions

* Take a dark colored bottle and put almond oil, olive oil, wheat germ oil and eucalyptus oil in it.
* Shake the bottle shake extremely well and store in a cool, dry place.
* To use the lotion, just rub it into your feet and heels, after you have cleaned and dried them.

Preventing Foot Trouble

Better foot care may prevent many foot problems.

Years of wear and tear can be hard on our feet. So can:

* disease
* poor circulation
* improperly trimmed toenails
* wearing shoes that do not fit properly

problems with our feet can be the first sign of more serious medical conditions such as:

* arthritis
* diabetes
* nerve disorders
* circulatory disorders

Practice Good Foot Care

Check your feet regularly, or have a member of your family check them. Podiatrists and primary care doctors (internists and family practitioners) are qualified to treat most foot problems.

Sometimes the special skills of an orthopedic surgeon or dermatologist are needed.

Circulation

It also helps to keep blood circulating to your feet as much as possible. You can do this by:

* putting your feet up when you are sitting or lying down
* stretching if you’ve had to sit for a long while
* walking
* having a gentle foot massage
* taking a warm foot bath

Other Foot Care Tips

* Try to avoid pressure from shoes that do not fit right.
* Try not to expose your feet to cold temperatures.
* Do not sit for long periods of time (especially with your legs crossed).
* Do not smoke.
* Wearing comfortable shoes that fit well can prevent many foot ailments.

Proper Shoe Fit

Here are some tips for getting a proper shoe fit:

* The size of your feet changes as you grow older so always have your feet measured before buying shoes.
* The best time to measure your feet is at the end of the day when your feet are largest.
* Most of us have one foot that is larger than the other, so fit your shoe to your larger foot.
* Do not select shoes by the size marked inside the shoe but by how the shoe fits your foot.
* Select a shoe that is shaped like your foot.
* During the fitting process, make sure there is enough space (3/8″ to 1/2″) for your longest toe at the end of each shoe when you are standing up.
* Make sure the ball of your foot fits comfortably into the widest part of the shoe.
* Do not buy shoes that feel too tight and expect them to stretch to fit.

Your heel should fit comfortably in the shoe with a minimum amount of slipping – the shoes should not ride up and down on your heel when you walk.

Walk in the shoes to make sure they fit and feel right. Then take them home and spend some time walking on carpet to make sure the fit is a good one.

Other Shoe Fit Tips

# The upper part of the shoes should be made of a soft, flexible material to match the shape of your foot.
# Shoes made of leather can reduce the possibility of skin irritations.
# Soles should provide solid footing and not be slippery.
# Thick soles cushion your feet when walking on hard surfaces.
# Low-heeled shoes are more comfortable, safer, and less damaging than high-heeled shoes.

Common Foot Problems

Fungal and Bacterial Conditions

Fungal and bacterial conditions, including athlete’s foot, occur because our feet spend a lot of time in shoes – a warm, dark, humid place that is perfect for fungus to grow. Fungal and bacterial conditions can cause:

* dry skin
* redness
* blisters
* itching
* peeling

If not treated right away, an infection may be hard to cure. If not treated properly, the infection may reoccur. To prevent infections, keep your feet – especially the area between your toes – clean and dry. Change your shoes and socks or stockings often to help keep your feet dry. Try dusting your feet daily with foot powder. If your foot condition does not get better within 2 weeks, talk to your doctor.

In the complete human body feet are the mist strained and worked out part, but inspite of this are the most neglected one also. Lack of proper care for feet result in many problems like corns and bunions, cracks, infections and ingrown nails.

Massaging the feet each night with oil is relaxing and keeps them soft and supple. In winter warm oil can be used with sesame or mustard oil. In summer coconut oil provides a cooling effect.

Corns

If the shoes are to tight, pinch or do not fit properly corns appear due to the pressure put on the bony areas of the foot and also interfere with the circulation of blood ultimately leading to corns.

Remedies

* • The sap from a marigold stem, milky juice from green figs or papaya juice are all good remedies. Apply to the affected area frequently.
* A slice of lemon can be placed on the corn and bandaged in place overnight.

Cracks on heels

Walking barefoot on rough surfaces or excessive exposure of bare feet to the sun, wind or water causes cracks on the heels and soles apart form the aggravation of Pitta and Vata doshas, which cause dryness and roughness of the feet.

Remedies

* Take about three tablespoons of bees wax and mix one teaspoonful sesame oil in it. Warm it a little and apply on the affected areas.
* Use warm sesame oil or ghee on the affected areas.
* Apply a mixture of 1 teaspoon of mango tree sap and 1 tablespoon water to the cracked skin.