We’re about to get down and dirty … and we mean down, like all the way to the very bottom of our bodies. It’s only weird if you make it weird — so don’t. To add some clarity, we’re talking about your feet. We’re about to get very serious about feet, specifically, foot hygiene.
Now, as a disclaimer, VALLEY is not giving out medical advice — if you have genuine concerns about your foot hygiene, reach out to your doctor or specialist. We simply want to give a general base knowledge of personal hygiene, and a part of the body that might be missed.
So we ask, how often do you think about the cleanliness of your feet? Do you think about it at all? It’s common to overlook the very part of our bodies that, arguably, endures the most out of our days. It’s easy to ignore the parts we can’t see and give the most attention, or soap, to what we can see.
Out of sight, out of mind, right? Wrong.
What’s The Deal?
There are some people who scrub their feet every day without fail, while others believe that the water running down is enough. Believe it or not, there are people that would die on either hill (metaphorically, of course). So, which hill is worth it?
Actively washing your feet with soap and water is advised by both the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC). According to a piece written by Jasmin Fox-Skelly in the BBC,
“One reason for this meticulous care is to prevent odor. The soles of the foot contain 600 sweat glands per square centimeter of skin, more than any other region of the body.”
It’s important to point out that although the sweat does not smell, there is a mixture of salts, glucose, vitamins and amino acids that essentially has an open-door policy for bacteria, which in turn, can lead to odor.
What To Know
Washing your feet has shown to reduce living bacteria by roughly 88%, as mentioned in the article. There is also an importance in cleaning the small spaces between the toes, as they are at risk of microbial infections. These infections could not only result in odor and itching, but also infections of the soft tissue. When you consider the importance of cleaning your feet, it’s essential to know what you could be preventing.
Don’t Stress!
However, there is an upside to these stressors. You don’t have to worry about it every day! The last thing you want to do is dry out your skin and cause any unnecessary itch or dryness, and scrubbing down your feet every day could lead to that. Dermatologists recommend thoroughly cleaning your feet every few days.
Now, if you work out regularly, it might be a good idea to give your feet a quick wash over afterwards — but not always a strong scrub.
What’s even more exciting is that there are plenty of tools to enhance your feet hygiene journey. Here is a very basic foot cleaning routine with a few products linked for you to check out! However, always be sure to research what products would be best for you!
This can be used in the shower to keep your feet smooth in the easiest way. Put soap on the bristle side and scrub! Then, put any shower oil on the other side of the brush and scrub your heels.
Here is another alternative to a foot scrub if you’re looking for a scent-based product – giving your feet an at home predicure feeling.
Post shower, find a urea cream to soak your feet in overnight, giving them an optimal moisturized feeling by the morning.
This is the final step in the process to solidify soft, smooth feet. Soak both the Urea and this cream, put a pair of cotton socks on, and wake up shocked at the results.
Don’t do a mask every day, but once in a while, give yourself a sense of luxury. There is a wide variety of foot masks at different price points available. This one included sea salt and aloe to give a deep exfoliation.
A Routine to Consider
Building a strong and effective foot cleaning routine could be the next addition to your self-care routine – and trust us, it will feel amazing.
Be sure to share your favorite self-care routine with VALLEY on any of our socials @VALLEYmag! We’re always looking for niche inspo from you 🙂
