Winter is right around the proverbial corner so it’s about time we break out our booties and boots! Not a big fan of cold weather, but I do love my boots!

However, having our feet wrapped up in socks and shoes for too long can cause dry, cracked heels from lack of moisture and the warmth of being wrapped up (especially indoors with the heater on) may sometimes cause sweating and the emission of bad odour. Nothing is more revolting than taking your socks off at the end of the day to sweaty, moist, bad-smelling feet. Yuck!

So, don’t neglect your feet’s needs just because you won’t be exposing them when you’re outdoors! Here are 5 essential steps in winter foot care you may need to look into this Southern-Hemisphere-winter to maintain healthy and gorgeous looking feet:

1. Keep ’em moisturized with Vitamin E Cream

This is one product you should have readily available at home. I love slathering this all over my feet after I shower, focusing on the heels.

This Vitamin E cream from Enya is comparable to other moisturizers out there and is only $3.99 for a huge 1 kg bottle at My Chemist or Chemist Warehouse (sometimes even cheaper!), how crazy is that? Best thing is, it’s a multifunctional product which can be used as a moisturizer for the whole body, even as an alternative to shower gel and shaving cream!

Another amazing this about this is that it does not leave a sticky or greasy film on the skin even though it’s really moisturizing. I raved about this here in my “Holy Grail: Beauty Products I Keep Repurchasing” post.

2. Keep ’em fresh with Scholl Fresh Step

I don’t know about you, but I struggle with sweaty feet during the winter because after hours of walking/sitting indoors in a heated room with my socks and boots on, my feet would sometimes be overheated, resulting in sweaty and smelly feet. I know. TMI. Sorry! 😀

Well, this Scholl Fresh Step Anti-Perspirant is the answer to my prayers – it’s spray deodorant for your feet! It neutralizes odors and reduces wetness. I spray this on before putting my socks on, focusing on the sole where sweat is concentrated. This will keep your feet odor-free throughout the day and it’s designed for dry feet so it will also keep your feet moisturized!

It’s also handy to have a peppermit spray (just mix water with a little bit of peppermint oil in a spray bottle) and spray it on your feet at the end of the day to soothe them!

3. Keep ’em smooth with Honey & Brown Sugar

Prevention is better than reparation, and exfoliation is a key step in preventing dry, cracked heels. So, exfoliate regularly! This DIY scrub is so easy, you have no excuse not to exfoliate this winter.

Image courtesy of www.zliving.com

My favorite DIY foot scrub is a simple mixture of honey and brown sugar, and lemon juice can optionally be added too. You can also use this scrub for other body parts!

Honey is a great humectant and will retain moisture. Its antibacterial properties will also help heal cracked and dry skin on feet. Brown sugar is a soft but effective exfoliant (raw or white sugar can be too abrasive).

You can also pour honey (and your favorite essential oils) into a bucket of warm water, stir it up, and soak your feet in it before you start scrubbing.

Check out this post to find out how you can do this at home!

4. Keep ’em soft with Oatmeal & Oil 

Another favorite DIY foot care recipe of mine is a simple mixture of oatmeal and vegeteable oil. This is a foot mask, so you keep this on for a few minutes before rinsing it off.

Image courtesy of www.blueosa.com

Oatmeal is known to have skin healing and soothing properties, so massaging and masking your feet with it will help reduce flakiness and cracks.

Simply mix it with vegetabable, jojoba or olive oil until it becomes pasty (you can even add honey!) and massage it all over your feet, focusing on the cracked areas. Then, I personally like wrapping up my feet in disposable pastic showercaps (you know, ones you get from hotel rooms!) and rest my feet up for a 10-15 minutes. Wrapping it up will really help your skin absorb the mask.

5. Keep ’em protected with Scholl Blister Shield Plasters