You could walk about 70,000 miles in your lifetime, that's nearly three times around the world!
Feet tend to be the forgotten part of the body, yet they are subjected to considerable abuse, not to mention carrying the weight of the rest of your body. On top of that, they are often stuffed into poor fitting shoes. If your feet are burning and painful at the end of the day, it could be due to chafing from badly fitted shoes.
Considering the stresses inflicted on feet, it really should come as no surprise that a lot of people suffer from hard calluses, chilblains, and even fungal infections but a weekly home spa treatment will keep your feet soft and supple and leave your feet feeling relaxed and revitalised.
A weekly 25 minute session is all you need to keep your feet beautifully groomed. All of the items needed are readily available.
1. Soak your feet in warm water with a handful of Dead Sea Salt to soften the skin or try Elixir's handmade natural Foot Therapy kit which softens skin while exfoliating simply by immersing your feet in a basin filled with very warm water and one of the natural Fizzy Soak sachets provided in Elixir's Foot Therapy kit.
2. Trim your toenails. Always cut nails straight across with nail clippers or nail scissors and file any jagged edges smooth. It is important to cut the nails straight to avoid the problem of in-growing toenails. If you already suffer from ingrown toenails, cut out a small 'V' shape into the white part of the nail with the open end of the 'V' facing away from you. Continue to do this as your toenails grow and you will find the nail growth will be focussed more centrally taking growth away from the edges thereby helping to relieve this very painful condition.
On a personal note: I have suffered from ingrowing toenails on my big toes and I put this down primarily to squeezing my feet into high heel shoes and not cutting my toenails as correctly as I could have.
I can't recall how long it took to remedy the situation, it was over 20 years ago but I have never suffered from ingrown toenails since. Since it won't cost you anything to try it except perserverance and patience, I recommend you give this a shot, you have nothing to lose but potentially a great deal to gain!
3. Either apply a lotion or use the specially formulated handmade natural balm in Elixir's Foot Therapy kit and massage it well into your heels and over the whole of both feet. This will improve the softness and suppleness of your skin, reducing and eventually eliminating any calluses. Work the moisturising balm into the nail bed and cuticles. This will encourage blood flow and healthy growth. Continue massaging for about a minute, using gentle circular movements, and don't forget to gently push back the cuticles with an orange stick.
4. If your feet are trapped in socks and shoes all day that don't breathe, you may be experiencing problems with foot odours. Always wear breathable cotton socks and try dusting your feet and shoes with a non-toxic absorbent powder like baking powder or Orris Root powder.
Here's to happy feet!
If you have tips or suggestions that you use or have heard about, please tell us in the forum, we'd love to hear how you combat these problems.