About 10% of American women (and 5% of the general population) have unsightly, often painful corns and calluses. 

Extreme weather—hot summers and cold winters—exacerbate the problem, as skin tends to become drier during these seasons. 

“Corns and calluses are caused by friction and pressure on the feet, either from wearing shoes that don’t fit properly or from conditions such as arthritis, trauma, bunions or various deformities,” explains New York dermatologist Joshua Fox, MD.

 Be proactive, and you can look forward to wearing sandals and exposing your bare feet. Start by exfoliating dead skin: Soak your feet in water laced with organic essential oils, and treat rough spots with a pumice stone or foot file. Next, apply your favorite organic moisturizer to soften skin.

“If you are in good health, you don’t have to see a professional for corns and calluses, unless they hurt or bother your walking” Dr. Fox says. “But if you don’t like the way your feet look, are having pain or have certain medical conditions—including diabetes, poor circulation or numbness in the feet—it’s important that you see a doctor or podiatrist who can evaluate the problem and help you remove the corns and calluses.”

Having survived the holiday rush, your feet are likely to be sore.

In fact, about 80% of us have some kind of foot or ankle problem, according to Dr. Ashley Keren, a podiatrist at the Happy Feet Clinic in Buffalo Grove, IL.

Here are Dr. Keren’s tips for healthy and happy holiday feet:

1. Maintain Foot Health. Holiday shopping usually means lots of walking and occasional running, which can lead to painful feet. Moisturize, stretch and massage them, which releases tension, increases circulation and rejuvenates skin.
2. Wear Smart Shoes. No high heels! No flip-flops or sandals! If you’ll be on your feet all day, wear comfortable shoes with arch support and a padded sole.
3. Point Your Toes. Avoid toe cramping by raising, pointing and curling your toes for 5 seconds per foot. Repeat this exercise 10 times per foot.
4. Elevate Your Legs. Reduce swelling by lying down and lifting legs above your heart.
5. Rotate Your Ankles. Relax your feet by rotating your ankles, cupping your heel and turning each ankle slowly. This loosens ankle joints.
6. Socks Are Important. If you go bare, your foot may slide, causing blisters. Wear a thin cotton sock, which will absorb sweat. Avoid nylon, which causes excessive sweating.
7. If You Have Gout…Watch what you eat and drink. Avoid foods that are rich in purine, such as shellfish, red meats, red wine and beer.
8. If You’re Overweight or Obese…Exercise and maintain a healthy diet, especially during the holiday season. Obesity worsens foot problems like heel pain and flat feet.
9. If You Wear Boots…This winter’s fashionable high-heeled boots put women at risk for slips, falls and injuries on ice and snow. Avoid boots with tall, spiked heels and narrow, pointed toes, which create instability on both dry and wet surfaces. Scuff up the soles of new boots, or buy adhesive rubber soles to provide better traction.

DIY Organic Spa Treatments

• Very Vanilla Pumice Stone
• Bedtime Piña Colada Callus Treatment
• Don’t Sweat It! Foot Spa
• Luxurious Lemon Shoe Deodorizer

Organic Sock Picks

• Urban Hiker (made with certified organic wool)
• Organic Sheep Wool Socks by GaelSong
• Hemp Socks (crew style)

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Suffering from dry, chapped and/or scaly summer feet and hands?

How about a “Southern Secret”: a pink lemonade aromatherapy soak, exfoliating key lime scrub, hydrating lavender paraffin wrap and berry fusion mois­turizer massage?

That’s just one of the pampering treatments available at Recess, a completely green nail spa in Los Angeles.

Nail technicians use products featuring hand-blended organic ingredients that are free of formaldehyde, parabens and dyes.

Only metal instruments are used (and promptly autoclaved), and foot files, buffers and orangewood sticks are never reused. Nail polish is toluene-free.

New customers can enjoy a $50 Basic Manicure/Pedicure Special. The salon will eventually launch an online store for product purchases.

Location: 8408-B Beverly Blvd. (east of La Cienega)

Phone: (323) 782-9919

DIY Beauty Treatments

If you’re outside the L.A. area, try some of our soothing DIY treatments, including Bedtime Piña Colada Callus Treatment and Don’t Sweat It! Foot Spa.

If I fail to exfoliate at least three times a week, my feet start to look scary, with flaky skin and callus buildup. If I postpone my foot-care regimen, the skin on my heels may actually crack—a painful, not to mention unsightly, condition podiatrists call “heel fissures.”

If you have the same problem, you don’t need to resort to harsh chemicals that are anathema to organic living. In Better Basics for the Home: Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living, Annie Berthold-Bond offers some kitchen-sink cures.

To soften dry skin, soak your feet in a footbath filled with 1 gallon of warm water mixed with your choice of the following:

• 1–2 cups buttermilk
• 1–2 cups organic apple cider vinegar
• 1–2 cups lemon juice

Each of these ingredients is rich in alpha-hydroxy acids, notes Berthold-Bond, a leading authority on environmentally safe alternatives. They help remove dead skin cells.

After you’ve soaked, discard the footbath contents and use a pumice stone to exfoliate. Concentrate on extra-dry areas like heels. As Berthold-Bond writes, “Pumice stone is excellent for exfoliating because it is soft and abrasive; it has been used to rub off dead skin for centuries.”

Finally, apply your favorite heavy-duty organic moisturizer—preferably one that contains shea butter.
Repeat this procedure as often as necessary, and your feet will become much healthier—and happier.

Be sure to check out our previously published do-it-yourself spa recipes:

• Don’t Sweat It! Foot Spa
• Very Vanilla Pumice Stone
• Bedtime Piña Colada Callus Treatment
• Luxurious Lemon Shoe Deodorizer
• Rosemary’s Apple Crisp Body Scrub
• Lemon-Brown Sugar Body Scrub
• Breakfast Spread
• Citrus Facial
• Banana Moon Facial
• Rose Potion Facial