In the McDonald household, the walking stage is not only a developmental milestone, it is also an indication that a child has graduated from “kissable flower-feet”status to “big kid stinky-feet status.” Walking on the dirty ground, shoes, flip-flops, and sweat all contribute to smelly, dry, and often sore feet.
Especially in winter, dry, cracked feet can be very painful. And, depending on the state of your immune system, they can even be dangerous (so watch your feet!).
Proper foot care is essential. Thankfully, the recipe I’m going to share with you is super soothing for the driest of feet.
Recently, on a trip to California my husband, James, picked up a foot balm at the airport for his heels. I read the ingredient list and shot him a look. He knew what the look meant – I didn’t approve.
Everything on the ingredient list looked good, coconut oil, shea butter beeswax, all ingredients that I use in my homemade lip balm, except for the last one: Fragrance. Knowing that chemicals can absorb through the skin and get into the blood stream, I don’t want synthetic chemicals on my family.
The problem was that the stuff seemed to help, and I hadn’t given him an alternative.
So, I promised I’d make him a foot balm that was better, all-natural, and contained beneficial, therapeutic grade essential oils. I chose essential oils that would sooth and restore chapped or stressed skin and came up with this luscious hand and foot balm.
He LOVED it and I’m glad he has something that doesn’t contain nasty chemicals! It’s also good for chapped little noses when little ones have been using tissues all day.
What to Do!
- Soak feet in a tub of warm water and Epsom salt, infused with a few drops of lavender. Pat dry skin.
- Gently smooth callouses or dry areas of the feet with a pedicure file to safely remove as much dead skin as possible. Rinse and dry again.
- Generously apply this balm by thoroughly rubbing it into the skin. If needed, a spa sock may be worn overnight for extra care.
Moisturizing Hand and Foot Balm
- Two (2 oz.) empty deodorant tubes (a mason jar may also be used)
- 3 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 3 Tablespoon Beeswax
- 2 Tablespoon Shea Butter
- 2 Tablespoon Sweet Almond Oil or Jojoba Oil
- 1 tsp. Pure Lanolin (I use Lansinoh)
- 2 drops Vitamin E Oil
- 20 drops YL Therapeutic Grade Myrrh
- 10 drops YL Therapeutic Grade Lavender
Melt beeswax in a double boiler. Add Vitamin E and fatty oils. When mixture is melted and blended completely, turn off heat. Allow oils to cool a bit and then add essential oils. Immediately pour into deodorant tubes and allow to cool completely at room temperature. (May also use empty lip balm tubes. This size is great for gift-giving or travel.)
This recipe makes two (2 oz.) tubes of Hand and Foot Balm. It may also be used for other areas of dry or chapped skin (lips, noses, cheeks)
