How to Keep Your Feet Healthy

At 45, the last diagnosis I expected to receive was atherosclerosis. “What is atherosclerosis?” you ask. It’s a progressive disease that creates blockages within your veins, impeding blood flow throughout your body.

For me, the blockages were in my legs and were forcing me to focus on foot care with the same intensity as those with diabetes who face a constant threat of developing diabetic foot issues. Foot care had to be at the top of my daily routine. So, I consulted with my doctors and came up with what I believe to be the best products for foot care that can also help alleviate foot pain, minimize blisters on your feet and achieve overall foot wellness, even during the most active of lifestyles.

The best foot wash products

Even the best foot wash products aren’t enough to keep your feet healthy. Many use bar soap, but that can dry out your feet and lead to flakey skin and cracked heels. Instead, I use sulfate free body scrub on my feet. It’s rough enough to exfoliate dead skin, but gentle enough to not irritate the skin on the top of my foot and around the ankle. If you’re not familiar with sulfates, they are surfactants that many companies use in their products to create foam to cleanse the skin. They can be harsh and strip your skin’s good natural oils. Avoiding them, can help keep your feet healthy.

My favorite product to wash my feet is Ogx sulfate-free scrub and wash. it lightly exfoliates and hydrates my skin so it stays soft and smooth. Plus, it smells awesome! I love the Sensitive + Rose Water and Pink Sea Salt. They have other blends as well, including one with coconut oil and another that infuses lavender oils. All are easy on the nostrils and great on the feet! You can find these products on Amazon or at department stores.

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The best foot moisturizer

Having dry skin all over, I feel like I’ve tried every lotion out there! My all-time favorite for keeping my feet soft and hydrated is CeraVe. They make a few, but for me the best is the Itch Relief moisturizing cream. It’s steroid free and heavy enough to penetrate even the roughest skin. It works magic on eczema, too.

My pediatrist also recommended I use Urea cream on the tips of my toes to keep the nail beds and area around my toe nails soft and supple. It works like a charm. In fact, if you have ingrown toenails, using this cream daily will make removing them easier and less painful. I use PurSources by PurOrganics. It’s 40 percent Urea and includes tea tree oil, aloe and chamomile to soothe and soften even the thickest, cracked feet. You can find it on Amazon.

The best shoes for your feet

I’m willing to bet that you have shoes in your closet that you don’t wear. Lord knows I do — loads of them. My doctors told me to avoid them, and of course, I won’t go against my doctor’s orders, but I wasn’t ready to give up on my footwear investments. I’ve found that, with the right insoles, you can appease your docs AND wear the cute converse that are lonely and neglected on the back shelf of your shoe rack. The solution is custom insoles.

There are many ways to get your hands on custom inserts. You can visit your podiatrist and get fitted for them, you can go to a footwear retailer who offers them in-store, or you can order them online. In full disclosure, I must note that I work for FitMyFoot. But as one who suffers from atherosclerosis, my quest for the perfect insole began long before I joined the company. I’ve tried nearly all the options out there, and my FitMyFoot insoles are my favorite. I’m fortunate enough to work for a company and a product I believe in and swear by. If you haven’t tried FitMyFoot custom insoles, I recommend you give them a go. Your feet will thank you.

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