December 10, 2021
Why are dry feet so common in the winter? While dry skin can occur during other seasons, it certainly seems to stop many people in their tracks as soon as the temperatures dip.
There are many reasons why dry skin is more likely to occur during the winter. For starters, people often take more hot baths and showers during the winter, which can damage the skin's natural protective barrier. Cold, harsh winds also impact the skin's ability to produce natural moisturizing oils.
Perhaps the biggest culprit behind dry skin during the winter is dry air. Penn Medicine explains that cold, outdoor dry air consistently "sucks the moisture out of the skin." Dry air is also regularly blasted out of indoor furnaces during the winter, making the skin just as vulnerable in heated spaces. Furthermore, dry air specifically targets the outer layers of the skin, which makes foot care products that penetrate the skin and target the deepest layers essential!
It's a good idea to be proactive about dry skin during the winter. Severe dry skin can cause several complications, such as flaking, cracks, bleeding, stinging and itching. If not properly treated, these symptoms can make the winter unbearable.
Luckily, Feet First Toronto has several medicinal products in-store that work to protect your skin's natural resiliency and restore moisture. These products are perfect for both foot health enthusiasts and holiday stocking stuffer ideas! Let's look at some of the top foot care products for dry winter feet, which also come recommended by Toronto chiropodists.
Top Recommended Products to Help With Your Winter Dry Feet
Dermal Therapy Cream
Gehwol's Fusskraft Red
Gehwol's Lipidro Cream
Gehwol's Medical Salve For Cracked Skin
Dermal Therapy Cream
Treats cracked heels
Fast results
While some products are all about quick fixes, Dermal Therapy Cream strives to deliver a long term solution to your dry skin. It's also a Feet First Clinic favourite and is made right here in Toronto! Dermal Therapy Cream focuses on helping soothe cracked heels; however, it also relieves dry skin on the rest of your feet and lower legs (and you can use whatever is left over on your hands!). It works by delivering moisture deep into the skin while smoothing and exfoliating the surface skin.
The most important ingredient is urea, which makes up 25% of the cream. According to Web MD, Urea is a keratolytic that helps soften skin by "softening/dissolving the keratins that hold the top layer of skin cells together." Urea also keeps moisture locked into the deepest layers of the skin to ensure your feet stay moisturized long after you apply it.
This product is fragrance-free, which is excellent news for those with allergies and skin sensitivities. It also has a nice and silky consistency, differing from many products that can be greasy and difficult to get off your hands and fingers after you apply them.
Dermal's Therapy Cream is easy to use. For maximum effect, slightly dampen your feet, heels or lower legs before use. Next, simply apply a fingernail-size amount of cream to the problem area three to five times per day. With Dermal Therapy Cream, you'll notice your dry skin start to improve quickly! Many people see results after one to three uses.
Gehwol's Fusskraft Red
Warming qualities
Treats dry skin
Helps with circulation, aches, and pains
Another useful – and multipurpose - product you can try this winter is Gehwol's Fusskraft Red warming balm. It's full of medically moisturizing ingredients, including lanolin, a natural oil famous for its conditioning qualities and the ability to combat dry skin. Other active ingredients include climbazole, which helps battle eczema and fungal skin infections, and camphor oil, which soothes skin irritation and itchiness. These emollients(moisturizers) work to heal brittle, cracked skin. Fusskraft Red also has subtle notes of rosemary, mountain pine, and lavender.
Gehwol’s Fusskraft Red does more than heal dry winter feet: it also has hygienic properties and can help with foot pain. Extracts of ginger and paprika and the essential oils help trigger blood flow and soothe aches and pains. Many people need this after a long day standing or walking in the cold. Healthy blood flow also helps warm your feet and lower legs, hence the name "warming balm." All in all, it's the perfect product to get you through the winter without dry skin and tired feet.
To use Gehwol's Fusskraft Red, apply 1-2 cm of cream to the feet daily. After consistent use, your skin will look and feel brand new.
Gehwol's Lipidro Cream
Soothes sensitive and itchy skin
Long-lasting relief
Replenishes and restores the skin’s ability to produce moisture
The Lipidro Cream from Gehwol is another top-notch solution to your dry skin woes, and a long-time fan-favourite. It comes highly recommended by the chiropodists at Feet First Clinic and is even used during treatments! Active ingredients include urea, avocado oil and sea buckthorn oil. It also has glycerin, a humectant (moisturizing agent) that protects your skin from the elements (dry, heated spaces and cold air) and retains moisture.
One of the key ingredients in Lipidro cream that sets it apart is its fatty acids. Fatty acids (along with oils) are lipids that occur naturally in the skin and play a crucial role in the skin’s natural moisturizing processes (hence why it’s called “Lipid-ro” cream). Lipidro cream works by supplementing and replenishing lipids in the skin, which improve your skin's natural ability to produce moisture - something dry skin desperately needs!
You may notice that other products often quickly evaporate and force you to apply much more frequently – not Lipidro cream! Thanks to the fatty acids, lipids and urea, Gehwol’s Lipidro cream is designed to penetrate deep into the skin’s layers to offer a deep-rooted and long-lasting solution to winter dryness. This makes it great for not only fighting dry skin and cracked heels during the winter, but preventing them too! Lipidro cream also protects against other common skin issues like callus and corn formation.
On top of that, Lipidro cream helps to soothe the nuisance of itchy skin. Constantly scratching affected areas can prevent the skin from healing and cause bleeding, so relief from irritation is extra important!
Last, but not least, Gehwol's Lipidro cream is fragrance-free. For the best results, apply twice per day and thoroughly rub it into the skin each time.
Gehwol's Med Salve For Cracked Skin
Treats cracked heels
Prevents dry skin complications
When you have severely dry skin, it's crucial to ensure it doesn't become too inflamed or cracked. These complications lead to an overall worse situation and can cause bleeding and soreness. For those reasons, Gehwol's Med Salve may be your best bet.
Gehwol's Med Salve contains medicinal soaps, lanolin, zinc oxide, and oils of rosemary, lavender and eucalyptus. It also has Vaseline, which contains of petroleum jelly and is known for restoring moisture. Healthline notes petroleum jelly as one of the most beneficial and powerful moisturizers around, as it "sits on top of the skin, where it forms a barrier and prevents water from leaving your skin." Another active ingredient in this salve is menthol, which works as a cooling agent and is often used in products that treat painful skin conditions. The lanolin and medicinal soaps also work to soothe inflammation and skin irritation.
Chiropodists suggest using Gehwol's Med Salve as a part of a treatment plan for cracked heels. It works by softening hardened skin, restoring the skin's natural resiliency, and activating the overall healing process.
To use Gehwol's med salve, apply twice per day. If you have a severe case of cracked heels or dry skin, you can cover the area with a moist cloth after applying a heavier amount. Since this salve is great for recurring skin concerns, it's important to continue to use it to prevent flare-ups.
