December 29, 2022
Dry, cracked heels are a burden that several people suffer with. And as winter progresses and summer feels like a faraway dream, many people are on the look out for the perfect cracked heels remedy.
But first, it's important to learn why cracked heels occur in the first place. Understanding this skin condition is the first step towards successful treatment and pain-free winter adventures!
Today's blog will answer:
What are cracked heels?
What causes cracked heels?
What are some cracked heels remedies?
What Are Cracked Heels?
Cracked heels, sometimes called heel fissures, develop when the bottom of your heels become hard and dry, splitting open the skin. Cracked heels may also stem from having excessive, thick calluses.
As other symptoms progress, like flaking and crusting of the skin, dry cracked heels can become much more than a cosmetic issue. And while they don't often enter serious foot condition territory, deep cracked heels may start bleeding and cause severe pain, making it extremely difficult to move freely.
What Causes Cracked Heels?
You may assume that because you rarely go barefoot, that your heels shouldn't crack. But a variety of outside elements and risk factors can make your heels more vulnerable.
Common Causes of Cracked Heels
Cold weather: The cold temperatures and dry air you experience in winter are a recipe for cracked heel development. Removing your socks from the skin on your heels can feel like velcro, and you may find "foot dandruff" residue on your black socks as well.
Wearing Ill-fitting footwear: The fat pad, or cushioning, under your heel will take on sufficient damage if you stand on your feet for long periods while wearing shoes with very minimal heel support.
Wear flip-flops in the summer: Similarly, this can set you up for a worsening condition when winter rolls around.
Using harsh soaps: This can strip away the skin's natural oil barriers, which can lead to dryness and eventually, cracked heels. The winter months can exacerbate this issue since people want to take long, hot baths more often.
Cracked Heels: Risk Factors
Age: Skin loses natural elasticity with age.
Obesity: Holding extra weight can lead to excessive pressure on the heels.
Having diabetes or a thyroid disorder: When diabetes damages the nerves in the feet, it can cause your feet to produce insufficient sweat, causing dryness. Hypothyroidism can cause a hormonal imbalance, leading to cracked heels.
Cracked Heels Remedies
Now that you know how this pesky condition started, it's time to find the cracked heel remedy that works best for you! Your best bet will be utilizing a combination of the following treatments:
Moisturize
Without moisturizing your feet, you won't be able to fully solved your cracked heels issue.
Use products (oil-based balms and foot creams) with skin softening agents (urea is one of the most common), as these can boost the skin's natural moisture production and rid your feet of dead skin. For the best results, moisturize your feet twice a day, after showering or bathing.
Check out this blog for more details on the best products for moisturizing your heels!
Lifestyle Changes
Sometimes a little goes a long way, and the perfect cracked heels remedy includes making changes.
Try a complete footwear overhaul, which includes ditching shoes with little to no heel support and investing in supportive footwear. You can also try over-the-counter insoles that provide extra heel support.
You should also exfoliate your feet and buff them with a foot file. However, make sure you do this as part of a routine and not just to rid yourself of current cracked heels.
And lastly, switch from harsh, scented soaps to gentle, relatively scent-free products and assess what products you may be allergic.
See Your Chiropodist
Your trusted foot specialist can not only remove calluses on the feet, but they have extensive knowledge on foot care products and which ones would be best for you. Your chiropodist can also work to offload pressure on your heels, allowing the cracked to heal and close.
December 19, 2022
Christmas and the holidays are naturally stressful as we hunt for the perfect gifts. But it's important to take a moment to reflect on what gifts are the most meaningful rather than the most expensive or luxurious. One example of a loved one we may struggle to shop for is our grandma. But finding the perfect stocking stuffers for grandma may not be as challenging as you think!
Shopping for health and wellness gifts is a great angle to take. Seniors are more prone to suffering from foot conditions than we are, and many products that help alleviate these problems are affordable and perfect for stockings.
Let's take a look at some of our top picks!
Stocking Stuffers For Grandma
Gehwol's Fusskraft Leg Vitality
Foot File
Medilogics Massage Ball
Sigvaris Compression Stockings
Dermal Therapy Heel Care
Misc Gehwol Products
Photo by Nicole Michalou from Pexels!
Gehwol's Fusskraft Leg Vitality
Price: $27
The perfect gift for grandma can be something that helps her with mobility. Joint problems and muscle weakness are quite common in elderly people and can lead to instability, difficulty standing up after sitting, and even falls. So why not enhance her Christmas stocking this year with a multi-beneficial leg product?
Now, this trusty balm won't eliminate mobility problems --- it takes a lot of attentive care, exercises, and visits with healthcare professionals to improve mobility. However, gently massaging Gehwol's Leg Vitality does produce a soothing effect for tired, achy muscles.
The ingredients are scientifically proven to positively affect the circulation and vascular system. Gehwol's Leg Vitality also prevents skin irritation, tightens the skin, and prevents dry, scaly dead skin. These benefits can be extremely valuable for people who have difficulty moving since discomfort can lead to skin care neglect.
Foot File
Price: $8 (2 for $14)
One of the best gift ideas for grandma is a foot file. This pedicure tool scrapes the dead skin off the bottom of the feet. As a result, happy foot filers enjoy fewer calluses and cracked heels and a lower chance of developing a fungal infection.
But a lesser-known benefit of using a foot file is the boost in blood circulation, which can help relax your feet and prep them for a day of walking.
Now, you may be wondering why this is a good Christmas gift for grandma versus someone else. To answer that, studies show that seniors are more at risk of developing plantar keratosis, also known as a "painful, discrete, and focused callus" resulting from dead skin buildup. Aging also leads to the reduction of natural collagen production, which can result in even more dead skin and calluses. A good foot file can help with all of that!
At Feet First Clinic, we have quality double-sided foot files available. Use the coarse side to exfoliate, and the other side to smooth and soften the skin. They also come with a free GEHWOL foot scrub to use with the foot file.
Medilogics Massage Ball
Price: $11
This year, grandma can stimulate blood circulation and soothe her sore muscles with a therapeutic massage ball. This gift is meaningful since countless older adults suffer from bottom of the foot pain.
More specifically, elderly people are more at risk of succumbing to stress fractures, poor circulation, gout (typically in the big toe but it can target the heel), and plantar fasciitis, so comforting and strengthening all of the foot muscles is important.
The textured surface of this massage ball helps it stand apart from other therapeutic balls or the standard tennis balls some use for foot pain exercises.
Sigvaris Compression Stockings
Price Range: $60-190
Fashionable, discrete, and snug compression stockings from Sigvaris can help make daily life easier for seniors. They help preserve health in older adults by preventing fluid buildup and blood clots and improving circulation. Medium-pressure (20 to 30 mmHg) stockings are generally sufficient for seniors experiencing mild swelling and aching legs and feet.
The only issue with choosing compression stockings for Christmas gifts is that you need to arrange a fitting for your grandma, so the surprise element isn't there. However, gifts aren't all about the surprise. When a present is meaningful and used daily, it can be much more valuable than other gifts.
Dermal Therapy Heel Care
Price: $15
This heel care cream is all your grandma needs to get through the bitterly cold winters.
Cracked heels can be more common in older adults as the skin around the rim of the heel dries out and thickens. As the fat pad under the heel bears a lot of pressure throughout one's lifetime, it only makes sense for cracked heels to develop if seniors don't take proper precautions. Furthermore, seniors are more prone to dry skin due to water loss in the stratum corneum (outermost layer of the skin), causing cracking, itching, and bleeding.
But Dermal Therapy Heel Care can be a lifesaver of a Christmas gift. The ingredients (such as urea and silk amino acids) actively hydrate the skin by imitating the body's natural moisturizing system. It also works as an exfoliant, replacing the dead, old skin with new skin. Lastly, it can restore skin tone in the feet and provide a silky, smooth feel.
Miscellaneous Products From Gehwol
Price Range: Roughly $18-30
When pondering stocking stuffers, it's important to shine a light on all products from Gehwol. They continue to master the art of combining natural ingredients and medicinal properties to create multipurpose foot care products.
The following products are perfect as stocking stuffers and are all available at Feet First Clinic:
Gehwol's Foot Bath
Gehwol's Lipidro Cream
Gehwol's Med Express Foam
Gehwol's Fusskraft Soft Feet Cream
Gehwol's Fusskraft Herbal Foot Bath
Gehwol's Foot and Shoe Deodorant
Gehwol's Med Lipidro Cream
Gehwol's Med Salve for Cracked Skin
Gehwol's Extra Universal Foot Cream
GEHWOL foot care products for dry feet for Christmas stocking stuffers
December 15, 2022
Holiday shopping can feel like a daunting ordeal that takes away from the fun. Your list is long, and you don't have ideas for some people --- which is okay! But it doesn't have to cause so much stress. When you're stuck on what gift to get for your grandparents, friends, and other relatives, medical gifts may inspire you more than you realize. The health and wellness industry is known for producing excellent products, opening your mind to many gift options.
Gifts that promote foot health can help those with debilitating foot issues. But they can also help prevent foot conditions before they develop. And they're simply fun to use. We're talking foot creams, scrubs, and other luxurious products fit for a spa session!
The gifts we'll discuss today focus on skincare; they shine on their own and work well as stocking stuffers. But the best way to gift products from a foot care clinic is by compiling a foot care gift set! It's fun to try more than one product, and it gives loved ones the tools for a great self-care day. Let's take a look at our top picks!
Foot Care and Medical Gifts: Gift Guide 2022
Below is a general overview of the products in our gift guide. But don't worry, we'll cover all the details.
Bath products
Scrubs, creams, and deodorants
Leg balms
Dermal therapy heel care
Foot Bath Products
Products like Gehwol's Revitalizing Bath Salt and their Refreshing Foot Bath are underrated and affordable medical gifts. They're suitable for people of all ages and help loosen and soothe dry skin.
But they do even more for the body than you may realize. First, foot bath products combined with hot water help promote healthy blood flow, which can relieve pain from foot conditions like plantar fasciitis, bunions, etc. They can also warm your overall body temperature, which alleviates muscle tension, reduces stress, and may help prevent sickness or fight flu symptoms by strengthening your natural immunity (perfect for the winter!).
Helpful tip: It's best to start a spa session by bathing your feet, as it leaves a clean base for exfoliation and moisturizing by washing away bacteria and dirt.
Scrubs, Creams and Deodorants
Foot Scrubs
Many bath products prep the feet for exfoliation by softening the skin. But gifting someone an additional exfoliation product will take your medical gift game to the next level. Exfoliation tools prevent itchy, flaky dead skin from building up while simultaneously unclogging your pores. Gehwol's Soft Feet Scrub is a nice gift choice. Moreover, you can toss an affordable foot file into your gift box to buff the skin.
Foot Creams
To restore the skin's natural barrier functions, you should always moisturize after soaking and exfoliating. Gehwol's Soft Feet Cream, Universal Foot Cream, and Med Lipidro Cream are just a few examples of medicinal moisturizers that work wonders. So why not gift them to someone you love? They'll get to enjoy smooth skin and fewer cracks and calluses.
If your loved one already has severely painful cracked heels, try gifting them Gehwol's Med Salve for Cracked Skin or Dermal Therapy Heel Care instead.
Foot Deodorants
Deodorants are useful to have on hand. Moreover, they fit in nicely with a foot care gift set but can also hold their own amongst other stocking stuffers. Regarding health benefits, foot deodorants (sprays, powders, etc.) can fight foot odour and target plantar hyperhidrosis (excessive foot sweating). The latter is extra common in winter as we stuff our feet into warm winter boots.
Leg Balms
Many of our elderly loved ones suffer from lower leg issues and have mobility problems. Likewise, if your grandparents struggle to move freely, it can lead to neglect, and problems like skin irritation and severe blood flow restriction can arise.
A good gift for grandparents is a high-quality leg balm. Gehwol's Leg Balm prevents leg ailments, slows skin aging, and can even strengthen your veins. Gehwol's Fusskraft Leg Vitality also refreshes tired legs.
But again, don't assume medical gifts are just for your grandparents. Many young people credit Gehwol's leg products for helping with tired achy legs after a long day.
While this product doesn't necessarily scream "spa day," it still works as a part of a general foot care routine. So feel free to include it in a gift box or use it as a standalone present for someone who will cherish it.
Dermal Therapy Heel Care
Hopefully, it's becoming clear that medical gifts can be more valuable than gifts that sit around collecting dust. And Dermal Therapy Heel Care is one of, if not the best, medicinal products.
Cracked heels have the potential to burden everyone, from your best friend to your grandmother --- dry skin doesn't discriminate! Severely cracked heels can make walking almost unbearable and cause swelling, inflammation, and bleeding. So if you're catching wind that someone you love is suffering, why not brighten their holidays by gifting them some relief?
Dermal Therapy helps skin cells deep below the surface absorb and lock in moisture, which fights cracked heels. This cream is a moisturizer and exfoliator that removes dead cells, revealing fresh, young skin.
December 1, 2022
Winter has graced our presence again, and while we're all bearing it (or enjoying it!), many forget precautions that keep our feet comfortable, clean, warm and dry. But worry not; with a reliable winter foot care routine, you can get through the chilly season without risking the most common foot conditions.
Here are some steps to create the perfect winter foot care routine. Be sure to follow it as often as possible for the best results!
Find the best winter shoes
Create a workout routine
Keep your feet clean
Master your skincare routine
Winter Foot Care Routine Part 1: Find The Best Winter Shoes
The first step in your winter feet treatment journey is securing the best winter walking shoes that accommodate your needs.
In the wintertime, the best walking shoes will generally be boots since you will want to keep your feet toasty warm. That said, brands like Saucony and ASICS make solid winter running shoes for snowy trails, roads and paved sidewalks.
If you spend a lot of time walking and need extra support, you can opt for winter boots with a removable footbed for your insoles or orthotics. Supportive winter boots should also have sufficient arch support and shock-absorbing heels.
Suppose snowy conditions are your concern. If so, select boots made with waterproof material, like GORE-TEX. You should also ensure your winter boots have a good amount of traction to prevent slipping. And lastly, try snug boots with faux fur shearling cuffs and insulating features to keep warm. Failing to shield your feet from the cold can put you at risk of chilblains (painful inflammation of the tiny blood vessels in the feet).
Winter Foot Care Routine Part 2: Create A Workout Routine
Did you know cold temperatures can affect blood circulation, causing foot pain?
Foot care isn't just about buying high-quality shoes and calling it a day. Sometimes it's about putting in some strenuous effort that, in the long run, can protect you from discomfort and pain. After all, your feet hold you up daily, so they should be as strong as possible.
That's where foot stretches and exercises enter the picture!
Incorporating your foot exercises into your general morning routine is a great habit. First, a lot of people get their day started by working out. Second, certain foot conditions like plantar fasciitis can feel worse in the morning, so attentive care can prep your foot muscles for starting your day.
Try curating your workout by mixing and matching these great stretches and exercises:
Toe Flex and Raise
Calf Stretch on a Stair
Forward Leg Swings
Ankle Circles
Banded Leg Exercise
Wall Squats
Leg Raises
Cat / Cow Stretch
Toe Curls
Golf Ball Stretch
Bonus: The exciting news is that some of these stretches are multi-purposeful! Many can also help alleviate back pain, help with hip mobility, stretch your calf muscles, and more!
Winter Foot Care Routine Part 3: Keep Your Feet Clean
Many assume shielding our feet in winter boots is enough to protect them from harm. But it would be unwise to think this way. When your feet sweat in warm boots for long hours, they're begging for a hygiene routine, so vigilance is key.
Keeping your feet clean will prevent skin irritation, calluses, cracks, fungal infections, athlete's foot, and more! And don't forget, you have to keep them dry as well.
If you follow this simple routine, you should be in the clear:
Wash your feet daily in warm water and mild, skin-friendly soap.
Be sure to dry thoroughly and even dust with foot powder. Gehwol's Foot Powder, in particular, protects your feet from excessive perspiration and can prevent foot odour.
Thoroughly dry in between the toes.
Change your socks frequently.
Try moisture-wicking socks for added protection.
Winter Foot Care Routine Part 4: Master Your Skincare Routine
Is there ever a time of year when skin care is more critical? With heat blasting in communal spaces and unpredictable precipitation catching us off guard, your feet need extra TLC when it's cold outside.
Try Gehwol's Med Salve for Cracked Skin or Dermal Therapy Heel Care to tackle any pre-existing skin conditions, like cracked heels and dry skin, right off the bat.
But preventing skin conditions by moisturizing is equally important. Try moisturizers with ingredients like glycerin, propylene glycol, urea and lanolin, all of which work by locking in pre-existing moisture. Many Gehwol foot creams include these ingredients, so you can select the one that appeals most to you.
As for when you should moisturize, the best time is after showering or bathing when your feet are already clean and dry. Apply your moisturizer evenly across the entire foot, avoiding build-up between the toes. You can moisturize before bed if you like, but slip on some socks to avoid getting it on your sheets.
Other skincare tips include:
Avoid long, hot showers and baths, as they can dry out your skin. Try a lukewarm temperature instead, or reduce the amount of time you spend in there.
Get a humidifier for your space.
Drink more water.
Exfoliate your feet with homemade scrubs or medicinal foot scrubs from Gehwol. Exfoliation helps remove dead skin cells and removes debris that lies deep within your pores.
November 14, 2022
Your feet hold you up and keep you going through the busy days. And just like your face, hands, hair, and other body parts, they deserve care with the assistance of some fantastic foot care products. In other words, protecting your feet goes far beyond buying a great pair of shoes.
But where to start?
Looking after your feet is about being vigilant, preventing painful issues from arising, and searching for foot care products that help you achieve those goals.
Most importantly, everyone has different needs. You could simply try to boost your overall skincare routine, but sometimes it goes a step further. If you have a condition like athlete's foot, you might have to narrow your shopping list to find products that help relieve symptoms like itching. Furthermore, foot care products go beyond creams and skin care, with sprays, powders, and accessories available for the foot health-conscious shopper.
Here is a general foot care products checklist (don't worry --- we'll be talking specifics!):
Foot Creams
Foot Powders and Sprays
Supportive Accessories
Miscellaneous Products
Foot Creams
If there's one important tip we can give you, it's don't miss out on foot creams.
Issues like dry skin and rough, cracked heels are ever-so-present when Canadian winters roll around. Luckily, lathering your feet in silky smooth foot creams can help fight these common nuisances. Foot creams also provide a cooling and revitalizing effect, while simultaneously strengthening the skin's natural barriers.
Try these foot creams:
Gehwol Gerlachs Foot Cream: This foot cream targets excessive perspiration and foot odour. It's also great for preventing infection, blisters, and general foot pain.
Gehwol's Lipidro Cream: For the shopper with sensitive skin, this cream targets the lack of lipids and natural moisture production in the feet. It also protects again excessive itching and fungal infections!
Gehwol's Med Salve for Cracked Skin: This cream is extremely versatile, helping with a wide array of foot and nail conditions, namely cracked, dry and hard skin.
Dermal Therapy Heel Care: Smoothens thick, callused dry skin on the heels and feet. It's also fragrance-free, and works to restore moisture.
Foot Powders and Sprays
You may think powders and feet don't mesh, but you'd be mistaken. The same thing can be said for sprays! These are essentially foot deodorants that protect your feet from developing perspiration-related conditions.
Try these foot powders and sprays:
Gehwol's Foot and Shoe Deodorant: The Zinc Rizinoleate prevents and removes the sweat and odour on the feet and in the shoe. It also helps protect your feet in communal spaces that put your feet at risk of athlete's foot and fungal infections, like showers, locker rooms and public pools.
Gehwol's Foot Powder: This product helps absorb excessive sweat, keeping your feet dry and soft to the touch.
Supportive Accessories
On the prowl for affordable alternatives to custom orthotic fittings? Check out these cheaper, yet high-quality, options!
Superfeet Green: Superfeet offers high-quality, easy-to-use inserts for your shoes. Green is one of their most popular colours, even coming highly recommended by the American Podiatric Medical Association. They offer orthotic support for people with high arches and other structurally painful conditions and can save you money if you don't have insurance for custom orthotics.
Superfeet Orange: Another popular offering from Superfeet, these insoles are great for high-impact activities and have a shock-absorbing foam pad at the forefront. If you're on the hunt for products that accommodate your athleticism, you may want to check them out.
Miscellaneous Foot Care Products For Your Checklist:
Foot bath products
Medicinal foams
Professional foot files
Therapeutic massage balls
Toe protection and padding products
October 3, 2022
As seasons change, so do many things - temperatures, precipitation, daylight hours, and much more. Even our body requires extra care at different times of the year. And that, of course, includes our feet, the bedrock of our bodies.
One such difference at various times of year is that our moisture and natural oil levels fluctuate by our environment. Some times of year are drier than others, while some require additional planning around keeping our feet dry. One common condition caused by changes in our feet's moisture and natural oil levels is dry skin and peeling skin. Dry feet, peeling skin, and cracked heels can all become severe if left untreated. However, much can be done to prevent dry skin and treat dry skin in the early stages to curb its worsening.
In this article, you'll learn more about treatments and how to prevent dry and peeling skin, all from the comforts of your home.
What are dry feet?
Cracked heels are synonymous with dry feet. This condition refers to the drying of the skin. Over time, dead skin accumulates, and the skin begins to split, creating cracks in your heel and feet. In more severe cases, these cracks can grow and bleed and be prone to infection.
There are several reasons why dry skin and peeling skin arise. Some causes include:
Cold (or hot) weather due to dry air or sunburns
Skin allergies causing skin inflammation
Skin diseases that inherently dry the skin, like psoriasis, contact dermatitis, or eczema
Depletion of the fat pad, or cushioning, under the heel
High humidity
Before we get into dry skin treatments, let's differentiate dry skin from peeling skin.
What is peeling skin?
Skin peeling, like dry skin, can result from a disease or condition. Peeling skin is similar to dry skin, except that the dryness causes skin peeling instead of cracking or flaking. Peeling skin is a byproduct of dry skin once dead skin begins to layer off.
Now that you have an overview of the condition, find seven at-home treatments below for dry and peeling skin, using either household ingredients or accessible and affordable products.
At-home treatments for dry feet and peeling skin
There are plenty of DIY treatments for dry and peeling skin you can do at home. Try the following therapies to see what method works best for you and your feet. For more severe cases, consult a chiropodist.
1. Soak and exfoliate your feet
It's important that when you bathe, you don't immediately dry off. While your feet are still wet, consider applying a fragrance-free moisturizer to help keep moisture within your skin. Additionally, you can supplement your soaking with regular exfoliating to remove any dead skin.
2. Apply balms or thick moisturizers
Regularly apply balms or thick moisturizers, which help lock in moisture and keep your feet hydrated. Products we carry in-store include:
Gehwol Lipidro Cream
Gehwol Salve for Cracked Skin
Dermal Therapy Heel Care Cream
Gehwol Extra Universal Foot Cream
Gehwol Fusskraft Soft Feet Cream
These foot creams will soothe dry and peeling skin and act as a preventative measure to help prevent this foot condition from returning.
3. Use sunscreen
Applying sunscreen is more of a summer treat. Still, this preventative measure is applicable for any time UV rays are intense or it's hot outside (whether it's summer in Canada or you're heading south for the winter). Sunscreen can protect and moisturize your skin and prevent it from drying out due to heat. Additionally, it helps protect your feet - an often-forgot-about part of your body - from sunscreen and sun damage.
4. Use bath oils
Essential oils can have a healing effect on dry skin. Natural ingredients like peppermint, lavender, patchouli, cinnamon, oregano, or fat can be added to a carrier oil and applied to the skin.
5. Stop the hot showers
Hot temperatures in the form of showers or baths dry out the skin and can damage the surface of the skin. Heat draws moisture away from your skin. Additionally, gently towel off after a shower instead of aggressively rubbing your feet with a towel. Doing the latter can further irritate your dry skin.
6. Invest in the right footwear
Investing in the proper footwear isn't just about finding the perfect fit. Your footwear should also protect your feet. So whether it's covering your feet in the summer against the sun or choosing boots for the winter that keep your feet warm and dry, your footwear can help prevent dry and peeling skin.
7. Oatmeal bath
Finally, a warm oatmeal bath is another at-home treatment method for dry skin. Grind unflavored oatmeal to a fine powder and soak your feet for 15-20 minutes.
