In the summer women love wearing sandals. For dressy occasions, women love wearing strappy shoes. However, if you have dry scaly cracked heels, you know how embarrassing it can be to wear those cute shoes that you so desperately wish you could. You are not alone. Many people, men included, suffer from the ugly affect of dry cracked feet. However, if you want to do something about it, you can. No matter how bad your feet currently are, even if they look like you have been walking on razor blades and running around barefoot, if you use the following tips, you can have beautiful, smooth feet in no time at all.

Although this can be time consuming, your first step to treating dry, scaly, cracked feet and heels is to soak them in lukewarm water and a very mild soap each and every day. A good way to get yourself to do this is to simply plan on soaking your feet during your favorite sitcom or television show, or while you read the morning paper, eat breakfast etc. It is something that can be done while doing other things. If you want to make it even more pleasant, add a soothing foot product that moisturizes, or mix some honey into the warm water you use. Soak for around 10-15 minutes, longer if your feet are really bad.

The next step to treating your feet is to use an antiseptic to help keep them healthy. This way your cracked feet are not going to get infections, etc. Honey is a natural antiseptic, so if you mix it into the lukewarm water, it will work.

Do not use a pumice stone, it can spread infection, and make dry cracked feet worse.

After your foot bath is it a good idea to spend at least 5 minutes drying the feet. You want to make sure you do not put your socks and shoes on with your feet still wet or damp, and again this can cause bacteria and infection. Use a towel, pat dry, and be sure to get in between the toes. Do not rub them dry as this can hurt your feet worse.

Once your foot is totally dry, apply a cream or lotion designed for the use on the feet. There are a lot of options to choose from, but you may want to look for one with a moisturizer like Vitamin E or shea butter. You do not want a scented one, at least not an artificially scented one.  If you want you can make your own foot lotion by combining things you may already have at home. For example, baby lotion with spearmint oil is a great way to sooth, heal, and protect your feet. Try several moisturizers if you want, and determine which you like best. Since everyone's skin is different, we can't say this or that is the best choice.

After moisturizing your feet, put on clean socks, preferably white, or ones without dye. You should also try to choose socks made from cotton as it is a natural material that wicks away moisture, and does not irritate the skin. If you do your foot routine at night, you can wear the socks while you sleep in order to enhance the moisturizing.

You will also want to make sure that you eat foods rich in vitamin A as this is going to keep your skin healthier.

Take care of your feet, inspect them nightly to ensure you do not have cuts or infections spreading.

Last but not least, make sure to drink plenty of water as this can keep your skin softer and more pliable, and help your feet be less prone to being dry and scaly.