BeautifulhameshaBlog.com Fashion and Beauty Blog How to Repair Cracked Heel Naturally – Simple DIY Remedies – Cracked heels are a common problem for many of us, specially during winter. And it is rather a painful problem for many, because in extreme cases, those cracks will bleed and it becomes almost impossible to put a step without enduring severe pain. There is no oil gland present on our feet, which is a major reason why the skin on the feet tends to be super dry and easily develops cracks, specially when the weather is super dry. But worry not, because your kitchen is the treasure trove of ingredients that come with excellent healing properties. Here in this article, we will tell you how you can repair cracked heel naturally with simple home remedies. So, keep on reading.
Check – Simple Homemade Scrub for Dry Skin You can Try this Winter
Before we start talking about the best home remedies to repair cracked heel naturally, here are the reasons that can cause cracked heels.
Causes of Cracked Heels
- As we already mentioned above, dry weather condition is a major reason behind cracked heels, which is why, we mostly suffer from dry, cracked heels during winter.
- Lack of moisturization on our feet is another main cause of cracked heels.
- Dehydration can also cause cracks on our heels. Lack of fluid intake can lead to body dehydration, which in turn can cause severe dryness of skin.
- Prolonged standing is another major cause behind developing cracked heels. Sometimes it is considered as an occupational hazard. Standing on our foot for long hours on daily basis hardens up the skin on our foot, which can lead to cracked heels later.
- Often we soak our feet in hot water for a bit of relaxation. However, keeping the foot in hot water for too long or too frequently can dry out the skin on the heels and cause cracks on the heels.
- Walking around barefoot for most of the time is another factor, that can cause rough and cracked heel. Constantly wearing the same open back sandals for prolonged period of time can also cause cracked heels.
- Wearing tight footwear or something that does not provide enough support for the heels is another reason to develop cracked heels over time.
- Cleansing is important, but using harsh soaps on feet or scrubbing the foot with pumice stone while they are dry can also results in developing cracks on the heels.
- Additionally, there are few medical conditions that can result in cracked heals, including vitamin deficiency, fungal infection, diabetes, hypothyroidism, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, obesity, etc.
DIY Remedies to Repair Cracked Heel Naturally
1. Apply Shea Butter to Repair Cracked Heel
How to use shea butter to repair cracked heel?
Take a tbsp raw shea butter and melt it using a double boiler. Remove from the heat and once it becomes a little cool, massage it thoroughly all over your dry and cracked heels. Keep on massaging for some time and then cover your heels with a pair of socks. Repeat every night.
Why it works?
Shea butter is a rich source of fatty acids, such as are oleic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, etc. These fatty acids are extremely nourishing and moisturizing for our skin. They help to repair cracked heel with regular use. Shea butter comes with natural anti inflammatory properties, which also help to heal cracked heels.
Natural shea butter is a great source of vitamin A and E. Vitamin A can boost cell growth and help repairing dry and cracked heels. Vitamin E comes with anti inflammatory as well as anti oxidant benefits, that help in treating various skin conditions, including cracked heels. Also, vitamin F is found in shea butter, which is known for its skin benefits.
Shea butter is one of the best natural moisturizers for our skin. It has great emollient as well as humectant properties, which not only add moisturization, but also help locking the moisture into the skin.
Excessive dry skin on heels not only develop cracks, but also can cause peeling and itching of the skin. Shea butter nourishes the skin and soften it as well. The moisturizing and anti inflammatory benefits of shea butter help healing the heels and provide relief from the discomfort.
Shea butter, with regular application, helps in improving blood circulation in the skin. This in turn, keeps the skin cells nourished and also results in faster cell renewal. This is how it helps to repair cracked heel by replacing the dry and dead skin cells with new and healthy ones.
2. Use Aloe Vera Gel to Repair Cracked Heel
How to use aloe vera gel to repair cracked heel?
Take some warm water in a big container and soak your feet in that for 15-20 minutes. Pat dry with a soft towel and then apply a generous amount of aloe vera gel on the feet and massage till it gets absorbed. Put on a pair of socks and leave the aloe vera gel overnight. Repeat this process every day to repair cracked heel.
Why it works?
Aloe vera gel is an excellent remedy to restore soft heels. It contains 96% water as well as over 200 healing phyto nutrients and 18 amino acids, that help resolving almost all of our skin problems. Being a rich source of water, aloe vera offers great moisturizing ability to heal dry and rough skin. With regular use, aloe vera softens the dry skin on the heels.
When applied on the skin, aloe vera can reach in to deep layers of our skin and provides a boost of moisturization. This helps to repair cracked heel. Exfoliation is also important to restore soft and smooth heel. Aloe vera helps to exfoliate the top layer of the skin and remove the dead skin cells to make way for softer and healthier skin.
Aloe vera is a source of ‘gibbereline’, a growth hormone and ‘glucomannan’, a polysaccharide. These two compounds play vital roles to achieve soft, smooth skin. The anti oxidant compounds present in aloe vera also help to heal dry skin on our feet.
Aloe vera is a source of several skin nourishing vitamins, including vitamins A, B, C as well as E. They nourish the skin cells and repair the damaged cells to treat skin dryness. Also these vitamins help strengthening the skin tissues to further improve our skin texture.
The mucopolysaccharides found in aloe vera also help healing cracked heels. Mucopolysaccharides is a long chain sugar molecule, that help protecting the moisture level of our skin and eliminate the dryness. Furthermore, the polysaccharides in aloe vera also support faster cell regeneration to restore healthy, soft and smooth skin.
Aloe vera has anti inflammatory properties, that help to treat dry skin effectively and provide relief from the itching and irritation caused by excessive dryness.
3. Apply Avocado and Banana Foot Mask to Repair Cracked Heel
How to use avocado and banana to repair cracked heel?
Take a ripe avocado and cut it into half. Remove the seed and skin and scoop out half of the flesh. Mash it with a fork or finger tips. Separately mash a ripe banana and then mix both the mashed fruit together to prepare the foot mask. Apply this on clean heels and keep it on for 15-20 minutes, before washing off with plain water. Repeat this every day to repair cracked heel naturally.
Why it works?
Avocado –
Avocado is a bliss for those with dry skin. It works wonderfully to moisturize and repair dry heels. Avocado is a great source of vitamin A, which helps to provide relief from dry skin. Vitamin A can increase skin cell renewal rate, that help with repairing rough and dry heels.
Avocado is a good source of B vitamins as well and they are also extremely effective to soothe dry and rough skin. They support healthy cell growth and eliminate dryness. Furthermore, avocado contains vitamin E as well as potassium, both of which are effective to heal dry skin. Avocado also is a source of Oleic acid, which is a mono-unsaturated fatty acid and helps with moisturizing and repairing dry skin.
Along with vitamins, avocado contains several minerals like zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorus etc. These minerals also help to improve skin texture and give relief from dry and rough skin.
In addition, avocado contains glutamine, which is an anti oxidant compound. Glutamine, along with vitamin C and copper, help keeping the skin soft, smooth and healthy. Furthermore, the anti inflammatory properties of avocado, also help giving relief from the dryness and irritation of the cracked heels.
Banana –
Banana has excellent moisturizing benefits for our skin. It contains a high amount of potassium, which helps to hydrate and moisturize dry heels and give relief from cracked heels. Potassium also helps to improve blood circulation in the skin, which further ensures better flow of oxygen and other nutrients to the skin cells. This helps to repair the damaged skin cells and eliminate dryness.
Along with potassium, banana is a good source of several vitamins, such as vitamin A, B, C, E etc. Vitamin A helps to heal dryness of the skin by increasing skin cell renewal rate, that replace the dry and damaged skin cells with the new ones and repair the cracks on the heels.
The B vitamins come with anti oxidant benefits. They protect the skin from dryness by fighting off the free radicals as well as environmental elements. Vitamin C in banana also has anti oxidant properties. It neutralizes the free radicals to prevent skin dryness. Vitamin C also has hydrating benefits, that further help to repair cracked heel.
In addition, banana is a good source of vitamin E. Vitamin E has anti oxidant benefits and it also supports healthy cell growth, that help to restore soft and smooth heels. Also it can replenish the skin with lost moisture to heal dry skin.
Furthermore, the amino acids present in banana nourish the skin cells and help to improve skin texture. Exfoliation is important to restore soft heels. Banana can exfoliate the skin and remove the dry and dead skin cells to further soften rough and dry heels.
Also read
How to Use Coconut Oil for Dry Skin – 10 Simple Methods
Benefits of Olive Oil for Dry Skin Care – How to Use
Rose Water for Dry Skin Care – Benefits and How to Use
4. Use Coconut Oil and Glycerin Mixture to Repair Cracked Heel
How to use coconut oil and glycerin to repair cracked heel?
Take 1-2 tbsp coconut oil in a bowl. To that, add a tsp of glycerin. Mix together and massage it onto your heels and feet. Cover your feet with a pair of socks and leave it on overnight. Repeat daily to repair cracked heel.
Why it works?
Coconut Oil –
Coconut oil is an amazing moisturizer. It is a rich source of medium chain fatty acids. These fatty acids, specially capric acid and capryllic acid are known for their skin nourishing and protecting benefits. Coconut oil not only moisturizes the skin, but also creates a protective layer on the skin surface to retain moisture and thus it effectively repair cracked heel.
The fatty acids found in coconut oil are structurally similar to the fatty acids present on the outer layer skin cells. This allows coconut oil to reach the deepest layers of the skin and repair the damage by providing moisturization and nourishment.
Coconut oil contains a good amount of vitamin E. This vitamin comes with anti oxidant benefits and protects our skin from dryness. It also speeds up the healing process of dry and damaged skin by boosting cell renewal rate. Furthermore, vitamin E also replenishes the skin with the lost moisture as well as strengthen the connective tissues of the skin. This helps in treating dry heels.
Coconut oil, being rich in protein, helps improving cellular health and repairs damaged skin tissues to further provide relief from dry skin.
The anti fungal as well as anti inflammatory benefits of coconut oil help preventing skin infections on the dry heels. It also reduces skin inflammation and provides relief from the itching and other discomfort caused by dryness of the skin.
Coconut oil, with regular application, helps in keeping the skin soft, supple and healthy. Moreover, the exfoliating properties of coconut oil help removing dead skin cells from the heels and restores soft and supple skin.
Glycerin –
Glycerin is known for its wonderful moisturizing benefits for our skin. It helps to eliminate dryness and give us soft and smooth skin. With regular use, glycerin and coconut oil mixture work effectively to repair cracked heel. Glycerin is a natural humectant, which means it can absorb moisture from the air and locks it in the skin.
Glycerin actually works like a sponge. It pulls in water to the outer layer of the skin and also enhances our skin’s water retention ability by slowing down the evaporation process of the water from our skin surface. This goes a long way to balance the moisture level of our skin and keep dryness at bay.
Regular application of glycerin helps to fill in the cracks of our heels and also provides relief from irritation and redness due to moisture loss. It makes the skin on our heels soft and smooth.
Glycerin comes with natural emollient properties that help to keep our skin moisturized, soft and supple. Plus it has therapeutic benefits for our skin, that further helps to maintain healthy skin. With consistent application, glycerin can increase the thickness of epidermal layer or the top layer of the skin. Also it improves skin’s barrier function, thus protecting the skin from harmful chemicals as well as environmental elements and ensures healthy skin.
Glycerin is also known for its great skin healing properties. It heals dry skin and also treats fungal infections like psoriasis and eczema, which are associated with extreme dryness of the skin. Besides, it boosts our skin cell growth, thus replacing the dry, damaged skin cells on the heels with new, healthy ones and making the heels soft and smooth.
5. Apply Sugar and Honey Scrub to Repair Cracked Heel
How to use sugar and honey to repair cracked heel?
Here is an excellent foot scrub recipe that you can prepare at home easily. Take a tbsp of sugar and add some honey to that. Mix together to prepare the scrub and apply it on the heels. Massage gently for some time in circular motion using your fingertips. Leave it on the skin for another 10-15 minutes. Wipe off with a damp towel, wash your feet and moisturize properly. Repeat 2-3 times in a week to repair cracked heel.
Why it works?
Sugar –
Sugar works as an excellent natural scrub for dry skin. It provides both physical and chemical exfoliation. Sugar particles are small and slightly coarse in texture, that helps with physical exfoliation. It helps in removing the dirt, and dead skin cells from the heels and soften the skin texture.
Also, sugar is one of the best natural sources of glycolic acid. Glycolic acid is a very effective alpha hydroxy acid or AHA, and highly beneficial for our skin. It has the ability to penetrate the skin layers and dissolve the ‘glue’ like substance that binds to the skin cells. This in turn, helps to remove the dead skin cells as well as promotes faster cell turnover. This way, sugar helps to restore soft and smooth skin.
Another benefit of using sugar as a natural foot scrub is that it has natural humectant benefits. Sugar can absorb moisture from the environment and locks it in to the skin. This way, it helps to eliminate dryness of the skin by providing a boost of moisturization.
Furthermore, regular application of sugar scrubs help with improved blood circulation in the skin. This helps to ensure better flow of oxygen and other nutrients to the skin cells to repair damages and adding nourishment. Regular use keeps the skin smooth, supple as well as nourished.
Honey –
Honey has unmatched moisturizing properties for dry skin. It is a natural humectant, which means honey draws moisture from the air and locks it into the skin. This helps to add moisturization to dry skin. And it doesn’t end here. Along with providing moisturization, honey also helps to retain moisture by creating a protective barrier on the skin.
Honey is the powerhouse of several vitamins and minerals. It contains vitamins and minerals like, thiamine (vitamin B1), niacin (vitamin B3), riboflavin (vitamin B2) and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), zinc, potassium and selenium, organic acids, specially gluconic acid as well as 18-20 amino acids. All these help nourishing our skin and eliminating dryness.
Honey is rich in potassium, which is known for its moisturizing and hydrating benefits for our skin. Potassium also improves blood flow to the skin cells. This helps to nourish and repair damaged skin cells and improves our skin texture.
Exfoliation is very important to soften dry and rough heels. The natural enzymes present in honey along with the AHA, exfoliate the skin on the heels and remove the dry and dead skin cells to soften and smoothen our heels.
Furthermore, honey is enriched with anti inflammatory properties. Once applied on the skin, it feels very soothing and educes the itchiness and irritation caused by dry skin. Besides, the anti oxidant compounds found in honey, such as chrysin, pinobanksin, catalase, pinocembrin, etc. also contribute to healthy skin by boosting cell turnover rate and also protecting our skin cells from oxidative stress to prevent dry skin.
These were 5 excellent ways to repair cracked heel naturally. Hope you found the article helpful. Don’t forget to leave your feedback below in the comments.
