Taking care of your feet: The ultimate guide to smooth heels

Many people have dry, cracked heels. Most often, this is a matter of insufficient care and wearing poorly fitted shoes. If you want to enjoy smooth feet before summer, try this brilliant foot mask.

Feet are a part of the body that we often ignore. Meanwhile, they need the same care as the rest of the body. Few people know that the skin on the heels is the thickest on the entire body. Its thickness is up to 4 millimetres (0.16 inches). With summer approaching and the change to more open shoes, we suggest how to best take care of them. We provide a recipe for a brilliant foot mask that will make them as smooth as a baby's after a month (or even sooner).

The feet are the most sweaty part of the body, right after the armpits. As many as 300,000 sweat glands are on both feet, often emitting an unpleasant smell. However, this can be prevented. Key elements here are hygiene, proper care, and—equally important—appropriate shoe fit. Shoes made of breathable, natural materials work best for sweaty feet.

Although it seems obvious, feet must be washed daily, not forgetting the spaces between the toes. Water alone is not enough; soap is necessary. If your feet tend to harden, it is worth performing an exfoliating treatment once every six weeks. Exfoliating socks with AHA or BHA acids, available in almost every drugstore, work best.

It is beneficial to develop a habit of daily foot moisturizing. The composition of the cosmetic is essential here - if your feet emit an unpleasant odour, reach for a cream with a high content of tea tree oil or lavender oil. In the case of hardening, choose a product with a high content of exfoliating urea.

You don't have to buy expensive creams to enjoy smooth feet. If you have a banana at home, prepare a homemade foot mask. It gives brilliant results after the first use. Mash the peeled fruit with a fork into a smooth paste and apply it to clean, washed feet.

Leave the banana mask on the skin for at least 15 minutes and then rinse it with warm water. Your feet will be soft and smooth, and cream will not be necessary. Bananas contain ingredients that naturally smooth, moisturize, and make the skin more elastic. Repeat this treatment at least once, preferably twice a week, for the best results.