Monsoon brings with it moisture, sweat and stickiness due to humidity and this increases manifold the chances of fungus and moulds. So you need to take special care of your feet in monsoon to guard against fungal infections and conditions such as Athletes feet.
Pankaj Chansarkar, Wellness Manager at Six Senses Spa, Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort Greater Noida, lists down some tips.
Exfoliate
Use a scrubber or pumice stone to remove the dead skin from your feet regularly. The dead skin cells tend to harden the feet and lead to cracks. This will keep your feet clean and devoid of dead skin.
Keep moisturised
Always use a moisturizer on your feet after washing it thoroughly. Olive oil or almond oil may also be as effective as a moisturiser. Almond oil is a natural lotion which should be applied evenly all over the feet before going to bed.
Dry your footwear in the sun
Wet shoes, sandals or any other form of footwear should not be kept in the shade for drying. Keeping them under the bed or in the shoe rack would allow bacteria to breed on them, especially if they are wet. Remember that fungus and bacteria are attracted to dark and moist places.
You must keep in mind to wash your shoes when the day is bright as this will help you to not only kill the bacteria that are already building up in the shoes but also prevent their further breeding. The sun will work its power to kill the bacteria and make your shoes an unfavourable place for breeding.
Therapy
Foot soaks, scrubs and healing creams are available aplenty and these work great to restore the smoothness of your feet. A soak is one that is added to warm water after which salt beads and fresh aqua scent help to relax and cleanse them. Foot scrubs contain healing oils such as that of jojoba and sunflower along with vitamin E. They replenish the moisture lost and also make your footpad supple.
Preeti Mahyavanshi, Spa Manager at Juvana Spa And Wellness, Hotel Sahara Star also have some tips to share
Wash your feet with a good medicated soap after returning from rains.
Must wear open rubber sandals and slippers.
Do have the nails cut short during monsoon.
Soak the feet in warm water for 10 minutes after coming home from rains.
Do take pedicure regularly or dab talcum powder on feet to keep them dry.
Do wear clean footwear and dry
Lastly Samay Dutta, director of NOIR the salon also have some inputs to share.
Detoxify
Flush out toxins from your body through your feet! A hot bath can work wonders. Using a fine pumice stone or a scrubber to clean up your feet real good and later soak them in warm water to relax and say goodbye to dead cells and toxins! Do not forget to moisturize your feet right after.
Say aloha to aroma
Undiluted essential oils have truly impressive healing abilities. Our feet are designed to take their fair share of neglect; the skin on this area of our bodies is much less sensitive yet extremely tired and parched. Essential oils provide that moisture and healing to parched skin. One can fill a clean basin with warm water and pour a few drops of mint/ lavender or rosemary oil to keep it relaxed for 15 minutes and let the oil get absorbed for relaxation.
Mask
Just like hair and face masks do wonders for you, foot masks can also soothe your skin and give it a subtle and soft touch. The right foot mask will not only exfoliate skin but will also provide deep penetrating moisture.
