As the weather gets colder, many of us suffer from dry skin. If you’re also on your feet for much of the day, you’ll often develop callused, tough skin. Add to that all the extra hand washing and sanitizer we’ve been using during the pandemic and boy do you have a recipe for cracked, painful hands. We’ve got some winter- and pandemic-proof skin softening tips.
Our Super-Soft Skin Routine for Feet and Hands
Tip 1: Bathe less and watch the hot water.
It is very tempting on a cold day to take a nice, long, hot shower. But doing this on a daily basis can actually rob your skin of its natural moisture and cause your skin to dry out. Shower only as much as needed, shorten the time you spend and don’t set the temperature of the water too hot.
Tip 2: Start by exfoliating with a salt scrub.
While in the shower or after soaking feet or hands in warm water, rub in an exfoliating product like Ahava DeadSea Salt Softening Butter Salt Scrub. Leave on for a minute or two and wash off to leave your skin softened and prepared for next steps.
Tip 3: Pumice away those calluses.
After the shower or soaking, your skin will be softened and this is the best time to work on calluses. For mildly tough skin, use a Tweezerman Pedro Callus Stoneto buff away the coarse layer of dead skin cells on the bottoms of your feet. If you have really thick calluses, consider using the Tweezerman Power Shaver with Rasp to do a more thorough scraping of the skin.
Tip 4: Apply moisturizer.
For intense overnight foot repair, we love Ahava Dermud Intensive Foot Cream. The blend of Osmoter and Dead Sea mud helps to repair and heal cracked, rough skin, preventing it from further dryness. For your hands, Qtica Intense Overnight Hand Repair Balmis favored by athletes and those with sensitive skin for its intense formula of honey, beeswax, essential oil and vitamins A, C, and E that replenishes moisture lost through daily activities.
Tip 5: Prevention and maintenance are the key.
If you apply moisturizer regularly, protect your hands with gloves, and treat yourself to an occasional pedicure and manicure (whether in the salon or at-home), it’s much easier to keep those hands and feet baby soft.
Tip 6: If you’re still continuing to get bad calluses, check your shoes.
Improperly fitting shoes, wearing shoes without socks and other sources of friction are a big source of foot calluses. Shoe cushioning inserts and callus pads can help as well.
Be sure to check out the full line of skin care products available on our website. We guarantee that all beauty lines offered are 100% authentic, never from a third-party, and are items that our beauty team uses on our own hair and skin. Plus, Pandora Beauty offers some of the best prices available on all your favorite salon-quality products at our online discount beauty supply store.
