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Oh, my aching feet! To ease your foot problems, you may want to try one of the many natural foot care products on the market or whip up a home remedy.

Shoes that are too tight can cause a callus. This lumpy accumulation of cells isn’t unbearable, unless it develops a hard core and becomes a corn.

To get rid of a corn yourself, try a foot poultice made with an acidic fruit. Mashed fig, papaya or pineapple contain proteolytic enzymes that dissolve unwanted skin growths. Moist ground willow bark will also do the trick. Just tape the poultice directly on the affected area and leave it on overnight. Make sure that you don’t let it touch any other skin surface, as it might cause inflammation. In the morning, soak your feet in hot water and try to remove the corn. A pumice stone might be needed.

Foot peels are also able to remove dry skin, as they revitalize, deodorize and heal the skin with their antiseptic qualities. This is because they not only contain fruit acid complexes, but also have curative ingredients. Neroli oil promotes new cell generation. Ylang-ylang normalizes oil production. Aloe, tea tree oil and jasmine are anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agents that moisturize and heal.

Plantar warts, caused by the pallomavirus, are easy to catch. They lurk in the gym’s shower room or on the swimming pool deck. The active ingredient in regular drugstore treatments is salicylate. This compound can be found in anti-viral birch bark.

To remove the wart, make a poultice of, or rub the wart with, brewed birch bark tea (one to two teaspoons (five to 10 mL) per cup). Plants or herbs that contain red, orange, white or yellow resins, such as milkweed, citrus fruits, bloodroot or celandine, also produce the proteolytic enzymes which will dissolve the wart-infected tissues. Apply the fresh or moistened dried plants to the wart twice day for a week.

Athlete’s foot is an uncomfortable foot fungus. Blistering and cracking can be treated with tea tree oil applications on the affected areas after washing and carefully drying your feet. A blow dryer is an effective method to ensure your feet are completely dry. Other treatments include crushing antiseptic, anti-fungal garlic cloves into vegetable oil. This mixture is infused for 24 hours. The garlic is then removed and the potent oil is dabbed between the toes one to two times daily. Caprylic acid, an ingredient in anti-fungal ginger, is also a valuable remedy. Boil one chopped root to one cup of boiling water and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Then apply the liquid.

Foul smelling bacteria enjoy living on damp feet. Keeping your feet drier with foot powder will minimize the moisture. Some powders contain the drying agent baking soda. Sprinkling talc and cornstarch on your feet is also beneficial.

Making your feet more acidic by soaking them in 125 mL (one half cup) of vinegar to one litre (four cups) of water will create a less hospitable climate for the bacteria. In addition, soaking your feet in tannic acid (brew of two tea bags to four litres (three and a half quarts) of water) will tan the bottom of your soles. This will block the pores and choke off sweat before it starts. Activated charcoal shoe inserts that absorb odors are another route.

Wintergreen, marigold and fennel are common anti-inflammatory ingredients that bring quick relief to painful muscle spasms and foot strain. Soothing extracts of camomile, jasmine and lavender oil are often incorporated. Shells of apricot pits condition the skin while hops, jojoba, yarrow and ylang-ylang normalize the skin’s oil production to minimize dry skin. Enhanced blood flow to the feet and increased circulation is achieved by mistletoe. For stronger and less brittle toenails, oat hulls are included in foot repair lotions. Tea tree oil is the most common component in foot care products. This is due to its highly curative, antiseptic nature. It improves inflamed nail beds.

Cindy Mortimer is a kineseologist living a holistic, vegetarian life in Toronto, ON.

Source: alive #211, May 2000