The most neglected part of the body

Redlands Daily Facts Health Section
Staff Writer

Q: Help, I have ugly, nasty feet.

Mimi: Help is on its way. When I was pregnant I would look down and I couldn't even see my feet. So I ignored them. Most of us ignore our feet even though we aren't pregnant. They are 'clear down THERE!' so why think about them?

Okay, here are some nifty, quickies. And the column is short too for fast reading.

We shampoo our hair, cleanse our faces, brush our teeth, scrub our backs, and take care to wash every nook and cranny of our bodies. But we neglect our feet. "Well I can’t reach them."

This can't be an entire column devoted to washing my feet, can it? Sure is.

When you take a bath, soak, rub-a-dub-scrub, then work on your feet. By soaking, your feet will be softened and ready to accept your loving attention. Scrub your feet all over with a fingernail brush. With an orange stick push back your cuticles and clean under the nails. And with a pumice stone or foot groomer attack the calluses on your heels. Hop out of the tub, and while your feet are still damp rub in foot cream containing aloe vera and menthol; put on old socks; and go to bed. aloe vera penetrates the skin better than water, so it carries the active ingredients into the skin.

That's all easy if you take bubble baths. But if you shower, you need to get creative. I bought a round, flat rubber bathtub plug at a ninety-nine cent type discount store. I slide it over the drain with my foot before I let the water run. All my shampoo and soap sloshes around in the captured water and soak my feet wonderfully well. If you backpacked through Europe in your college days you probably already have a flat round rubber plug because none of the cheap hotels supplied bathtub plugs.

Scrub each foot well with a long handled back scrubbing brush. After soaking, scrubbing and drying off, rub off the dead skin with a foot groomer. Push back your cuticles. Clean under the nails. Cut the nails straight across to prevent ingrown nails. Rub in some foot cream. Put on old socks, and go to bed.

Once a week before bed, do one of the following Killer Treatments:

Put a bucket in the bathtub. Fill it with about 5 inches of warm water and a cup of white vinegar. Sit on the edge of the tub and soak your feet until they turn to "prunes." Use a foot groomer to slough off dead skin. Now do the foot cream, socks, bed routine. Vinegar is a great treatment for stinky feet.

The following is good for diabetics or anyone with sores on his feet. Ask your doctor about this. Again we have the bathtub bucket with about 5 inches of warm water. Add 1/2 a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide and soak. As the Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) turns into water (H2O) it gives off the extra Oxygen. The Oxygen aids in healing. This is why Hyberbaric chambers are used in wound therapy.

If you have cracks that are so bad that they bleed, follow the Hydrogen Peroxide Foot bath and really slather on the foot cream. Next day, wash your feet and put super glue on the cracks.

Next one is scary but can be an effective to remedy for athletes foot, fungus, and callous build up. Remove the towels and bath mat so you don't make bleach spots. Put a bucket in the tub and add about 3 inches of warm water. Add up to 1/4 cup of chlorine laundry bleach. Sit on the edge of the tub and soak your feet for 10 minutes. Do not cover the top of the foot or up to the ankles. Rinse under the tub faucet. Be careful not to splash bleach on clothes, towels and bathmat Use a pumice stone or foot groomer to scrape off dead skin. Your toenails will be soft, so this is a good time to cut them short. The shorter the better so you can dig under to clean out debris. Use an orange stick to clean dead skin from cuticles and under nails. Rub foot cream into your feet. Put on old socks, and go to bed.

Fungus Among Us: After scrubbing your feet and cleaning under the nail and around the cuticle, rub Vicks Vapo Rub onto your toenails. Some people swear that this kill fungus. Soak your clippers, orange stick and finger nail brush in Clorox to kill fungus. Soak for only 5 minutes or the implements will rust. Wash your socks with bleach and then hang the socks out in the sun to dry.

Change your socks every day. When you wash your socks, add 1/2 cup white vinegar to the final rinse to remove any alkaline detergent residue.

Be good to your feet. They support you.

Mimi Barre is the owner of International Day Spa, 325 Cajon St., Redlands. Send your skin care questions to her at MimiB@INTLdayspa.com. She and her estheticians are available for personal consultations, (909) 793-9080.