Natural Foot Care

From excessive sweat to fungal infections, lots of problems can plague your “piggies” and keep you from feeling good on your feet. Thankfully, natural remedies made with easy-to-find ingredients can restore your feet and help them feel fresh, healthy, and odor-free in no time.

Odoriferous and Sweaty Feet

One of our skin’s important functions is to keep our body temperature within certain boundaries. The body loses the most heat via the head, armpits, hands, and feet. In fact, there are more sweat glands per square inch in the soles of the feet than in any other part of the body. (A pair of feet contain approximately 250,000 sweat glands, which can release about 8 ounces of moisture each day!) Shoes that enclose the entire foot, no matter what material they’re made of, often accumulate sweat. The lack of ventilation, plus the fairly common combination of moisture, heat, and poor hygiene, can cause the top layer of skin on the feet to soften and break down.

It’s not the sweat that causes the odor; it’s the bacteria feeding on sweat and skin debris. Fungi also thrive in moist, warm environments and can cause odor. Though rarely a health issue, foot odor (the medical term is “plantar bromhidrosis”) can be seriously embarrassing. The rate of sweat production is greatly affected by emotions such as fear, nervousness, and stress. Additionally, exercising heavily, working at a physically demanding job, becoming overheated, or standing for extended periods of time will cause the feet to sweat. Plus, some folks have a genetic predisposition to foot odor and wetness. This rather distinctive aroma can permeate an entire room when the affected individual removes their shoes. And excessive perspiration will lead to rapid deterioration of footwear; the materials break down prematurely from