We may feel that dry and cracked feet can be impossible to eliminate. This is when mouthwashes like Listerine come to our rescue. Apart from being a great mouth wash, Listerine also makes one of the best DIY foot soak for cracked heels. Mouthwash for feet? Yup, our DIY foot soak to treat cracked feet is probably the best remedy for it!
Listerine, which is usually considered to help prevent cavities and gingivitis, can help you treat cracked heels as well. With regards to feet, it isn’t utilized to battle scent, however for the antifungal properties found in menthol and thymol. As crazy as it may seem, it works because we have proven results.
Does a Listerine Cracked Feet Soak work?
The skin sheds its outer layer over time, but the dry skin tends to get stuck, sloughing off more slowly. As a result of this, areas of the feet can become dry and cracked.
As the skin seems often driest in areas where there is a lot of friction from shoes and waking, dry skin is sometimes layered on top of calluses. This may create an unsightly appearance. In extreme cases, it can make wearing shoes uncomfortable as the shoes rub against the dry skin and calluses.
Salicylic acid is a popular chemical exfoliant that is found in many acne and anti-ageing remedies. It assists with sloughing off the external layers of the skin all the more rapidly, in this way decreasing the amassing of dry skin.
The branded mouthwash, Listerine contains Methyl salicylate, which is chemically similar. It has the same exfoliating properties.
Listerine is designed to be used in the mouth, which normally has much more delicate skin than the feet. So, while there is no research work directly made to address whether it is safe to use as a foot scrub, there is no reason to think it is dangerous.
Just make sure that you can safely use Listerine in the mouth, without any allergic reactions to your body. If it is safe for you to use it in your mouth, then do not worry about using it on your feet.
The essential oils in Listerine mouth wash, helps you to get a soft and moisturized skin on the feet, eliminating all the roughness that it had. It is antifungal and thus helps your feet to fight different fungus infections. Listerine thus works as a preventive measure against infections. It is one of the best ingredients to soak sore and tired feet.
How Listerine Foot Soak Works?
Below are the steps to follow while performing a Listerine foot soak.
- Take a deep tub that fits the length and depth of your foot.
- Fill the tub with lukewarm water and make sure that your entire feet are covered under the water.
- Instead of lukewarm water, you can also fill the tub with equal proportions of white vinegar. White vinegar is used to get rid of fungus because of its high levels of acidity.
- Add Listerine to the tub of warm water or white vinegar (depends on your choice)
- You can also add Epsom salt to the solution. Epsom salt is known to soothe the muscle and skin and may help with the treatment of minor skin irritations due to sunburns.
- You can also add Lavender oil to this solution. It will help your feet to smell good and feel relaxed.
- Place your feet in the solution for about 45 to 60 minutes at one go.
- To get soft feet, use petroleum jelly after this DIY foot soak. Allow it to get soaked into the feet overnight.
- In case you are having fungal infection on your feet, you should use this Listerine foot soak daily until it goes away. You can also consider using this foot soak occasionally as a preventive measure of fungal infections.
In case you are running short of time, you can apply Listerine dabbed in a cotton ball, twice a day.
Using this foot soak does not ensure a rapid result. Just as prescription antifungal treatments, the Listerine foot soak does not ensure you get soft heels within a day or two. The key to this patience. Use it for a regular basis for a month or so, and you will find the antifungal infection on your feet is cured. However, you might start seeing noticeable changes right away.
Who Should Avoid Using The Listerine Food Soak?
In case you feel a burning sensation while using Listerine as a mouthwash, you should not go for this foot soak. People with open wounds, or extremely sensitive skin should avoid using this foot soak. In case you have open wounds, and you try this foot soak on it, it will give you a burning sensation and later cause infection.
If someone has an allergy to Aspirin, they should avoid this foot soak as well since methyl salicylate and aspirin are almost identical chemically to each other. Very young children should never use this foot soak. The use of aspirin and other salicylates has been linked to potentially life-threatening illnesses in children.
If anyone has an allergy to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), they should never use this DIY Listerine foot soak as well.
Keep in mind that a foot soaks is not a medicine and so it will not treat allergy infections or rashes. Painful rashes and skin diseases demand proper medication upon consulting a doctor, and not a spa treatment. Upon daily use, it can only treat fungal infections in the feet.
Without speaking with a specialist, don’t utilize Listerine foot splash if the skin is bleeding or is streaked and swollen.
Listerine Cracked Feet SoakIf you are having a hard time with foot and toenail fungus, Listerine foot soak can be your perfect remedy to use at home. It is not at all risky to use, after considering the limitations of who should not use this. However, this foot soak does not contain any side effects and is easy to use.
There is hardly any research study made on this topic and so if you go through severe toenail complications, especially if you have diabetes or other medical complications, do consult a doctor.
Listerine foot soak is quite cheap and easy to use. After a stressful day, this DIY foot spa helps you to feel relaxed.
Also Read: Cracked Heels Magical Home Remedies
