h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have uphill struggle against dry hard skin on my feet. I have tried all creams and lotions on my feet. I have been to the doctor and I have been given emulsifying cream, aqueous cream, sudocream, cold cream, and I have also used cocoa butter with very little sucess. Would anyone please help me, as I am running out of idesas. I haave also used lava stones, lavender foot creams, various types of goot files and I have even soaked my feet with special foot preparations in the water. You think of it I have tried it.

this is a problem i find myself having. it takes constant attention on a daily basis to keep it under control. problems include cracked heels, dry rough skin (sometimes with a gray or white colour), rough spots on the balls of my feet...
first let me ask you a few questions about yourself...

1) do you wear a lot of sandle shoes or closed shoes?
2) do you spend a lot of time walking barefoot outside?
3) athletic?
4) spend more time sitting or standing?

with myself i find that if i am not paying attention i will run around outside without shoes on which tends to roughen up my feet. also i enjoy wearing shoes that are more like sandles just for comfort. the times that i spend wearing sandles i notice my feet drying out and becoming rough. during the times that i spend more time on my feet (even with closed shoes) i find my heels becoming harder due to the pressure on them.

now what i do to keep this problem under control includes a lot of what you stated in your question. i use, on a daily basis, lava stones in the shower, the liquid foot soaps with grit to slough off dead skin. along with this i use the foot files and those razor foot files to get the rougher skin. when i finish with those i then use a lotion (cream) for extremely dry skin. as soon as i apply this and rub it in completely i cover my feet in footie socks to hold in the moisture until it soaks in. when i am wearing open sandle shoes, standing a lot or running around outside barefoot i have to reapply the lotion quite often. for instance, at work with open sandle shoes i will normally lotion my feet about 3 times a day to keep them from drying out. as long as i keep this routine on a daily basis and do not slack off then while i still have a slight problem with dry heels and such it is nothing like it was before.

of everything i do to keep my feet from being dry and rough i have found that the lotion in combination with the footie socks has done the most to help...maybe it is just me but it seems to work wonders.

Monsy

Thank you for your kind and helpful advice. I wear shoes and I live in a block of flats. The only central heating that is on is for the water but not radiators. I oo not wear sandles and the only time I do not wear footwear is in the flat. I do not have a shower so I cannot use the pumice stone as you suggest. I have tried wearing cream and putting socks on at night but it made me feel very hot so I had to take them, BTW were woolen socks, I wonder if cotton socks will help. I do alot of walking and standing as I do a lot of shopping for my parents and sister. I have been told conflicting advice about soaking feet that it is bad for the feet but I find that it is only the way I can soften my skin. It helps but I still it does not take all of it off. I have tried pumice stone cream but it did not help me. I find that a combination of emollant and emulsfying cream helpful. I have only been doing my feet once or twice a day. My doctor says I can use emollent cream as a soap substitute. Thank you.

you are welcome...i know it sounds a bit strange but you could always throw your foot into the bathroom sink and use the pumice stone there. that way the grains only get on your feet and in the sink. as for socks to use, i have always been told to use cotton ones and they don't need to be thick, thin socks do just as well. i think that is why they say use the footies. as a matter of fact i just remembered that some of these beauty shops you see around sell socks just for that. where i live we have a 'sallys', i don't know about where you live but maybe you have something like that there where you can get the footies just for this.
i like your dr's idea as a soap substitute, i will have to try that. right now i just use a moisurizing cream soap instead of bar soap.
Monsy

I will try putting my feet into the wash basin and usin the pumice stone. I have also been told Baby oil and moisturers are very good. I have just got what is known as insole socks for shoes they are thinner and smaller than the normal socks.

babyoil is good for holding in moisture right after a shower/bath but when it comes to long term moisture it is not very good. yes, i do use babyoil on wet skin when i finish in the shower/bath then i follow up with a good moisture cream. i wish you luck on this, i know it is frustrating...i spend way more time dealing with dry skin than i would like to but it is either that or look like an alligator
Monsy

I will tell you the results of my endeavours after a few days.
There is a cream that I got from the doctor called Unguentum M and ambiphiic dermatological cream which is a blend of cream and anoitments.

Hiya.

One tip for you, when you apply the Unguentum M (or whatever) do it the second you've dried your feet after the bath/shower/nice soak in the sink, all moisturising creams are more effective that way.

My own favourite involves sitting in the sofa with my feet in an old washing up bowl full up with warm water and radox bath salts. Wonderfully relaxing after a day on your feet and a good chance to soak the hard skin off.

good luck!