It’s getting to be that time of year: time to pull your feet out of your boots, peel off your sweaty wool socks, and reveal your hibernating ogre feet for spring sandal season. A lot of people opt for a post-winter pedi, but those trips can put a serious dent in your summer vacation budget. Maintain smooth, healthy feet at home with this simple DIY Coconut Lime Essential Oil foot scrub.
A few things happen to your feet when the temperature drops. First, your body retains water in cooler climates so your feet are likely to swell. The degree of the swelling depends largely on other factors, including your salt intake and the more obvious vitamin D deficiency. This swelling can mean that the boots you bought on clearance last spring were a bit snug by the fall.
Apart from muscle pain, foot cramping, and calluses, snug shoes combined with thick socks and warm slippers doesn’t allow your footsies much air time. This leads to bacteria growth which can cause itchy feet that are dry despite being perpetually sweaty. And stinky.
Benefits of Foot Exfoliation
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Even Skin Tone. The benefits to exfoliating your feet are similar to exfoliating your face or limbs: brighter, cleaner, clearer skin as result of removing dead skin cells, keeping the dead cells from clogging pores and encouraging bacterial growth. Exfoliating evens your skin tone, reduces fine lines, and leaves the surface feeling soft and smooth.
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Increase Circulation. When exfoliating your feet you can use a rougher salt scrub to quickly but gently peel away rough calluses and dry scaly skin. Exfoliating also helps improve your circulation and this is also true of your feet when applied in a circular motion -- helping alleviate the aches, cramps, and occasional numbness that occurs from having your feet confined all winter.
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Kill Bacteria. The salt in the scrub has antiseptic qualities and will kill bacteria and stop foot odor in its tracks. This also reduces inflammation along with any itching and pain associated with bacterial-related skin conditions.
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Improve Essential Oil Penetration + Results. The power of exfoliation combined with the benefits of TruGardens Lime Essential Oil will enhance the oil’s natural antiseptic, antiviral and restorative compounds. Lime essential oil is packed with powerful antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients that make it a natural antidepressant and antiarthritic, reducing pain the muscles and joints of cramped feet while restoring damaged, calloused skin. The benefits of TruGardens Coconut Essential Oil are also enhanced in this scrub. Coconut essential oil provides the added benefits of skin-soothing Vitamin E and natural antifungal properties. Much like lime essential oil, the antioxidants in coconut oil also help greatly reduce inflammation, the root cause of arthritis, while the lauric acid in the oil fights bacteria that are hiding in the nooks and crannies of your feet.
DIY Coconut Lime Essential Oil Foot Scrub
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1 cup coarse sea salt
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15 drops TruGardens Lime Essential Oil
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Lime zest (optional)
Directions. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and mix well. I like to keep a wide wooden tongue depressor or popsicle stick with my jar for stirring in the event of oil separation. Stir scrub before every use as oils will settle to the bottom over time. Use a small amount in shower or tub to smooth rough areas of feet. Wash away.
This scrub also makes a great gift! Place a thin slice of lime on top of the scrub before sealing the airtight jar for a pretty presentation. Browse for more skin care and gift ideas from TruGardens.
