The face and hands often receive the most attention when it comes to skin care, but the feet are just as deserving. A good foot soak at the end of the day is not only necessary, but relaxing as well. It can help invigorate the skin on your feet, reduce muscle cramps or achy joints, and promote healthy detoxification, if you use the right ingredients.
The foot detox bath in this article helps promote healthier feet. Whether your feet are calloused, odorous, achy, sore, or cracked, this detox bath can help out those puppies. Sit back in a chair and let the relaxation and detoxification begin. Your feet will feel renewed once they emerge from this foot bath, and we’ll explain why by detailing the featured ingredients below.
Bentonite Clay
People have been using bentonite clay to promote the removal of impurities from the skin for thousands of years. Some of these impurities include environmental pollutants, oils, and bacteria that live on the skin. Some people ingest bentonite clay to remove toxins from the digestive system, while others prefer using it topically. Bentonite clay contains iron, calcium, and magnesium, and it works to adsorb oils and dirt from the skin. It does so by clinging to molecules or ions on the skin because it has an electrical charge when mixed with fluid. When you wash the clay off the body, it takes the toxins or impurities with it.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Some people dislike apple cider vinegar because it has a potent aroma, but try to get past the scent to experience the health benefits. It can be a natural remedy to myriad health problems, and it has powerful pH-balancing and detoxifying properties. Can’t stand the taste of it? That’s okay, because you can soak your feet in it to help remove germs, promote oxygenation, and get rid of fungal infections. Several studies found that apple cider vinegar is effective at hydrating dry feet and killing fungi and microbes that commonly cause feet to have bad odor.
Epsom Salt
Epsom salt is wonderful if you experience any tension or soreness. It contains magnesium sulfate, which has been used to treat pain and other ailments for hundreds of years. Soaking feet in an Epsom salt bath can ease soreness, but it may also help to remove toxins and heavy metals from the body. The theory is that the Epsom salt helps draw out these toxins through the feet, but evidence on this is not concrete. One of the other benefits is that Epsom salt has anti-fungal properties, which may help kill fungal infections on the feet, or make the skin less hospitable for fungal infections.
DIY Bentonite Clay Foot Detox
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Epsom salt
- 6 quarts hot water
- 2 tablespoons bentonite clay
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions:
- Pour the hot water in a large basin or foot tub and dissolve the Epsom salt in it.
- In a glass bowl (not metal), mix the bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar into a thick paste. Make sure to use a plastic, wooden, or ceramic mixing utensil. Any metal that comes in contact with the bentonite clay can ruin the electrical charge it has.
- Rub this bentonite clay mixture all over your feet and let it dry completely. If you feel your feet pulsating, this is normal.
- Place your feet in the hot water and Epsom salt bath and let them soak in there for 15 minutes. The clay will dissolve so that you can easily rinse your feet after. Pat to dry.
