New Foot-Care Routines

We care about our face, about our hands and more visible part of our bodies, by using creams, masks and other massage and regular treatments. We want those part of our bodies to look fresh and shining and young. But what about those parts that we usually don't see but still are playing an important role in our everyday life, like feet? We keep them most of the time tied tight in socks or shoes and we rarely do anything for them unless there are asking for our attention. But, without feet, we rarelly can make it through the day and that deep sensation of tiredness after a very busy day affects the feet at a very big extent.

I am personally very much aware of the need to offer more care to my poor feet, especially as I am a regular fan of walking at least 10,000 steps the day and feeling over years the deep feeling of tired feet and the need to do more than simply stretch. A foot massage is such a blessing for my tired sore muscles and therefore, self-care for this part of the body is what I am looking for to improve this summer.

I started by checking some very simple, affordable products. First, a foot-mask by Rossmann. I am using every week more than 3 different masks for my face but never imagined that this could work for my feet too. Part of the Fuss Wohl line by Rossmann this product is the best recommendation to use at the end of a very exhausting day for your feet - which means it involved a lot of walking in very heavy shoes. It has sheabutter, aloe vera and macadamia oil which has an instant effect of hydration to dry tired feet. You can easily use them at house. The product is a funny yet practical idea: for each feet, you have a big plastic sock-designed mask that you have to keep it on your foot for at least 20 minutes. The pairs are designed for different shoe sizes. After using it, your feet look much smoothier and feels more relaxed.

The other product that I am using right now twice the day is a menthol cream, from the same Fuss Wohl line. Compared to the mask, it has a much stronger and instant effect. The strong concentration of menthol and mint oil ingredient is very refreshing and relaxes the muscles instantly. It gives that feeling that I often had after a very exhausting hike when I arrived to my destination and just hung out my feet on a chair and stop walking. A feeling of relief and perfect relaxation. I applied it in the morning, after shower and late in the evening, before going to sleep.

Both products are relatively affordable and for a medium-care they do very good, especially if you are healthy enough to do not need some additional treatment and medical care for your feet.

In addition to this feet-beauty care, I tried this weekend something completely new: walking barefoot in a forest for over one hour. I advocated previously on this blog about the healthy advantages of barefoot walking and this time I was able to practice it extensively in a specially designed area in the Beelitz-Heilstätten area near Berlin, Germany. The park is specially designed to walk barfoot and offers a couple of variants for each type of activities. For example, you can chose to do a lot of balancing activities - like walking on wood logs - or follow some other good-for-your-feet remedies, such as caking mood with your feet (which is certified as healthy but decided to skip this time).

Walking on pinecones, anyone?

Walking barefoot in a forest might involve a couple of risks, of cours: insects' bites or some little forest needles that can get stuck into your feet. What I've learned though was a completely different connection with nature. When I am walking wearing shoes -most of the time, obviously - I am less focused on where I put my feet and on the sensorial sensation of walking against new textures every time. It is a deep organic feeling of coping with new that I was happy to experience, that probably was a little part of what we are usually calling 'reconnect with nature feeling'. 

Hopefully, will involve even more foot-care practices into my daily self-care schedule. What I see coming up next is a throughoutly feet professional massage. Because my feet deserve even more care and attention.