Pamper your feet - Ayurveda.Media

Soft, beautiful and clean feet are one of the most prized possession of a modern-era woman. Let it be home-makers or working women, pampering their feet needs no excuse. Years of neglect and thoughtlessness gives rise to dry and rough nails, fungal infections, corns, calluses, swollen feet and cracked heels, all of which are tales of embarrassment. Enslaved feet in ill-fitting shoes or heels complaint back for the hurt and maul they suffered and ends up disfigured for life.

In Ayurveda, there are many mentions of the need of healthy feet for a healthy lifestyle. They are the weight bearers of the entire body and control the gait and posture of a person. More importantly, they are the defining factors of a person’s personality.

GENERAL CARE

First things first; you need the right shoes. When shopping for shoes, never buy tight fitting ones, your feet would hate you. The right size would be half to one inches larger than your foot size. Also take care to set the shopping time to evenings, because that’s when your feet would be swollen from the day-long walking and would help you select the perfect fit of shoes.
Exercising your feet for ten minutes every evening after work could help keep them soft and supple. You have to sit comfortably on an erect chair and slowly clench and release your toes. Do this at least 4-6 times a day.

Next draw circles in the air with your feet. Your legs should remain steady, with the feet moving clockwise and anti-clockwise 5-6 times.

These exercises ensure the necessary blood circulation to the tired feet and removes the accumulated fluid.

Clean your feet every evening after exercising them. Take some warm water in a basin. Add a little rock salt to this and soak your feet in this. After 10-15 minutes, use a loofah and a pumice stone to remove dead cells. Pat dry thoroughly and apply a lotion of glycerine and rose water. Later apply some talc to keep them fresh.
Next thing to do would be to lie down comfortably without a pillow and place your ankle on the edge of a round bolster, so that your feet are raised. Keep in this position for at least 15 minutes. This helps in reducing swelling due to water retention.

Along with these general measures, be sure to do an ayurvedic pedicure once every week that would assure you pampered feet, in a natural and less expensive manner. Your feet would have that “just-back-from-salon” look every weekend, without the use of any chemicals or splurging too much cash by indulging in an ayurvedic pedicure at home.

FRUIT PEDICURE

Materials required: Apple cider vinegar

Sliced lemon

Sliced ginger

Sliced Aloe vera

Chick pea flour

Sesame oil

Plain yogurt

Powdered milk

Fruit pulp (mango, papaya or any fruit of your choice)

Fresh cream

Any brand of body wash

Nail polish remover

Soak your feet in warm water mixed with a small amount of body wash (any brand) and 3tbs of apple cider vinegar. Keep for 5 mins and then dry your feet.
Examine your feet and soles closely for cracks and infections.
Prep your nails using a nail filer after removing the existing nail polish using a remover and push back the cuticles with care. Care should be taken while cutting toe tails. It should be cut straight, not deep to the corners. This would help to avoid painful ingrown nails.
Add sliced lemon, ginger and aloe vera to the warm water and keep your feet soaked for another 5 minutes.
Mix together 2 tbs chickpea flour with warm sesame oil and plain yogurt. Exfoliate the feet and legs with this homemade scrub. Rinse well.
Rub a sliced lemon on the legs and feet to brighten and exfoliate.
Rub the ginger slices on the nails and feet to whiten.
Use aloe vera slices extensively on soles and feet to provide nourishment and prevent cracks.
Mix together 2 tbs of powdered milk with warm water. Apply the homemade mask to feet and legs. Apply warm sesame oil to the bottom of feet. Cover feet with warm towels. After 5 minutes, remove the mask with the towels.
Use a foot filer over the calluses and soles to remove dead cells.
Massage fruit pulp (any fruit) mixed with fresh cream into your feet and legs for 10 minutes. Leave for another 5 minutes before washing it off with warm water. Rinse and pat dry.
Remove oil from your nail plates and apply the nail polish of your choice.

Cuticle cream

People who have problems removing their cuticles can make their own cuticle cream at home. It takes no time to prepare and is easy.

Ingredients

Olive oil or almond oil – 3 tbs
Cococnut oil – 1 tbs
Glycerine or essential oil of your choice – 1 tbs

Directions

Heatthe olive oil in a double boiler or a microwave.
Add coconut oil and the essential oil into this.
Allow it to cool and store in an airtight container.

Homemade scrub for tan

Ingredients

Brown sugar – 2 tbs
Honey – 1 tbs
Oatmeal powder – 2 tbs
Lemon juice – 1 tbs
Olive oil – 1 tsp

Directions

Mix the oatmeal and the sugar together.
Add the lemon juice and honey to the oatmeal mixture. Mix well.
Add the olive oil and use.

AYURVEDIC CURE FOR COMMON FOOT PROBLEMS

Neglecting for long brings conditions such as corns and cracks to your precious feet which then requires special care and attention.

Tired and aching feet

After a strenuous day of work, your feet is sure to moan and wail. A quick therapy is required to relax them.

Pine and pebble bath
Take 2 litres of warm water in a tub and add 2 cups of pine needles, 2 cups rose petals and 2 tsp peppermint oil.
Put round marbles or small pebbles in the tub.
After massaging your feet with castor oil, soak them in this soothing brew for 10-15 minutes.
Roll your heels over the pebbles slowly. This would relax your tired feet immensely.
Dry well with a towel.

Cracked heels

This is one of the most common and embarrassing problem faced due to sheer neglect.

Cleansing and moisturising the feet daily is required.
Lemon therapy
Before going to bed daily, soak your feet in warm soapy water for 15 minutes. Later wash in clean water and dry.
Then, apply a mixture of 1 teaspoon Vaseline and juice of 1 lemon onto the cracked heels and other areas of feet.
Slowly rub the application till fully absorbed.
Regularly apply a mixture of glycerine and rosewater onto the cracked heels at bedtime, which helps in soothing and curing them.
Wax therapy
At bedtime, after cleaning and exfoliation of the feet, pat them dry.
Massage in sesame and sandalwood oil until the skin has absorbed most of it.
Melt some wax and when slightly cool, brush it over the heels. After solidification, it will leave a wax mask over the heels.
Put on cotton socks and leave it overnight.
In the morning, remove socks and peel off the wax layer slowly.
Continue the procedure for at least a week to get smooth heels.

Calluses

Calluses are caused due to the accumulation of dead cells on the feet. The ideal way to treat and prevent calluses is regular exfoliation of skin.

The exfoliation should not be too harsh nor too soft on skin.
Use a loofah twice daily and natural nourishment and exfoliation should be done at least once every week to remove the dead cells.
Strawberry
Mash 6-8 strawberries and add 2 tbs of olive or almond oil and one teaspoon of sea salt. Make it into a paste.
Massage this into the feet, rubbing harshly as you go along the calluses and other hardened areas of feet.
Leave it for 10-15 minutes.
Rinse with warm water and later with cold water.
Almonds
Crushed almonds may also be used instead of strawberries.
Both of these exfoliate the tough skin of your feet while their natural juices nourish your feet.
Walnut
Walnuts and corncobs ground together make a great substitute for strawberries as well, especially on much toughened feet and heel areas.
Orange
This is a cooling scrub for feet, especially in the summer season.
Mix 1 cup of any vegetable oil and 1 cup of sea salt.
Slice the oranges into thick rings and after dipping them into the oil-salt solution, rub vigorously all over the feet for at least 10 minutes. Rinse it off with cool water.
This leaves your feet clean, cool and soft.
Lemon
Use a freshly cut lemon slice to rub vigorously all over the feet for 15 minutes before washing it off in cool water.

Corns

When bony parts of your feet rub against your shoes regularly, problems of corns arise due to constant friction and pressure.

Newly formed corns may be cured with home cures but matured ones need to be consulted with a doctor.
Marigold
From the first day of the appearance of corn, you can use the marigold treatment. The marigold stem has antiseptic qualities like its flowers. You have to slice the stem lengthwise and apply the sap on the corns to help cure them effectively. Leave it on for the night.
Liquorice
Liquorice sticks are the dried roots and underground stem of this plant which has many medicinal properties.
Powder a few liquorice sticks and add a little mustard oil into it. Regularly rub this paste on the newly formed corns and calluses at bedtime. Leave it on for the night.
Pineapple
Pineapple contains an enzyme named Bromelain which helps in softening and removing dead cells.
Just before going to bed, soak your feet in warm water for 20 minutes. This would make the corns tender.
Cut a square piece of pineapple peel and tape this onto the corn such that the inner side of the peel in contact with the corn surface.
Cover with socks and leave overnight.
Apply for 4-5 nights consecutively for better results.

Swollen feet

Most women have mild fluid retention in their feet during their menstrual cycle or when undergoing any other hormonal changes. These can cause discomfort and pain.

Carrot
Wash, peel and finely chop 4 carrots, one beetroot or an apple and add a few springs of parsley.
Blend in a juicer and drink this twice a day for treating bloated feet.

Athletes foot

There is no foot infection more common and irritating than this. It spreads due to dampness, most probably from wet socks or bedding on bathrooms or swimming pools. If attention is given immediately, it can be curin a ed at home.

Ginger or garlic
Crush a few pods of ginger or garlic and put this in a basin containing warm water.
Add a little alcohol to this and soak your feet for 10 minutes.
Pat dry your feet with clean towels.
Repeat the procedure 2-3 times a day.
Coco rose foot cream
In a mixing bowl, add half cup coconut oil, 1 tsp glycerine and 2 tbs rose water. Beat till a smooth paste is formed.
You can store this in an air-tight container and keep it in your bathroom.
Use this on your feet and heels generously every night, providing you smooth and soft feet.

Shoe bites

New shoes often come with painful shoe bites. There are simple ways of preventing this as well as treatment that you can do at home effectively.

Treating your shoes
Apply a little petroleum jelly or coconut oil or castor oil inside your shoes for 3 consecutive nights before wearing. Clean it off with a soft cloth and then wear it. The shoes would have become soft and comfortable.
Rub some raw potato slices inside the shoe, particularly the heel areas. Repeat for 2 nights before wearing your shoes.
Rice
Powder half cup rice and add water into it, making a thick paste.
Apply this on your shoe bite and leave it to dry completely.
Rinse with warm water and gently pat dry.
Neem and turmeric
Grind together a few clean neem leaves, 1 tbs turmeric powder and a little water to form a thick paste.
Apply this on the painful shoe bite and rinse off after it dries.

Chipped nails