9 Ways To Show Dry, Callused Feet Some Much-Needed Love

Among the R29 Shopping Team, I’m known for having a passionate, and very specific, soft spot for all things foot care-related. Like many other loyal devotees, I’m a big fan of Baby Foot (the viral Japanese foot peel that sheds the first layer of ashy, dry skin), but I am also constantly trying new foot products and tools — and the weirder, the better, baby.

As many of us continue to stay at home, foot care is finally having its much-deserved moment in the sun: After all, nothing makes us rethink our life choices (at least, as far as foot care goes) quite like spending the vast majority of your days shoe-free, right?

While warm weather is finally just around the corner, sandal season obviously will look pretty different from just a year ago. However, that doesn't mean you can't pamper yourself with some foot care as self-care — and hey, while you're at it, why not paint those toenails a fun pastel hue?

Ahead, nine of my favorite products that will make sure your toes and heels are ready to come out of hibernation — even if you're the only one seeing them.

We’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. 

LAPCOS Foot Mask, Moisturizing Treatment with Peppermint

It's got all the hydrating benefits of a sheet mask, but for feet. Leave the serum-soaked socks on for 10-15 minutes and voilà — soft, tingly-fresh toes.

LAPCOS Foot Mask, Moisturizing Treatment with Peppermint, $, available at Amazon

Revlon Pedi-Expert

I had to give this life-changing gadget a shout-out in our monthly guide of best things we actually bought, seeing as it's the best $8 I've ever spent. I'll spare you the gory details, but one lasting image I'll leave you with is the gross-but-satisfying mental image of grated shavings in the body of the tool, once your hard work is done.

Revlon Pedi-Expert, $, available at Amazon

Bliss Aloe Leaf & Peppermint Foot Cream

We may be a long way away from salon pedicures, but this Bliss foot cream (Bliss spa pedicures rock, BTW) makes me feel like I'm giving tired toes the real celeb treatment. Pair with cucumber-infused water for optimal effect.

Bliss Aloe Leaf & Peppermint Foot Cream, $, available at Bliss

Baby Foot Original Exfoliant Foot Peel

Allow me to shine the spotlight on a real legend as I live and breathe: The revered Baby Foot peel. Often imitated, but never replicated, this J-beauty export has been around since the '90s and is still unparalleled in its ability to molt layers of dead skin off your feet.

Baby Foot Original Exfoliant Foot Peel - Lavender Scented, $, available at Walmart

Tweezerman Sole Smoother Anti-Bacterial Callus Stone

Before I discovered the Revlon Pedi-Expert, this well-crafted callus stone was the real MVP. I'd always had a hard time getting the right angle with pumice stones (and I hated how foot file blocks were impossible to clean), so when this ergonomic stone-on-a-handle came into my life, it was kismet. I still use it as maintenance for when I don't need to shave off dead skin with my Pedi-Expert.

Tweezerman Sole Smoother Anti-Bacterial Callus Stone, $, available at Amazon

O'Keeffe's Healthy Feet Foot Cream

Another viral Amazon pick is this cheap-but-amazing foot balm from tried-and-true brand O'Keeffe's. At under $10 (and available in money-saving value packs), there's no excuse to not add it to your next order.

O'Keeffe's Healthy Feet Foot Cream, $, available at Amazon

Caudalie Foot Beauty Cream

If you're looking for a chic solution to an un-chic problem, this French foot cream is 100% the move. Rub this grapeseed lotion onto your heels, and voilà: Instantly softened heels and toes.

Caudalie Foot Beauty Cream, $, available at Bluemercury

Drunk Elephant Juju Exfoliating Bar

My all-time favorite foot scrub was sadly discontinued a couple of years ago, but I've found solace in this exfoliating scrub from Drunk Elephant. (It says it can be used on face or body, but I find it a bit harsh for my complexion.) The clay- and bamboo powder-based bar really works to gently buff dead skin, and I love that it's a plastic-free alternative to tubes of product.

Drunk Elephant JuJu Exfoliating Bar, $, available at Sephora

Oh K! Peppermint Revitalising Foot Mask

This cooling foot mask is another solid option if you don't want to watch all your foot skin peel off over a number of days. Enriched with refreshing ingredients like rosemary, thyme, and peppermint, this mask is like a spa day for tired tootsies.

Oh K! Peppermint Revitalising Foot Mask, $, available at LookFantastic

Boscia Baby Soft Foot Peel

Need to get your feet beach-ready in less than two weeks? This foot peel will make sandpaper-like skin baby soft — but it won't be a pretty process. Slip on the alpha hydroxy acid-soaked booties and let your feet stew for a little over an hour before rinsing.

Your feet will start peeling in about a week — and we're not talking itty flecks of skin. Imagine long, thick sheets. (If you've ever seen a snake molting, then you have an idea of what to expect.) It's a long and gross process, but your feet will come out on the other side transformed. We also love Baby Foot.

Boscia Baby Soft Foot Peel, $, available at Sephora

Sephora Collection Lavender Foot Mask

Looking for something a little less messy? Reach for a softening foot mask like this one. It's infused with safflower seed oil and hyaluronic acid to hydrate tired soles.

Sephora Collection Lavender Foot Mask, $, available at Sephora

Patchology PoshPeel Pedi Cure

Unlike Boscia's foot peel, this one is gentle — and won't leave you with huge chunks of dead skin floating around your tennis shoes. It features a mix of AHAs and BHAs that work to chemically exfoliate dead skin, leaving our feet touchable, smooth, and soft.

Patchology PoshPeel Pedi Cure, $, available at Bluemercury

Herbivore Botanicals Coco Rose Coconut Oil Body Polish

After lathering up in the shower, we like reaching for a body polish to slough off dead skin. This one contains sugar to exfoliate rough heels along with coconut oil, rosewater, and shea butter to leave them softer than you found them.

Herbivore Coco Rose Coconut Oil Body Polish, $, available at Sephora

Soap & Glory Heel Genius Foot Cream

Too lazy to devote your time and energy to masking or scrubbing your feet? At the very least reach for a lotion that hydrates and smooths. This one has conditioning allantoin, glycerin, and macadamia oil as well as exfoliating fruit acids.

Soap & Glory Heel Genius Foot Cream , $, available at Target

The Body Shop Peppermint Intensive Cooling Foot Rescue

After a long day of walking, we like slathering a couple dollops of this minty cream onto our tired feet. The hydrating formula contains peppermint oil, which cools and tingles on contact. (Just do a patch test first, as some people are sensitive to peppermint oil.)

The Body Shop Peppermint Intensive Cooling Foot Rescue, $, available at The Body Shop

L'Occitane Shea Butter Foot Cream

At long last, a foot cream in a chic container. This lavender-scented foot cream deeply moisturizes the skin with shea butter and coconut oil while addressing redness and irritation thanks to its other key ingredient: arnica, a natural skin healer.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Foot Cream, $, available at L'Occitane

from refinery29