10 Homemade Foot Scrub Recipes (2024)

Everyday wear and tear can put your feet in a dismal (and painful) situation. You may find yourself suffering from cracked heels, calluses, achy feet, or plain old dry skin that no amount of moisturizer could possibly repair.

One way to care for your feet is to regularly exfoliate. Because many of the scrubs you see at the store are riddled with chemicals and plastic microbeads, you might want to consider making your own eco-friendly version at home.

Here, we offer a few homemade salt scrub recipes to help your feet stay soft and callus-free.

Soothing Peppermint Foot Scrub

10 Homemade Foot Scrub Recipes (1)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • Olive or coconut oil
  • Few drops of peppermint essential oil

Take one cup granulated sugar and pour into a mixing bowl. Gradually add your favorite olive oil or coconut oil and mix together until you have a slightly wet but grainy consistency. Add a few drops of peppermint essential oil. Transfer the scrub to a pretty bottle and use in the bath or shower to exfoliate, moisturize and soothe sore feet.

Refreshing Lemon Foot Scrub

Ingredients

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup almond or coconut oil
  • 6-8 drops of lemon essential oil

Combine sugar and almond oil in a clean, dry bowl and add oil slowly until you have a soft, wet-sand consistency. Add as much lemon essential oil as preferred and work into feet for five minutes before rinsing away in the shower. Your feet will feel like they’ve had a refreshing spa treatment.

Milk Scrub for Cracked Heels

10 Homemade Foot Scrub Recipes (3)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup milk
  • 5 cups warm water
  • 4 tablespoons sugar or salt
  • 1/2 cup baby oil
  • Pumice stone
  • Salicylic acid acne pads
  • Favorite thick moisturizer
  • Socks

Instructions

  1. Pour one cup of milk and five cups of warm water in a foot bath tub or large basin and soak your feet for five to 10 minutes.
  2. In a bowl, pour baby oil and sugar or salt and mix well. Make into a thick paste and apply all over feet, massaging in circular motions.
  3. Finish with a pumice stone scrub on callused heels.
  4. Rinse and pat feet dry.
  5. Rub feet with acne pads, which further exfoliates them.
  6. Apply a thick moisturizer or petroleum jelly to the bottom of the feet. Put on thick, cozy socks and rest with your feet up for several hours or sleep with the socks on.

Antioxidant-Rich Coffee Scrub

10 Homemade Foot Scrub Recipes (4)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup ground coffee
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1 tsp real vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Warm coconut oil to above 80 degrees Fahrenheit so that it's in liquid form.
  2. Mix the coffee, coconut oil, and vanilla extract together.
  3. Wait to add the brown sugar until after the mixture has cooled to prevent it from melting.
  4. Once all ingredients are combined, massage the mixture into your skin and rinse or wipe clean. If you wipe clean, the coconut oil residue left on skin will keep working.

Moisturizing Coconut Scrub

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup organic virgin coconut oil, solid but soft
  • 1 cup white or brown sugar

Instructions

  1. Warm the coconut oil, if needed, until it can be mashed with a fork but is not yet liquidy.
  2. Combine the sugar and coconut oil with a fork or, for a lighter consistency, whip it using a stand mixture.
  3. Apply to skin and rinse or wipe off when finished.
  4. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to three weeks.

Vinegar Foot Soak for Achy Feet

10 Homemade Foot Scrub Recipes (6)

Ingredients

  • Hot water
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • Epsom salt or sea salt

Instructions

  1. Fill a foot bath or large basin with hot water, add the vinegar, and mix in a handful of Epsom salt or sea salt.
  2. Soak feet for 20 minutes.
  3. Prepare the same mixture using cool water.
  4. Soak a towel in the cool mixture, squeeze out excess, and wrap it around feet for five minutes. Add essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus, or grapefruit for an extra-refreshing finish.
  5. Repeat several times a day to reduce inflammation and relieve achy feet.

Tropical Pineapple and Yogurt Foot Scrub

10 Homemade Foot Scrub Recipes (7)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, crushed
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
  1. If you haven't already, crush your pineapple by putting it on your blender's "chopped" setting for 30 seconds. A half-cup crushed is roughly 10% of a medium pineapple.
  2. Make your sugar scrub by first mixing the yogurt and sugar together, then adding the pineapple.
  3. Scrub your feet with the mixture for 10 minutes.
  4. Let sit for another 10 minutes.
  5. Rinse clean.

Cleansing Baking Soda Foot Soak

10 Homemade Foot Scrub Recipes (8)

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons baking soda
  • 3 cups warm water
  • Juice of half a lemon

Combine all the ingredients thoroughly and watch the mixture fizz as the baking soda blends with lemon juice. Soak your feet for 10 minutes, then rinse the mixture off well.

Gentle Oatmeal Scrub

10 Homemade Foot Scrub Recipes (9)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond oil
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon water
  • Brown or white sugar or honey (optional)

Pulse the oats in a blender until finely ground. If you leave some chunks, it will be more of an exfoliant. Add the almond oil and water until desired consistency is reached. Add sugar or honey if desired. To use, massage into wet feet, then rinse and moisturize.

Clay Foot Mask and Soak

10 Homemade Foot Scrub Recipes (10)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup epsom salts
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons bentonite clay

Dissolve the epsom salts in a basin of hot water. Mix apple cider vinegar and bentonite clay in a separate small plastic or glass dish, using a non-metal spoon. Apply this mixture to your feet and let it dry for 10 minutes. Then place your feet in the basin of hot water and let the clay wash off. Dry, scrub with a pumice stone, and moisturize.

10 Homemade Foot Scrub Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best homemade foot scrub? ›

Combine sugar and almond oil in a clean, dry bowl and add oil slowly until you have a soft, wet-sand consistency. Add as much lemon essential oil as preferred and work into feet for five minutes before rinsing away in the shower. Your feet will feel like they've had a refreshing spa treatment.

What is the best homemade foot soak? ›

Vinegar soak: The antimicrobial nature of vinegar helps kill the bacteria or fungi that contribute to foot odor. Put equal parts of vinegar and warm water in a small tub. Soak your feet in the vinegar soak for about 15-20 minutes. Make sure you clean your feet with gentle soap after soaking.

What is good to scrub your feet? ›

Epsom salt soak or scrub

Magnesium sulfate is a mineral compound. You can soak your feet in Epsom salt that's dissolved in water. It can help exfoliate and smooth dry, cracked feet. This, in turn, may help remove dead skin.

How do you exfoliate your feet at home? ›

Mix 2 tablespoons of sea salt in equal amounts of lemon juice and baby oil. Apply the scrub gently on your feet and rub it in circular motions over your heels, ankles and in between your toes. Use a foot scrub brush to remove the dead skin and wash your feet with warm water.

How do you get rid of thick dead skin on your feet? ›

People can use pumice stones, exfoliators, and foot soaks to remove dry skin from their feet at home. Regularly applying moisturizer and removing dead skin will help keep the feet healthy and hydrated. Certain medical conditions, such as eczema, hypothyroidism, and diabetes, can cause very dry skin on the feet.

Is salt or sugar scrub better for feet? ›

Because it's more abrasive, choose salt for scrubbing notoriously dryer areas of your body - feet, elbows, knuckles and legs. Sea salt also draws toxins out of the body and acts as an anti-inflammatory for sore muscles.

What draws toxins out of feet? ›

Foot detox recipes
  • Epsom salt foot soak. Add 1 cup of Epsom salts to a footbath containing warm water to make this foot soak. ...
  • Apple cider vinegar soak. Some people drink apple cider vinegar to encourage detoxification. ...
  • Baking soda and sea salt soak. ...
  • Bentonite clay foot mask. ...
  • Olive oil foot scrub.
Jan 15, 2024

What can I soak my foot in to draw out an infection? ›

If you have a cut or sore on your foot that is red, swollen, and has liquids draining out of it, then it is most likely infected. First, soak the area for 20 minutes in warm water with two tablespoons of Epsom salts or table salt added per gallon of water. Repeat this treatment frequently, four to six times a day.

What does soaking your feet in baking soda do? ›

Bicarb soda – 1 tsp Bicarb soda helps exfoliate the skin, has antibacterial properties and also removes foot odour. Marbles – A few marbles in the base of the bowl give you something to gently roll your feet over for a luxurious massaging touch.

Should you scrub your feet wet or dry? ›

Always file your feet on dry skin, before your bath or shower. Wet skin masks the problem areas, which can lead to over-filing. Over-filing can weaken the tissues, making the skin more prone to infection.

How can I deep clean my feet at home? ›

To take your routine to the next level, try soaking your feet. Cleveland Clinic reports that “Thoroughly cleaning your feet is more than rinsing them in a quick shower.” The Clinic's podiatrist on staff, Doctor Rowland “recommends soaking your feet in a mixture of vinegar and water or Epsom salt and water.”

How can I make my feet super soft? ›

Exfoliation: Regularly exfoliating your feet helps to remove dead skin cells and keep your feet soft and smooth. You can use a foot scrub or a pumice stone once or twice a week to gently buff away rough patches and calluses. Moisturizing: To prevent dryness and cracking, apply a hydrating foot cream or lotion daily.

Does Listerine remove dead skin from feet? ›

Dry skin and calluses come right off. There's a method to the madness: "Both Listerine and vinegar contain gentle acids that exfoliate skin," says cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson. (Benzoic acid, the ingredient in Listerine, isn't in all mouthwashes.)

Does baking soda exfoliate feet? ›

The benefits of baking soda for feet

Baking soda acts as a gentle exfoliant and is one of the natural tricks for restoring soft skin. A foot bath will help restore soft, smooth skin, especially for dry feet, corns and rough calluses.

What is the best product for hard skin on feet? ›

Best products to get rid of dry, hard skin on your feet
  • Caudalie Vinotherapist Foot Beauty Cream. ...
  • Starskin VIP Fab Foot File. ...
  • Ameliorate Intensive Foot Treatment. ...
  • Tweezerman Barrel Spring Toenail Nipper. ...
  • Flexitol Moisturising Foot Cream.

What is the best homemade foot soak for calluses? ›

Epsom salts

Epsom salts can help soften calluses in preparation for other treatments, such as manual exfoliation with a pumice stone or foot file. Try adding a handful of Epsom salts to a bath or basin of warm water, then soaking the affected skin for 10 minutes.

What does baking soda do to your feet? ›

The benefits of baking soda for feet

Baking soda acts as a gentle exfoliant and is one of the natural tricks for restoring soft skin. A foot bath will help restore soft, smooth skin, especially for dry feet, corns and rough calluses.

Is Epsom salt good for foot scrub? ›

The crystallized compound structure of Epsom salt provides exfoliation of the dead skin on the feet. The foot soak may help decrease roughness and leave the feet softer. After soaking the feet is a great time to use an exfoliating tool to remove dead skin.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Clemencia Bogisich Ret

Last Updated:

Views: 5933

Rating: 5 / 5 (60 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Clemencia Bogisich Ret

Birthday: 2001-07-17

Address: Suite 794 53887 Geri Spring, West Cristentown, KY 54855

Phone: +5934435460663

Job: Central Hospitality Director

Hobby: Yoga, Electronics, Rafting, Lockpicking, Inline skating, Puzzles, scrapbook

Introduction: My name is Clemencia Bogisich Ret, I am a super, outstanding, graceful, friendly, vast, comfortable, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.