Credit: Courtesy of brands
All products on this page have been selected by the editorial team, however Stylist may make commission on some products purchased through affiliate links in this article
4 min read
With sandal weather just around the corner, it’s time to give your feet a little extra TLC…
While the weather might be throwing us a summer curveball right now, we’re holding out hope that sandal weather is just around the corner. Of course, looking after your feet should be a year-round job, but for those of us who are thrown into a panic when it comes to baring our soles, investing in a daily foot cream is a great place to start.
“The skin on our feet differs from the rest of our body in a number of ways,” explains Dr Derrick Phillips, CeraVe consultant dermatologist. “It’s thicker, particularly in areas that bear weight, to protect the feet from the effects of pressure and friction and prevent injuries. There are no hair follicles, creating a unique texture that can grip, and there is also a lack of oil-producing glands, making the feet more prone to dryness.”
Not only do foot creams help to moisture your feet, minimising dry skin and calluses but that daily TLC ritual can also offer an extra dose of self-care, leaving you more relaxed.
“I would recommend using a foot cream at least once a day. If your feet are especially dry, applying a foot cream in the morning and evening will ensure they remain hydrated and will help prevent the discomfort caused by dry, cracked heels.”
But with so many different foot creams on the market – from inexpensive, no-frills formulas to luxury pedicure picks – we’ve rounded up the best the beauty market has to offer so you can head into sandal season with soft, healthy and hydrated soles.
CeraVe SA Renewing Foot Cream
Working to not only moisture but gently exfoliate, this brilliant foot cream reinforces the skin’s natural barrier while sloughing away dead skin cells. Three essential ceramides defend against dryness, itching and irritation while salicylic acid exfoliates – for silky, smooth soles in just a couple of uses.
Koba Bottom Up Foot Cream
Packed with safou oil and shea and olive butter, this ultra-nourishing foot cream smooths and soothes while providing antibacterial hydration. Notes of wood and citrus leave you feeling like you’ve just had a salon-worthy pedicure.
Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment Cream
Formulated with anti-fungal arnica extract, this comforting foot cream smoothes away roughness while strengthening nails and providing soothing relief for tired feet.
Cowshed Heal Foot Cream
Treat yourself with this cult cream from Cowshed. Infused with a herbal blend of clary sage, rosemary and grapefruit, it soothes and moisturises soles with a rich blend of avocado oil, shea nut butter and coconut oil. Not only that, but AHAs gently exfoliate, leaving feet feeling soft, smooth and renewed.
Weleda Foot Balm
Perfect for overworked feet, this cooling foot cream is ideal for hot, tired or aching feet. Natural antiseptic calendula helps keep bad-smelling bacteria in check, while myrrh extract offers astringent action to help protect your skin against blisters.
Ameliorate Intensive Foot Therapy
Designed for dry, rough feet and hard, thickened skin, this nourishing foot cream is clinically proven to moisturise for up to 12 hours. Infused with the brand’s LAH6 skin hydration complex as well as a blend of shea butter, glycerine and jojoba oil, this hard-working formula enhances skin’s elasticity while deodorising busy soles.
Patchology PoshPeel PediCure
While it’s not technically a foot cream, if you want to treat your feet to an at-home pedicure, these peeling foot masks are great. Infused with a powerful blend of AHAs and BHAs (think glycolic, lactic, salicylic and citric acid), it works to slough away dead skin cells and reveal smoother, supple skin underneath.
The Body Shop Peppermint Reviving Pumice Foot Scrub
The Body Shop offers numerous brilliant foot creams, but it’s this foot scrub that we really rate. Enriched with menthol peppermint, the vegan formula buffs away hard skin and dry patches, helping to freshen up active, hard-working feet and put a tingle back into tired toes.
Shop The Body Shop Peppermint Reviving Pumice Foot Scrub, £10
Caudalie Vinotherapist Foot Beauty Cream
Packed with 95% natural origin ingredients that nourish and soothe, this luxurious cream is like treating your feet to a facial. Rich in tannins, the cream also works to instantly relieve redness and ease the tension of heavy legs.
Shop Caudalie Vinotherapist Foot Beauty Cream at Cult Beauty, £14
Sol de Janeiro Samba 2-Step Foot Fetish Care
If you’re a fan of Sol de Janeiro scents, there’s only one foot saviour for you. This two-step foot care package contains a foot smoothing board that gently buffs away rough, hard skin – plus the Foot Fetish Cream, a formula brimming with antioxidant-rich açaí oil, hydrating coconut oil and nourishing cupuaçu butter to keep moisture locked in and restore suppleness.
Shop Sol de Janeiro Samba 2-Step Foot Fetish Care at Cult Beauty, £25
Beauty Pie Footopia Super Softening Foot and Heel Cream
Minty fresh and deeply nourishing, this deluxe foot cream is packed with cocoa and shea butters, plus cracked-heel smoothing cactus enzymes, urea and microbiome+, a good bacteria skin-freshening prebiotic.
Shop Beauty Pie Footopia Super Softening Foot and Heel Cream, £25 (£8 for members)
This Works Perfect Heels Rescue Balm
Formulated specifically for tired soles, this lightweight and non-greasy formula still feels rich and luxurious – working to soothe, repair cracked heels and smooth over rough skin.
Images: courtesy of brands
Sign up for the latest news and must-read features from Stylist, so you don’t miss out on the conversation.
By signing up you agree to occasionally receive offers and promotions from Stylist. Newsletters may contain online ads and content funded by carefully selected partners. Don’t worry, we’ll never share or sell your data. You can opt-out at any time. For more information read Stylist’s Privacy Policy
Thank you!
You’re now subscribed to all our newsletters. You can manage your subscriptions at any time from an email or from a MyStylist account.