Aromatherapy for Foot Care

QUESTION
I am fairly active and on my feet - a lot! They and my calves often ache. My feet tend to be dry, I have some callouses and I get occasional episodes of athlete’s foot. I am in good health and do not take medications. Can you provide some aromatherapy ideas to help take care of my feet?

ANSWER
Our feet can be considered the hardest working parts of our body yet we tend not to take proper care of or neglect them until something goes wrong. Foot injury and conditions can affect one’s ability to comfortably undertake even the simplest of tasks like going for a short walk, taking the stairs, standing in line ... even gardening!

Here are some interesting facts about our feet. The human foot is a fairly complex body structure normally containing 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles. Women have about four times as many foot problems as men with strappy, tight, high-heeled fashionable footwear partly to blame. The foot contains about a quarter of a million sweat glands that excrete as much as a half-pint of moisture a day. The feet can accommodate great changes in weight and will adjust their shape and structure depending on the task we are doing. That being said, the activities and amount of pressure we put on our feet make them susceptible to many aches, strains and complaints. Hard skin, corns, calluses, in-grown toenails, athlete’s foot and foot odor are the most common complaints. [i]

Generally these complaints are considered non-serious medical conditions and can be prevented or treated by using good foot hygiene and care practices, ensuring that the correct type and size of shoe and hosiery are worn and by using foot care treatments like aromatherapy. This is NOT a substitute for proper diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care provider or foot care specialist. People with diabetes, circulation disorders and/or immune disorders must pay particular attention to healthy foot care practices and injury prevention, and seek prompt diagnosis and treatment from a qualified health care provider or foot care specialist for foot related complaints.

Use high quality essential and carrier oils in all of these recipes – we suggest organic if you can. See the common and botanical names for the essential and carrier oils at the end of the article.

When I have been particularly hard on my feet and they reward me with aches and pains, I reach for Epsom salts, apple cider vinegar, extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil and my favorite foot soak essential oils lavender, German chamomile, rosemary and tea tree. The Epsom salts help to soothe the aches and soften rough skin. The acidic nature of the vinegar fights fungus, deodorizes and also helps to soften rough skin. The olive oil acts as an emollient for dry feet and benefits the health of toe nails (when unpolished). Lavender essential oil has so many benefits but I use it in my foot soak recipe for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, deodorizing and rubefacient (stimulating and warming) properties. Tea tree has extraordinary antimicrobial properties and is highly recommended for the treatment of athlete’s foot, blisters, nail disease, warts and wounds. Rosemary has analgesic and rubefacient properties and is often used for muscle and joint aches and pains. German chamomile has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties and is beneficial for sensitive, red or dry skin. [ii] The aromas of this blend cause me to take deep relaxing breaths and adds to the overall therapeutic benefits of this soak.

In a large basin of warm water and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, I dissolve 1/2 cup of Epsom salts. In a small glass mixing bowl I blend 1 tablespoon of organic, extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil, 5 drops of lavender essential oil, 4 drops of tea tree essential oil, 2 drops of rosemary essential oil and 1 drop of German chamomile essential oil. I add this aromatic blend to the warm, Epsom salt and vinegar water and soak my feet for ten to fifteen minutes. I lightly pat dry, then massage my feet and up into my calves using the oil that is left on the surface of my skin. I finish with thoroughly drying the areas between my toes before putting on fresh cotton socks or my slippers. If I am not going to bed shortly after the treatment, I elevate my feet and legs for as long as time permits.

I have had the following recipe for a while but cannot find its originator. If you recognize it and know who created it please let me know so that I can give him or her due credit! I promise you that the aroma of this blend is not what you would expect in a foot soak. It is both effective and aromatic. Into 1/4 cup of Epsom salts, blend 2 teaspoons of baking soda, 2 drops of coriander essential oil, 2 drops of lemon essential oil and 2 drops of sandalwood essential oil. Dissolve the blend in a warm water foot bath and soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Coriander essential oil is often recommended for the treatment of arthritis, gout, muscular aches and pains and rheumatism. Lemon essential oil has antiseptic, antimicrobial, anti-rheumatic, astringent and rubefacient properties. And sandalwood essential oil has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and astringent properties and is often used in skin care for dry skin conditions, eczema and psoriasis. [iii]

Peppermint essential oil has long been associated with foot care, particularly for tired, aching feet. Into 1/4 of Epsom salts and 2 teaspoons of extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil, add 2 drops each of lavender, peppermint and Roman chamomile essential oils. Dissolve mixture in a large pan of warm water and soak your feet for 10 to 15 minutes.

If hot, itchy and odoriferous (stinky) feet are of concern, this adaptation of a recipe from Marlene Daniels of soapconscious.com calls for 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 5 to 6 tablespoons of Epsom salts and 10 drops of peppermint essential oil. Blend until well mixed and add to 1 litre of warm water. Soak feet for 10 minutes and dry thoroughly.

Be careful with peppermint essential oil as it is quite strong and can cause, or exacerbate existing, skin irritation. If your feet are particularly swollen, hot or inflamed avoid using hot water. Use a cool to tepid water temperature. Apply this same principle if you have varicose veins. And a great tip if you are having difficulty controlling athlete’s foot is to use a blow dryer set on low to thoroughly dry the affected areas! The fungi cannot survive on dry surfaces.

Foot scrubs are a great way to deal with dry, calloused feet. As well, massaging the scrub onto the feet and up along the calf promotes circulation. I adapted this sea salt based foot scrub from cranberrylane.com. It calls for 1/2 cup of finely ground sea salt, 1/2 cup baking soda, 1 tablespoon of glycerin (vegetable) or 1 tablespoon of apricot kernel, jojoba or olive oil, 4 drops of lavender essential oil, 5 drops of sweet orange essential oil and 2 drops of carrot seed essential oil. Blend all ingredients well. Dampen the full foot and ankle. Dividing the scrub mixture in half, methodically and purposefully massage the scrub into each foot moving in an upward (toward the heart) direction from toes toward the ankle. Continue up the back of the calf if desired. Rinse thoroughly, dry well and apply a moisturizing foot lotion or cream to dry areas (avoiding between the toes). It is even more relaxing and beneficial if you can entice someone to do the massage for you!

When pulling things together for this article, I found a fabulously fun recipe on skin-care-recipes-and-remedies.com - it is a beach sand foot scrub! I live just two blocks from a beach so you can be sure that my foot scrub is just around the corner. If you don’t have access to beach sand, consider purchasing children’s sandbox sand. It has the added benefit of being sterilized. Mix 2 tablespoons of canola oil (you could also use olive oil), and 3 to 5 drops of rosemary essential oil with 2 tablespoons of dry beach sand. When going to the beach, take a small container with the canola oil and rosemary essential oil in it. Once at the beach add the sand and mix into a paste. Massage sand scrub onto feet (and elbows) while concentrating especially on problem areas. Rinse off in the foamy waves and pat dry with your beach towel. It will not harm the environment. Come on .... last one in is a rotten egg!!!
Aromatherapy-at-home.com suggests that if you have been on your feet all day and they are aching, this moisturizing oil blend will help them feel better in no time. Combine in a bottle with a secure stopper or screw cap 1 tablespoon sweet almond oil, 1 tablespoon extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil, 1 tablespoon wheat germ oil and 12 drops eucalyptus. Shake well before each use and store in a cool, dry place.

Fellow aromatherapist and skilled herbalist, Beverley Gray of Aroma Borealis in Yukon Territory, shares a wonderful anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial foot oil blend that addresses foot itch, irritation and dryness. It calls for 6 drops of German chamomile essential oil, 6 drops of tea tree essential oil, 4 drops of lavender essential oil and 30 mL of olive oil. Mix the essential oils into the olive oil, and store the blend in a glass bottle with a secure top. Gently massage the oil blend onto your feet before putting on your socks, or before going to bed.
It is time for me to take a break and give a little tender loving care to my own feet. I use the soaking and elevation time to browse through a magazine or to read a couple of chapters in whatever book I have on the go. Best wishes to you for healthy, happy feet!

Article Resources
i footcareexpert.co.uk and foot.com
ii, iii The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy, Salvatore Battaglia, 2005
iv soapconscious.com
v cranberrylane.com
vi skin-care-recipes-and-remedies.com
vii aromatherapy-at-home.com
viii aromaborealis.com

Essential Oils
Eucalyptus - Eucalyptus globulus; Coriander - Coriandrum sativum; Lavender - Lavandula angustifolia; Lemon - Citrus limon; German chamomile - Matricaria recutita; Peppermint - Mentha piperita; Roman chamomile - Anthemis nobilis; Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis ct cineole; Sandalwood (Australian) - Santalum spicatum; Tea tree oil - Melaleuca alternifolia.

Carrier Oils
Apricot kernel - Prunus armeniaca; Canola - Brassica napus; Jojoba - Simmondsia chinensis; Olive - Olea europaea; Sweet almond - Prunus amygdalas; Wheat germ - Triticum durum.

The information contained herein is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or SCT. SCT and its associates do not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent is only to offer information to help you in your quest for a happy and healthy lifestyle. Accordingly SCT and its individual associates assume no responsibility for your actions.