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Whether you’re a hiker, marathon runner, or simply someone who always take the stairs, odds are that your feet could use some attention. Even the best long-distance running shoes and the most comfortable walking shoes can cause wear and tear on the skin on our feet — but the best foot creams erase any sign of dry, cracked skin, calluses and soften hard skin.
Just like body moisturizer, all foot creams target dryness. “Foot creams work to reduce rough, dry feet and moisturize the skin on the feet, leaving them feeling softer and smoother,” says dermatologist Dr. Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD. “They can also help to exfoliate the feet to get rid of dead skin cells.” Not only do foot creams make you feel pampered, they also protect the health of your feet. Calluses and cracks require attention to prevent them from worsening — without intervention, they can fester into painful sores and risk infection. So cycling in a foot cream will keep your feet happy in the long run.
Healthy skin doesn’t happen overnight, so stay patient to ensure softer feet by spring with continuous use of the best foot creams. “Some of the results from foot cream can be noticed immediately as the skin may feel softer and smoother, though with continued use over the course of one to two weeks, the results will continue to improve,” Dr. Garshick explains. Our feet have been cooped up in winter boots for months, meaning they’re likely drier and rougher than ever. Regular application of foot cream will make your feet feel buttery soft when it’s time to slip into your cutest summer sandals.
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Choosing a great salve depends on your concerns, so we’ve rounded up the best foot creams for dry skin, cracked heels, calluses, and foot pain. Select an option to slather on, and you’ll be walking on clouds.
ISDIN Uradin Podos Gel Oil
- Best for: Rough patches and dry skin
- Size: 2.5 fl oz
- Key ingredients: Urea, hyaluronic acid, and lactic acid
Isdin is a dermatologist-loved brand; their liquid face sunscreen, serums, and more are commonly recommended at practices. Dr. Garshick vouches for Isdin’s foot cream: “This gel-oil works to exfoliate and moisturize as it contains a combination of urea, lactic acid and hyaluronic acid to draw moisture in,” Dr. Garshick explains. The cruelty-free formula feels slightly cooling when you massage it onto your feet. Apply a generous layer before bed, and you’ll wake up with buttery smooth skin. If you’re dealing with cracked heels, you may need four to five days of consistent use, but after that you’ll be fully healed.
What reviewers say: “I have spent a fortune on products that promised to help repair dry, cracked, painful heels. My heels were really dry, but my husband’s were lightyears worse than mine. This is the very first product that actually does repair dry, cracked heels. If you’ve been on this same journey, you should try this and your quest for getting real help will end.”
CeraVe Renewing SA Foot Cream
- Best for: Calluses, cracked heels, and rough patches
- Size: 3 oz
- Key ingredients: Urea, salicylic acid, and hyaluronic acid
Salicylic acid is a proven acne treatment, but the ingredient also has benefits for your feet. In CeraVe’s Renewing SA Foot Cream, salicylic acid exfoliates dead skin while hyaluronic acid draws in moisture so your fresh skin is well hydrated. The drugstore find also contains ceramides, which help your skin stay healthy in the long run.
What reviewers say: “I started to get very thick skin growing on the bottom of my feet several months ago. I didn’t pay much attention to it until about three months ago when the skin started to crack, making it very painful to walk, sometimes enough to bleed. I found CeraVe Renewing SA Foot Cream and now I am on my third tube and have almost completely clear skin on my feet. This cream is very effective and works exceptionally well, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.”
Beauty Pie Footopia Super-Softening Foot and Heel Cream
- Best for: Calluses, rough patches, and dry skin
- Size: 2.53 fl oz
- Key ingredients: Cocoa and shea butter, urea, and cactus enzymes
With Beauty Pie’s Footopia Super-Softening Foot and Heel Cream, your feet will get a potent dose of urea and cactus enzymes, which both deliver exfoliation powers. Together those ingredients help sand down the toughest calluses with consistent use; the head-clearing minty fragrance will make you want to apply it night after night. For max benefits, slip a pair of socks on once you smooth this top foot cream on.
What reviewers say: “I have this right next to my bed. Along with my hand cream, it’s the last thing at night I do before I go to sleep. It’s brilliant for the cold weather and perfect if you’re a yogi and have your feet on display in class a lot.”
Tenoverten The Sole Mate Foot Balm
- Best for: Maintaining moisture
- Size: 1.7 oz
- Key ingredients: Vitamin E, manuka oil, jojoba oil, and coconut oil
Tenoverten is a luxury clean nail salon with multiple locations in New York City. With Tenoverten’s The Sole Mate Foot Balm, you can get a taste of the spa at home. This foot balm is packaged in a sanitary stick format that allows you to apply the balm without touching your feet. It’s full of emollient moisturizers like manuka oil and jojoba oil to ensure you’ll always step out with smooth feet.
What reviewers say: “I love the Tenoverten line, and the Sole Mate is a particular stand out. It’s easy to apply to just the areas that need it and it’s non greasy; my feet have shown remarkable improvement after only 30 days of use.”
Amlactin Foot Repair
- Best for: Calluses, rough patches, and dry skin
- Size: 3 oz
- Key ingredients: Lactic acid and glycerin
With over 6,500 five-star reviews on Amazon, Amlactin’s Foot Repair is one of the best foot creams for anyone looking to put some pep in their step. The cream’s magic comes from its high 15% concentration of lactic acid, an ingredient that draws moisture while sloughing away dead skin cells. Best of all, it’s non-greasy.
What reviewers say: “My dermatologist recommended this product. I am a diabetic and have really dry skin. This stuff will fix the worst feet. No more splits in skin on heels. No more flakes on bottom of feet. This is the only thing that has ever worked for me.”
Earth Therapeutic Foot Repair Balm
- Best for: Sore feet, calluses, and dry skin
- Size: 6 fl oz
- Key ingredients: Chamomile, tea tree oil, aloe vera, and peppermint oil
If your feet are sore from running, walking, or wearing platform boots, let Earth Therapeutics’ Foot Repair Balm come to the rescue. Tea tree oil delivers a refreshing cooling sensation when you apply it, and the additions of aloe vera and chamomile soothe scratchy skin and blisters. With 6 full ounces of cream, it’s a great value, too.
What reviewers say: “I always buy this. It has a slight cooling effect and it’s very moisturizing without being greasy, plus I love the smell. My feet are never cracked. I use it almost every night before bed.”
Gold Bond Softening Hydrating Foot Cream
- Best for: Dry skin
- Size: 4 oz
- Key ingredients: Shea butter, silk amino acids, and vitamins A, C, and E
Gold Bond is a trusted brand for all things hydration. The brand’s softening foot cream drenches skin with shea butter and silk amino acids to prevent and treat ashy patches, while vitamins A and C improve the texture and tone of your skin over time. The thick salve won’t feel greasy, as it’s quick to absorb.
Sol de Janeiro Samba 2-Step Foot Fetish Care
- Best for: Rough patches, calluses, and dry skin
- Size: 3 fl oz
- Key ingredients: Cupuaçu butter, coconut oil, and açaí oil
If you’re looking to prep your feet for a beach trip, Sol de Janeiro’s Samba 2-Step Foot Fetish Care set will put your mind in vacation mode while treating your toes. The set includes a file to use on calluses and heels, and a foot cream full of Brazilian-inspired ingredients to moisturize dry spots. The cream’s tropical fragrance has notes of pistachio, jasmine petals, and sandalwood.
What reviewers say: “From the very first use, my feet felt amazing. So soft and moisturized without feeling sticky or slippery. I normally use the set right after getting out of the shower and then I put on a pair of socks to really let it work. I’ve also used it right before bed with amazing results and have even walked barefoot on a tile floor after putting it on without slipping! The board is just enough to soften calluses and ensure the moisturizer is absorbed without grating off a ton of skin.”
O’Keefe’s Healthy Feet Foot Cream
- Best for: Cracked heels and chronic dryness
- Size: 3.2 oz
- Key ingredients: Allantoin, glycerin, and urea
O’Keefe’s Healthy Feet Foot Cream has gained a cult following on Amazon — over 55,000 shoppers award it five-star reviews. The formula contains a unique concoction of exfoliating urea plus allantoin, a moisturizing ingredient that treats itching and flaking. Similar to Aquaphor and Vaseline, it creates a protective barrier on the skin to prevent moisture loss.
What reviewers say: “Mad at myself for not trying this sooner. My feet are pretty beat up from years in the trades and from being an active runner. I have been blown away at how this product moisturizes skins and seals the cracks. It’s like foot spackle that stays flexible. In four short days, my feet are about 50% better and finally healing. So happy to not have pain at the moment. Thanks to whoever formulated this stuff. It’s like magic!”
Ahava Probiotic Foot Cream
- Best for: Itchy, dry skin
- Size: 3.4 oz
- Key ingredients: Dead sea minerals, jojoba seed oil, and wheat germ oil
Since debuting in 1988, Ahava has earned praise for its skin care products that contain softening Dead Sea minerals. Ahava’s Probiotic Foot Cream packs those minerals, along with probiotics that treat and prevent itchiness. Plant-based oils soften calluses and dry patches.
What reviewers say: “My husband and I have used this product for more than 20 years. We apply it to our feet every other day and it does an excellent job of keeping our skin soft and supple. Love the fragrance!”
Dr. Scholl’s Cracked Heel Repair Balm
- Best for: Cracked heels
- Size: 2.5 oz
- Key ingredients: Allantoin, epsom salt, peppermint essential oil, urea, and lavender essential oil
Cracked heels have a way of deflating your mood when sandal season comes around. With Dr. Scholl’s Cracked Heel Repair Balm, you can swipe that worry away. The balm stick contains a strong dose of urea to exfoliate the dead skin buildup, epsom salt to soothe any pain, and loads of hydrating ingredients to help mend your skin.
What reviewers say: “I bought this product for my mother. She has been more than ten years without wearing open shoes or sandals because her feet developed calluses and extreme dryness. After trying natural remedies, pumice, and pharmaceuticals, she gave up. I decided to buy this product when I saw that it had Epsom salts and 25% Urea, and the change has been incredible in less than a month of use her dryness has been reduced a lot, and using it after bathing and putting on socks immediately. Her feet feel soft to the touch, and although there are still dry areas, I have seen how, in a few weeks, it has changed without any side effects.”
Ebanel Urea Cream
- Best for: Cracked heels, calluses, dry skin, and rough patches
- Size: 4.6 oz
- Key ingredients: Urea, salicylic acid, aloe vera, coconut oil, and tea tree oil
Although it’s not the most glamorous foot cream on our list, Ebanel’s Urea Cream is an effective one. Disclaimer: The smell isn’t for everyone. But the results are so amazing you won’t mind — this powerful cream is effective at resurfacing the skin on your feet with just a few uses. It’s also handy to use on rough patches on your hands, elbows, and knees.
What reviewers say: “My ankle surgeon recommended this cream and it has been a miracle worker! I have only been using it for a few weeks but it has been life changing. I am making my boyfriend use it too and his feet are way worse than mine. I will use this cream forever, its like a beauty secret!”
L’Occitane Shea Butter Intensive Foot Balm
- Best for: Dry skin and rough patches
- Size: 5.3 oz
- Key ingredients: Shea butter and allantoin
French brand L’Occitane formulates body care products with rich doses of shea butter, and this foot balm is no exception — the formula is made with 25% of the ingredient to soften up your skin. The rich texture melts into your skin once you warm it up and massage it onto your feet. And the classic powdery scent will make your feet feel post-shower fresh.
What reviewers say: “I held off on buying this for years because of the price, but it is 100% worth it. Over the past few years I have bought a dozen tubes of foot cream and none of them were able to do what L’Occitane has done for my severely cracked feet in just 5 to 6 days. It seems like I wasted money by not buying this before. Works great.”
What to Look For in the Best Foot Creams
- Hydrating ingredients: The skin on our feet is naturally thicker than the skin on other parts of our body, so it’s important to deeply moisturize the skin to keep it healthy. “Looking for hydrating ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid can help to boost hydration, while occlusive ingredients like petrolatum can help to lock moisture in and protect the skin from external irritants,” Dr. Garshick explains. “Other ingredients like ceramides help to strengthen the skin barrier.”
- Exfoliating ingredients: If you’re dealing with calluses or persistently dry skin, exfoliation is in order. “Look for exfoliating ingredients like alpha or beta hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid,” Dr. Garshick recommends. “For thickened calluses, salicylic acid or urea work to eliminate dead skin cell build up.”
- Texture: A richer foot cream will typically provide more moisture than a thinner lotion. If your feet are extra parched, go for balms to deliver a big dose of moisture.
Tips for Applying Foot Cream
Even non-greasy foot creams can leave your feet feeling slick, which may be uncomfortable when you’re walking around. So night time is the right time to moisturize your feet. “It is best to apply and leave on overnight to wake up with softer and smoother skin on the feet,” says Dr. Garshick. She also recommends wearing socks after you apply the cream, as this provides an extra level of occlusion to lock the moisture in. Go for gel moisturizing socks if you’re looking to do a deep treatment.
Meet the Expert
Dr. Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD, is a leading board-certified dermatologist serving patients throughout Manhattan, New York at MDCS Dermatology: Medical Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery, as well as an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Cornell – New York Presbyterian Medical Center. Dr. Garshick provides a wide variety of cosmetic and medical procedures and services including treatments for acne, eczema, hyperhidrosis, moles, psoriasis, rosacea, signs of aging, skin cancer, skin tags, vitiligo, and wrinkles.
Meet the Author
Claire Sullivan is the Senior Beauty and Lifestyle Commerce Editor for Footwear News and WWD. She’s spent over five years researching, reporting on, and writing about the beauty and wellness industries for publications like Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, InStyle, and Byrdie. She’s tested hundreds of products during her time as a beauty editor, so she’s well-versed in selecting the top foot masks to pamper your feet.
