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As we take care of our face or body, we don’t care for our heels or foot. But, they take lots of pressures – walking, trauma from exercise, shoe rubbing, skin conditions like psoriasis or if you are an athlete then you take lots of bumps to your feet that eventually cause cracked heels, flakes; even you may experience calluses.
Dr. Jaliman says, “When it is summer, you wear sandals constantly. And during winter air becomes dry but the skin of your heels, foot, feet or hands don’t get any favor just like your face moisturizing.”
Usually, the skin of the heels, feet or foot is drier than other parts of the body. On the contrary, our foot is covered with a thicker skin, known stratum corneum meaning a protective dead layer to protect the surface which we walk on according to Heidi Waldorf, M.D., founder of Waldorf Dermatology Aesthetics and clinical associate professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York.
When this important skin gets dry, scaly, or chapped, it gives us pain and we don’t feel comfortable when we walk. Even cracked heels let you feel lots of irritations if they are untreated or cause calluses or corns.
General cream, balm, or moisturizers sometimes don’t work to heal cracked heels, feet, or foot. You need some stronger emollients that can soothe, treat, moisturize, and protect those spots.
Applying before bedtime gives you faster healing: You can use a healing ointment anytime of the day but most benefits you will get if you apply ointment after taking shower because still your feet is moist (not wet).
Or you can apply some ointment before going to bed. Then wear your socks to ensure sticking the ointment in right and you will get more time to absorb the cream deeper during sleeping.
How to choose the right healing ointment for cracked heels
Read about hydrators & moisturizers: When we asked dermatologists online, they said that a good healing ointment should have an effective cocktail of moisturizers and hydrators. Hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, urea or glycerin is good. And conditioning ingredients like shea butter, petrolatum, ceramides, or dimethicone you can choose.
Look for also skin exfoliators: A good healing ointment for heels should have also some exfoliating compounds like glycolic acid, salicylic acid or lactic acid that can get rid of dead skin cells making your foot smooth, even, and soft.
Keep reading on, below I made a list of the 10 best healing ointments for cracked heels, foot, or feet. These products are also suitable for dry hands, elbows, or knees. Hope, you won’t be disappointed.
1. Kerasal Intensive Foot Repair
Approved by APMA
This healing ointment is for adult’s dry skin. It treats very cracked heels and other dry areas like hands, elbows, and feet. It loosens hard skin and then moisturizes it.
The product exfoliates scaly skin leaving your foot smooth and hydrated. This ointment is clinically proven and approved by American Podiatric Medical Association for dry, cracked, chapped, and chafed skin.
The thing I like: Most of the users got visible result in one week. The combination of urea, soft white petrolatum, and salicylic acid intensively soften cracked heels and dry feet. And, no paraben you can identify in this ointment.
2. Aquaphor Healing Ointment
Most popular pack for whole family
Multipurpose ointment means Aquaphor. Nothing to say about its number of users. A bigger jar to meet all members of your family for their irritated, dry, or cracked skin – heels, foot, feet, elbows, hands, cuticles, lips, or knees.
The thing I like: Even this cream is suitable for minor wounds like scrapes, cuts, or burns for a faster relief. No fragrance, sulfate, parabens, dyes, or preservative, so safe to sensitive skin.
The ointment is clinically proven to restore healthy and soft skin. It replenishes natural moisture level along with creating a protective barrier by increasing oxygen flow of the skin.
3. Dr. Sayman’s Healing Salve
Travel friendly jar
Keep a tin in your purse and go freely anywhere on your feet. The thing I like most it can be also used for babies to treat and prevent their diaper rashes. Also, it is effective for sensitive skin.
This healing ointment is suitable for entire body to heal your dry skin. Use it to all rough, dry, chapped, and cracked areas of your body to treat them overnight.
The thing I like: Its protective barrier keeps you germ-free to get infected further from cracked skin. It is a fast aid also for different minor wounds – burns, gashes, scrapes, or cuts.
4. CeraVe Healing Ointment
Most reviewed one
The ointment is made with skin protecting ceramides that help soothe and defend chafed, cracked, and dry heels. It is developed with dermatologists and accepted by National Eczema Association.
You will feel non-sticky skin all day long with a deeper healing process. Use this balm for extra dry skin like hands, entire body, face, foot, or dry feet.
The thing I like: Its lightweight formula is infused with hyaluronic acid that locks cracked skin in densely moisture and thus mitigates you rapidly. It has no lanolin, so won’t cause irritation or clog pores.
5. Aveeno Cracked Skin Relief CICA Ointment
Day long nourishment
The thing I like: It is free from steroid and fragrances, so gentle for dry, sensitive skin. Its skin protectant power is combined with 3 stronger natural healers – petrolatum, triple oat complex, and shea butter that are super healers for scaled, cracked, and dry skin.
After applying this therapeutic grade ointment, you will feel instant calm and healed skin. It is also dermatologist-recommended brand for severe dry, cracked skin.
Use it on extra dry hands, cracked foot, dry feet, chapped heels, knees, elbows, lips, or larger areas of your body to get immediate nourished skin. I personally like Aveeno product. Their products are very mild and affectionate.
6. Solimo Healing Ointment for Dry, Cracked, or irritated Skin
Amazon Skin Care Brand
It is a product of Amazon own brand, no doubt it is going to be an essential healing ointment or balm for your family. It is ideal for dry, cracked heels, hands, feet, or foot in winter to get extra soft skin.
The thing I like: This therapeutic grade moisturizing cream is not tested on animals and made in the USA using premium foreign ingredients. As having no fragrances, it is non-irritating to the skin.
Solimo ointment helps keep your cracked heels soothed, moisturized, and protected wherever you want to walk on. No paraben or phthalates and tested by pediatrician and dermatologist.
7. Flexitol Heel Magic for Dry Skin
An Australian product
Yea, you can rely on this ointment if you are looking for a good cream or balm for your cracked heels because it will give you smooth and healed foot just in 3 days. Don’t believe? The brand promises!!!
It has an easy-to-use applicator that will help apply the ointment evenly on your chafed skin. The ointment goes into the deeper of the skin and hydrates cracked and dry heels.
The thing I like: This Australian ointment you can also use for cracking & fissures, preventing diabetic anhidrosis, healing dry & cracked feet, and conjunction according to the brand.
8. Neat Feat Foot and Heel Balm
Best for athletes
This ointment also gives you better heels in 3 days. That’s why you can try it. It is also clinically proven and tested to heal targeted cracked spots immediately after application.
The thing I like: The balm is made with natural skin healing and moisturizing components that let you feel every step pain free. Its urea formula heals and soothes chapped skin from outside in. Urea also restores the natural moisture of cracked areas.
To get rapid relief, use it at night. An excellent product for athletes and who are on feet most of the times of the day.
9. O’Keeffe’s Healthy Feet Foot Cream
Best of this list
O’Keeffe’s ointment contains a proper amount of Allantoin that penetrates rougher and thicker surface of the skin and extremely moisturizes dry feet.
The thing I like: Use this balm after bath or at bedtime then it can exfoliate the skin better that is essential for faster relief and smoother skin.
It not only treats your cracked heels or hands but also creates a protective barrier that prevents further cracking by improving moisture level.
10. A+D First Aid Multipurpose Ointment
My favorite pick
It has non-irritating things like paraben, dyes, or phthalates. This ointment helps relieve you and then protect you from further drying out your skin from extreme rough or cold weather.
An ideal OTC healing ointment for cracked, chapped, or dry skin and minor scrapes, cuts, and burns. A family healing balm for all purposes to keep the skin soothed and well moisturized.
The thing I like: Use it on your chapped foot, feet, hands, lips, elbows, heels, and knees to keep them soft and smooth. Washing of frequent hands can cause cuticles extreme dry, apply some ointment on those cuticles and they will go to smooth very quickly.
How I take care of my heels, foot, or feet in winter
My skin is naturally drier-prone. Winter is just an extra pit for me. I suffer most for my dry feet. I follow pumice stone every time during shower to remove scales and flakes. Along with, don’t forget to use a healing ointment for your cracked heels. And try to avoid dust, frictions, or blisters to your foot.
Using ointment and your proper skincare will give your feet looking their best. And you will feel more comfortable to walk on.
