Step up your self care
Likely, your feet aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when you’re shopping for new skincare products. But, we spend hours on our feet every day and they deserve some self-care. The easiest addition you can make: a foot cream.
The simple addition of a foot cream can make a big difference in common skin conditions that we all experience. “Foot conditions can include thickened heels, calluses, dry cracked heels, and more,” explains Dr. Muneeb Shah, board-certified dermatologist. The good news? There is a cream for every type of foot concern out there, and healing only takes adding a couple of minutes to your daily routine.
Ready to take your self-care to the next level? We tapped experts for their picks and even tried a few top-rated options for ourselves. We considered ingredients and whether or not the creams got rid of calluses, addressed cracked heels, and more. We then cross-referenced our favorites with the ones recommended to us by experts. The result: This curated list of the best foot creams.
Best Overall: Hey Honey Walk the Walk Propolis Foot & Heel Repair Cream
Whether you deal with smelly feet, cracked feet, or blisters, you’ll adore this non-greasy cream from Hey Honey. The natural formula is loaded with purifying bee propolis, odor-eliminating sage and basil extracts, softening vitamin E, plus soothing chamomile and aloe vera. The result: Feet that feel (and smell) better than ever before. The brand recommends applying nightly (making it a great excuse for a foot massage) and putting on socks to lock in the moisture. Come morning, you can expect super-soft feet.
Best Budget: Eucerin Advanced Repair Foot Cream
When you want to nourish your feet without breaking the bank, reach for this foot cream. Its ability to deeply hydrate (thanks to ceramides), while also breaking down rough or callused skin has earned its fan-favorite status. It’s also a favorite of Dr. Shah due to its ability to hydrate and smooth dry, rough feet. “This cream is formulated with ceramide-3 and natural moisturizing factors that enhance the skin barrier—and it’s fragrance-free, making it great for sensitive skin.”
Best Drugstore: Burt’s Bees Coconut Foot Crème
Hear us out: While the Burt’s Bee lip balm may have a permanent spot in your bag, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with their foot cream. Formulated with a mixture of coconut and olive oils, its consistency is thick yet feels more like a balm, allowing it to give a hefty dose of moisture with each use. And, its light, refreshing scent of peppermint and rosemary only adds to its appeal.
Best for Moisturizing:. L’Occitane Shea Butter Foot Cream
Shea butter, the hero ingredient of this product, has long been known for its ability to instantly hydrate skin. Only a dime-sized amount is needed to go a long way in moisturizing, which is why this foot cream should be in everyone’s arsenal. While other rich formulas may have you sliding across the floor, you’ll watch in amazement as this one sinks into the skin in seconds. The cream’s soothing lavender scent essential oil scent is a bonus, too.
Best for Calluses: AmLactin Foot Repair Foot Cream Therapy
Knock out pesky calluses with this foot cream from AmLactin. Its formula helps heal any calluses, splits, and cracks with just a tiny bit of product. Another bonus: Its formula is non-greasy and fragrance-free, making it ideal for use on everyone (and avoiding sliding all-around your house). Dr. Shah is also a fan of this cream as it contains lactic acid to help moisturize and exfoliate.1
Best Scented: Footnanny Eucalyptus Foot Cream
When you apply a foot cream, you want a scent that smells good without being too overwhelming, which is where this eucalyptus-scented pick from Footnanny comes in. Aside from working well on repairing dry feet and heels, it also provides a delicious refreshing scent from the mixture of essential oils within its formula. Also nice: It absorbs speedily without leaving any residue, greasiness, or gross stuff.
Best Balm: Olive & June Heel Balm
If you’re not a fan of messy foot creams, snag this balm from Olive & June. Aside from its incredibly soothing and hydrating formula, this balm offers the simplest, mess-free application. By locking in moisture, it’s intended to repair and rejuvenate dry, cracked skin. Plus, it’s an overnight treatment so it only needs to be applied once a day.
Best Mask: Baby Foot Exfoliation Foot Peel
For a foot that feels as soft as a baby, put on these foot masks from Baby Foot. With each use, it’ll use a whole slew of AHA’s (like glycolic and lactic acids) to exfoliate every inch of dead skin off of your entire foot (yes, entire!).2 It may look like an ordinary foot mask when you first put it on, but for 48 hours after you apply it, you’ll watch your entire foot peel. The results? Feet that look renewed and feel ultra-soft.
Best for Sore Feet: Dr. Bronner’s Arnica Menthol Balm
While this multi-purpose balm can be used on just about everything, we love how well it works for soothing sore feet. Its infusion of hydrating ingredients—think beeswax, avocado, jojoba, and hemp oils—alone make it worth it, but the blend of arnica, camphor, menthol, and peppermint oils are what truly works the magic. For some extra pampering, soak your feet in the tub before applying on.
Best for Blisters: Aquaphor Healing Ointment
Applying moisturizer to your feet while having blisters is not fun by any means, but you can rest assured knowing that this cream from Aquaphor will help heal them. Although it’s not specifically intended for feet, Dr. Shah advises that this cream is a staple for most dermatologists—especially for healing really dry areas. “It combines petrolatum jelly with panthenol, glycerin, and bisabolol,” he says. And with the added healing (and moisturizing) benefits, your blisters will be gone before you know it.
Best for Exfoliating: CeraVe SA Foot Cream
With all the dry skin on our feet, it’s no surprise that exfoliation is necessary. Make the process a bit less tedious by incorporating an exfoliating foot cream like this one from CeraVe. “It contains salicylic acid and other exfoliants to help smoothen skin on the feet,” explains Dr. Shah. And, we’d be remiss to mention that it’s also moisturizing, affordably priced, and made with a gentle, non-irritating formula.
Best Splurge: Susanne Kaufmann Warming Foot Cream
For a truly luxurious experience, slather on this warming foot cream from Susanne Kaufmann. Aside from aiding circulating, dryness, and healing, it makes a great addition to your self-care routine due to the warming and cooling sensation you’ll feel when it’s applied. Add to your foot massage routine or as a little daily luxury at the end of a bad day. One thing is for certain: It’s worth every single penny.
Final Verdict
Foot creams offer a simple way to get rid of calluses, eliminate dry skin, and help keep your feet in tip-top shape. Our top pick is Hey Honey’s Walk the Walk Propolis Foot Cream, as it helps heal a barrage of foot conditions and only requires a tiny bit of product for tons of benefits. Another top choice is Eucerin Advanced Repair Foot Cream. The affordably priced formula deeply hydrates, while breaking down rough skin and calluses on the feet effortlessly.
What to Look for in a Foot Cream
Formula
When it comes to picking a foot cream, the formula is the most important element to consider. If you have an allergy to fragrances (or simply don’t love the smell of a lingering scent), opt for a formula that’s fragrance-free, advises Dr. Shah. The AmLactin Foot Repair Foot Cream Therapy, for example, is a great fragrance-free option. The Footnanny Eucalyptus Foot Cream, on the other hand, has a subtle fragrance that helps offset stinky feet.
Consistency
The skin on our feet tends to be very thick compared to the rest of our body, which is why Dr. Shah recommends a thicker moisturizer. “I look for thicker moisturizers and advise creams and ointments over lotions and gels.” The Susanne Kaufmann Warming Foot Cream has a really rich texture that coats the feet in a luxurious blend of oils and nourishing vitamins.
Ingredients
Every foot cream should contain some exfoliating ingredients, says Dr. Shah. “I also look for exfoliating ingredients like lactic acid, urea (an emollient), or salicylic acid to penetrate that thickened layer of skin.” The Baby Foot Exfoliation Foot Peel contains several exfoliating acids (like lactic, salicylic, and glycolic acids) to help increase cell turnover and reveal smoother, softer skin.
FAQ
What are the benefits of foot creams?
Since many people experience different skin issues on their feet than the rest of the body, foot creams can be helpful. “For one, the circulation to our feet is poor, and we put all our weight onto our feet, so it may help with that,” says Dr. Shah. Many also have jobs that require a lot of walking, which can cause a variety of foot conditions that foot creams may help. “Foot conditions can include thickened heels, calluses, dry, cracked heels, and foot fungus.” The cream can help with all of these things–and more.
How do you apply foot creams?
Apply to both feet twice a day, advises Dr. Shah. “The first application should occur immediately after getting out of the shower when your skin is still damp.”
How often should you apply foot creams?
Dr. Shah recommends applying foot creams twice a day. It’s less messy to massage a cream onto your feet at night, especially when you wear socks afterwards.
How We Researched & Tested
To compile this list, our team of editors and contributors spent hours researching the best products on the market in this category, evaluating their key features—like ingredients, shade range, or design—in addition to reviews from customers and other trusted sources. Our team also incorporated their own personal experiences testing products in their own lives. We then used these insights from our research and testing to assign a star rating from one to five (five being the best; one being the worst) to certain products on the list.
