Top 5 Foot Moisturizing Tips for Men

There are a lot of moisturizing options, so do you have to use foot cream to soothe dry, cracked feet? Yes and no. If you want to buy one do-it-all moisturizer and use it on all your dry body parts (including your feet) you'll still be better off than not using any moisturizer at all. However, lotions, balms, creams and serums are often specially made with a specific skin area and type in mind. Eye creams, for example, will have ingredients that won't sting the delicate skin under the eyes. It's similar with foot creams. They tend to be thicker than body lotions, and many contain ingredients that can penetrate thick soles like other moisturizers can't.

Your feet will get the most out of a moisturizer if you use it just after washing them, preferably while they're still a little damp. Wash your feet in warm, not hot, water to avoid additional moisture loss from your skin -- a good tip for your whole body, not just your feet -- and use a moisturizer that's alcohol-free.

Take note: Be sure to keep the spots between your toes dry. Moisture between the toes, whether it's lotion or water left over from your shower, a swim or sweat, can attract bacteria, which increases your risk of developing fungal infections like athlete's foot.

If you're a runner or if you spend a lot of time walking or hiking, you have additional foot considerations, such as blister prevention. Blisters can become a problem if there's friction in your shoes (make sure both your socks and shoes fit properly), and the problem can worsen with sweat and heat.

While a powder can help reduce the sweat factor, you'll need a product to prevent blisters. Popular blister-preventing lubricants include petroleum jelly and stick-formatted products such as Body Glide. Apply them to your feet before running (or whatever your activity may be) to help prevent blisters from forming, and note the same lubricant can be used to temporarily ease the pain of a blister before you're able to treat it.

When feet get dry -- and we mean arid -- the heels can become cracked and may even develop fissures in severe cases. This super-dry skin is a condition known as xerosis. You're also upping your risk of cracked heels if your shoes don't fit properly -- anything that rubs on the heel can cause problems.

Aside from looking unpleasant, cracks and fissures in your heels pose a health concern if you don't treat them. They're an open invitation for bacteria to invade, causing potentially life-threatening infections. Regularly slathering on foot cream can help prevent -- and treat -- cracked heels.

Keeping your feet well moisturized should be part of your daily routine, just like your shower, but an occasional exfoliation will help to remove dead skin cells and smooth rough patches.

After -- or during -- your shower, rub the bottoms of your feet and heels with a pumice stone to remove dead skin and patchy spots, and follow up with a thick moisturizer. Don't have a pumice stone? Sandpaper will do the trick. A good exfoliation a few times a week -- don't overdo it -- can lessen the need for thick creams to heal calluses, dry heels and soles.

Sound like a lot of effort just for feet? Skip the pumice stone and pick up a foot cream that lists salicylic acid, lactic acid or urea in its ingredients -- these are all known to make skin smoother and are tough enough to handle even the thickest spots on feet in just one step.