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DIY Homemade Foot Lotion |  |
Just Three Easy-to-Find Ingredients, Mixed at Home. Great for Gifts.
COMPLIMENTS!
- "It's been about five weeks now and my dry old Hobbit feet have been replaced by feet that look brand new." ~ Tom
I Call It the Pinterest Effect
It needs a name, this sudden obsession, no that's not it, let's say, "fascination" to DIY, do-it-yourself.
Not so long ago, I'd have laughed out loud if someone suggested homemade foot lotion. Isn't that the stuff of companies with chemists and manufacturing facilities?
And then it occurred to me. Everything that's now manufactured in labs and factories was first dreamed up in kitchens and garages and tinkers' workshops – until it became commercialized.
So for me, DIY that is an extension of my kitchen, my food sensibility, my frugal nature, it just makes sense.
And besides, you should feel our soft feet ...
The Lessons of Type 2 Diabetes
People newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes have so much to learn, at first it’s confounding. There’s the diet changes, the glucose testing, the medication, the weight loss, the carbs, the sugars, the insulin.
One big lesson? The importance of taking extra-good care of your feet. That’s because diabetes restricts blood flow to the feet and this means, ouch! that any blister, any scrape, any cut, can fail to heal and all-too-quickly may veer out of control.
But good foot lotion is pricey.
I’m not talking the $$$ lotions from cosmetic counters. Even the utilitarian lotions recommended by dermatologist like the very good Cetaphil are pricey.
So do the math.
You can spend about $10 to make 48 ounces of DIY Homemade Foot Lotion, that’s $.22 per ounce.
Or you can buy foot lotion. The best price I find for Cetaphil is at Walmart.com for $.75 an ounce.
That’s more than THREE TIMES MORE!
But from there, the prices only go up. Cetaphil sells elsewhere online for up to $1.30 an ounce.
That’s almost SIX TIMES MORE!
So take care of your feet without breaking the bank.
We’ve been using this lotion since 2012 and you’ve never seen softer, smoother heels and soles.
Here’s to healthy feet!
What's In DIY Homemade Foot Lotion? Just Three Easy-to-Find Drugstore Products.
As in all my food recipes, every ingredient serves a purpose. Each one matters. Each one contributes. It's not that an ingredient can't be substituted by something else but when choosing the substitute, it's important to understand why the original ingredient was present in the first place.
FYI I’ve constructed this recipe to efficiently use generic-size products found at my local Walmart store. Since they're not shelved all in one place, to save you some hunting, look first in the Baby Section and the First Aid section.
- Petroleum Jelly You might know petroleum jelly by one of the brands, Vaseline. It's a very thick, not in the least bit pourable. It's amazing stuff but it's so thick, on its own, it's difficult to apply just a small amount. A reader suggest that a good plant-based substitute for petroleum jelly is the shea butter.
- At Walmart, look for petroleum jelly in the Baby Section.
- Baby Lotion Baby lotion, it's smooth, gentle and pourable. That makes it a useful delivery vehicle for the rich, thick petroleum jelly. A generic baby lotion works just fine, either scented or unscented.
- At Walmart, look for petroleum jelly in, duh, the Baby Section.
- Vitamin E Skincare Cream I love this stuff, it seems to "cool" everything down, make it creamier and somehow, more healing.
- At Walmart, look for Vitamin E Skincare Cream in the First Aid Section. That should tell you something ...
How to Make DIY Homemade Foot Lotion
The detailed recipe is written in traditional recipe form below but here are the highlights in two easy steps. You can do this!
Mix the Ingredients A stand mixer helps since there's a lot to mix and it's quite thick. It takes a couple of minutes to completely combine everything and odds are good, you'll need to scrape the side of the bowl and the beaters at least a couple of times.
Package the Mixed Lotion Use clean, even sterilized containers.
It takes awhile to collect enough but I re-use the Vitamin E jars, first washing them well and then sterilizing by running through the dishwasher by themselves.
I'd prefer to use glass jars, probably half-pint glass canning jars but also don't want to risk broken glass in a bathroom / bedroom area where feet are likely to be bare.
To limit contamination after packaging, use a few (or many) small containers rather than one giant container. Small jars also make it easier to toss just one into a travel bag or to gift to someone who complains about rough feet.
Bookmark! PIN! Share!
How do you save and share favorite recipes? recipes that fit your personal cooking style? a particular recipe your mom or daughter or best friend would just love? If this recipe for a homemade foot lotion hits the mark, go ahead, save and share! I'd be honored ...
DIY HOMEMADE FOOT LOTION
Time to foot: 20 minutes
Makes 48 ounces
- 13 ounces petroleum jelly (you might know this by the brand name Vaseline) or shea butter
- 27 ounces baby lotion (any brand, any scent or scent-free)
- 12 ounces Vitamin E Skincare Cream
In a large mixing bowl, mix all three ingredients until smooth for about two minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl often.
Transfer to clean, dry lotion containers.
Use the lotion daily, rubbing your feet with it before putting on socks and shoes. While applying the lotion, inspect your feet, watching for any changes, any sores, any bruises.
I’ve adjusted this “recipe” to most efficiently use the generic-size products found at my local Walmart store. They’re not all in one place though. Find the petroleum jelly and baby lotion in the baby section, the Vitamin E cream in the first aid section. Feel free to adjust ingredients up or down to your own texture preferences, especially the Vaseline. Use more Vaseline for a thicker, richer emollient, less for something less so. I wash and re-use the containers, especially the four-ounce Vitamin E tubs. You’ll need twelve to hold the full recipe so until you collect enough, use the petroleum jelly container or sure, the empty Cetaphil tub! Since the photos were taken, I've learned that it's easy to remove the labels from both the Vitamin E and Cetaphil tubs. It’s hard to squirt out the baby lotion, it’s just so thick. To fix this, put the container in the microwave for 10 or 15 seconds at a time until it softens enough to squeeze out easily. Of course, this lotion can be used on hands too, in fact, after using it on your feet, rub the excess onto the back of your hands, they’ll be soft and supple all day long! But it’s a little rich for day use so I tend to use it at night, letting the lotion do its work while I get shut-eye!
FOR MORE INFO If you "skipped straight to the recipe," please scroll back to the top of this page for ingredient information, ingredient substitutions, tips and more.
If you print this recipe, you'll want to check the recipe online for even more tips and extra information about ingredient substitutions, best results and more. See https://www.kitchenparade.com/2013/01/diy-homemade-foot-lotion.html .
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My Weekly Column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
- THE RECIPE DIY Substitute for Baker's Joy Just three ingredients and works like a charm.
- ANOTHER HOMEMADE SUBSTITUTE DIY Homemade Foot Lotion Take care of your feet, three easy-to-find ingredients.
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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences.
Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.
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My feet are always dry from going barefoot and I am a diabetic. Since I had my thyroid out my hands and body are extremely dry, I am going to try to adapt this for both problems. Thank you posting this
ReplyDeleteKA Winnie ~ Oh that makes this entire post worth it, thank you for writing to let me know! It is so important to take care of your feet - and hands too! Let me know how it goes ...
ReplyDeleteCould you use shea butter or beeswax instead of petroleum jelly? I have concerns about petroleum jelly, environmental and otherwise. Thanks! ~ Kris
ReplyDeleteKris, yes, I have abbreviated your comment which appears verbatim on many, many other sites. I'm glad you brought up the topic but won't allow my site to become someone else's platform. Thanks! ~Alanna
But yes, you can use shea butter which is a plant-based cream. In fact, I'll use it the next time ...
Perfect timing for this--I emptied out a couple of tubs in the shower (deep conditioner and a body polish, I think) but they haven't made it out of the house into the recycling yet, so I'll be starting off ahead with containers to put my newly-made cream in. You're right--the good stuff is expensive!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
I'll be trying this soon. I make a scrub that I use on my hands and feet from 1/2 cup baby oil (though you can use olive oil or almond oil) and 1 cup kosher salt.
ReplyDeleteHi Alanna,
ReplyDeleteI live in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I've read that the UP has the highest per capita Finn population anywhere outside of Finland. I found your blog a year or so ago while looking for Finnish recipes. That's how I found your site.
Anyway, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. It's been about five weeks now and my dry old Hobbit feet have been replaced feet that look brand new. There are few products that a person can see results so quickly that there are actually excited to use them. This is one.
Thanks for posting this.
Tom