This genius trick for smooth, callus-free feet actually works

September 4, 2017 5:17 PM

If you’re grappling with dry, callused skin and can't get over the weirdness of using Stridex pads on your heels.

Have rough heels? Wondering how to get rid of the calluses on your feet?

If you're anything like us, you've probably scrubbed them frantically with a pumice stone in the shower or headed to the nail salon to get a pedicure. But there may be a better, cheaper, faster way spotted on Reddit: “I use red box Stridex pads on my feet and they work wonders,” says user MetalandIron2pt0. "Sometimes I’ll stick pads where I need them on my feet then keep them in place with a sock and it exfoliates all the nasty sh*t off with no work."

These pads are meant for your face to combat acne—not necessarily to help you get rid of calluses on your feet—so we tapped dermatologist Sarah Cenac Jackson, M.D., of Audubon Dermatology in New Orleans to get her take on if this is safe.

What Stridex pads have going for them is that they’re alcohol-free, she says. However, you shouldn’t just use any salicylic acid pad you can buy OTC, as many do contain alcohol as an ingredient. “[These alternative options] may irritate the surface of the skin much more for the amount of exfoliation that they actually provide,” she says, particularly if you’re leaving them on for a long amount of time.

Genius? Yes! The product we're talking about specifically that will help you get rid of calluses on your feet is Stridex Strength Medicated Pads, which are formulated with two percent salicylic acid, an exfoliator that sloughs off the dead, dry skin.

If you’re grappling with dry, callused skin and can't get over the weirdness of using Stridex pads on your heels, here are a few more products to consider, depending on your budget:

EXCIPIAL 20% UREA INTENSIVE HEALING CREAM

With exfoliating urea, use this “to gently slough away dry skin on hands, elbows, knees, and feet,” says Jackson. What’s more, it’s a great hydrator because it attracts water into your skin, helping to maintain it’s moisture balance, repair cracks, and relieve itching. You’ll also love how silky it feels going on.

GLYTONE ULTRA SOFTENING HEEL AND ELBOW CREAM

When cracked, dry heels are a recurring problem for you, you need to take out the big guns. This is it. “High levels of glycolic acid retexturize and smooth feet,” says Jackson, while vitamin E protects skin from aging factors, and glycerin moisturizes to ease rough patches. Leave this on for up to 30 minutes for max softening benefits.

BLISS SOFTENING SOCKS

If you love the idea of wearing something while Netflixing and getting softer feet without effort, make these your go-to. With a mix of olive oil, grapeseed oil, and vitamin E built into the lining of this sock, these truly make feet feel pampered. Users say taking them off is like an instant pedi.

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