Best Foot Scrubbers

Wearing proper shoes is important. There is an old adage that says, “A person should go so far as to sell the roof beams of his house, in order to buy shoes for his feet!” But, if your shoes press on your feet improperly, you might start developing hard, thick skin on your toes or on the soles of your feet. These can be corns (small, round growths) or calluses (irregularly shaped patches of hard skin). Or it could be scaly patches of skin on the heel of your foot. At first, you might not even notice them. But, if they get very thick, they might start to be painful. A good foot scrubber can help you remove these hard, uncomfortable patches of skin.

But there are variations among foot scrubbers. There are foot scrubbers that consist of bristle brushes, that stimulate your feet as well. There are also scrubbers that employ porous pumice stones that provide just the right amount of abrasiveness to remove dead skin. And there are also metal files of varying grades, to either remove calluses or just smooth your skin. Together with moisturizing creams and soaps (and other cosmetics products among the MSN buying guides), you can get your feet to be soft and delicate again!

What Types of Foot Scrubbers Are There?

There is quite a variety of foot scrubbers, both manual and even electric:

• Pumice stone: Pumice stone occurs when a volcano emits lava which cools very quickly when being exposed to the air. This makes pumice porous and aerated. Because it is so porous, you can moisten it like a sponge before scrubbing your feet. Some manufacturers provide a pumice stone as part of a foot scrubber, or you can also buy a pumice stone that is specially shaped to be convenient for scrubbing the soles of your feet. It can be used to remove corns, calluses, warts, dead skin, and rough parts of your feet. One example is the Pixnor Pedicure Pumice Stone Block.

Pixnor Pedicure Pumice Stone Block

• Terra cotta scrubbers: In some cases, though, a pumice stone may develop deep, irregular fissures that trap dead skin and spawn bacteria. Another option is terra cotta foot scrubbers, which can imitate the texture of pumice stones. It’s made from clay that has been fired in a kiln, and it has the advantage that it won’t crack like a natural pumice stone or rust like a metal implement. The Gilden Tree 2-Sided Foot Scrubber has a scrubbing side and a gentler buffing side that you use afterward to smooth your skin.

Gilden Tree 2-Sided Foot Scrubber

• Cleaning sandal/shower foot scrubber: There are also sandals that you wear while in the shower that help remove dead skin cells from the soles of your feet. For example, the Mighty Rock Foot Scrubber includes bristles and a pumice stone at the heel. The advantage here is that you can exfoliate the skin on your feet without having to bend over to scrub your feet by hand. These sandals have suction cups at the bottom so that you don’t slip, and holes at the top to pour in liquid soap.

Mighty Rock Foot Scrubber

• Steel or nickel rasps: There are also handheld metal files that are specifically for removing corns, calluses, and dead skin that accumulates on the heels. The Superigo 3-in-1 foot spa scrubber pedicure kit uses a fine and coarse steel file, as well as a scraper. After soaking the callused area, they recommend 1) using the blade to file away the dead skin, 2) Polishing the area with the rough file, and 3) using the fine, matte file to polish the area smooth.

Superigo 3-in-1 Foot Spa Scrubber Pedicure Kit

• Electric scrubbers: There are also battery-powered callus removers, which have a number of rotating heads to gently scrub, polish and buff your feet. The Spa Savvy 4-in-1 Powered Pedicure Callus Remover is one such device, with interchangeable heads that serve as a brush to exfoliate your skin, a pumice stone, a coarse buffer for removing chapped skin from the heels of your feet, and a moisturizing sponge to apply lotion after all that scrubbing.

Spa Savvy 4-in-1 Powered Pedicure Callus Remover

What Useful Tips Are There For Using a Foot Scrubber?

• Don’t let calluses come back: Removing the layer of dead skin cells stimulates the skin to regrow in a healthier way, without the rough or hard patches. But you don’t want the skin to become hard again. In order to keep corns and calluses from redeveloping, it’s recommended to take the following steps:

  • Avoid shoes that aren’t too narrow, to prevent friction between your toes and the shoe when walking

  • Wearing socks or cushioned insoles, to reduce friction

  • Cut your toenails regularly. Having long toenails can also cause the foot to be cramped inside the shoe. The resulting friction can lead to calluses.

• Procedure for removing corns and calluses: It’s recommended to use foot scrubbers in the following manner:

  • Soak the area with the corn/callus for 5-10 minutes, until it becomes soft.

  • Wet the foot scrubber (pumice stone, emery board, or metal rasp) and start rubbing it on the hard patch of dead skin. Rub in one direction only, and take care not to break the skin. If it starts to hurt or bleed at any point, stop immediately.

  • After the treatment, apply a moisturizing cream. There are creams with urea, salicylic acid, and ammonium lactate, that soften skin. They’re the best for getting rid of calluses.

• How often to perform a scrubbing: The bristle brush foot scrubbers can give an invigorating massage to your feet. But, experts recommend removing dead skin cells no more than once every few weeks. Scrubbing vigorously at the feet may make the skin too sensitive.

Are There Any Precautions To Take When Using a Foot Scrubber?

A foot scrubber can help you remove calluses and corns, and also invigorate and massage your feet. But it may not be recommended for certain people with pre-existing conditions:

• Diabetics: People with diabetes shouldn’t try to remove corns and calluses without consulting a doctor first. This is because diabetics have reduced sensitivity in their feet. Removing a hard callus might damage the skin and cause infection, without the diabetic even realizing it. (There are gentle methods to soften corns and calluses, such as using exfoliant creams and softeners.)

• People with circulatory problems: Similarly, people with poor circulation in their feet should be careful in removing corns and calluses themselves. In such cases, a break in the skin may not heal well.

• Delicate skin: People with delicate skin should also try using more gentle exfoliation treatments. Using something too abrasive can damage the skin and cause infection, doing more harm than good.

• Avoid using a razor: Even though there are foot scrubbers among the MSN Top 10 that employ razor blades in a scraper device (such as the Superigo 3-in-1 Foot Spa Scrubber Pedicure Kit that we looked at earlier) podiatrists suggest avoiding using a razor, even when used by a salon technician. A razor can remove too much skin, causing infection and making the foot overly sensitive.

Wrap Up

We’ve looked at a sample of the MSN 10 best foot scrubbers, along with investigating reasons why you’ll need them, as well as some interesting tips on how to use them most effectively. We also noted some of the caveats of using a foot scrubber and the accompanying tools. You should be able to make an informed decision on which one is best for you and your feet!