FOOT TREATMENT
There were some incredibly high-scoring products in this category, which – being big fans of footcare us – we are thrilled by; clearly, our readers are cottoning on to the fact that happy feet really do make a happy person.
Once upon a time we only received a handful of contenders in this category, but there were plenty of entries for 2023, making these winners all the more impressive. So: walk this-a-way for this year’s winners…
GOLD (JOINT) AWARD L’OCCITANE Shea Butter Foot Cream
Slightly confusingly, L’Occitane have TWO shea butter foot creams. In 2022, it was the turn of their Shea Intensive Foot Balm to win this category; this year, it’s the original, now-classic Shea Butter Foot Cream which gets a Gold ‘gong’. Described as a ‘pedicure-in-a-bottle’ (actually, a recyclable aluminium tube), it offers 15% community-sourced shea butter from L’Occitane’s pioneering projects in Burkina Fasso, alongside anti-inflammatory arnica, infused with lavender essential oil. (NB, We like that they produce a metal ‘key’ – available separately – to squeeze every last drop out of this product. And we think you’ll want to.)
£23 for 150ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘Love the feel of this foot cream; applied at bedtime after a shower it helps feet to feel soft and moisturised. Lovely fresh smell and quickly absorbed, so no greasy sheets’ • ‘So thick and rich but, amazingly, not at all greasy! It sinks immediately and easily, leaving feet feeling soft and refreshed’ • ‘When I first received this product to test, I was a little disappointed and thought to myself: “I’m sure it smells and feels nice but really, what difference will it make?” However, using it became more than just slathering some cream on my feet; the whole process of the recommended massage, together with the soothing natural qualities of the cream and the calming lavender fragrance, became a really beautiful bed-time ritual of self-care and destressing. Every evening that I have used this product, I always have a perfect peaceful sleep and wake up feeling refreshed, rather than aching’ • ‘Best foot cream I've tried in a long while. Divine fragrance of shea butter that deeply hydrates and soothes dry and/or cracked feet. Makes you feel fresh and ready to take on the day – on foot!’ • ‘I didn't have to trial it; I have used for 10 years nothing in my humble opinion can beat it or even come close.’
£23 for 150ml - click to buy
GOLD (JOINT) AWARD and BEST NATURAL This Works Perfect Heels Rescue Balm
Described by This Works as ‘a miracle balm with cotton thistle and tamanu oil, to tackle dry heels and prettify feet’ – well, we reckon our testers couldn’t have put it better themselves, based on their comments below; it is particular targeted at cracked heels and dry skin. Lanolin, shea butter and soothing allantoin feature, while lemon and lavender deliver refreshment and an antiseptic effect. The minimalist white packaging is 100% recyclable, by the way.
£18 for 75ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘I now make this a Sunday ritual, as it makes such a difference to my feet: the dryness, the dead skin and the itching, which has reduced an awful lot’ • ‘Absolutely everyone in my household has noticed the improvement; partner noticed as I playfully threaten to rub my feet against his legs, which freaks him out’ • ‘LOVED the fragrance! I liked how they didn't do the ubiquitous peppermint for feet fragrance, but went for something more reminiscent of a spa. Felt like a real treat to use, a little self-care ritual to rub it into my feet last thing at night before bed’ • ‘Boyfriend said my feet looked prettier; it definitely helped my feet, which looked and felt so much better. I still had quite a bit of hard skin left after a month, so I treated myself to a cheese-grater thing for the feet which has removed it all; now this cream has reduced it coming back’ • ‘My feet have only ever looked this good when I’ve paid £40 for a pedicure!’ • ‘I was pleasantly surprised by how hydrating this balm was on my feet; it lasted for days after the first application. The texture is interesting, as it’s the first foot product I used that has a matte finish. Due to the herbal scent, I believe this product is unisex and men will also enjoy it very much.’
£18 for 75ml - click to buy
SILVER (JOINT) AWARD and BEAUTY STEAL Soap & Glory Heel Genius Foot Cream
A definite steal, this. From the Boots-owned Soap & Glory range, whose quirky names always slightly belie the effectiveness of their creations, it blends soothing allantoin, macadamia oil and menthol. There’s an exfoliating effect that’s down to AHA fruit acids – bilberry, orange and lemon. In fact, Soap & Glory acknowledge the effectiveness of that skin-sloughing action with a warning to wear SPF on your feet, if you’re going in the sun. (They recommend night-time slathering, then slipping on cotton socks.)
£6.99 for 125ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘I loved this! Used it at least daily during testing and still using it now; I adore the uplifting scent, cooling refreshing feel, generous tube. It goes on smoothly, leaving my feet refreshed, soft and with less hard skin and bumpy bits, thanks to the fruit acids’ • ‘Was really sceptical, but was pleasantly surprised. I am on my feet for over 10+ hours a day, four to five days a week; I get calluses, which normally I use a foot file on. However, whilst using this product I did not use a foot file and just relied on the cream itself. It kept my dry skin and calluses at bay, which was amazing’ • ‘My skin was soft, hydrated and over time it softened my hard skin considerably - the AHAs at work?! I now have younger-looking feet’ • ‘Lovely texture and sinks in very quickly; I would also use it on my hands as a weekly deep condition’ • ‘I had really dry feet from the summer and normally if I leave it too long the skin on my heels will crack; after treating my feet with this a few times, the hard skin is significantly reduced. I even persuaded my husband to give it a try as his feet were really dry and rough; he was so impressed that he asked me if he could use it again.’
£6.99 for 125ml - click to buy
SILVER (JOINT) AWARD Leighton Denny Well Heeled Foot Masque
Something a little different, in the footcare category: the tootsie equivalent of a face mask, from the leading manicurist/pedicurist. (It comes with a pair of pedicure socks, which can be used for an intense overnight treatment – and also stop the sheets getting messy.) Harnessing pineapple and papaya extracts, which have a naturally exfoliating effect, the softening, hydrating mask conditions with olive, avocado and almond oils, to leave skin comfortable and soft, while peppermint puts the spring back in tired feet.
£10 for 150ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘I loved this treatment in a bottle; the socks are fab, complete with bows – and an unexpected treat as usually products mention socks to give an intense treatment, but don't include them. The peppermint smell is very nice, while the masque itself was cooling, exfoliating and left my skin lovely and soft’ • ‘The skin on the bottom of my feet – particularly the balls of my feet and heels where I suffer from cracked hard skin – was noticeably smoother and less rough after one application. After a few applications, the cracks were nearly completely gone and my feet were barely rough or hard at all. I was really surprised by how well this product worked compared to similar products I’ve tried previously’ • ‘My feet were in such bad shape and had really dry cracked heels after a summer in sandals. this has the same effect as going for a £40 pedicure without having to leave the house. My heels in particular are smoother, less cracked and feel intensely nourished and moisturised’ • ‘Loved this product. Really helped treat my feet after longs days standing; my feet felt refreshed and revitalised and it made them lovely and soft. Made my feet feel very soothed and relaxed, smelt fresh’ • ‘Seems to reduce the build-up of hard skin, and my feet didn’t ache so much afterwards.’
£10 for 150ml - click to buy
BRONZE (JOINT) AWARD Manuka Doctor Peppermint Foot & Heel Cream
This flip-top tube features a cooling, hydrating, richly moisturising cream whose key ingredients include healing Manuka honey, which (no surprises there) is the signature ingredient for the whole range. Certified by the New Zealand government, each batch of manuka honey can be traced right back to the group of beehives it came from. Mega-moisturising royal jelly, shea butter and avocado offer swiftly-absorbed nourishment, meanwhile, while rosemary leaf oil has been included to boost circulation, with the aim of reducing puffiness.
£15 for 75ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘A gem:). I used as a mask, first time out, then as a foot cream to keep feet looking amazing and well-hydrated. Truly an amazing product. I give it a well-deserved score of 10’ • ‘I loved the minty fragrance, something between mint, honey and rosemary and very fresh’ • ‘Lovely product and a real treat for feet, pampering for when feet need a bit of extra TLC’ • ‘I've really enjoyed this product. Nicer than any other foot cream I have used’ • ‘My husband noticed my feet were soft and smooth/silky. A lovely foot cream for softening dry skin, and in fact I was quite impressed with how nice my feet felt even just after a few days of use. Although the consistency felt quite thick, it did feel quite luxurious (despite it feeling and smelling a bit like toothpaste!) ’ • ‘My feet were left very moisturised; I was impressed and I absolutely loved this cream, which has a beautiful consistency. I cannot stand foot creams that are too thick and greasy, but this worked so well. It had a lovely fragrance and in the morning my feet were well moisturised and soft. Brilliant! Very impressed’ • ‘Creamy, dense and rich. You can feel the cooling mintiness when you’re applying the product; it didn’t reduce aching, but slightly reduced swelling.’
£15 for 75ml - click to buy
BRONZE (JOINT) AWARD Nu Skin Epoch Sole Solution
Very much a treatment product, targeting ‘the underlying cause of rough, dry and cracked feet, returning them to a soft, smooth, healthy-looking condition.’ It’s naturally fragrant with allspice berry, a cornerstone ingredient (alongside urea and exfoliating papain enzyme, from papaya), used by indigenous people in the rainforests of Central America to ease persistent dry, cracked and red skin on feet. Many of the testers praised the cream’s ability to do just that.
£33.67 for 125ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘Best foot cream I’ve ever used, and I’ve tried so many over the years. Sore cracked, dry skin on my heels has vanished; the heels of my feet have been transformed. I’m in my 60s and I don’t think they have looked so good since my teens. A miracle cream that’s such pleasure to use’ • ‘Amazing at working on rough skin and cracked heels and I never want to stop using it’ • ‘I honestly saw an improvement on the first morning after using it overnight. You really only need a tiny bit and it has lasted me through the summer. I regularly slip my shoes off just to rub my feet together because they feel so smooth – they don’t feel like my feet; to give you a flavour of what my heels were like before I used this product, I have been through two fitted sheets this year from where my heels had made a hole in them’ • ‘Wonderfully soft feet, even after its first application; I was so impressed with how it moisturised my feet and dealt with the unsightly dry skin around the nail bed of my toes, which became plump, pink and hydrated overnight – almost as if their previously neglected state had just been in my imagination’ • ‘Since using this foot cream, my toenails have been more regularly painted, as though this cream has given me a pride in my feet, which I never had before.’
£33.67 for 125ml - click to buy
BRONZE (JOINT) AWARD Margaret Dabbs Intensive Hydrating Foot Lotion
From the UK’s leading purveyor of medi-pedi services – for which she was awarded an OBE in the first King’s Birthday Honours – this was the debut product in Margaret’s range, and says: ‘it’s still my favourite.’ Intensive, yes – but this also promises to be ‘light and non-greasy’, while being suitable for diabetics and through pregnancy. Fresh-scented with lemon myrtle, its nourishing properties are in part down to emu oil.
£26 for 200ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘Yoga friends asked about why I didn’t suffer from dry feet. Told them my new secret! I started using this sparingly then found myself using it very day ( a lovely evening treat before bed for tired feet)’ • ‘Great to keep on the bedside table, to help relax and make you feel that your feet are pampered, while keeping on top of your foot care with ease. I found that I haven’t had to use any foot file and it keeps pedicures looking great for longer and nails are better too. No mini-hoofs for me!!’ • ‘Helped aching feet and sore ankles. Almost a cooling action, like eucalyptus but without the smell’ • ‘I love this; initially I thought it was like any other foot cream, but after a couple of weeks noticed the difference; feet felt much softer, especially the skin on my heels, while toenails looked conditioned and rejuvenated’ • ‘A revelation which I did not expect; it will be a staple in my routine, giving lovely youthful looking toes and feet’ • ‘Soothes and hydrates tired feet, helps cracked heels by keeping well moisturised’ • ‘I like the ease: as it is in a pump, I keep it next to my bed so it will prompt me to apply it. Absorbed into my skin easily; it's also the first product I've used where I have noticed a difference in the texture of my skin.’
£26 for 200ml - click to buy