DIY Homemade Foot Lotion

I call it the "Pinterest effect" – the sudden obsession, no that's not it, let's say, "fascination" to DIY, do-it-yourself. Not so 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 made now in factories was first made in kitchens and garages and tinkers' workshops – until it became commercialized.

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 my soft feet.

People newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes have so much to learn, at first it’s confounding. There’s the food, 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 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 can 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 April 2012 and you’ve never seen softer, smoother heels and soles.

Here’s to healthy feet!

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. 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, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. Follow Kitchen Parade on Facebook!

DIY HOMEMADE FOOT LOTION

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to foot: 20 minutes
Makes 48 ounces

• 13 ounces petroleum jelly (you might know this by the brand name Vaseline)
• 27 ounces baby lotion (any scent)
• 12 ounces Vitamin E cream

In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients until smooth, about two minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl often. Transfer to clean, dry lotion containers. Use 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.

Adapted from Homemade Hand Cream by Patchwork Times.

ALANNA's TIPS 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 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 it 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!

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DIY Homemade Foot Lotion:
Just Three Easy-to-Find Ingredients

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.

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