Health: 5 Tips To Combat Cold Feet
In winter, the most sensitive to cold often have icy feet, despite their efforts to bundle them up and rub them. To avoid having frozen toes all day or all night, there are natural solutions that truly warm you up. We are going to give you 5 tips for combating cold feet.
Choose socks made of the right material.
The first of the 5 tips for cold feet is about choosing the right socks. For your socks to be truly effective and warm up your chilly toes, you must select the correct material.
Synthetic fiber socks should be avoided because they promote sweating and hence the feeling of cold feet.
To stay warm, it's crucial to avoid moisture in your shoes. That's why it is recommended to:
• apply talcum powder inside your shoes if necessary.
• favor socks made from natural materials such as cotton, wool, or Scottish thread (a sweat-resistant cotton yarn).
Wear shoes that are the right size.
Choosing the right shoes is another of the 5 tips for combating cold feet.
To keep your feet warm, your shoes should be:
• well-insulated: opt for closed models with a thick sole, and if necessary, lined models that block out the cold.
• waterproof: since rubber rain boots are the only truly waterproof shoes, it's generally necessary to waterproof the upper part of other models before wearing them.
• the correct size: when buying shoes, you must also ensure your feet are not cramped. Choose a model that allows your toes to move freely and avoid layering tights and socks! Blood circulation in your toes, ankles, and calves must be optimal to warm your feet all the way to the tips.
3- Add insulating insoles.
As we mentioned earlier, the shoes that best protect feet from the cold are those with good rubber soles. However, if your profession requires you to wear pumps, loafers, or derbies with thin soles, you can resort to another of the 5 tips against cold feet.
In these shoe models that do not sufficiently insulate the foot from the cold and ground moisture, the solution is to add insulating insoles.
The most sensitive to cold can even use adhesive warmers, to be placed at the bottom of the shoe, which emit comforting warmth for 5 hours.
4- Take a foot bath with essential oils.
When you come home with cold feet, the best way to warm them up is to soak them in warm water. To increase effectiveness, one of the 5 tips against cold feet is to add warming essential oils to the water.
In practice, you simply need to:
• dilute 5 drops of rosemary, cypress, mint, or ginger essential oil in a tablespoon of vegetable oil or cow's milk.
• fill a basin with warm water.
• pour your essential oil mixture into the water.
• soak your feet for about fifteen minutes or as long as the water temperature is comfortable.
Note: The essential oils mentioned above have vasodilatory properties. This means they stimulate blood circulation and promote the warming of extremities.
5- Give a massage using warming creams.
To perfect your warming foot care or simply to thaw your toes on days when you don't have time for a foot bath, you can also massage your feet with a warming cream.
To implement the last of the 5 tips against cold feet, opt for creams formulated with pepper or capsaicin, the spicy substance in chili peppers.
Upon application, these products trigger a sensation of warmth on the skin's surface. Moreover, there is no need to use a lot: a dollop of warming cream is enough to comfort frozen feet.
The right way to perform this foot massage is to grasp the foot between both hands and apply sliding pressures from the heel to the toes. Don't be afraid to press firmly on your arch, as the skin there is thicker.
Note: if the sensation of having cold feet persists despite these tips, talk to your general practitioner or a podiatrist to check that this uncomfortable sensation is not the symptom of an underlying condition such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, or Raynaud's disease (a chronic disease that affects blood circulation in the extremities).
