Certain times of the year I long for a nice warm foot soak. It feels like such a treat and is so relaxing. In the winter, my white feet feel cold and dry. In the summer, my sun-kissed feet feel dry and calloused, and during this time, I am most often walking around in bare feet or flip flops. This doesn’t do my feet much good, but honestly, I would wear flip flops year round if it did not snow here. I’ve been known to try it in the snow, but I usually regret it.
You are probably wondering why I don’t just get a pedicure. It is just not my thing. I do go a couple of times a year, but that is about it. It is most often before I go on vacation.
This recipe for my foot soak came from an article out of Sunset Magazine in December of 2018. I made a few changes to it, but if you would like to see the original mix of ingredients, see the link below.
https://www.sunset.com/lifestyle/wellness/health-tonic
Citrus Dust
3 oranges, sliced very thin
Preheat oven to 200℉. Dry the thin slices of citrus on a baking sheet until they are fully dehydrated. This can take 3 to 5 hours or more, so I suggest doing it at least the day before. If you have a dehydrator, you can use that instead of your oven. Once they are dry and completely cool, put them in a food processor and grind them into dust. It will have some chunks which are fine.
Calendula Mixture
¼ cup citrus dust
2 cups lavender Epsom salt
½ cup dried calendula petals and flowers
¼ cup dried oregano
¼ dried sage
2 tsp ground ginger
½ cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp coconut oil
In a bowl combine all of the ingredients, besides the coconut oil, and store in an airtight container.
Soak
In a very large bowl or bucket that can fit both your feet, fill ¾ of the way with warm water, 1 cup of the calendula mixture and 1 tsp coconut oil. Soak your feet for 10 - 20 minutes. Dry your feet, lather them with some extra coconut oil or lotion of your choice, and cover with some socks for another 15 minutes. You can skip the oil, lotion, and socks step, but if you have the time, it is well worth it. Your feet should feel nice and soft, warm, and relaxed.
You can also add the calendula mixture to a bathtub, but I find this a big pain to clean it out when I am finished soaking, so I always go with the large bowl.
