Tips To Help You Care For Feet In Winter

(NAPSI)-Chilly weather, drying indoor heat and hectic schedules can be so rough on feet that it may take a little extra pampering to keep them healthy and happy.

"The colder months often leave our bodies susceptible to hosts of health problems and foot ailments are no exception," said Dr. Ross Taubman, president of the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA). "However, being proactive about things such as proper footwear and moisturizing are just two of the ways to prevent seasonal foot ailments."

According to the APMA, the No. 1 way American women like to show their feet a little TLC is by applying moisturizer (48 percent), followed by an at-home massage (14 percent) and stretching (11 percent).

The APMA suggests these fixes to help get you back on your feet:

1. Massage your feet. Rub feet to release tension, increase circulation and rejuvenate the skin.

2. Soothe your soles. Soak feet for at least five minutes in a container filled with warm water. Pat your feet dry and apply lotion to hydrate your feet.

3. Elevate your legs. Lift your legs above your heart while lying down to help reduce swelling.

4. Rotate your ankles. Cup the foot under the back portion of the heel to brace the foot and leg and turn slowly at the ankle five times. This loosens the ankle joint and relaxes your feet.

5. Point your toes. While standing, do toe raises, toe points and toe curls for five seconds; repeat 10 times. This alleviates toe cramps and strengthens calf muscles.

6. If high heels are creating a burning sensation on the balls of your feet, use colorful ball-of-thefoot cushions such as Foot Petals Tip Toes. Not only do they pamper the feet, but they stop them from sliding forward by moving the center of pressure toward the heel.

7. If your heels hurt, you can put some spring in your step with the help of Spenco for Her Comfort Casual Insoles. Designed to absorb shock and curtail odor, they also prevent blisters, as well as cracked and callused heels.

8. If sassy party slingbacks are digging deep into your skin, create a protective barrier by using a moleskin or Foot Petals Strappy Strips to prevent blisters and strap slippage.

Check out the APMA's Web site, www.apma.org, for a list of approved products, including foot creams, scrubs and powders that are beneficial to maintaining good foot health.

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Pointers for Pampering Yourself in Just 30 Minutes a Week

(ARA) - Work, children, spouses, school and friends – your life is hectic. It’s hard to find time to do it all, let alone a half hour of quiet time for yourself. Yet setting aside just 30 minutes of “me time” each week can help you look refreshed and feel beautiful for days. Here are some tips for making the most of your weekly pampering routine.

* Make time during a shower or bath to exfoliate with a scented body wash, using a sponge or cloth. Concentrate on the areas where skin toughens up like the elbows and knees. Follow up with moisturizer on all areas of your body to keep skin smooth and soft. If your hair is feeling flat and dry from winter’s cold temperatures, try applying a hydrating masque before you blow dry your hair. These concentrated conditioners saturate and smooth the strands, nourishing the scalp for healthy, shining hair all season long.

* Flip on the humidifier as you emerge from the shower. Winter air is much drier than in the summer months, and the body notices it. Having a humidifier running in the bedroom keeps the skin softer and reduces breakage in the hair. Plus, humidifiers also can help with your breathing by loosening up the airways and defeating congestion.

* Treat your teeth to some pampering as well. Remember that smooth, polished feeling you get when you run your tongue over your teeth after walking out of the dentist's office? Now you can enjoy this intensely clean feeling at home. Crest Weekly Clean Intensive Cleaning Paste polishes teeth with ingredients similar to what dentists use, says Dr. Michael Apa, a dentist in New York City, and should be used as a complement to your regular brushing and flossing routine.

* Soak your feet in warm water with salts. Use a pumice stone to soften heels and calluses before giving yourself a foot and lower leg massage to relieve any remaining tension. Also, make professional pedicures last by touching up nail polish in between appointments.

* Finally, before crawling under the covers for a blissful night's sleep, continue the moisturizing treatment for your hands and feet. Lotion helps your nails grow strong and also slows down the signs of aging. Apply lotion on your hands and feet – avoiding the spaces between your toes – and slip on socks or gloves to hold in the moisture while you dream. Make sure you remove any jewelry before this treatment to protect the metal and stones.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Quick Fixes For Healthy, Hydrated, Beautiful Skin

(NAPSI)-Skin, the body's largest organ, is exposed to harmful elements every day. However, there are simple things you can do to prevent dryness damage and help keep your skin looking healthy and beautiful. You may be surprised to learn that some everyday habits can be harmful to your skin.

Habit No. 1: Getting Clean with Soap

The soap you shower with every day can be contributing to dry skin damage. The tight feeling experienced after washing with soap is actually leaving your skin dry and covered in a layer of soap scum. Soap causes damage to the stratum corneum (the top layer of skin) resulting in loss of moisture, which over time contributes to dullness and the appearance of fine lines. When regular soap mixes with calcium found in hard water, a layer of soap scum is formed. Soap scum residue on skin can further increase soap's negative effects on skin.

Beautiful Skin Fix: Use a mild, soap-free cleanser such as Dove Beauty Bar for the best skin care results. It only leaves natural moisturizers that help repair and rebuild your skin. The unique formula adds moisture every time you wash, which over time reduces the appearance of fine lines and improves surface texture of skin. Skin is left feeling moisturized, healthy and beautiful.

Habit No. 2: Letting Dead Skin Cells Build Up

Even if you are regimented about cleansing your skin each day, dead skin cells can accumulate on the surface if you do not exfoliate. These cells can build up on skin's surface, leaving it looking dull and potentially clogging pores, leading to breakouts.

Beautiful Skin Fix: Put a little more muscle into cleansing your skin once or twice a week to help shed dead cells on the skin's surface and reveal a more radiant complexion. Using a soft washcloth or shower pouf can help remove buildup on the skin's surface.

Habit No. 3: Blasting Your Home with "Dry" Air

The heating and cooling system in your home is designed to keep a comfortable living temperature, especially while you sleep. The same system may also be contributing to skin discomfort and dryness. Furnaces and air conditioners rob air of moisture, leaving very little humidity to properly keep skin moisturized.

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Cold-Weather Skin-Saving Essentials

(NAPSI)-Outdoor activities like skiing and snowboarding are fun, but while cold weather may be good for the ski trail, it's not always kind to your skin.

The truth is, the combination of chilly temperatures and reduced humidity saps skin of its natural moisture, making it feel tight and dry and rendering it sensitive to irritants. Combined with the low humidity of indoor heating and hot showers, skin is left cracked and dry. And dry skin equals itchy skin.

To help protect and maintain healthy skin that's soft and smooth through the chill, try these simple, skin-saving tips:

Take Shorter Showers. Believe it or not, water can be very drying to the skin. Brief showers using lukewarm water--rather than long soaks in a hot bath--are more skin friendly.

Keep it Simple. Choose mild soaps, hydrating cleansers and moisturizing cosmetics, and seek lotions that are nonirritating and dermatologist recommended.

Keep Skin Hydrated. The lower the temperature, the more frequently moisturizers should be applied. Select formulations that strengthen skin's moisture barrier and are long lasting. Apply liberally on elbows, knees, feet and hands.

Cover and Protect. When heading outdoors, skin should be adequately protected from cold air and gusting wind. When indoors, avoid sitting right next to drying heat sources. Fireplaces and old-fashioned radiators are especially bad culprits.

Prepare for Itchiness. Since cold temperatures deplete skin of moisture, resulting in dry, flaky skin that's often itchy, irritated and uncomfortable, it's important to use a daily moisturizer to repair and restore skin's health. A good one to try is Lubriderm Intense Skin Repair Calming Relief Body Lotion. Dermatologists like this rich, creamy lotion because it's clinically shown to relieve itchy, dry skin and moisturize for 24 hours with innovative, time-release technology. The soothing emollients and provitamin B5 soothe and moisturize all day.

Use a Humidifier. Consider purchasing a humidifier to maintain air moisture inside homes during the winter.

These skin-saving tips will keep skin soft, comfortable and healthy looking throughout winter's chill.

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