The holiday hustle is REAL: malls, grocery stores, the post office, picking up and dropping off, holiday parties and events, the hunt for the right gift for that hard-to-shop-for person (last year was brutal) — you’re up and at ’em pretty much until New Year’s Day. This means by the time you put all those miles on your sweet little feet, they’re really, really mad at you. We’re talking aches and pains that seem to run all the way up and down your legs through your toes and back again. Ouch.
Which is why it seemed like the right time to create a list of our favorite foot and leg treatments for your poor, tired, aching tootsies. Take a load off and sink into some of these soothing creams and salves that will soothe both your soul and your battered soles.
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This article originally appeared on TotalBeauty.com
10 Foot Masks and Treatments Because Your Feet Are Killing You
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Aveda
Foot Relief Moisturizing Creme, $24 at Nordstrom
This is one of our personal gold standards when it comes to must-have foot relief. Exfoliating fruit acids help soften rough skin while peppermint oil and tea tree oil cool and invigorate. Feet are softer, skin is smoother, muscles are less painful and everything is better.
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Plant Apothecary
Super Soak Organic Healing Bath, $28 at Nordstrom
We love a good natural solution to our problems and this organic bath product is a dream come true: organic mustard draws heat increases circulation so lactic acid buildup in the muscles can drain away while eucalyptus delivers sweet relief. Half a cup in your bath will do it, and after soaking for 20 minutes you can rinse and feel like a whole new person.
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Mama Mio
Lucky Legs Cooling Leg Gel, $21 at Mama Mio
Designed for the sore legs of mothers, this incredibly refreshing gel combines aloe vera, menthol, chamomile, spearmint and yarrow for immediate cooling relief and revitalization. This is a must-have for holiday travel, especially with a non-stop schedule like yours.
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L'Occitane
Shea Butter Foot Cream, $12 at L'Occitane
Shea butter is a gift for beat feet and this nourishing foot cream is packed with it. Along with lavender and arnica essential oils, it hydrates and provides much-needed relief. Plus, this small tube is great on the go: the holiday season isn't over yet and there's a LOT more walking to do.
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The Body Shop
Peppermint Reviving Pumice Foot Scrub, $8.40 at The Body Shop
Sometimes, the best thing you can do for aching feet is to stimulate the blood flow back into those tired muscles (high heels are murder this way). This refreshing foot scrub combines exfoliating volcanic rock granules and community-trade cooling peppermint essential oil to reinvigorate those beaten feet while it removed hard skin, leaving you smoother, happier and refreshed.
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Bliss
Aloe Leaf & Peppermint Foot Cream, $10 at Ulta
From the legendary spa company that brought pampering to the masses comes another genius product: a foot cream that refreshes with cooling peppermint while it combines aloe and alpha hydroxy acids to soften rough skin and smooth the surface of your feet. Rough, dry skin will be a thing of the past, and you'll be back on your feet in no time.
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Starskin
Magic Hour, $15 at Barneys New York
Just can't wait to get out of your shoes and into your favorite cozy socks? Well, then, may we suggest you take it up a notch with this ingenious foot mask/sock combination that not only soothes your tired, aching feet but also exfoliates and nourishes them as well? Get rid of callouses and dead skin and refresh tired muscles while you Netflix and — well, whatever takes 60-90 minutes while they work. Dead skin will slough off over the next few days, leaving you with sweet relief and smoother feet in no time.
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Gehwol Med
Salve for Cracked Skin, $23 at Dermstore
This company is pretty singularly focused on the health and welfare of the feet, which means they truly knew what they were doing when they designed this soothing combination of skin-loving oils and medicated soaps. This is for feet that have truly had it, designed to reduce inflammation and restore skin that is severely dry and rough to the point of cracking. This salve is sweet relief, and we love it.
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Elemis
Tea Tree SOS Spray, $40 at Dermstore
Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic, which comes in handy if you have a cut or abrasion or, to be honest, if your legs and feet are killing you. Packed with active botanicals, this spray not only acts as a natural foot deodorant and disinfectant but can help alleviate the bacteria that cause body acne. Cool, refreshed feet AND a clearer body complexion? Sign us up.
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Dr. Teal's
Pure Epsom Salt Therapeutic Soak, $4.97 at Walmart
In the end, there's pretty much no better remedy for sore muscles and aching limbs than a soak in good, old-fashioned Epsom salt. The magnesium sulfate really helps relieve muscle tension, aches and pains. Dr. Teal's has many varieties of their amazing salts — lavender, eucalyptus and spearmint, pink Himalayan — so feel to experiment, but we always come back to the original that soothes it all.
