It is that time of year when I start to think about going barefoot around the garden, getting out the sandals and even wearing my trusty Fitflops again. That means that my feet, which have been encased in shoes or boots all Winter will be coming into view. Time to make sure I can show a clean pair of heels as I walk around the town I think.
I do love to find a product that helps when I have a problem to deal with and one that also lives up to its claims and I am pleased to say that Scholl Cracked Heel Repair Cream did exactly what they said it would, when they said it would and you can't really say fairer than that!
I saw the adverts for this product one Summer and it sounded good. As I had rather rough heels with quite a bit of dry skin I thought I would give it a try so when I saw it on sale in my local supermarket I popped it into my trolley and purchased it. It retails at around £5 for a 60ml tube so you couldn't exactly say it was cheap but I figured if it worked it would be money well spent.
According to the Scholl website "At around four times thicker than the body's average, the skin on the soles of your feet is strong enough to absorb the impact of some 3.5 million steps every year. This tough-for-task aptitude is particularly true of the heel - the first part of the foot to make contact with the ground when walking or running. This resilience, however, is also the heel's weakness. "
They go on to suggest that "Thick skin does not absorb or expel moisture easily and can be prone to dryness, which, if untreated, can lead to cracks. Heels are particularly prone to dryness and cracks in the summer, when we wear sandals and shoes which leave the heels exposed. Likewise, lack of moisture in the skin of the heel makes it less flexible. When the foot moves, rather than going with the flow, the skin copes with the stress by splitting and creating cracks."
It all sounds quite horrible to me and what they describe seems to be far worse than just my bit of dry skin - however it does look unsightly in sandals so for the Summer it is great if I can make it disappear.
The instructions suggest that you apply it twice daily to clean dry skin and then once the skin is restored just use as necessary. So that was what I did - the cream has a very thick and somewhat sticky consistency but it does apply easily. However as it remains on the heel for a little while it is a good idea to cover the area with socks until it is absorbed (or wear slippers) as it can make the feet quite slippery and it could make a greasy mark on the floor.
They say you should see an improvement within three days - but to be honest I started to notice a huge improvement after just one day - I expect they have to be conservative because it depends on how significant the problem is.
In truth I used it last Summer but then forgot about it for a while - I dug it out again the other day in preparation for an important event and just a couple of treatments gave the improvement I was seeking.
The main component of the cream is urea (which worried me a little so I did some research) - apparently our skin contains three Natural Moisturising Factors: Urea Lactic Acid and Amino Acids. One of the most effective natural moisturisers is Urea, which the skin makes from protein and represents 7% of the natural moisturising factor in the outer layer of skin. Urea is naturally present in healthy skin but when the skin is dry the level of urea in the skin is reduced. I was relieved to discover that - because so far as I was concerned Urea is a waste product of many living organisms, and is the major organic component of human urine!
I am hoping (and trusting) that the urea in the Scholl Cracked Heel Repair Cream is synthetically produced. However for those of you interested in weird facts I understand that in years gone by apprentice bricklayers were advised in Winter to pee on their chapped hands to relieve the discomfort. It would therefore appear that the healing properties or urea have been well known for quite some time!
Would I recommend it?
Yes - I must say I can recommend this product if you suffer from dry or cracked skin on your heels - it does seem to work effectively and quite quickly. It isn't cheap but a tube does last quite a long time.
This review has also been published by me on dooyoo
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