9 Best Foot Creams For Silky-Smooth Feet
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We obsess over the perfect serums for our faces and slather our bodies in luxurious lotions, but when it comes to the best foot cream…where to start? They’re often an afterthought—until you suddenly notice those cracked heels and think, damn. They can be a game-changer alongside a foot scrub. “The skin on the soles of our feet is up to five times thicker than other body parts. That thickness provides essential protection and cushioning, allowing feet to handle pressure and friction daily,” says Anne M. Sharkey, DPM, a podiatrist at North Austin Foot and Ankle Institute in Cedar Park, TX. But even though our feet our built tougher, “the skin on our feet shouldn’t be overlooked,” she says.
“Your feet withstand a lot of trauma, from standing, running, walking, and through friction in shoes,” adds Amy Freeman, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in Millburn, NJ. But there’s only so much your soles can take. “Neglecting foot care can lead to dry or cracked skin; once the skin barrier is compromised, it becomes easier for fungal or bacterial infections to develop. Plus, well-maintained skin is healthier and simply more comfortable,” says Dr. Sharkey.
Whether your feet need a full-on rehab or you want to show them some TLC, the right foot cream — formulated specifically for the thicker skin on your soles — can transform dry, rough heels to feel baby soft. From rich, buttery formulas to refreshing, peppermint-infused products that feel like a mini spa treatment, the best foot cream can leave you ready to put your best foot forward.
Best Foot Cream Overall: L'Occitane Shea Butter Foot Cream, $30
Best Splurge: Tenoverten The Sole Mate Foot Balm, $36
Best Budget: Burt's Bees Coconut Oil Foot Cream, $12
Best Quick-Absorbing: Ahava Dead Sea Water Mineral Foot Cream, $24
Best Multitasker: Bliss Aloe Leaf & Peppermint Foot Cream, $16
Best Peel: Baby Foot Original Exfoliation Foot Peel, $25
Best Balm: Pedestrian Project Cracked Heel Repair Foot Care Balm, $14
What is the best thing to moisturize your feet with?
How can I fix my extremely dry feet?
How to get rid of hard skin on feet permanently?
How we test and review products
L'Occitane
Why we love it: We’re known for tossing the cult-favorite L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream into every bag, so naturally, their Shea Butter Foot Cream has big shoes to fill (pun intended). This luxurious option is enriched with omega-packed shea butter to deeply hydrate and soften even the roughest heels, while lavender essential oil soothes and relaxes tired feet. Add with the anti-inflammatory power of arnica, you’ve got the perfect remedy for swollen, achy feet after a long day. Plus, the texture is rich but not greasy, so your feet feel soft without slipperiness.
Editor's tip: The flexible packaging makes getting every last drop of cream easy, especially when paired with a handy tube squeezer.
Key ingredients: shea butter, lavender essential oil, arnica flower extract | Fragrance-free: no
Tenoverten
Why we love it: Rarely do we consider foot balm a luxury, but Tenoverten's The Sole Mate Foot Balm completely redefines the experience. Packed with nourishing vitamin E and botanical oils, this balm transforms your foot care routine into an indulgent, spa-like ritual — reminiscent of a trip to the Allure editor-favorite NYC nail salon. Its velvety texture melts into dry, cracked heels, offering intense hydration and leaving behind a delicate, soothing scent. The sleek, mess-free stick format adds a touch of convenience, making it a true self-care treat for your feet.
Editor's tip: The product gets its lovely, light scent from natural essential oils like geranium, lavender, and manuka oil.
Key ingredients: manuka oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil | Fragrance-free: yes
Burt's Bees
Why we love it: If your feet feel seriously dry—like desert-level dry—it’s time to swap those vibes for something more tropical. Burt's Bees Coconut Oil Foot Cream is a rich, coconut-infused formula that deeply hydrates cracked heels, with extra help from rosemary and peppermint extracts to refresh and revive. The texture of the cream is thicker and more solid at room temp, but as soon as the coconut oil-based cream hits your skin, it melts right in, leaving your feet feeling soft, smooth, and ready for anything.
Editor's tip: Warm the cream between your hands for a few seconds to let the coconut oil emulsify a little before applying to your feet.
Key ingredients: coconut oil, glycerin, rosemary leaf extract | Fragrance-free: yes
Ahava
Why we love it: We’ve long relied on the AHAVA Dead Sea Water Mineral Hand Cream to resuscitate our dry hands back to life, and the matching foot cream equally works wonders on scaly, cracked feet. Packed with the brand’s signature blend of Dead Sea minerals, it deeply hydrates, softens, and rejuvenates even the roughest heels. Witch hazel, menthol, and tea tree oil deliver a calming cooling sensation (while giving your senses a little zing). And rich, nourishing oils like avocado help lock in moisture. “I love AHAVA Dead Sea Water Mineral Foot Cream for deep moisture treatments, particularly in winter. I apply it with socks before bed for the ultimate skin-softening treatment — the scent is divine, too,” says Dr. Sharkey.
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Editor's tip: It also features salicylic acid to gently exfoliate your feet while moisturizing.
Key ingredients: witch hazel, Dead Sea water, aloe vera | Fragrance-free: no
Bliss
Why we love it: Bring the iconic Bliss Spa experience straight to your home with Bliss Aloe Leaf & Peppermint Foot Cream. The refreshing peppermint not only smells incredible but also soothes tired, dry feet, while aloe leaf juice and gentle exfoliating salicylic acid work together to deeply hydrate and soften even the roughest spots. It’s the ultimate pick-me-up for your feet, and with eucalyptus leaf oil adding a calming, zen-like vibe, you’ll feel relaxed the moment you apply it. Now, if only you could convince a partner (or a very loyal friend) to add a foot massage into the mix…
Editor's tip: Use it on other dry spots like elbows and knees to take advantage of its nourishing benefits.
Key ingredients: eucalyptus, mint, salicylic acid, aloe leaf juice | Fragrance-free: no
Baby Foot
Why we love it: While Baby Foot Original Exfoliation Foot Peel isn’t technically a foot cream, it’s a must-have for anyone on the quest for super-smooth feet. After cleansing, slip on these pre-filled booties with “a potent formula that contains fruit acids and lactic acid which exfoliate and eventually peel the skin,” says Dr. Freeman. All you have to do is kick back and relax for an hour while the formula gets to work. The calming lavender scent is like a spa in a (plastic) sock, working hard at breaking down calluses, rough patches, and dead skin you didn’t even know was there. After you rinse it off, you’ll feel smoother right away, but the real magic happens a few days later when your feet start to peel like a snake in a weirdly satisfying way, revealing baby-soft skin beneath.
Editor's tip: It's not for the faint of heart—or people with blisters. "Be careful not to use it if you have sensitive or open skin,” says Dr. Freeman.
Key ingredients: lactic acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid | Fragrance-free: no
Pedestrian Project
Why we love it: This budget-friendly balm combines the moisturizing power of African shea butter, which deeply hydrates, with mango butter to smooth and replenish your feet for lasting comfort. Packed with essential fatty acids, black currant oil nourishes and strengthens your skin’s barrier. And the best part? Its convenient stick format makes it a breeze to use. “Pedestrian Project Cracked Heel Repair Foot Care Balm is like a giant, mess-free Chapstick for your heels—just swipe and go,” says Dr. Sharkey, making it perfect for throwing in your bag for on-the-go relief from dry, cracked skin without having to use your hands.
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Editor's tip: Don’t fully dry off after your shower. “The best time to moisturize your feet is when they’re still damp,” says Dr. Freeman. “Partially pat them dry, then apply your cream. If you’re moisturizing before bed, layer it thick and pop on a white cotton sock to lock it all in.”
Key ingredients: African shea butter, mango butter, black currant oil | Fragrance-free: yes
CeraVe
Why we love it: While you can technically use CeraVe Moisturizing Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Body Cream anywhere on your body where rough, bumpy skin occurs, dermatologists especially love it for feet. "This is one of my go-to over-the-counter creams that I often recommend in my clinic. It works wonders on dry, cracked feet when used regularly. It's an excellent maintenance product for those dealing with frequent thick calluses buildup. Thanks to the salicylic acid in this formula, callus formation is noticeably slowed," says Dr. Sharkey. Along with exfoliating salicylic acid, the cream is packed with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide to soothe rough skin and lock in moisture.
Editor's tip: Apply the cream before bed and slip on a pair of socks to keep it from rubbing off on your sheets, ensuring it fully absorbs into your skin overnight.
Key ingredients: salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide | Fragrance-free: yes
O'Keeffe's
Why we love it: Sometimes, a lightweight cream just won’t cut, especially when your feet are seriously cracked, dry, and downright angry. The O'Keeffe's Healthy Feet Night Treatment Foot Cream is a rich, heavy-duty formula of shea butter, glycerin, and deep conditioning oils your heels have been waiting for. It absorbs well but has a lot of slip, which makes it the perfect intensive overnight treatment. As you snooze, it locks in moisture, smooths rough patches, and helps restore softness. What’s better than waking up to happy feet?
Editor's tip: Try applying it after a shower when your feet are still slightly damp—when your skin is most absorbent.
Key ingredients: glycerin, shea butter, silicone | Fragrance-free: yes
The best way to moisturize your feet is by using products that contain powerful hydrating and exfoliating ingredients specifically designed for thicker skin. “Look for emollient oils and humectants that hydrate while also breaking down extra keratin on the skin’s surface,” says Dr. Freeman. “Key ingredients to keep an eye out for are lactic acid, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid — they help loosen up the bonds between skin cells, making it easier for your feet to shed dead skin and stay smooth.”
Fixing dry feet starts with daily care. “Wash between your toes and dry well afterward — don’t just rely on shower water,” says Dr. Sharkey. Exfoliate up to twice a week with a sugar scrub or pumice stone for more manual exfoliation. For moisturizing, “The best time is when your feet are wet, like after a shower. Apply a thick emollient and slip on cotton socks for optimal hydration — I love doing this before bed for overnight softness,” says Dr. Freeman. For extra pampering, “foot soaks can be done weekly with Epsom salts or moisturizing oils, followed by your foot moisturizer,” adds Dr. Sharkey.
Getting rid of hard skin on your feet can be tricky because “calluses happen due to foot structure, pressure patterns, and sometimes genetics,” says Dr. Sharkey. While you can’t eliminate them completely, you can manage and reduce them. “Tools like the Amope Pedi Perfect, Pumice Valley Natural Earth Lava Pumice Stone, or the Rikans Colossal Foot Rasp work great on manually removing calluses. The best time to use them is after a shower or bath when your skin is soft. Start slow and don’t overdo it, or you’ll leave your skin raw and tender," says Dr. Freeman. For extremely dry skin, try incorporating a paraffin wax treatment or a foot mask like Baby Foot Original Exfoliation Foot Peel. “Moisturize daily and wear shoes that fit properly to reduce friction,” says Dr. Sharkey.
Amy Freeman, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in Millburn, NJ
Anne M. Sharkey, DPM, FACFAS, a podiatrist at North Austin Foot and Ankle Institute in Cedar Park, TX
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that's included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
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For our list of the best foot creams, we considered each product's performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
Read more about editor-approved body care:
15 Best Body Washes That Leave Our Skin Feeling Baby-Soft
It's Hot! These Body Serums Are the Definition of Cool, Lightweight Moisture
11 Best Foot Scrubs for Smoother, Callus-Free Feet
Now, watch a cosmetic chemist guess which highlighter is cheap vs. expensive:
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