Homemade Foot Cream is one of the easiest ways to take care of your feet, especially after a long day on the move. Whether you're dealing with cracked skin, dry heels, or just craving a little TLC, this rich and nourishing DIY blend is full of natural ingredients your feet will love.
In this information-packed post, you’ll learn about the benefits of the all-natural ingredients as well as making your own natural foot balm, which ingredients are best for soothing and restoring tired feet, and how to turn this simple cream into a relaxing foot care ritual.
Plus, of course, you’ll get my favourite easy-to-follow DIY recipe to create your own spa-in-a-jar at home. So kick off those shoes, give your feet the spotlight they deserve, and let’s dive in!
Benefits
- all-natural ingredients—no chemicals!
- intensive care for dry skin
- nourishing & moisturising
- restores the protective barrier of the skin
- DIY therapeutic spa treatment
Making your own foot cream is easier than you think, and this simple recipe will prove it to you! Made with only natural ingredients, this homemade foot balm nourishes deeply.
From Fluff to Fabulous: What Your Feet Really Need
What you apply to your skin goes into your bloodstream, into your whole body’s system! Many store-bought creams include fillers and synthetics that don’t actually nourish the skin and can even make dryness worse over time.
Before you rub mystery goo on your feet, let’s compare what’s really inside...
The questionable ingredients in commercial foot creams can have detrimental effects on both your health and skin. They strip away the skin’s protective layer, disrupt your natural microbiome, and can actually leave your feet feeling even drier.
And worst of all, some of them have the potential to interfere with your endocrine system—impacting your hormones and overall well-being.
So, making your own DIY foot cream isn’t just about saving money or being eco-friendly—though those are definite wins. It’s about your health.
The good news? This foot lotion is packed with natural goodness that truly works—no fluff, no hidden nasties, just nourishing, feel-good ingredients your feet will love.
Ingredients
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- shea butter
- cacao butter
- olive oil & coconut oil
- beeswax (or vegetable wax, for vegans)
- essential oils (tea tree oil, lavender oil, peppermint oil), optional
- vitamin E oil, optional
(see recipe card for quantities)
Shea Butter
Shea butter is a true skincare superstar that many natural products contain—and your feet will love. Packed with fatty acids and skin-loving vitamins, it deeply nourishes and locks in moisture, leaving your skin soft, smooth, and hydrated.
It’s a natural emollient that helps plump and soothe rough areas on dry feet. As if that weren’t enough, shea butter also has anti-inflammatory properties that can calm irritation and even support the healing of small cuts or cracks, making it an ideal ally for sensitive skin!
If you’re struggling with cracked heels, you definitely want to add this ingredient to your homemade foot cream!
Cacao Butter
Cacao butter (or cocoa butter) makes this DIY foot cream even richer. It deeply penetrates and repairs dry, cracked skin, and due to its thick texture, it’s great for rough areas like heels. Cacao butter is also more occlusive than shea butter, meaning it seals in moisture better.
Oils
My favourite oils for this DIY foot moisturizer are olive oil and coconut oil because they’re both deeply hydrating and great for dry skin! Just like shea butter, these oils come with high contents of fatty acids that help keep the protective barrier intact and provide healing properties.
Coconut oil is also antibacterial and antifungal, hence, the perfect ingredient to fight odour-causing bacteria and to prevent fungi from spreading around your toes. In combination with certain essential oils (we discuss this in a sec), this homemade foot cream is a true all-rounder.
Jojoba oil, castor and avocado oil are other oils that you could use and that have similar qualities to olive and coconut oil. Jojoba oil is very similar to the skin’s natural oils, making it a perfect agent for restoring balance. Avocado and castor oil are both thick oils that help repair cracked skin.
Beeswax
Beeswax is not only a useful ingredient for creating the right texture, but also adds that extra barrier protection! It’s a natural humectant (meaning it moisturises), softens the skin, soothes irritated, sensitive skin, and has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Here’s a little tweak for this recipe so you can turn it into a highly nourishing DIY heel balm: Simply add more beeswax (2g). If you prefer a creamier texture, you may need to increase the amount of olive oil as well (about 1 tablespoon).
Vegans can substitute this ingredient with a vegetable wax such as soy wax or candelilla wax. As I don’t use any of these waxes, I can’t tell you for sure how to adjust the recipe accordingly. Soy wax is softer than beeswax (you may need to add more), while candelilla wax is harder (you may need to use less).
Essential Oils
Peppermint, tea tree, lavender or eucalyptus essential oils are great choices because they refresh tired feet, have antibacterial and antifungal properties, and promote circulation, enhancing the absorption of your beautiful DIY foot balm.
Furthermore, the therapeutic smells of these essential oils will turn this homemade foot cream into a wholesome spa treatment, not only soothing the tired feet, but also your nervous system!
Vitamin E Oil
Vitamin E oil is rich in antioxidants, nourishes dry skin, and helps extend the shelf life since it’s a natural preservative. If your feet need some extra care, vitamin E oil is the perfect addition to this foot balm recipe!
Instructions
How To Make
Prep. Have a clean container ready to pour the oil-wax mixture into. To prepare the jar, tin, or container of choice, boil some water to sterilise it. Tip out the hot water after 2-3 minutes.
Step 1. In a double boiler (or a heat-safe bowl over a pot of simmering water), melt the shea butter, cacao butter, coconut oil, and beeswax together, stirring occasionally as they heat up.
Step 2. Remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes, but not solidify. Keep the top of the double boiler or the bowl over the steaming hot water! Stir in the olive oil, essential oils and vitamin E oil if using and mix well.
Step 3. Pour the foot cream mixture into your prepared glass jar or container and seal it with the lid. Let it cool down to room temperature—you can refrigerate to speed this up.
Alternatively, you may like to whip the mixture for a fluffier texture. Instead of pouring it into the glass jar, place it in a bowl and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. Use a hand mixer or whisk and whip until fluffy.
How To Use
Massage a small amount of your homemade foot cream into your feet after washing them or before bed for deep hydration. For an intensive overnight treatment, apply a thick layer and wear cotton socks to lock in moisture.
At-Home Foot Spa Treatment
- foot soak
- exfoliation
- foot mask
If you feel like pampering yourself, try this easy and oh-so-therapeutic at-home spa treatment for tired feet!
Foot Soak
We start by soaking the feet to soften the skin for the next steps. To give your feet that little extra, I recommend creating your own DIY foot soak (bath salts). I have several bath salt recipes here on my blog (like this DIY herbal bath salt) that can be used for this purpose as well.
For additional relaxation, I recommend this Epsom salt bath recipe because it’s high in magnesium, which is known to alleviate pain and muscle tension.
- Fill a tub that is large enough to fit both your feet with hot water (but not burning!)
- Dissolve ¼ cup of your DIY foot soak in the water. Alternatively, add 4 drops of essential oils to the water (I love lavender for relaxation.)
- Soak the feet for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Place your feet on a towel and pat dry.
Foot Exfoliation
The next step is exfoliation to remove dead skin cells, to revitalise and rejuvenate the feet! You can easily make your own invigorating foot scrub at home. This coffee body scrub or this lemon honey sugar scrub are amazing for bringing your feet back to life!
You do this procedure over the bathtub, the small tub you used to soak your feet in, or in the shower to keep the mess contained and for easier cleaning afterwards.
- Rub your feet with the DIY foot scrub and gently massage your feet in a circular motion.
- Rinse or wash your feet afterwards.
Foot Mask
And finally, use this DIY foot moisturizer as a foot mask.
- Apply a generous amount of your DIY foot balm to your feet.
- Put on socks to lock in moisture.
This finalises your at-home spa treatment! Your feet will love the TLC you’re giving them, I’m sure!
Storage
Store your homemade foot cream in a dry, dark place, ideally out of direct sunlight. As for all my homemade recipes, I always recommend using tinted glass jars (amber, preferably), especially if using essential oils.
The shelf life of this foot balm is about 12 months. It highly depends on the expiry date of your ingredients. Please make sure they’ll last you for at least a few months!
Warnings & Safety
It is always recommended to do a patch test before using any of my recipes to avoid skin irritation or any potential health risks. Beeswax and certain essential oils may cause skin irritations in some individuals.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- 1 60ml/2oz. glass jar (or container of choice)
Ingredients
- 30 g shea butter raw, unrefined
- 7 g cacao butter raw
- 15 g coconut oil
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 5 g beeswax
- 1 teaspoon pure vitamin E oil optional
- 7-10 drops lavender essential oil or tea tree or peppermint oil, optional
Instructions
- To prepare the jar, tin, or container of choice, boil some water to sterilise it. Tip out the hot water after 2-3 minutes.
- In a double boiler (or a heat-safe bowl over a pot of simmering water), melt the shea butter, cacao butter, coconut oil, and beeswax together, stirring occasionally as they heat up.
- Remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes but not solidify. Keep the top of the double boiler or the bowl over the steaming hot water! Stir in the olive oil, essential oils and vitamin E oil if using and mix well.
- Pour the foot cream mixture into your prepared glass jar or container and seal it with the lid. Let it cool down to room temperature—you can refrigerate to speed this up.
- Alternatively, you may like to whip the mixture for a fluffier texture. Instead of pouring it into the glass jar, place it in a bowl and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. Use a hand mixer or whisk and whip until fluffy.
How To Use
- Massage a small amount of the foot cream into your feet after washing them or before bed for deep hydration. For an intensive overnight treatment, apply a thick layer and wear cotton socks to lock in moisture.
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