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High Heels Addict? Here Is How Castor Oil Can Help Soothe Sore Feet

Castor Oil For Sore Feet

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I have to confess. I love my flat shoes. I love them all: ballet flats, oxfords, brogues, or loafers. They are practical and sensible and get me around the town in comfort. But, once in a while, I’m pretty happy to sacrifice the comfort of my feet to show off a pair of stylish high platforms or stilettos. But…those to die for heels, more often than not, become an instrument of torture, pain, and misery. So what can the girl do to help her aching feet? 

While there is no shortage of tips for soothing sore feet, in today’s post, we will look at how to soothe them using a simple natural remedy: castor oil. 

Table of Contents

Why Do Feet Hurt From Wearing High Heels?

When you strap on those stilettos or high heels, all that extra pressure on the bottom of your feet can quickly cause blisters, bunions, calluses and aching arches. And if you, like me, wear high heels only on special occasions, the chance your feet will hurt the next day is even higher. So how can castor oil help?

Benefits of Applying Castor Oil to Sore Feet

There are a few good reasons to use castor oil, especially when it comes to treating sore feet:

Soothe aching feet: Castor oil’s pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects help soothe aching feet, making it an ideal antidote for sore feet. 

Relieve dry, cracked heels: Friction and continuous rubbing of the skin around the heels when wearing open-high heels can leave your skin dry and cracked. Applying castor oil to your feet can help restore the skin’s moisture levels by creating a barrier between the skin and the environment. Hence preventing skin damage caused by dryness.

Calm irritated skin: All that friction that comes with walking in heels can irritate the skin. Castor oil’s anti-inflammatory properties can help soothe minor skin irritations.

Known for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, moisturising, and soothing effect, applying castor oil to your feet may help relieve the pain, relieve dry heels, and calm irritated skin.

Other Oils You Can Pair With Castor Oil To Relieve Sore Feet

Castor oil is colourless or pale yellow and viscous oil that takes time to absorb into the skin. Blending it with other oils like andiroba oil, jojoba, avocado, clove, or copaiba oil is a great way to improve its absorption and efficacy. Here are just a few to consider:

  1. Andiroba Seed Oil is another beautiful oil that can help relieve sore feet and keep dry skin at bay. Abundant in limonoids and triterpenes, which are known for their anti-inflammatory effect, adding andiroba oil to your DIY massage oils or balms is a great way to soothe aching feet. 
  2. Argan Oil’s softening and moisturising properties are ideal for dry and cracked skin on the feet. Blending it with castor oil creates an excellent DIY remedy. 
  3. Avocado Oil: You’ll often find it in moisturising beauty products like lotion, creams and balms formulated to relieve dry skin. Applying it to your feet helps nourish and soothe the skin while bringing moisture back to your heels. The unrefined version gives formulations a beautiful green shade. 
  4. Copaiba Oil is an aromatic oleoresin that has been long used by the native Amazonian population for centuries to provide pain relief. Blend it with castor and andiroba seed oil and massage onto sore, tired feet to reduce discomfort.
  5. Clove Bud Essential Oil: warming with deep spicy undertones, clove oil is the one associated with pain relief. Applying it to your feet may help relieve sore feet by improving circulation. In addition, clove oil has also been found helpful for fungal infections, reducing foot odour and effective at promoting healing.
  6. Pine Needle Essential Oil: Helpful for easing inflammation and muscle spasms, and its fresh scent makes it well-suited for lotions, creams, balms and massage oil. Blend with clove, copaiba oil and castor oil for a potent DIY foot massage remedy. 
  7. Peppermint Essential Oil: Abandoned in menthol, a well-known analgesic, peppermint essential oil also offers a pain-relieving, cooling and numbing sensation when used in low concentrations on the skin. Adding it to your cooling foot gels to revitalise tired and aching feet. 
  8. Thyme Essential Oil: Calming, centring and strengthening, thyme essential oil offers numerous health benefits, from eliminating bacterial, fungal and viral activity to reducing minor pain and inflammation. Rubbing it to your feet is a great way to ease soreness after a long day or a night out. 

3 Ways To Use Castor Oil To Relieve Sore Feet

Some of the best ways to use castor oil to relieve aching feet are by treating yourself to a relaxing foot soak, foot massage or nourishing foot lotion. Below are 3 homemade remedies you can prepare and use to soothe those sore and tired feet. 

1. DIY Foot Soak For Sore Feet

DIY Foot Soak For Sore Feet

Relaxing foot soak is a simple but effective way to relieve those sore tootsies and ease discomfort in your feet. 

To make 100g, you will need:

Ingredients

Phase A

Phase B

Method

  1. Weigh the phase A ingredients in a glass beaker and stir until well combined.
  2. Weigh Epsom salt in a small mixing bowl and slowly add to the oil mixture, stirring until well combined.
  3. Transfer the foot soak into an airtight glass jar, date, label and store away from direct sunlight. 

To use: Fill a basin with warm water, add three to four tablespoons of foot soak to the water and soak your feet for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse your feet with warm water, dry thoroughly and follow up with a nourishing DIY foot lotion and/or DIY foot massage oil. You’ll find the recipes below. 

2. DIY Soothing Foot Lotion For Tired Feet

DIY Soothing Foot Lotion For Tired Feet

Nothing beats a foot lotion that can soothe tired feet and relieve dry heels. While the goodness of shea butter, andiroba seed oil, and castor oil lend nourishment to your feet, a blend of clove, sandalwood, pine and copaiba oil comforts and soothes them. 

To make 100g, you will need:

Ingredients

Phase A (oil phase)

Phase B (water phase)

Phase C (cooling phase)

  • 1.00g vitamin E
  • 0.70g copaiba essential oil  
  • 0.10g sandalwood essential oil 
  • 0.10g clove essential oil 
  • 0.10g pine essential oil 

Phase D

Method

Step 1: Bring 2-3 cm of water to a simmer over medium-low heat in a small saucepan. 

Step 2: Weigh all phase A ingredients (oil phase) in a heatproof glass beaker, and place it into the hot water bath.

Step 3: Weigh distilled water (water phase) in the second glass beaker and place it in the hot water bath. 

Step 4: Mix xanthan gum and glycerine in a third beaker and set aside. 

Step 5: Once the oil phase in the first beaker and the water phase in the second beaker reach 70°C, slowly pour the oil phase into the water phase, stirring continually. Add glycerin and xanthan gum mix. 

Step 6: Keep stirring until the emulsion cools down to under 40°C. Add vitamin E and essential oils. 

Step 7: Check the pH of the lotion is between 4.5 to 5.5. If it’s over 5.5 or below 4.5, adjust before moving to step 8. You can check it by diluting 10% of the emulsion in distilled water (10% emulsion/90% distilled water). Suppose the pH of the emulsion is over 5.5. In that case, you can lower it using a drop or two of citric acid solution( 10% citric acid to 90% distilled water). Subsequently, you can increase pH by adding a drop or two sodium bicarbonate solutions (10% sodium bicarbonate to 90% distilled water).

Step 8: Add the Preservative Eco and recheck the ph. Adjust if needed, just like described in step 7.

Step 9: Transfer lotion into a lotion dispenser and allow it to set overnight.  

To use: Lather castor foot lotion on your feet, massaging it into the heels and soles for about a minute or two until fully absorbed. Follow up with a foot massage oil if you like.  

3. DIY Massage Oil For Aching Feet

DIY Massage Oil For Aching Feet

Like your back, your feet can also benefit from a regular rubdown. Massaging oil or a lotion into your feet can help reduce tension, stimulate muscles, and ease the pain. In this recipe, I have combined soothing and moisturising andiroba seed oil with wheatgerm and castor oil with a comforting blend of clove, sandalwood, pine and copaiba oil.

To make 100g, you will need:

Ingredients

50.00g wheatgerm oil  

28.00g andiroba seed oil  

20.00g castor oil  

  1.00g vitamin E  

  0.70g copaiba essential oil  

  0.10g sandalwood essential oil 

  0.10g clove essential oil 

  0.10g pine essential oil 

Method

  1. Weigh all ingredients in a glass beaker and stir until well combined.
  2.  Transfer the oil into a bottle, date, label and store away from direct sunlight. 

To apply: Follow the self-foot massage video below. 

Top Tips For Preventing Swollen, Tired, And Aching Feet

A few things you can do to prevent swelling, tired, and aching feet include:

  • If you find yourself on your feet all day or standing up for long periods, elevate your legs and rest them on a stool. This can provide relief to your achy feet. 
  • Ensure you have well-fitting shoes. When it comes to footwear, choose the right shoes for your feet. High heels may look amazing, but you will pay the price the next day. 
  • Try a thicker heel. It helps distribute your weight evenly, alleviating pressure on your feet.
  • Get proper support for your feet. In-sole arches, gel inserts and arch supports can provide the support your feet need.

Precautions

Although castor oil is considered relatively safe, it can cause some side effects. So, do a patch test before deciding whether to use castor oil on your feet. If you experience skin rashes, itching or swelling, seek medical attention.

Clove bud essential oil and pine needle essential oil can cause irritation to the skin, so always test on a small area before incorporating them into your skincare regimen.

Contact your healthcare provider before applying castor oil or essential oils to your skin if pregnant or have any health conditions.   

Takeaway

Castor oil is widely recognised for its hydrating, conditioning, pain-relieving, and soothing properties. Applying it to your feet can help relieve dryness and aches. For the best result, combine with other oils. 

FAQs

Why is castor oil good for foot pain?

Castor oil’s anti-inflammatory properties make it a great addition to your foot massage oil blends for aching feet. You can try soaking your feet, followed by a soothing foot massage. You’ll feel the pain getting reduced in no time.

Can I use castor oil to treat dry feet?

Absolutely. Castor oil is a natural emollient that helps restore the skin’s moisture levels, nourish the skin, and relieve dry feet by preventing moisture loss. To learn more, check out: Castor Oil For Dry Feet: Benefits, Uses and DIY Remedies. 

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