I've Been Using This Pedicurist-Recommended Salve on My Painful Foot Cracks for 10 Years

It doesn’t matter what time of year it is, I regularly find myself with rough, dry feet. Even though my feet are way more exposed in the summer, the lack of humidity in the cold winter months zaps whatever moisture is left in my heels, often leaving them so dry they get deep and painful foot cracks. Sometimes the foot cracks get so bad it actually hurts to walk, but fortunately there’s been one product that’s been a lifesaver for me for the past 10 years. 

I was introduced to the Gehwol Med Salve a decade ago while getting a pedicure. I mentioned my dry foot problem to the esthetician, and while the salon sold a few different creams, she pointed me to the medical salve. At first glance, I was skeptical. The packaging wasn’t as cute as some of the other products on the shelf, but she promised it worked really well. Before using the salve from Gehwol, I had tried many different products from body lotions and creams specifically targeted for feet, but none of them helped. 

Shop now: $24; amazon.com

The ointment’s two main ingredients are lanolin — which is found in many popular cosmetic products like Burt’s Bees lip balm — and Vaseline, both of which are recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology to help combat dry skin. The ointment also contains lavender and eucalyptus essential oils, known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Made to be used daily, I tend to reach for this when my heels get really dry. As soon as a deep crack starts, I slather it on in the morning and before bed. To speed along the process, I’ll put on a pair of socks to lock in moisture after applying, a trick the Sleep Foundation is also a fan of. Within two to three days, the crack disappears and my heels are smooth and soft. 

The cream has an oily finish, so a little goes a long way when applying it. The brand recommends applying it one to two times a day depending on the severity of the dryness, and if you really want to lock that moisture in, you can apply the salve after using a moisturizer. “This step will create that barrier on the skin to help the previously applied moisturizer seep into the skin to stop water loss,” Dr. Ebonie Vincent, a California-based board-certified podiatrist, previously told InStyle. 

More than 1,500 other shoppers are also fans of the healing salve. One Amazon customer said that they “woke up to smooth, soft heels and no cracks” and noted that the “results lasted for months.” Another said the ointment “absorbs into the skin and doesn’t leave a greasy residue.” A third user even gushed that the ointment is “the best foot cream on the market.”   

If you’re ready to say goodbye to your cracked heels as the temperatures drop, grab a tube of the Gehwol Med Salve at Amazon.