Can foot soaks help alleviate pain?

Potentially. Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) and lavender are popular additions to foot soaks, and magnesium can reduce inflammation and itching while lavender has been shown to reduce anxiety. Even without additional ingredients, foot soaks have been shown to improve circulation.

What are the benefits of soaking your feet?

Aside from being a relaxing experience, soaking your feet in warm water helps stimulate circulation, which brings congested blood to dilated vessels in the feet and lower legs.

Is it OK to soak feet in Epsom salt every day?

While it isn’t dangerous Epsom salts may dry out the feet, so we advise sticking to a schedule of once or twice a week.

The 11 Best Foot Soaks of 2022

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Why should you be soaking your feet regularly, you ask? Let’s count the reasons. First and foremost, it just feels so darn good, almost instantly relieving aches and pains after a long day on your feet or a tough workout. Secondly, it’s a choice way to easily soften the dead, dry skin that builds up on our feet (heels in particular), making any kind of subsequent exfoliation or sloughing much more effective. Soaking your feet in warm water can also help boost circulation. And let’s not forget to mention the sheer relaxation factor—why do you think a pedicure at the nail salon is so enjoyable?

While it’s easy to DIY a foot soak, we suggest picking up one of these best foot soaks to create your very own soothing mini bath.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Dr. Teal's Epsom Salt Foot Soak at Amazon

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Best Multi-Tasker:

Epsoak Epsom Salt with Eucalyptus Oils at Amazon

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Best Moisturizing:

Herbivore Botanicals Coconut Soak at Amazon

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Best Natural:

Goop Phys.Ed Recovery Bath Soak at Goop.com

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Best Purifying:

Sunday Rain Foot Soak Bamboo + Charcoal at IHerb

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Best for Bedtime:

Asutra Therapeutic Foot Soak at Amazon

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Best Classic:

Johnson's Foot Soap Quick Dissolving Powder at Amazon

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Best Drugstore:

Freeman Beauty Pink Himalayan Salt Foot Soak at IHerb

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Best Post-Run:

Kneipp Arnica Mineral Bath Salts at Amazon

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Best Cooling:

Gold Mountain Tea Tree Essential Oil Foot Soak at Goldmountainbeauty.com

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Dr. Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt Revitalize & Refresh Foot Soak

Courtesy of Walmart

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What do buyers say? 90% of 150+ Amazon reviewers rated this product 4 stars or above.

This pick boasts everything you could want in a foot soak…and more. Epsom salts (AKA magnesium sulfate) work to relax achy muscles. Peppermint oil makes for an instantly cooling and refreshing feeling that wakes up tired feet, while baking soda acts as a natural deodorizer—never a bad thing. And you get all of that at a crazy affordable price and in a convenient resealable bag.

Courtesy of Epsoak

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Trust us, you want to have a bag of Epsom salts on hand. Although research is needed to support these claims, this simple ingredient may promote relaxation, fight inflammation, and relieve aches and pains. More specifically, you should pick up this bag. Along with Epsom salts, it uses hydrating aloe and vitamin E, plus a blend of essential oils for a lovely-yet-subtle scent. Use it to soak your feet, add a few cups to your bath, or mix in with your body wash to create an exfoliating scrub.

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If your tootsies are dry with a capital D, reach for this guy. True to its name, it uses both coconut milk and coconut pulp to pack plenty of hydration. The tropical scent that will transport you to a Caribbean beach is just an added bonus, as is the squeaky-clean formula. Try it at night, then load up on a thick foot cream post-soak to wake up to softer, smoother feet.

Courtesy of Goop

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If you don’t have time to take a full-on bath, trying soaking just your feet in this magical concoction. The soak, made with apple cider vinegar, arnica, and turmeric, quickly relaxes achy muscles. The formula is completely clean, too, with pharmaceutical-grade Epsom salts and no added fragrance, preservatives, artificial colors, or any other questionable ingredients.

Courtesy of Amazon

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You’ve likely seen charcoal in skincare products aplenty, where it’s lauded for its ability to act as a magnet and pull out all kinds of dirt and impurities. Surprise, it may do the same for the skin on your feet, which is why it’s a key component in this (budget-friendly) soak. Fun fact: Your feet have the largest pores on the body, so soaking them is a great way to help remove impurities.

Asutra Tea Tree & Lavender Therapeutic Foot Soak

Courtesy of Asutra

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Like your mom said, a warm bath can help you fall asleep easier, but if there’s no time for that, this is the next best thing. Lavender has proven aromatherapeutic benefits when it comes to relieving stress and promoting relaxation, but this soak (also made with tea tree oil) helps to reduce swelling, burning, and itching as well.

Johnson's Foot Soap Quick Dissolving Powder

Courtesy of Amazon

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For those looking for something simple and straightforward, this longtime staple (it’s been around since 1870!) fits the bill. There are no extra botanicals or essential oils here—just baking soda, iodide, and bran—and it helps soothe feet, relieve itching, and soften skin. Bonus points for the fact that this comes in individual packets, making it a nice option to take with you when traveling.

Freeman Detoxifying Pink Himalayan Salt Foot Soak

Courtesy of iHerb

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For less than the price of a cup of coffee, you can nab this single-use soak. This option, concocted with Epsom salts and pink Himalayan salt, helps pull out impurities and gently exfoliates, too. It also has a touch of peppermint for an invigorating feel and is cruelty-free and vegan.

Courtesy of Amazon

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Pounding the pavement mile after mile can leave feet beat-up and achy. So strip off your sports bra, ditch your sneaks, and let your feet soak up all the good stuff found in this option. Topical arnica is widely lauded for its anti-inflammatory and muscle-soothing benefits, and that’s exactly what it does in this salt-based soak. And these aren’t just any salts, but rather thermal spring salts that have an extra-high concentration of beneficial minerals. Also nice: This works equally well as a bath soak if your whole body is feeling the pain.

Courtesy of Amazon

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Keep this on hand for those hot summer days when your feet seem to puff up the second you go outside. A dip in this formula—which has cooling peppermint oil, camphor, and eucalyptus oil—is a chilly treat for tootsies, quickly tamping down swelling.

Courtesy of Amazon

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Let’s be real—weird, unsexy things can happen with your feet. Fungus on your nails, discolored heels, strange smells…don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. Enter the beauty of this soak. The key ingredient: tea tree oil, lauded for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. Coupled with Epsom salts and mint, it deodorizes nicely and just generally makes feet feel good.

What to Look for in a Foot Soak

Magnesium

While magnesium's mood-boosting, muscle-improving benefits are well known, the mineral can also be good for your skin. Adding some magnesium to your foot care routine could reduce inflammation and/or itching. Magnesium sulfate (AKA Epsom salt) is a form of magnesium frequently found in foot soaks.

No Essential Oils

Essential oils can provide a surplus of aromatherapy benefits—peppermint oil has been shown to reduce anxiety, whereas lavender oil can promote relaxation. However, if you have sensitive skin you might want to stay away from essential oils within Epsom salts, as they might cause irritation.

Moisturizing Ingredients

If you’re worried about dry skin or heels, we suggest looking for a soak that focuses on moisturizing the skin rather than intense exfoliation. When scanning the label keep your eyes peeled for hydrating ingredients like aloe vera and coconut and jojoba oil.

FAQ

Can foot soaks help alleviate pain?

Potentially. Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) and lavender are popular additions to foot soaks, and magnesium can reduce inflammation and itching while lavender has been shown to reduce anxiety. Even without additional ingredients, foot soaks have been shown to improve circulation.
What are the benefits of soaking your feet?

Aside from being a relaxing experience, soaking your feet in warm water helps stimulate circulation, which brings congested blood to dilated vessels in the feet and lower legs.
Is it OK to soak feet in Epsom salt every day?

While it isn’t dangerous Epsom salts may dry out the feet, so we advise sticking to a schedule of once or twice a week.

The 9 Best Foot Files for Soft, Smooth Soles

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