“I’m a masochist on a diet” (Foot Care in General)

Member Name: zoe_page_1

Product:	Foot Care in General
Date:	28/02/03 (94 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Works well, Cheap

Disadvantages: Smells a wee iffy, Funny sensation on application

Boots Antiseptic Foot Cream

£1.99 for 60g, available only from Boot stores and Boots online (www.wellbeing.com)


Ballet is one of those very deceptive things. On stage the dancers look delicate, pretty, graceful creatures, well made up and costumed. But watch them take off their blocks, and it’s a different matter. “Gross” does not even begin to describe most dancers’ feet., but it’s not all that surprising. If you were to jump around on your toes in thin little pointe shoes for hours on end, day in, day out, you’re feet would be battered and torn and bleeding and ripped too.

I did ballet for about 10 years, and point work for the last 3 of those. My bedroom at home is decorated with my old shoes, but while I don’t slip my feet into them any longer, some of the damage from those years still remains. Throughout my dancing years my feet always had something “wrong” with them. I’d get splits between my toes, blisters on my soles, worn away tips, plus lots more. What amazed me though was that this cream could efficiently deal with almost all the problems.

Most Boots stores have a “foot care” section. I used to buy the lambs wool for the toes of my blocks from here, and it was while I was stocking up one day that I noticed this, a small rectangular box that promised to “quickly cool and relieve any tender spots”. It was cheap enough, so I thought I’d try it, and the fact that 5 years on I’m still using it, is an indication of how good I think it to be.

The tube is small but the cream is thin and spreads extensively so it lasts a while – I’m still using the original tube, and it’s less than half empty despite fairly frequent use. You have to pierce the top when you first use it, but it’s one of those set ups where you can use the other side of the lid to do this, so it’s not hard. The cream smells ve
ry medicinal – due no doubt to the “antiseptic” aspect – but I kinda like that. When my feet are killing me, I don’t want a nice flowery moisturizer. I want something that smells like it will probably sting and will definitely work.

Applying the cream is very odd, or rather the immediate effects are. It goes on almost icy cold, but within minutes your skin feels like it’s burning. It’s a very strange sensation, but again, and this is my masochistic tendencies coming to light now, I like it. No pain no gain and all that. The burning lasts maybe 5 minutes depending on how much you’ve put on, and then fades away leaving, remarkably, your feet feeling almost normal. Not raw and ripped or aching, just, y’know, normal. If you use it often enough it helps keep your skin supple (not soft – but that’s the last thing you want when dancing) and the antiseptic properties help any cuts stay clean and heal nicely.

As I said at the beginning, I don’t do ballet any more, but I still use this cream. It’s great for smoothing on after a long shopping trip when you come back with weary legs and aching feet. I have been tempted to try it on other parts of my body, but so far I haven’t done so.

The title’s a quote from the Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but I just like it, and I think it’s more than fitting here. The book’s great, by the way. Go read it if you haven’t already.

Recommended if you need it. It’s obviously not a “luxury” cosmetic buy, but if you could put it do good use, and can cope with ´strange smells and funny sensations, go ahead and try it.

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