This Just In: One Awesome Foot Cream
Just in time to prepare for summer sandal weather, I discovered Curél Targeted Therapy Foot Cream ($4.79, Drugstore.com). Loaded with emollient ingredients, antioxidants, and retinyl palmitate, not only is it effective, but it’s affordable too. For more on the ingredients and my personal experience, read on! 
Extremely hydrating
Name a hydrating ingredient. Guess what: it’s here. Hydrating glycerin, cetearyl alcohol (one of the good alcohols), urea, paraffin, and dimethicone – they’re all here. Due to the fact that the skin absorbs ingredients best while sleeping, if you apply a thick layer of the cream under 100% cotton socks before bed, you will wake up to softer, more hydrated feet.
Coconut milk
There is a significant lack of research about coconut milk and extracts in skin care products. Further, if you are allergic to coconut, avoid this product altogether. However, coconut milk is most likely to be hydrating due to its incorporation of lactic acid, a very effective hydrating ingredient. In fact, lactic acid is the main ingredient in LacHydrin, a prescription drug FDA-approved to treat dry skin, most commonly in post-menopausal women.
Olive oil
Olive oil has been found in various studies to contain protective polyphenols that have been shown in this 2000 study, amongst others, to inhibit UVB-induced tumor formation in the mouse when applied topically. Other proven effects of topical applications of olive oil include action as an antioxidant, hydrator, and the ability to promote resveratrol-induced preservation of sirtuins (for an explanation, please click here).
Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate
Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate is a water-soluble form of vitamin C. According to a 1997 study in the Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, magnesium ascorbyl palmitate has greater stability than both L-ascorbic acid and ascorbyl palmitate, two more commonly used forms of vitamin C. My only qualm about stable vitamin C derivatives at this time is that their concentrations are not often revealed, while companies like Cellex-C, Skinceuticals, and Cellbone Technology release the concentration of L-ascorbic acid. Still, for a $5 foot cream, I should just take what I can get! (If we’re talking $100 facial serums, then we’ll talk turkey.)
Retinyl palmitate
Most of the time, I prefer retinol over retinyl palmitate. The reason is clear: According to a 1997 study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 0.6% retinyl palmitate is less effective in penetrating human skin than 0.025% retinol (these concentrations being similar to those found in many over-the-counter skincare formulations).
However, in Curél Targeted Therapy Foot Cream, I like retinyl palmitate, for three reasons. One, even though retinyl palmitate is less potent than retinol, it has been shown to exhibit the collagen-stimulating, smoothing, and wrinkle-reducing properties of retinol over time. Two, retinyl palmitate has also been shown to be less irritating than retinol.
And lastly, according to the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, the optimal pH of retinol in formulations is between 5.5 and 6.0. However, combining retinol with a fatty acid to make retinyl palmitate should stabilize it somewhat when it is in an acidic formulation with lemon, pineapple, and grapefruit extracts in Curél Targeted Therapy Foot Cream. Of course, this is one of those questions I should probably ask a cosmetic chemist about to be certain. Any takers out there?
Personal experience: Favorite foot cream ever
I am not a fan of the usual peppermint scent of foot creams, and this one does not have it. Better yet, it is hydrating, and I saw an improvement after 3 nights of sleeping with it under soft cotton socks. This one’s a winner in my book! (P.S.: Three out of three other women on Drugstore.com gave it 5 stars too.)
Overall view: I love it!
This is definitely a treat for the feet! (And yes, I have been waiting six months to say that, lol.) It’s an amazing foot cream, and I love the plethora of great ingredients for the low price. Just be sure to put some sunscreen over it if you’re going to use it during the day.
Overall rating: 9/10. (High concentration of proven ingredients: 3/3. New technology or formulation: 3/3. Value for the money: 3/3. Sunscreen: 0/1).
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Urea, Ceteareth 20, Stearic Acid, Lactamide MEA, Paraffin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract (Coconut Milk), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Citrus Medica Limonum Juice (Lemon), Ananas Sativus Fruit Juice (Pineapple), Citrus Grandis Juice (Grapefruit), Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Propylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, BHT, Lecithin, Alcohol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Fragrance, Caramel
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