As the weather begins to warm up, the inevitable dread of sandal season rises in all of us. Fear not! We've ranked the 10 best foot peels in the UK to transform hard skin, calluses and dry, cracked heels into gorgeous, beach-ready feet.
Foot peels are exfoliating socks that use a combination of active ingredients including AHA, BHAs and retinol, to slough away dead skin, leaving you with baby soft feet. Not sure how to choose? Our buying guide will show you how to choose the right foot peeling mask to totally re-invent your home pedicure. With top picks from Barber Pro, Patchology and Footner, read on for the ranking of our favourites available on Boots, Amazon, John Lewis and more!
Quick List - Top Foot Peels
Plantifique
Dermatologically Certified Socks With a Plant-Based Formula
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A decent foot peel will leave your toes baby soft and the hard skin on your heels scattered across the floor (gross, we agree, but highly satisfying). In order to pick a good one, we've come up with tips to help you identify what makes a foot peel effective. Read on to become an expert in exfoliating your precious paws!
Glycolic acid is extremely beneficial for rough-skinned feet. It's the only AHA with enough power to penetrate the cell wall thanks to its diminutive molecular make-up. As well as exfoliating deeply, glycolic acid encourages collagen formation, plumping up the skin on your heels that gets left behind.
The BHA salicylic acid encourages dead skin cells to fall away and re-establishes normal cell regeneration. It is the most effective ingredient to look for in a foot peel. Salicylic acid works well in combination with other acids, but should be used with care on seriously sensitive skin.
To make sure your foot peel is a real all-rounder, you might also want to look for oils and other moisturising ingredients. Castor oil pops up a lot on the back of skin softening products, as it's thoroughly hydrating and encourages cells to attract more moisture.
Added vitamins are a great shout when choosing a foot peel. Vitamin A (also known as retinol) helps new skin to develop and regenerates cells. Vitamin E also keeps skin balanced and helps it to self-moisturise. Another ingredient found in our favourite foot peels is aloe vera, which is super hydrating, cooling and anti-inflammatory.
Then there are oats, which are packed full of proteins that help skin to rebuild itself. Pennywort has repairing properties too, while glycerin is a naturally-derived humectant that encourages cells to increase their absorbency, making them plumper, and our skin feel much softer to touch.
When picking a pair of exfoliating foot peel socks, take a quick peek at the development time so you know how easily you'll be able to fit this DIY pedicure treatment into your schedule. Most dead skin removal masks take between 1 hour and 90 minutes to work on your feet. So if you're busy, opt for a mask with a shorter activation time.
We highly recommend doing another beauty treatment at the same time, such as a face or hair mask, while watching an episode of your favourite sitcom or listening to a podcast. The greatest joy of multitasking is surely the feeling of smug satisfaction when you reflect on your productivity and get two beauty treats completed at once!
Probably the most important thing to remember when shopping online for a foot peel is the fact that the results take between 4 and 14 days to show up. Lots of online reviewers lament the fact that nothing has happened to their dry heels at all, then come back a few days later to bump up a one-star review to a five-star celebration!
Whether you're planning a trip to the seaside and fancy a paddle, have a romantic date with the partner who's only seen you in trackies and socks for the last 10 months, or are saving up for a snazzy set of sandals, do your research and make sure the timing of your big event fits with your at-home pedi.
The last thing you want is for your feet to be peeling like a hideous reptile, smack bang in the middle of your beach break or debut turn as a bridesmaid. Most foot peels begin to work around the five day mark. The peeling can be encouraged with some gentle brushing, but your perky new plates of meat may take up to a fortnight to reveal themselves fully. You have been warned!
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Eclat Exfoliating Foot Peeling Mask | ![]() | Powerful Vegan Foot Mask With Dreamy Fragrance | |
2 | SVR Xerial Peel | ![]() | Expert Exfoliation With Practical Shape and Added Hydration | |
3 | Barber Pro Foot Peel Mask | ![]() | Slough Away Dead Skin Using 16 Botanical Ingredients | |
4 | Plantifique Natural Superfoods Foot Peel Mask | ![]() | Dermatologically Certified Socks With a Plant-Based Formula | |
5 | Plantifique Natural Superfoods Foot Exfoliating Peel Mask | ![]() | Give Your Feet a Cuddle With Naturally Sourced Fruit Acids | |
6 | Oh K! Watermelon Pink Foot Peel | ![]() | Juicy, Fruity Exfoliating Socks With Expert Korean Formula | |
7 | Holika Holika Baby Silky Foot One Shot Peeling | ![]() | Rejuvenating and Softening Foot Peel | |
8 | BeautyPro Foot and Callus Peel | ![]() | Seven-Day Exfoliating Socks With AHAs and Botanicals | |
9 | Footner Exfoliating Foot Peel Socks | ![]() | Effective Foot Peel That's Idea for Sensitive Skin |
People love this mask, not only because it works wonders on your feet, but it also smells gorgeous. With over 3,000 positive ratings on Amazon alone, you can shop safe in the knowledge this peel is loved, respected and re-purchased by customers who've tried and adored it.
What we really rate about this cleverly designed foot peel is the fact it's antibacterial and causes zero irritation, even on sensitive skin. This is thanks to its hypoallergenic formula and naturally derived ingredients, including nourishing organic oat proteins. Deeply hydrating, the skin left behind gets moisturised up a treat with just one use!
Using lactic and glycolic acid, these socks can be left on for a relatively brief 60 minutes. They have a large opening, but fit snugly over feet, meaning they stay in place whilst spreading the liquid serum evenly over skin, rather than forming useless puddles.
With castor oil to fight bacteria and soothe dryness, these socks show results in as little as 4 days. The peeling can continue for up to a fortnight, eventually revealing feet you'll want to show off at every possible occasion. Perfect for sensitive skin types, these user-friendly foot masks are the perfect way to get ready for spring with a decadent DIY pedicure!
The key advantage of this foot peel has to be the fact it's made by award-winning new-brand-on-the-block Barber Pro. So you already know the quality is superb. Now add the mix exfoliating naturally-sourced salicylic and glycolic acids, and soothing vitamin E, and things look even more promising. There's also vitamin A and glycerin in there for post-peel plumpness!
The double-layered paper booties are drenched in a soothing formula, and once removed, feet feel instantly refreshed. Great smelling and against animal cruelty, this product is effective and made with love.
Boasting recommendations from top style and beauty publications like Elle, Cosmo and Glamour, this particular foot peel has swathes of glowing reviews. That's because it has the benefits of vitamins A and E to help balance moisture within the skin.
Castor oil is also high on the ingredients list, which is both hydrating and anti-bacterial. Plus, it's been tested by dermatologists, which is a big pro. To increase value for money, these socks come in a two, and they are large enough to accommodate a broad range of foot sizes. Hurrah!
These socks go on for an hour, so the lactic acid derived from citrus fruits and papaya can get to work on your calluses and dry crackly skin. They slide on like a slipper with a strong, flat sole, making them particularly practical for wearing while watching a movie, or performing other beauty rituals.
As well as the acidic properties of citrus fruits, these exfoliating socks also contain aloe vera, which soothes aggravated skin and thoroughly hydrates. In 6 to 10 days your once crusty heels will feel soft and touchable, so you can get your twinkle toes out with pride!
When the package is this pretty, the contents can sometimes be a let-down, but not in the case of Oh K!'s Watermelon and Citrus foot peel. This mask uses three natural fruit acids to effectively exfoliate dead skin cells, revealing smooth, hydrated trotters without costing a bomb.
Our favourite part about these easy-to-use foot masks is the fact they come with handy ankle ties, making them convenient to wear without fear of spillages or tears. The gorgeous scent blends the titular watermelon with blood orange and pink grapefruit, to leave feet smelling fresh and fruity.
The Korean beauty industry leads the way for the rest of the world to follow, thanks to their expert formulas and immaculate aesthetic standards. These silkening socks are no exception! They contain three alpha-hydroxy acids, which work to gently remove dead layers of skin.
On top of that, they promise to revitalise feet, with shea butter providing luxurious moisturisation, and tea tree oil acting as an antibacterial agent to neutralise odours and reduce the risk of fungal infection.
BeautyPro is an award-winning brand, and this smoothing foot peel is 100% vegan. After one use, your heels and soles feel softened, and after a week, the skin falls away, leaving behind baby-smooth skin. Ingredients-wise, you're looking at a cavalcade of plant extracts including rosemary, sage, banana, kiwi and peach.
For effective exfoliation, this foot mask also contains three key acids (lactic, glycolic and salicylic). Pop these slimy socks on for 90 minutes, then remove and rinse off any excess. After around a week, the dry top layers of skin will peel away in a grotesque, but gorgeous manner.
The satisfaction is unrivalled with these effective exfoliating socks. Boosted with three types of gentle natural acids, layers of dead skin are harmlessly loosened and after around 5 days, you'll begin to see the results.
Mandelic acid may be great for sensitive skin, but this peel doesn't contain any oils, making it less plumping than others. That said, for less than a tenner, these socks are just drowning in product, bathing your feet in an exfoliating blend of plant extracts to reveal award-winning heels even passers-by will want to reach out and stroke. A bit weird... but they work!
Foot peels are exfoliating paper socks, soaked in a blend of highly moisturising ingredients. You leave them on for an hour or so to do their work, then remove them and rinse away the excess serum. In a few days' time, layers of skin will begin to peel away.
Exfoliating foot masks are grotesquely satisfying as they peel away dry, cracked skin to reveal a pair of baby-soft feet that feel brand new! Unfortunately, even the most complex formulas can only cut through so many layers of skin.
If you have excessively thick, hardened heels you may be disappointed when a foot peel doesn't spirit them away like the chiropodist's knife. In these cases we recommend a pumice stone - check out our link at the end of the article!
After an effective peeling foot mask, the next step is to file, moisturise and polish your toes. Have a browse of some of our other countdowns of highly-rated, top-quality pedicure products you can use at home. Available in the UK from John Lewis, eBay and Amazon and more, we've found countless cosmetics we just know you'll love!
So that's that! Foot peels can help you completely reinvent tired-out trotters. That's why we hope our article has helped you pick just the right product for you, that will fit your budget and contain dreamy ingredients, tackling dry skin and calluses with ease.
Author: Annie Hopkins
No. 1: Eclat|Exfoliating Foot Peeling Mask
No. 2: SVR |Xerial Peel
No. 3: Barber Pro|Foot Peel Mask
No. 4: Plantifique|Natural Superfoods Foot Peel Mask
No. 5: Plantifique|Natural Superfoods Foot Exfoliating Peel Mask
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