Did you know that calluses, unwelcome as they may be, actually form to protect you? The skin on your feet takes quite the beating, as it encounters a ton of friction on the daily (from running, too-tight shoes, and the like). As a result, areas that experience the most trauma naturally thicken to shield your skin from those bumps and dings. Neat, no?
The problem arises when you don’t tend to those calluses regularly: If left untreated, those rough patches will continue to build up and up, which can cause the skin to crack—and when it’s open to the environment, bacteria can easily sneak inside.
So if you haven’t thought twice about exfoliating your feet, well, consider this your sign to send some love to your soles. Below, five foot scrubs that will buff those calluses baby-smooth.