Medical News Today addressed Listerine foot soaks in a recent report. The purpose of these soaks is to remove cracked skin and the dry outer layer of skin from foot calluses. According to its proponents, the methyl salicylate contained in Listerine is effective for this purpose.
Methyl salicylate is closely related to salicylic acid. This is one of the most commonly sold over-the-counter remedies for warts. This removes a few layers of the wart at a time. It is worth noting that this type of treatment is not used on the face because it can cause scarring.
Of course Listerine contains more than just Methyl salicylate. For this reason, you may want to consider soaking your feet in Epsom salt instead. Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) is made up of magnesium, sulfur and oxygen.
While most of the benefits associated with Epsom salt baths relates to magnesium — such as improved sleep, stress reduction and reduced pain and muscle cramping — its sulfur content is also important for health. Sulfur also plays an important role in detoxification.
Epsom salt is much more versatile than Listerine. A sitz bath using Epsom salt may be the solution for several delicate cases, such as pain and itching after surgery, post-pregnancy tenderness, hemorrhoids, painful bowel movements, vaginal infections and anal fissures.
A sitz bath is a soothing way to cleanse the area without rubbing or scrubbing, which can exacerbate the problem. It also improves blood flow to that part of your anatomy, which aids healing. Sitz baths can be taken as many as three times a day, for 10 to 15 minutes each time, depending on your needs.