This affordable foot mask saved my dry winter feet

I don’t know about you, but for the past few months I’ve unknowingly relegated my feet to “out of sight, out of mind” territory as I stomped around in boots — meaning I seriously slacked off in the foot care department. But now that sandal weather is upon us (ish), I’m doing damage control to deal with my dry, cracked feet.

We are also in a recession which means I don’t want to spend a lot of money on it – sober foot care only please! Enter this affordable foot mask I found on a recent trip to Target. The Aveeno Cica Repairing Foot Mask ($4) is a pair of disposable “slippers” that promises to nourish and repair extra-dry skin and leave feet looking soft and smooth. Soft, hydrated feet for less than my usual Starbucks order? Suffice to say, I couldn’t add these babies to my cart fast enough, and I’m so glad I did – here’s why.

Aveeno, Repair Cica Foot Mask – $4.00

An ultra-nourishing, restorative foot mask that leaves extra-dry feet feeling softer and more hydrated – for less than $5 bucks?! That will be a yes from me.

If you’ve ever tried one of those viral foot peel masks or used a glycolic acid toner on your feet, the Aveeno Cica Repairing Foot Mask isn’t (although it can certainly be used in conjunction with either). It’s a gentle, one-time foot treatment that envelops dry, crusty feet in comforting, skin-soothing moisture. The “cica” in the name actually refers to the French word “cicatrization” or “healing”, which is precisely what my neglected feet needed. And thanks to the foot mask’s hero ingredients — prebiotic oats (which is also the hero of the brand’s sensitive, skin-loving facial moisturizer) and shea butter — they’ve got just that.

The foot mask contains oat kernel flour, oil and extract, all of which are loved by the skin for its soothing properties that work wonders on irritated, eczema-prone skin. “[Oat] is very soothing and helps improve redness and inflammation,” Audrey Kunin MD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of DERMADoctor, previously told Well + Good. In the foot mask, the prebiotic oats help to soothe and protect dry feet, while dry feet are kept at bay.Another beloved skin soother, shea butter delivers that intense nourishment my dry feet have been deprived of all fall and winter – softening my dry, cracked heels and coating them with soothing moisture.

I tucked my dry feet into the foot mask slippers (and added a pair of socks on top for extra insurance) and kept them on my feet for 10 minutes, as instructed. Before I finished watching my YouTube video, my 10-minute timer went off and I took off the slippers, massaged the excess product into my feet, and put on socks to let it absorb overnight. Because the last thing the internet needs is a foot photo of yours truly. Trust me when I tell you that my feet felt softer and more hydrated the next morning than they had in months. My dry, cracked heels had soaked up all the moisturizing lotion from the mask while I slept and looked visibly better.

While not a miracle worker, the Aveeno Cica Repairing Foot Mask is the perfect hassle-free foot maintenance that my foot care routine desperately needs during the colder months. Which means I will always have a pair of these in my closet going forward. And for less than $5 dollars? You can’t go wrong. Find yours at Target.