Winter Foot Care for People with Diabetes

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The short answer

With diabetes, winter foot care means five things every day: 1) check your feet daily, 2) wash in lukewarm water, 3) dry well between the toes, 4) moisturise heels and soles, but NOT between the toes, 5) wear clean cotton socks. For washing, a mild bar such as Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar works, and on the feet CeraVe Moisturising Lotion for Dry to Very Dry Skin, or for heels the thicker Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream Dry to Very Dry, Sensitive Skin. Never put a hot-water bottle or heater directly on your feet, and never cut corns or calluses yourself. If you see cracks, wounds, colour change or numbness, see a doctor without delay.

To be honest with you: a dedicated foot cream, heel cream or urea cream is not on our shelf right now. So we are recommending good-quality thick body lotion and moisturising cream, which help reduce dryness and cracking when applied to the heels at night. If your doctor prescribes a specific cream, that comes first.

Why feet need special care with diabetes

When blood sugar stays high for a long time, the nerves in the feet can weaken. Then you may not feel a cut, blister or burn. Blood flow to the feet can also drop, so even small wounds heal slowly and infections set in easily. On top of that, skin tends to be dry with diabetes, and sweating is reduced.

Winter adds dry air and cold floors. Heels crack, and germs can get in through those cracks. So for someone with diabetes, cracked heels are not just unsightly or uncomfortable; they deserve serious attention. The good news is that five minutes of care a day catches most problems early.

The daily routine (5–10 minutes)

In the morning or at bath time

1. Test the water: if feeling in the feet is reduced, they can't judge how hot water is. Dip your elbow or wrist instead; lukewarm is enough.
2. Wash: gently wash the feet and between the toes with a mild bar (Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar) or cleanser (Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser Normal To Dry Skin). Don't soak feet for 10–15 minutes; over-soaked skin softens and tears easily.
3. Dry: pat with a soft towel, especially between the toes. Damp gaps can lead to fungal infection.
4. Moisturise: on the tops, soles and heels apply CeraVe Moisturising Lotion for Dry to Very Dry Skin, about half a teaspoon per foot. Don't put lotion between the toes. If some gets there, wipe it off with a dry cloth.
5. Socks and shoes: clean, soft cotton socks with elastic that isn't tight. Before putting on shoes, feel inside with your hand for stones, grit or folds.

At night before bed

1. Check the feet: in good light look at the tops, soles, heels and between every toe on both feet. Use a mirror for the soles, or ask a family member to look.
2. What to look for: cuts, blisters, redness, swelling, cracks, skin turning dark or bluish, red swelling beside a nail, pus, or any spot that feels warmer than the rest.
3. Thick cream on the heels: if heels tend to crack, apply a generous layer of Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream Dry to Very Dry, Sensitive Skin to the heels and hard areas of the soles, then sleep in thin cotton socks.
4. Nails: cut nails straight across after a bath when they are soft; don't cut deep into the corners. If eyesight is poor or hands shake, let a family member do it.

For family members: how to help

Many elderly parents and grandparents can't see the soles of their own feet: bending is hard, eyesight is weak, or they feel shy. Here, family help is the biggest protection.

• Set a fixed time each night, such as after Esha prayer or dinner, for a 5-minute foot check.
• Use the phone torch to check the soles and between the toes.
• If you see a new mark, blister or cut, take a photo on your phone and compare it the next day. If it isn't better, show the photo to the doctor.
• Don't let them walk barefoot, not even indoors. Keep soft sandals or house shoes handy.
• At every doctor visit, remind them to take off shoes and socks and have their feet checked.

What never to do (common mistakes)

• Warming feet with a hot-water bottle, a hot brick, a heater or beside a fire. With reduced feeling, a burn may go unnoticed and turn into a serious wound. Socks and blankets are the safe way to keep feet warm.
• Cutting corns, hard calluses or warts yourself with a blade or nail clipper. This can cause a dangerous infection. Have a doctor or trained health worker do it.
• Using corn plasters or acid "corn remover" medicines from a shop. With diabetes these can create wounds.
• Scrubbing hard with a pumice stone. With reduced feeling it's easy to rub too hard and cause a wound.
• Leaving lotion or oil between the toes. Damp gaps breed fungus.
• Walking barefoot, especially in the yard, on the roof or on the cold floor outside the mosque.
• Tight shoes or socks with elastic that digs in. They reduce blood flow and cause blisters from rubbing.
• Waiting for a small wound to "heal on its own". With diabetes, a small wound can grow fast.
• Applying any antibiotic or steroid ointment on your own. The doctor decides what to apply.

The Bangladesh reality

Diabetes is very common in Bangladesh; almost every family has someone with it. In winter, cold mud or cement floors in village homes, walking barefoot in the yard and warming up by a fire in the evening are all familiar scenes. In cities, many people like to sit with their feet in front of a room heater. Frequent wudu means feet get wet several times a day; the gaps between the toes need drying every time. There is a separate post on this: frequent wudu in cold water: preventing cracked hands, face and feet.

In many districts, diabetic association hospitals and centres, as well as government hospitals, can see you for diabetes and foot problems. Have a doctor do a full foot examination at least once a year, and keep blood sugar under control as your doctor advises; that is the biggest protection for your feet.

For general care of cracked heels, read dry hands and feet and cracked heels in winter; for older people's winter skin, cracked, itchy skin in older people in winter; and for the full day's routine, the 24-hour winter skincare routine. Short answers to winter questions for elderly and pregnant readers are on Winter skin for the elderly and pregnancy: questions and answers.

Why authentic products matter

Skin with diabetes is more prone to irritation and infection. A fake lotion with unknown chemicals or adulterants raises that risk. TheSkinProof is an invoice-verified skincare marketplace: the source invoice of every product is checked. If a product is proven counterfeit, you get 2× your money back when you claim within 7 days of delivery. We deliver across Bangladesh with cash on delivery available, so you can also send it to your parents' village address.

When to see a doctor

With diabetes, any new foot problem means seeing a doctor without delay, ideally the same day or the next day:

• Any cut, blister or wound, however small, that isn't improving within 2–3 days.
• Deep heel cracks, bleeding, or redness and pain around a crack.
• Any part of the foot that is red, swollen, warmer than the rest, or has pus or a bad smell.
• Toes or feet turning dark, bluish or very pale.
• New numbness, tingling, burning, or not feeling things on the feet.
• Red swelling beside a nail, or a nail growing inwards.
• White, soggy skin, itching or cracks between the toes (signs of fungus).
• The shape of the foot changing, or leg muscle pain when walking that forces you to stop.
• A foot wound together with fever, chills or suddenly uncontrolled blood sugar: this is an emergency; go to a hospital the same day.