The skin on our soles is far thicker than anywhere else, meaning feet easily become rough and dry. Stubborn calluses might also appear, alongside hardening on the foot and toes, especially if you’re a keen runner or walker.
While footcare products include creams, scrubs and sprays, foot peels are an increasingly popular pick. These liquid-soaked socks are a single-use buy for wearing for 1-2 hours. And no scrubbing or filing is needed.
You may have seen foot peel reveal videos on social media, where users unveil smoother skin while seemingly shedding a layer of skin in the process. Take the original foot peel brand Baby Foot, for example, which has racked up millions of TikTok views. Although we wouldn’t recommend watching these posts while you’re having your lunch, there’s no denying the results are mesmerising.
Foot peels work by soaking the skin in a solution that contains chemical exfoliants, such as alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA) and beta-hydroxy acids. They encourage skin cell turnover, and the feet begin to peel, sometimes continuing for up to two or three weeks (depending on the skin’s condition beforehand). Following use, feet should look and feel smoother, thanks to the removal of hardened skin.
Whether prepping feet for sandal season or just seeking fresher looking heels, we wanted to find out how well these socks really work.
How we tested
We reviewed several foot peels over weeks of testing, trialling them on different soles with varying degrees of rough, hardened skin. As well as looking at the overall fit, we explored price points and styles. We also took into account the full peeling process, and final foot smoothing results. From patterned and plain to deeply exfoliating and gently smoothing, read on for our list of the best foot peels to buy in 2022.
BeautyPro foot and callus peel
This lightweight, white sock is a comfy fit and goes up to the ankle bone, with an inner lining containing lactic acid, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid. We noticed the fruity scent of its other ingredients too, which did dial down the chemical fragrance a bit.
After wearing them for 90 minutes as instructed, we took the socks off and washed our feet. We saw initial peeling on the toe and heel immediately, which continued over several days. A week later, most of the dead skin on our tester’s sole had come off, plus any previously rough skin between the toes. This foot peel caused an impressive amount of exfoliation and revealed noticeably softer skin underneath. All for under a tenner too.
Baby Foot exfoliation foot peel
These transparent plastic masks are more like boots than socks because the thick, crinkly material doesn’t fasten in place. While you can’t really walk around in them, this does make for an almost foot spa-like experience. As they’re open, we noticed the inner layer’s lactic acid and glycolic acid chemical exfoliation scent much more, but they feel robust enough that they won’t rip.
As instructed, we removed the product and washed our feet with soap and water after an hour’s wear. At first, there was no peeling at all, and then it began three days later, following a hot bath. A lot of skin came away into days four and five, especially from the rough heel area. This satisfying peeling steadily continued, and our final result at 14 days post-treatment was a noticeable smoothness. This foot peel is currently out of stock but you can sign up to be notified when it’s back.
Voesh peeling socks
These grey socks from Voesh attach around the ankle with a sticker. We found them to be a relaxed fit while feeling a bit snugger on our toes. AHA peeling ingredients are joined by a slightly sweet scent in amongst the potent acid notes. As one sock split slightly (because of us impatiently walking to the kettle), we took them off after 90 minutes. But you can stretch that to 120 minutes’ wear.
A day later, we could see the hard skin under our tester’s toenails had started peeling. The fact these previously stubborn patches (which we think are due to running) had begun to budge really surprised us. Fast forward 10 days and our heel and soles peeled too. But the most noticeable improvement was in the tough skin under the toes.
The peeling socks are set to be restocked on Feel Unique this week.
Starskin magic hour exfoliating foot mask socks
We found the fit of these midweight masks were like low rise trainer socks, securing in place with a small sticker. After popping them on, our tester noticed a slight tingle from the lactic acid starting to soak in. Other ingredients include lemon balm, and the scent is sharp.
We removed the socks after 90 minutes, and our tester saw heel skin softness within 24 hours. The peeling kicked in three days later and continued for a week. There wasn’t a dramatic peel effect, but we noted softer skin, especially on the heel area.
Skin Republic foot peel
These white socks fasten in place with a sticker, which we wrapped under the foot like a stirrup as we found it to be a more streamlined fit than around the ankle. The vegan-friendly ingredients include AHA, plant extracts and vitamin E. We wore the biodegradable socks for 90 minutes, before washing our feet.
While there was no change to begin with, by day three our tester’s skin started peeling. The effect was an exfoliation across the foot’s entire sole that continued for a week. While a huge amount of skin didn’t come off, there was still enough lost to create an evened-out surface.
Beauty Pie Dr Glycolic soft peel socks
These white socks have a creamy, citrus scent from almond, grapefruit, orange, and lemon ingredients, masking the glycolic acid and lactic acid components well. After securing this pair in place with the tab sticker, we noticed they are a looser fit around the ankle and feel cooling.
We stepped out of the socks 90 minutes later, washing our feet thoroughly. At this point, we felt skin tenderness, especially on our hardened heel. Sure enough, this was where we spotted the peeling, a couple of days later. Although the exfoliation didn’t involve shedding a lot of skin, our tester noted these socks provided a gentle peel to freshen up feet.
Nails Inc sole heeler smoothing foot peel
The first thing we noticed about this pair of foot peels is the fabulous leopard print pattern, which added style to our at-home pedicure. After attaching them in place with a sticker, our tester found they sit quite loosely on the ankle while being snugger on the foot itself. Plus, a middle seam means there’s no sticking to the skin.
We sat with the lactic acid, tea tree and coconut oil-infused socks on for the maximum recommended time of 90 minutes, and after washing our feet, did feel initial tenderness. Almost a full day later, we saw slight peeling on the big toe, ball of our foot and heel. This continued for four days. There wasn’t a noticeable amount of skin shedding, so we’d recommend these for a light treatment rather than full-on exfoliation.
Patchology poshpeel pedicure
What’s different about these foot peels is that the box comes with separate activating essence to pour yourself. This was a bit fiddly, but it does mean being in control of how much liquid each sock holds. The formula contains AHAs and BHAs including lactic acid, salicylic acid, and glycolic acid, and smells strongly of alcohol. The masks are covered in fun foot-related phrases and have a long cardboard tab with adhesive attachment. Our tester noted this secured the sock in place right around the ankle, with no slippage.
We removed the foot peels after an hour and could feel skin sensitivity almost instantly. Peeling started on the ball of our foot and heel around 24 hours later. After four days, our toes peeled a bit too. The impact was gentle, rather than full-on peeling, but our tester’s feet did look and feel softer a week later.
The verdict: Foot scrubs and peels
BeautyPro’s pair is our overall best buy for a full foot peel that significantly improves rough skin and is affordable. For noticeable skin smoothness that continues over several days, we’d recommend Baby Foot’s treatment. Meanwhile, we rate Voesh’s socks for the removal of stubborn hardening, especially underneath the toes.
