Winter Foot Care in Canada: 9 Tips for Healthier-Looking Toenails

Canadian winters are tough on feet. We spend hours in insulated boots, walk through slush, come home to dry, heated air and often don't look at our toes again until spring. By the time sandal season arrives, toenails can look their worst. Here are nine simple winter foot care tips, and how Kerafirm Pro fits into a cold-weather routine.

Why Winter Is Hard on Toenails

Warm, closed footwear and damp socks create the kind of environment the Mayo Clinic links with nail problems. At the same time, indoor heating dries out skin on the heels and around the nails, which can crack and flake. Winter combines moisture inside the boot with dryness everywhere else.

9 Winter Foot Care Tips for Canadians

1. Choose moisture-wicking socks

Merino wool and technical socks pull moisture away from the skin and stay warm when damp. Cotton holds moisture against your feet. Keep a spare pair at work or in your car.

2. Change damp socks right away

Walked through slush? Sweaty after a long commute? Swap in dry socks as soon as you can. It is one of the easiest things you can do for your toenails.

3. Let boots dry out completely

Take out the liners or insoles, open your boots wide and let them dry overnight in a warm, airy spot or on a boot dryer. Avoid putting them right against a heater, which can damage materials.

4. Rotate your footwear

If you can, own two pairs of winter boots and alternate them. Each pair then has a full day to dry.

Start Your Winter Kerafirm Pro Routine

5. Keep up a daily Kerafirm Pro routine

Winter is when your feet spend the most time in warm, closed boots, so it is the worst time to skip your nail routine. Use Kerafirm Pro once a day after your shower: dry completely, brush a thin layer onto each affected nail, under the nail edge and onto the skin around it, and let it absorb. The cooling menthol and camphor feel refreshing after a day in heavy boots. See how to use Kerafirm Pro.

6. Moisturize, but not between the toes

Dry indoor air cracks heels and the skin around nails. Moisturize your heels and soles, but keep the spaces between your toes dry. The flaxseed, almond, walnut and chia seed oils in Kerafirm Pro already help condition the skin around the nails. Read about the conditioning oils in Kerafirm Pro.

7. Don't forget the rink and the pool

Winter sports bring us into rinks, gyms and indoor pools. Wear shower shoes in locker rooms, and take skates out of your bag to air out after every skate.

8. Trim nails regularly

Keep toenails short and trimmed straight across, and gently file thick areas. Shorter nails are less likely to press against the front of snug winter boots.

9. Plan ahead for sandal season

Toenails grow slowly, so the nails you want to show off in June are growing now. Starting a steady Kerafirm Pro routine in the fall or winter gives you months of daily care before warm weather arrives. Read how long Kerafirm Pro takes to work.

A Simple Winter Foot Routine

Order Kerafirm Pro Before the Cold Sets In

Shipping to Canada usually takes 10–15 working days, so order a little ahead of when you want to start. The 6-bottle package covers about 180 days, enough to carry you from the first snowfall to spring, at $49 per bottle with 3 free bonuses.