Reviewed: The Baby Foot Peel for Soft and Smooth Feet (Does It Really Work?)

• What it does: Chemically exfoliates dead skin on the feet, causing it to shed off within one to two weeks. 
• Best for: Normal, intact skin without sensitivity, open cuts or sores, or skin disease.
• Key ingredients: Lactic acid, glycolic acid, malic acid, salicylic acid.
• Made without: Sulfates, silicones, parabens.
• Cruelty-free: Yes.
• Editor’s rating: ★★★★☆

Baby Foot was first created in Japan in the 1990s as a way for people to treat dryness, built-up dead skin and cracked soles, without having to rely on professional pedicures. 

The formula has the consistency of a gel, and it contains a high concentration of alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids. Together, these acids chemically exfoliate the layers of dead skin cells so that they shed off.

The gel comes pre-filled inside a set of disposable plastic booties (a.k.a. “sock packs”) for you to wear. That way, the booties can keep it in contact with your skin for maximum absorption. They’re kind of like sheet masks for your feet, except you’re exfoliating instead of hydrating.

You’re meant to wear the gel-filled booties for one hour, after which you wash off the solution, and then wait for magic to happen. But you won’t notice anything right away. You’ll need to wait a few days for your feet to start peeling—giving you the soft, smooth feet of a baby (hence the name!).

Who should try Baby Foot? Anyone who experiences coarse, dry skin or calluses on their feet. This rough, tough skin can easily build up due to pressure and friction from standing, exercising or even wearing certain shoes. 

Using Baby Foot is simple—you just need about 1.5 hours to prepare for and then apply the peel.

Each box comes with instructions, but they can be a bit confusing, so I’m going to walk you through them here. Before you start, you may want to remove any nail polish you’re wearing, because the acids will destroy the shine and make it look dull.

1. Soak Your Feet

Before you open the sealed pouch that contains your acid-loaded booties, you need to soak your feet. I fill my tub with a few inches of warm water and then sit my feet in it for a good 15 to 20 minutes. The idea is to soften the dead skin, so the gel can penetrate more effectively. Amongst Baby Foot devotees on the Internet, this pre-soak step is the key to an effective peel.

(Weirdly, Baby Foot’s instructions fail to mention this until step two, after they've already told you to put on the booties. Then, the instructions are like, by the way: “We recommend taking a footbath to enhance the effects BEFORE and AFTER using this product.” So don’t make the mistake I did of reading step one and thinking the Baby Foot scientists had suddenly determined soaking was no longer necessary—it is.)

After you’ve finished soaking and drying your feet, you’re ready to pop on these bad boys. So go ahead and open the sealed pouch.

Inside, you’ll find one pair of plastic booties, which are for one-time use only. (Not pictured: the peel-off adhesives that you’ll use to secure them around your ankles.)

The tops of the booties come sealed, in order to prevent the gel from leaking out. To put your feet in, you’ll need to cut along the dotted lines to open them up.

Now you’re ready to stick one foot in each bootie. Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt or sting, despite all the acids.

To keep the gel in place, secure the booties snugly around your ankles with the enclosed adhesives. (If you can’t find them, just use regular tape.) Since the booties are designed to accommodate up to a size 12 foot, they can be a little loose, so I like to put a pair of socks on over top, to make them fit tightly.

Also, don’t do what I’m doing here, which is sticking my foot up in the air. You want your feet to be down on the ground, so the acid is pooling under your soles—not working on the tops of your feet, where there’s no dead skin to target.

4. Wash Your Feet

After one hour has passed, remove the booties and wash your feet thoroughly with soap and water.

5. Avoid Foot Creams and Soak Your Feet Daily

Avoid using foot creams or lotions until your feet have finished peeling, which can take up to two weeks—otherwise it won’t be as effective. (If your feet get really dry, the brand says it’s okay to apply an oil-free lotion “from time to time,” but I’d try not to if possible.)

For best results, you should also try to soak your feet daily. According to Baby Foot, the water is essential to activate the peeling process.

It can take anywhere from three to seven days for your skin to start shedding. And boy, does it shed! As you can see here, the dead skin literally comes off in sheets—which is equal parts horrifying and life-changing.

You just need to be patient and let it happen. I can still remember the first time I tried the product, and I was convinced it did nothing. Four days passed, and if anything, my feet were looking worse: much drier and more callused than before. “Damn you, Baby Foot,” I was thinking. Then, a day later, I was taking off a pair of tights when much to my alarm, a whole bunch of flakes fell out on the floor. Foot flakes. I was repulsed but elated.

The grotesque sloughing-off process can continue for up to two weeks, so you will definitely need to change your sheets and vacuum frequently. It’s annoying but worth it, because a pair of soft, smooth and yes, baby-like feet will finally emerge.

The only catch? You need to do Baby Foot when your feet are going to be under wraps (like during the winter). Sheets of dead skin falling off your feet just doesn’t go well with sandals, you know?

This is what my feet looked like during the Baby Foot peeling process, and after. I was well overdue for a peel before this session, so I’m pretty darn impressed! I still have some callused skin in a few spots because I over-pronate (roll inward) when I walk. I could repeat the treatment in a month to work on them some more, but it’s never going to be a permanent solution.

Still, it’s one that I am extremely happy with. Since Baby Foot is only removing dead skin, not living tissue, it is not traumatizing the skin in any way or encouraging calluses to build up faster. Not only is it more effective than any other treatment I’ve tried, it’s also way easier than filing, and cheaper than a pedicure.

The results are also long-lasting. Unlike other foot treatments, which require daily product applications or buffing sessions, this is something that you only need to use every few months. It’s that intense. 

For these reasons, I give Baby Foot four out of five stars:
★★★★☆