If you’re hard on your feet, chances are it shows as dry skin, cracked heels, or hardened calluses. To revive rough feet, a foot peel or mask is an easy, low effort way to get ready for summer sandals. These InStyle editor-tested picks are proven to make feet smooth, soft, and—dare we say it—sexy.

Put your best foot forward (literally).

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After a long winter, you’re likely ready to come out of hibernation — but are your feet? A tough season of trekking around in thick socks and heavy boots may not even be fully to blame; runners, fitness enthusiasts, and high heel junkies all deal with dry, rough feet. And while most people tend to neglect regular foot care, you can get back on the right track with a foot mask.

A foot mask tends to fall into one of two categories—a super conditioning, moisture-filled foot mask, and an exfoliating foot peel. The former is basically a deep moisturizer to condition dry feet, while the second is an intensive treatment designed to target thick skin and calluses. “A foot peel will help get your feet back on track for sandal season, and then you can maintain the softness with a foot mask,” says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Dana Stern.

To find the best foot peels and foot masks out there, we tested 25 different formulas over the course of six weeks, dedicating 800 hours to the cause. We assessed the products on their ease of use, moisturizing benefits, comfort level, and overall results. From there, we evaluated our data and ultimately narrowed down our selection to the top 14 masks below, which are bound to give your feet the glow up they deserve.

Our Top Picks Best Overall Peel Mask: Patchology PoshPeel Pedi Cure at Amazon ($18) Jump to Review Best Drugstore: Aquaphor Repairing Foot Mask at Amazon ($30) Jump to Review Best Socks: KISS Super Peel Socks at Amazon ($10) Jump to Review Best for Fast Results: ALIVER Foot Peel Mask at Aliver.com (See Price) Jump to Review Best Exfoliating Foot Mask: Baby Foot Exfoliation Foot Peel at Amazon ($20) Jump to Review Best for Calluses: Barefoot Scientist Reboot at Barefootscientist.com (See Price) Jump to Review Best Korean Beauty: Beauty Pie Glycolic Peel Socks at Beautypie.com ($8) Jump to Review Best for Dry Skin: Boscia Fruit Acid Smoothing Foot Peel at Boscia.com (See Price) Jump to Review Best to Remove Dead Skin: DERMORA Foot Peel Mask at Amazon ($14) Jump to Review Best for Sensitive Skin: Grace & Stella Foot Peeling Mask at Amazon ($10) Jump to Review

Best Overall Peel Mask

Patchology PoshPeel Pedi Cure

View On Amazon $18 View On Nordstrom $17 View On Dermstore

Why We Love It: If you’re looking for heavy-duty results, this foot peel from Patchology is definitely the way to go. We’ve tried plenty of foot peels in our day, but none worked as well as this one, truly eviscerating the dead skin on our runner’s feet to leave them super smooth. This peel is unique in that the booties are not pre-saturated—you must add the exfoliating solution to the booties yourself—but we kind of liked this as it allows you to customize your experience. (For example, those with smaller feet will very likely not need to add all of the liquid to their booties.) Our feet didn’t feel sticky, tacky, or slimy once our one-hour treatment was done; after we rinsed the water-like solution off, our feet felt just like they usually do.

Who It's For: We’re genuinely obsessed with this powerful peel—we got the results of multiple treatments after just one session. even if it took a week to see.

Type: Chemical peel mask｜Key Ingredients: Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid, citric acid｜Average Shedding Time: Peeling began 10 days after treatment and lasted for a week｜Size: Two pairs per package

Best Drugstore

Aquaphor Repairing Foot Mask

View On Amazon $30

Why We Love It: If slathering foot cream on each night just isn’t cutting it, reach for this six-pack of foot masks from Aquaphor. It’s packed with nourishing ingredients, like avocado oil and shea butter, which infuse your skin with intensive moisture in just 10 minutes (though we’d recommend using it for at least 20). We wore this mask once weekly for six weeks and saw a difference in our tough calluses after just one use.

Who It's For: It’s basically a potent moisturizer in a bootie, it left a film behind on our skin. We preferred to wash it off, but wearing these booties overnight under some generously-sized socks allows the rich solution to fully absorb into dry skin.

Type: Moisturizing mask｜Key Ingredients: Glycerin, avocado oil, shea butter｜Average Shedding Time: N/A｜Size: Six pairs per package

Best Socks

KISS Super Peel Socks

View On Amazon $10

Why We Love It: Though we religiously use foot cream, we do have some stubborn calluses from walking and weight training that would benefit from a peel. We liked that this was one of the faster foot peels we tried, with an only 30 minute wear time needed in order to break down the dead skin. The skin on our feet felt tight and strange on the third day after the treatment, which is when the peeling began; there was some intense peeling, but it only lasted for four days. Most exfoliating peels necessitate well over a week of downtime so this was a pleasant surprise. Once the peeling was over, our calluses were noticeably improved and they stayed that way for one full month.

Who It's For: It’s hard to beat this peel for the price and we have very few complaints. It's even harder to find booties that fit our size 10 feet, but this one fit with a bit of wiggle room to spare.

Type: Chemical peel mask｜Key Ingredients: Salicylic acid, urea, paraffin, shea butter｜Average Shedding Time: Peeling began three days after treatment and lasted for four days｜Size: Two pairs per package

Best for Fast Results

ALIVER Foot Peel Mask

View On Aliver.com

Why We Love It: While most foot peels use potent alpha-hydroxy acids to break down and slough away dead skin, this one uses gentler plant extracts to do so, as well as a blend of hydrating and nourishing ingredients like glycerin and allantoin. Immediately after rinsing the formula off our feet (it’s a bit sticky!), our feet felt softer and plumper; the peel left behind a delicate lavender scent we appreciated. The exfoliation was mild, with no large pieces of dead skin shedding over the subsequent week—in fact, we saw nothing at all, just felt the results courtesy of the newly smoothed texture of our feet.

Who It's For: This fast-acting foot mask does its best work on super dry skin or anyone who needs a speedy Hail Mary. Leave it on for 90 minutes and you'll see major results. This is not the one to slap on right before a date (unless you’ve budgeted the time for it). However, if you’re just days away from a tropical vacation and your feet need a bit of a boost (but can’t be subjected to a week of peeling), this is definitely one to try.

Type: Exfoliating mask｜Key Ingredients: Lavender extract, glycerin, allantoin｜Average Shedding Time: N/A｜Size: Three pairs per package

Best Exfoliating Foot Mask

Baby Foot Exfoliation Foot Peel

View On Amazon $20 View On Ulta $19 View On Bluemercury.com $25

Why We Love It: This is one of the most well-known foot exfoliating treatments on the market and for good reason: It’s highly effective. Three days after we used the product—booties that we wore for an hour while hanging out—our feet peeled like crazy. We had no idea how much dead skin had been lurking around our toes! We gently scrubbed our feet as they began to shed to help speed the process along, and we couldn’t believe how soft they were once the dead skin had fully sloughed off. (We found ourselves rubbing our feet together before bed because of how satisfyingly smooth they were.)

Who It's For: Baby Foot is a bootie-style mask with little sticker strips to fasten around your ankle, but this one requires full relaxation while wearing. The weak adhesive on the booties makes them rather flimsy, especially if you were to walk around your home. We suggest staying seated and watching TV while wearing this mask so it doesn’t slip off.

Type: Chemical peel mask｜Key Ingredients: Lactic acid, glycolic acid, malic acid, salicylic acid｜Average Shedding Time: Peeling began three days after using the treatment｜Size: One pair

Best for Calluses

Barefoot Scientist Reboot

View On Barefootscientist.com

Why We Love It: After soaking our feet, we slipped them into these somewhat stylish booties and wore them for 90 minutes before rinsing off. A few days later, the skin on our feet started to feel tight, and then a few days after that, the peeling began. It took about a week for the skin to fully shed, but throughout the process, our feet became very noticeably smoother. Our calluses are pretty formidable, so we didn’t expect the peel to fully remove them, but we were quite pleased to see their size shrink and hardness soften by the end of the peeling period.

Who It's For: We’re really hard on our feet—we’re runners and avid gym goers—and our thick calluses prove it. We usually have to stop exercising after using a chemical peel, but we didn’t stop working out throughout this time and our feet never felt irritated or sensitive.

Type: Chemical peel mask｜Key Ingredients: Lactic acid, glycolic acid, lemon fruit extract, papaya fruit extract｜Average Shedding Time: Peeling began about four days after treatment and lasted for a week｜Size: One pair

Best Korean Beauty

Beauty Pie Glycolic Peel Socks

View On Beautypie.com $8

Why We Love It: These peels are made in Korea and feature an effective blend of lactic and glycolic acids as well as plant extracts, like grapefruit, sweet almond, and coconut, to smooth, condition, and nourish the feet. The booties come connected at the ankles—we just cut along the seam and slid them on our freshly-washed feet, wearing them for 90 minutes. The serum distributed evenly and absorbed well. Around five days after using the booties, we noticed some mild peeling and flaking (rather than large pieces of skin), which were fully gone after two days, leaving our skin super smooth.

Who It's For: Sensitive skin types, or someone who doesn't need Superman-strength intervention will find this gentle peel more than powerful enough to get rid of a bit of roughness. However, if you have very, very dry feet with significant calluses, this mask may not be strong enough for you.

Type: Chemical peel mask｜Key Ingredients: Lactic acid, glycolic acid, coconut extract｜Average Shedding Time: Subtle peeling occurred about five days after treatment and didn’t last more than a day or two｜Size: One pair

Best for Dry Skin

Boscia Fruit Acid Smoothing Foot Peel

View On Boscia.com

Why We Love It: This potent peel uses a blend of plant-based alpha-hydroxy acids and alcohol to penetrate skin and release the dead cells on the surface to smooth and soften. The peel is delivered via a pair of booties that fit up to men’s size 12, which isn’t common in these products; we held them in place by slipping a pair of cozy socks on top. Three days after our treatment, we woke up to an alarming amount of dead skin in the black socks we’d worn to bed, and helped guide further shedding during our showers to make the least amount of mess. It started along the balls of our feet and spread to our heels, effectively softening calluses before finishing by peeling around our toes and toenails. The peel was effective—and we could feel it. Like a stronger chemical peel that you’d use on our face, this formula left our skin feeling tingly for the entirety of our 90-minute treatment.

Who It's For: Our feet are always cold, and the solution's frosty tingle made our feet feel like they were on ice. In February, this didn't thrill us. In July, we're fully on board with this refreshing mask. These booties are also very generously sized, making them a great pick for larger feet.

Type: Chemical peel mask｜Key Ingredients: Lactic acid, urea, glycolic acid｜Average Shedding Time: Peeling began three days after treatment and lasted for a week｜Size: 1 peel

Best to Remove Dead Skin

DERMORA Foot Peel Mask

View On Amazon $14

Why We Love It: We used this peel twice with the goals of targeting the calluses on our toes and the balls of our feet, and the formula did a great job at softening up these trouble areas. It removed a great deal of dead skin with the blend of exfoliating acids; the peeling kicked in about three days after we used the treatment, at which point our skin began peeling excessively. We couldn’t brush away dead skin without triggering new peeling. This eventually began to subside, with our feet being fully smooth after a week. Our calluses were reduced in size after the first mask, and we opted to do a second—the brand recommends continued treatment until skin is fully softened.

Who It’s For: This treatment was gentle and non-irritating, effectively removing a lot of dead skin on the bottom and sides of our feet. It did dry our skin out a bit, but we were more than happy to indulge in a rich layer of body butter to maintain softness and comfort.

Type: Chemical peel mask｜Key Ingredients: Fermented milk extract, salicylic acid, lactic acid, malic acid｜Average Shedding Time: Peeling began three days after treatment and lasted for a week｜Size: Two pairs per package

Best for Sensitive Skin

Grace & Stella Foot Peeling Mask

View On Amazon $10 View On Verishop.com $6 View On Graceandstella.com

Why We Love It: When we first put on these peeling booties, we noticed that the cooling gel inside made our skin feel moisturized, a sensation that lasted well into the next day. It was two days after that that our feet began to peel significantly for a period that felt like it lasted forever, but realistically only took 10 days. Our skin then looked fresh and new, which we loved. Bonus: The formula comes in multiple scent options, including lavender, coconut, and lemon.

Who It's For: We were stunned to find brand-new-looking feet from such a non-irritating formula. Our sensitive skin never felt a single tingle and now we use it monthly.

Type: Chemical peel mask｜Key Ingredients: Lactic acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid｜Average Shedding Time: Peeling began three days after treatment and lasted for 10 days｜Size: Two pairs per package

Best Moisturizing

Nails Inc. Moisturizing Foot Mask

View On Nailsinc.com

Why We Love It: This is a great mask for those who get regular pedicures, but don’t do much foot maintenance in between appointments—it delivers intensive moisture in just 30 minutes. It contains the gentle exfoliant urea, which also features powerful moisturizing properties (as do the included shea butter and sweet almond extract) to soften up dry skin. There’s no peeling with this one, just nourishment. It’s worth noting that this is not a mask that leaves your skin silky and lotion-free after you take it off—the formula does not fully absorb during the treatment window. If you were to walk around barefoot after using this mask, you’d leave greasy footprints on your hardwood floor. We popped a pair of socks on immediately after taking off the booties and it helped push the mask solution into our skin.

Who It's For: Unlike the other booties we tried, these were surprisingly easy to walk around in, and we didn’t feel like the material would tear if we moved or cause us to fall down. The effects of this mask lasted about a week, so we’d suggest using one weekly to maintain your results.

Type: Moisturizing mask｜Key Ingredients: Urea, shea butter, green tea, sweet almond extract｜Average Shedding Time: N/A｜Size: One pair

​​Best Natural

Plantifique Foot Peel Mask

View On Amazon $17

Why We Love It: This budget-friendly peeling mask was gentle yet potent, sloughing away dry, coarse skin without causing any sensitivity. There are five fragrance options; ours was a subtle and pleasant peachy scent that hit us as soon as we opened the booties, which were generously sized (they fit our size 10 feet with ease), but didn’t linger. We used the peel twice, wearing it for at least an hour each time, making sure to stay put during the treatment as the booties offered zero traction. After three days of patiently waiting, our skin began to peel significantly; it took over a week for it all to shed, with the spaces between our toes taking the longest time to return to normal. Once the peeling window had passed, our skin was silky smooth.

Who It's For: Someone who understands the long game; you’re not supposed to pick the peeling skin, so from start to finish, our journey to flawless feet took 15 days. Keep that in mind if you’re trying to get results on a deadline or if you can't resist tugging a flake.

Type: Chemical peel mask｜Key Ingredients: Peach kernel extract, lactic acid, aloe vera｜Average Shedding Time: Peeling began three days after treatment and lasted for 10 days｜Size: Two pairs per package

Best for Hard Skin

Soft Touch Foot Peel Mask

View On Amazon $18

Why We Love It: The thick, hard skin on our toes and the balls and heels of our feet were no match for this mask, which sloughed off about a week after our treatment. The skin on the rest of our feet was left relatively unscathed, which surprised us, but we appreciated the targeted results. Beyond the exfoliating properties, though, we found that the peel also left our skin feeling very moisturized, an effect that lasted for about a month.

Who It’s For: Though the peel didn’t irritate our skin while we wore it, it exfoliated our feet so intensely that our normally tough skin felt extremely sensitive a few days later during the shedding period. Take our word for it: Hold off on breaking in a new pair of shoes until the shedding period ends. We think the peel was responsible for the terrible blisters we’ve ever had, but if you stick with comfy slippers and footwear as your skin sheds, you’ll be blister-free.

Type: Chemical peel mask｜Key Ingredients: Lactic acid, salicylic acid, malic acid｜Average Shedding Time: Peeling began four days after treatment and lasted for 10 days｜Size: Two pairs per package

Best for Cracked Heels

TONYMOLY Peeling Shoes

View On Ulta $5 View On Tonymoly.us

Why We Love It: We’d never seen a foot peel like this before—instead of an entire bootie, this product solely covers the heels to saturate them with a blend of chemical exfoliants and fruit acids. It kicked in faster than most peels we’ve tried, starting the sloughing process within four days and leaving our heels super smooth five days after that. It also had a very light smell, while many others we’ve tested have had strong aromas that left our bathroom smelling like chemicals.

Who It's For: Troublesome, hardened heels have met their match with this seriously powerful mask (once we figured out how to put it on without leaking).

Type: Chemical peel mask｜Key Ingredients: Glycolic acid, lactic acid, urea, salicylic acid｜Average Shedding Time: Peeling began four days after treatment and lasted for five days｜Size: One pair

What to Keep in Mind

• Chemical Foot Peels vs. Moisturizing Foot Masks: Before making a purchase, take a good look at your feet—how does your skin look? “If you can see that the skin is thick, stiff, and hard, these are signs that an exfoliating peel or mask is a better choice,” says Dr. Richard Bottiglione, board-certified dermatologist. “Thicker skin is the biggest indicator.” The most common form of thick skin you’ll see on the feet is calluses, usually on heels and sometimes also on the balls of your feet, and an exfoliating mask or peel works similarly to one you’d do on your face, sinking into hardened skin below the ankles to help break up and remove the dead layers, leaving your feet smoother and softer. “When we do a facial peel, you are trying to exfoliate off a layer of the skin to brighter and bring the youthfulness of the under layer of skin to the surface,” explains podiatrist Dr. Emily Splichal.

  If you’ve got few to zero calluses and have pretty even texture across your feet except for dryness, you don’t need the oomph of a chemical exfoliant peel. “A nourishing foot mask will give you some extra hydration right away,” says Dr. Stern. He adds, “they are a great way to maintain feet that have already been successfully exfoliated.” Because the dead skin has been sloughed off, the nourishing ingredients of the mask will be able to fully saturate the fresh, new skin, leaving your feet touchably soft.

• Your Goals: No matter which route you choose, Dr. Splichal notes that you’ll get the best results when you incorporate foot masks or peels into an entire foot care regimen that includes urea-infused creams and weekly debridement with a pumice stone or exfoliating tool. Consistency is key. “I always compare a foot skin routine to a face skin routine,” she says. “Something needs to be done daily to get the best results.”
• Exfoliating Ingredients: At his practice, Dr. Bottiglione treats patients’ feet with 65 percent salicylic acid to really break down thick, dry skin, calluses, and even cracked heels; you won’t find an OTC peel nearly as potent, but he says even milder concentrations of acids will certainly help, especially if the formula is loaded with salicylic acid, glycolic and lactic acids, fruit enzymes, and urea. “They break down the intercellular glue in the stratum corneum, which is the outer layer of the skin,” explains Dr. Stern, who notes that feet in particular have a very thick stratum corneum. “This type of peel or mask is specifically formulated for this anatomical area of the body and would be too strong to use elsewhere.”
• Moisturizing Ingredients: “Oils are great at moisturizing the skin,” says Dr. Bottiglione, adding that you can’t go wrong with any of the common moisturizing ingredients you find across most skincare. New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Jodi LoGerfo recommends argan and coconut oils in particular, along with plant butters, like shea and cocoa, and hyaluronic acid, while Dr. Splichal favors glycerin and squalane. You can also look for urea here, too—while urea has exfoliating properties, it can also help the skin retain moisture, making this ingredient fantastic for feet.

  If you’re not sure if you’re a candidate for a moisturizing mask, you can likely use it no matter what—after all, it’s basically a deep moisturizer, and all skin needs moisture! “Anyone with dry feet, including cracked heels, could use a moisturizing foot mask,” says Dr. LoGerfo. Adds Dr. Splichal, “I recommend weekly foot masks as part of an overall healthy foot routine, especially as we enter sandal season.”

• Downtime: Foot masks and foot peels serve completely different purposes, and thus offer totally different experiences and downtimes. If you need a serious dose of moisture, a foot mask is an immediate quick fix; they are only worn for 60 minutes (tops) or less and deliver instant results. “You’ll notice skin is immediately softer after application,” says Dr. Stern. “Nourishing foot masks are essentially just heavy moisturizers, so they are safe to apply as often as needed.” They’re especially great to apply right before bed; put on a pair of socks after you’re done with your mask to help seal in that nourishment overnight.

  However, when it comes to fitting a foot peel into your schedule, you’ll want to be strategic about both when you sit down to use the peel and how long your journey, beginning to end, will span. You should be slipping into a pair of foot peel booties after cleaning your feet (soaking them in water can help the process, which we’ll get to in a minute), letting the formula soak for an hour or more, and you’ll usually need to sit in one spot (booties are often not conducive to walking around). If you must putter around, Dr. Bottiglione recommends wearing socks or slippers on top of the peel so you don’t slip and fall.

• Account for Extended Shedding Period: Once you’ve completed your exfoliating mask or peel treatment, you’ll have to wash and dry your feet—and then you wait. “A peel mask can cause the skin to flake off days after applying,” says Dr. Bottiglione. According to Dr. LoGerfo, you can expect to wait anywhere from three days to a week for that process to begin, and timelines will vary based on formula strength, but it’s not unusual for the shedding process to last two weeks from there, meaning you could be on your journey for a solid three weeks, from plastic, wet bootie to cute summer sandal.

Your Questions, Answered

Do podiatrists recommend foot peels?

Yes, absolutely, so long as you’re using them correctly and at the right cadence. “They’re a good part of a healthy skin program,” says Dr. Splichal. “I recommend using them once a quarter or as seasons change.” Unless you’re under the supervision of a derm or a podiatrist, you should not use them faster, even if you’re tempted—you don’t want to over-exfoliate your feet, leaving them tender and raw.

Are peeling masks good for feet?

“They can help ‘reset’ the skin on your feet and prepare them for better moisture absorption after the peeling process is complete,” says Dr. Stern. However, not everyone will be a candidate, says Dr. LoGerfo. If you’re allergic or sensitive to any of the ingredients in the formula, you should skip it. “You should also avoid a peeling mask if you have any active skin infections, psoriasis, eczema with oozing or crusting and herpes infection, as well as any other skin condition causing your feet to be broken or irritated,” she adds.

Do foot peels remove cracked heels?

Foot peels can help improve the appearance of cracked heels, but they’re really more of a quick fix rather than a lasting solution. “For dry, cracked heels, you’ll want to rely on foot masks, daily urea foot cream, and weekly mechanical debridement,” says Dr. Splichal. And depending on the state of your heels or sensitivity of your skin, strong exfoliating peels could also hurt. “For severe cracks, exfoliating products may be irritating and burn and should be avoided,” says Dr. Stern.

How can I make my foot peel work faster?

If you’ve cut it a little too close with the timing of your foot peel and need to finish shedding ASAP, you can help to speed things up a little bit. If you can, slip a pair of socks on top of your booties as you wait out your treatment, which Dr. LoGerfo notes can promote deeper absorption of the peel’s solution.

If you forgot your socks, no worries—you still have another way to expedite the process. “Soaking your feet during the peeling process definitely helps accelerate the exfoliation,” says Dr. Stern. While your feet will get wet in the shower, full submersion in the tub is the way to go here—that’ll help the dead skin lift away from the healthy skin.

How often should I use a foot peel or mask?

Think about how you’d treat your face. You wouldn’t apply a powerful chemical peel daily so as not to damage your skin; you’d definitely indulge in a deep moisturizing mask every Sunday. The same rules apply for your feet: Use a peel every few months (the formulas are way stronger than what you’d put on your face!), but feel free to use a moisturizing mask more frequently. Dr. LoGerfo says the latter is fine to apply weekly, if not more.

If your feet are still scaly or red even after sticking to a consistent foot care regimen, you may have a more serious issue. “See a dermatologist or podiatrist to evaluate the skin for possible fungus,” says Dr. Stern.

Why Shop With Us

Emily Orofino is a freelance writer, editor, and consultant with over a decade of experience in the beauty industry. Despite regular pedicures, she frequently has cracked heels and calluses. She and her husband take self care seriously and treat themselves to foot peels every quarter, especially ahead of beach vacations. For this piece, she tapped four experts, podiatrist Dr. Emily Splichal, board-certified dermatologists Dr. Dana Stern, founder of Dr. Dana and Dr. Richard Bottiglione, founder of Dermatologist’s Choice Skincare, and Dr. Jodi LoGerfo, Doctor of Nursing Practice with a focus on dermatology.