About Cleansing With Foot Pads

People are exposed to a variety of environmental toxins every day, from pollutants to pesticides to other potentially harmful substances. Because of this, health-minded individuals often look for a way to perform an at-home cleanse. One of the most popular ways to do this is through the feet. Companies sell foot pads that are purported to be able to cleanse the body and improve overall health. These pads are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, so users should educate themselves before doing a foot pad cleanse.

Description

• Cleansing with foot pads is a process by which special pads are worn on the soles of the feet overnight. While a person is sleeping, the pads are said to draw toxins out through his feet. This is supposed to cleanse the body because it purportedly removes toxic substances. In the morning, the foot pads are usually discolored, and the discoloration is said to be made by the substances that were drawn out and absorbed by the pads.

Ingredients

• Foot pads are said to work because they contain certain ingredients based on Asian cultural medicine. They typically have a combination of ingredients, such as bamboo vinegar to draw out the toxins and a stone or mineral compound to give off negative ions.

Scope

• Although foot pads are supposed to draw toxins out through the feet they are said to have a cleansing effect on the entire body. Reflexology principles say that a person's feet have zones that correspond to all of her other body areas. Wastes from those areas supposedly settles in the related foot area, where it can be drawn out overnight by the foot pads. This cleanses the corresponding area. Another explanation is that the pads stimulate a user's lymphatic system, allowing toxins to move into the body's internal elimination channels and be filtered out there rather than through the pads. Some experts say they work through a placebo effect, giving a feeling of well-being because of the user's belief in their cleansing power.

Use

• Foot pads for cleansing are used by first washing and exfoliating the feet, then applying the pad with its adhesive side upwards. The exfoliation step is important because it ensures that the pores are open so toxins can easily be drawn through them. The pads should be applied just prior to going to bed so it can perform its cleansing overnight. You can wear socks over the pads to keep them from falling off while you are sleeping.

Availability

• Cleansing foot pads are sold via television ads, websites, and auction sites. They typically range from $19.99 up to $39.99 (as of 2009) for a package of 14 to 32 pads.

Warning

• Dr. Ed Zimney of Everyday Health says that the discoloration on used foot pads does not come from cleansing the body. Instead, it is most likely dirt, dead skin, and other normal debris normally found on the bottom of a person's feet at night. The vinegar on the pads simply cleans the surface dirt rather than drawing out internal toxins. Dr. Zimney says there is physically no way for an effective cleansing to be performed through the feet. He also says that the lymphatic system cannot be stimulated by foot cleansing pads.