How do those Baby Feet foot masks work? The kind where you soak your feet for 45 mins and a week later all your hard skin peels off. What’s the science behind it?

Question

How do those Baby Feet foot masks work? The kind where you soak your feet for 45 mins and a week later all your hard skin peels off. What’s the science behind it?

In: Biology

Answer 1

The way that skin grows is that the top most layer of cells continuously grows outward and begins to die. Underneath are younger living cells that are still able to maintain growth/cell division. It is replaced by younger living cells underneath. t is comprised of a hard protein called keratin found in your nails and in a variety of tissues in a diverse array of organisms.

So, the outermost layer of skin is actually comprised of dead cells which do not adhere to one another as well as the younger living cells. The older cells are are easier to slough off, which I believe is accelerated by these treatments. What remains is a layer of still living cells. I am not knowledgeable enough or qualified to state what medical benefits this might offer.

Wildly speculating, I am guessing this might be purported to prevent areas of hard, dead cells stuck together that are both visually unappealing and potentially uncomfortable.

Below is a picture ripped from google images and NOT MINE:

[https://images.slideplayer.com/25/7611861/slides/slide_10.jpg](https://images.slideplayer.com/25/7611861/slides/slide_10.jpg)

Taken from:

[http://slideplayer.com/slide/7611861/](http://slideplayer.com/slide/7611861/)