A vegetable oil obtained from the seed of the castor plant (Ricinus communis), pure castor oil is a colorless to pale yellow liquid with mild or no odor or taste. Among many uses, it can be used as a naturally healthy treatment for several common foot problems.

Dryness: When circulation to one’s feet is compromised, foot skin may become excessively dry. Castor oil has long been used to soothe and seal foot skin that has become cracked and fissured, while a qualified health counselor seeks to improve the root cause of the impediment to normal circulation.

Red and itchy: The fatty chains of castor oil are made up almost entirely of ricinoleic acid, which modern medicine recognizes as a powerful anti-inflammatory (Mediators of Inflammation).

Achy: Castor oil has also proved to have analgesic, or pain-reducing, effects, according to a study of surface pain published in the International Journal of Emergency Medicine.

Fungal. Undecylenic acid, an active ingredient in castor oil, is widely acknowledged for its relief of fungal infections in the body. For foot or toenail fungus, soak feet in a basin of water with Epsom salts for about five minutes, and then apply castor oil liberally.