Petroleum jelly on the feet?

[Jerome74]

I've read somewhere that putting petroleum jelly on your feet in the morning helps to prevent blisters. Is that correct?

 

[Anonymous]

Works for some people, not me... xm

 

[greenshank]

petroleum jelly

Never tried it myself but I just read a post about the same subject,
here you go:
http://www.santiago-today.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=1249&highlight=petroleum

Take care of your feet, they are your best friends

:mrgreen:

 

[PEI-les]

It worked for me!!,I got the tip just before leaving Canada,from an ex-
army major.Vaseline applied before wool-blend socks each morning and
after 800 kms I came back with feet in better condition than I had started
out with,and only a couple of tiny water blisters en route.
It's worth giving it a try,but as xm says,it may not serve as an inprovement to some....a small investment will soon give you the answer!
buen Camino,Les

 

[WolverineDG]

I brought vaseline, but only to use as a moisturizer. I found it messed up the bandage tape I was using to wrap my feet up each morning. Other than the one blister I got the 2nd day because of wet feet, I had no problems with my feet (besides soreness) because I wrapped tape on my usual problem areas where I always get blisters when I wear a new pair of shoes. Hope that makes sense. I´m still very tired. :lol:

dg

 

[ehaldenb]

It works so well for me, but I have to apply it liberally to stress points, like between my toes (especially between my big and second toes). I don't understand how it could help in areas that come into contact with socks, because it would absorb into the socks or rub off, but between the toes it's a lifesaver!

 

[Magnara]

I hate sticky, but I used Vaseline and it doesn't feel sticky, I put it on twice a day , morning and when I changed my socks in the middle of the day. I did also wear stocking socks, might have been overkill to use both of these things, but I didn't get a blister and my feet felt lovely, they ended up better than they started. Why doesn't it feel sticky? No idea. But it certainly worked for me.

 

[Janeh]

Magnara you said you used stocking socks - was this under your hiking socks or instead of? From your post i gather you put vaseline on, then stocking socks, then regular socks?

 

[Jerome74]

Wolverine:

because I wrapped tape on my usual problem areas where I always get blisters when I wear a new pair of shoes.

What exactly does that mean? You wrapped tape on your foot in the morning before walking and then took it off again when you've finished walking that day? And what kind of tape was it?

Thanks.

 

[Whalleyranger]

It worked fine for me - you can also get vaseline with Aloe Vera in it, which acts as an antisceptic, and smells nice too.

 

[spursfan]

I too tended to put the old fashioned type of plasters that used to come in long strips each morning on my heels and toes as a preventative measure - they're probably called dressing strips and best got by mail order since chemists have gone over to the very thin type of plasters

I also used Body Glide (find in running shops) as an anti-friction aid for my heels and toes - had a small tin of Vaseline that could have served the same purpose

 

[Athena]

I'm with spursfan on this one - vaseline is great and more readily found (even in Spain), but body glide is a "neater" alternative. It's not as gooey as vaseline and seems to last longer, in my opinion.

Also, Avon has a peppermint cooling balm that I used when I did the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer (39.3 miles in two days). I brought that along with me on the camino and looked forward to the end of the day when I could slather that on. It also served as a nice lubricant at the start of the particularly rough days.

Just a thought - good luck!

Athena

 

[vinotinto]

I used it (vaseline) to good effect during field exercises while I was in the US Marines, along with an inner liner sock and a thicker outer sock. So, I adapted that technique to the Camino. However, on the Way I used a product called Bodyglide instead of petroleum jelly. It's specially made to reduce friction, and comes in a small deoderant-type stick applicator. I brought two of them, but only needed one. It was a lot more portable than a big tub of goo, and it also had sunscreen capability (I never used it for that, though).

However, lubricant is not a bulletproof solution. My original boots were too heavy, and my boot insert arches were too hard, so I quickly ended up with a Euro-sized blister on each instep. When I changed my boots to a lighter Spanish pair (thanks to the folks at the Planeta Aqua store in Logrono), added a softer insert, and put maxipads over the insert (at the recommendation of the woman running the Roncal albergue in Cizur Menor), I was much better off. My blisters healed, and I only got one new one - a small bugger on the end of my third or fourth toe.

 

[bpondugula]

i agree with vinotinto, I used vaseline, compeed for some of the hotspots, liners and woollen socks. I never got a scratch. Also what helped me was, stopping when your feet hurt

Regards
Bharat

 

[Janeh]

hi vinotino and others, can you buy bodyglide on the camino? I haven't heard of it here in australia, maybe someone else knows if it's available here, did you guys buy it in america?? thanks, Jane

 

[Cyd]

hi vinotino and others, can you buy bodyglide on the camino? I haven't heard of it here in australia, maybe someone else knows if it's available here, did you guys buy it in america?? thanks, Jane

Jane - I could be wrong but I think you might be able to buy Bodyglide in adult shops. If you feel uncomfortable going into them then most of the good ones have web sites - try 'The Toolshed' or 'D-Vice' both target the GLBT market and are therefore not as sleazy as others. There are plenty more that target women but names escape me right now.

cheers
Megan

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Jane,

I've always used a product called Sportslick, which I like very much. It's available in the US on Amazon (where it gets very good reviews) or at http://www.sportslick.com. I see that bodyglide is also available on Amazon.

 

[Janeh]

thanks everyone. I had to smile at Megan's suggestions of going into an adult shop to buy it! I am doing all sorts of things that are out of my comfort zone (eg training, walking up hills etc) to train for the camino, but I didn't think visiting sex shops would be one! Wow!! what crazy things we would be pilgrims must do to be prepared! :wink:

 

[Janeh]

after looking around the internet, this might be of interest to australians on this forum - amazon won't send bodyglide to us (quarantine reasons??), but I've found it here -

http://www.physiosupplies.com.au/cgi-bi ... 3a187#a187

I also checked out the sites you suggested Megan but couldn't find it on there!
cheers, jane

 

[spursfan]

I'm fortunate to live in London and the places that are most likely to stock it (or similar products) are running shops rather than outdoor equipment shops

 

[vinotinto]

hi vinotino and others, can you buy bodyglide on the camino? I haven't heard of it here in australia, maybe someone else knows if it's available here, did you guys buy it in america?? thanks, Jane

Jane - I could be wrong but I think you might be able to buy Bodyglide in adult shops.

Uh...I think you have Bodyglide confused with Astroglide, which is for a vastly different purpose... :?

As for buying Bodyglide on the Camino - I can't remember seeing it in Spain, but there were other types available at farmacias. One was a stick applicator-type made by Compeed, and another was a Spanish brand in a tube.

 

[Trudy]

Hi Jane, Bodyglide is available in Australia from sports shops etc, try Paddy Pallin, or see this link http://www.coolrunning.com.au/bodyglide/index.shtml for info and stores.

 

[Cyd]

Jane - I could be wrong but I think you might be able to buy Bodyglide in adult shops.

Uh...I think you have Bodyglide confused with Astroglide, which is for a vastly different purpose... :?

OH that's where I've been going wrong !!! :wink: :lol:

 

[Janeh]

I have ordered some over the internet from these people:
http://www.physiosupplies.com.au/cgi-bi ... 3a187#a187

spoke to the owner, very helpful, and told me he has new stock in today! Apparently the distributor of bodyglide has changed here in australia and there has been a shortage for awhile.
thanks for all other info too from everyone. cheers, Jane

 

[brendan nolan]

Hi All,
Just thought I'd like to stick my oar in on this topic.
I think the first thing is to have good socks, something like a double sock. If the socks (and footwear) are poor then you are fighting a losing battle. When/if testing these out try to do it with a pack on your back because your posture then changes with the weight. The new posture produces different pressures on the feet and that may then produce blisters, ie will reveal where you are likely to get the 'hotspots'.
Vaseline will work for some but another 'ancient' :idea: solution to this problem was used by British soldiers in the 1940's, long before modern boots and fibres. Their solution was to rub the inside of the sock with soap - the principle is the same for all these solutions - if the sock is going to move over the skin you want it to slide over the skin with as least resistance as possible. I had to use this solution at one point in 1996 and it did work but I found it was better to start with good socks and footwear.
When walking from home in 2005 I got only 2 tiny blisters and that was because once some of the threads on a woollen sock formed a small ball and the 2nd time I put on a slightly wet sock.
Hope this is helpful to someone!
Buen Camino to all,
Brendan

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Yes Brendan but I am sure you would also agree that pack weight is a very important factor as well as keeping skin hydrated by drinking enough. This very helpful article was posted on the forum some time ago:

http://www.podiatrytoday.com/article/291

John