Nine out of 10 little sisters agree: Big sisters are expert authorities when it comes to discovering cool new stuff first. I read my sister’s books after she finished reading them, I wore her clothes after she outgrew them, and I listened to the music that she played in the car. So when I visited my sister a few weeks ago, I was more than happy to try out a new product that she picked up a Costco: the Karuna exfoliating foot mask.

I have chronically dry feet (not as bad as the eczema on my hands, but still enough to bother me during dry seasons). I walk a lot, which means that my feet get very dry from rubbing against my socks and shoes all day, particularly in the winter.

But because I’m pretty lazy, I hardly ever moisturize my feet until they’re unbearably dry. And even then, I’ll usually just apply lotion at night after I’m done walking for the day (unless I’ve suddenly taken up sleepwalking).

So what’s a dry-footed gal to do? An exfoliating, moisturizing foot mask is just what I need to rescue my feet by providing a much-needed dose of moisturizer, from the comfort of my own home.

So how does the Karuna exfoliating foot mask work? Is it just exfoliating, or is it also moisturizing? Let’s see.

Karuna exfoliating foot mask ingredients

water, glycerin, cyclopentasiloxane, polyglyceryl-3 methylglucose distearate, cyclohexasiloxane, lactic acid, stearic acid, glycolic acid, hydroxyethylcellulose, cetearyl alcohol, shea butter, arginine, citrus paradisi (grapefruit) fruit extract, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract, lonicera japonica (honeysuckle) flower extract, zanthoxylum piperitum fruit extract, gardenia tahitensis flower extract, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf oil, persea gratissima (avocado) oil, olus oil (vegetable oil), cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, dimethicone, sodium hyaluronate, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, tocopherol, hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, palmitoyl tripeptide-38, microcrystalline wax/cera microcristallina, niacinamide, 1,2-hexanediol, disodium edta, phenoxyethanol, fragrance, alpha-isomethyl ionone, citronellol, limonene, geraniol, hexyl cinnamal, linalool, butylphenyl methylpropional

This foot mask includes a lot of powerful ingredients, including glycolic acid and lactic acid, which are alpha-hydroxy acids that help exfoliate the dead skin on your feet. Perfect for renewing the dry soles of your feet before the winter gets even drier.

Sodium hyaluronate, coconut oil, avocado oil, and shea butter help moisturize the skin on your feet after they’ve gotten some tough-love exfoliation from those AHAs. Of course, all those oils also make this quite a slippery mask to apply to your feet, so I wouldn’t suggest using it before a run or any other sort of exercise that involves moving your feet.

Karuna exfoliating foot mask review

The Karuna exfoliating foot mask is packaged like any other sheet mask, except that instead of a sheet, it includes a pair of disposable plastic socks that have already been lined with the treatment. This means that applying the treatment is as easy as slipping your feet into the socks, tying the bands around your ankles to secure them around your feet, and twiddling your thumbs (not your toes!) for 10 to 20 minutes. Don’t try to walk during this time—this mask seriously makes your feet feel very slippery.

This mask comes in a one-size-fits-all package, but I found the disposable socks to be a pretty tight fit for my feet (I’m a women’s size 9). My toes almost started popping out of the socks whenever I tried to waddle around for a bit. This made them slightly uncomfortable (but if you follow the instructions and just leave them on instead of trying to waddle around, you’ll find that they’re bearable).

When I took off the socks, my feet still felt very slippery, but they also seemed silkier and more moisturized than ever felt before. I felt like I had just spent a good 30 minutes getting a premium moisturizing cream rubbed into my feet. The only thing that I didn’t like about this mask is that it carries a pretty strong fragrance, so keep that in mind if you are sensitive to products that carry a heavy scent. Otherwise, it’s a very good treat-yo’self-at-home product that’s the perfect way to renew and moisturize dry feet in preparation for the long, cold winter ahead of us.

Related reading

• Why I gave up on The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toner
• Gold Bond vs. CeraVe: Which Rough & Bumpy moisturizer works best?
• AHAs and sun exposure: An inconvenient truth