We Tried Rubbing Garlic All Over Our Feet Just Like Priyanka Chopra. Here's What Happened

Your feet go through a lot during the day. We use them to get from one place to another, we might stand on our tip-toes to reach a bottle of jam placed high in a pantry cupboard, or we could be exerting them a lot more during a workout or long hike. For Priyanka Chopra, it seems her feet are being put to the ultimate test on the set of her movie, "The Bluff."

The actress, who is no stranger to being seriously injured while filming, shared a recent post on Instagram, simply captioned "These days" with a series of photos giving viewers a peek into her life on set. The last clip in the carousel, which included pictures of her husband Nick Jonas, was of someone rubbing cut-up pieces of garlic on the soles of the "Love Again" actress' feet. According to Chopra, who was responding to comments from intrigued commenters, this garlic ritual helps fight inflammation and fever. Replying to one user, Chopra typed, "I'm alright. But you do get injured a bit when you do stunts. All minor injuries though. Cute bruises. Professional. Thank you for caring." 

While it's unclear exactly why Chopra was rubbing garlic under her feet, we can only assume that she was trying to soothe her tired soles after a long day's work. Since I'm no stranger to tired feet myself, I decided to give this hack a go. Despite the strong-smelling garlic odor that stuck to my feet and fingers for quite some time after, the ritual was relaxing.  

The reason I turned to the hack was to combat the effects of having gone on a long walk and working out that day, both of which had left my feet needing some TLC. Unlike on other days when I'd simply ignore this part of my body and get on with the rest of my evening, this time, I decided to follow Priyanka Chopra's garlic hack. I peeled some garlic cloves, crushed them into smaller pieces, and sat down somewhere comfortable with a sheet of paper stretched under my feet (I didn't want to get garlic on the floor). While resting each foot on my knee alternatively, I proceeded to gently rub the garlic against the soles of my feet. 

The entire ritual was relaxing and made me realize that we don't pay attention to the bottoms of our feet during the day. Even though foot massages are known to improve circulation, relieve pain, and help with muscle tension, for most of us, they are something we indulge in when we go on holiday or treat ourselves to a spa day. 

What's more, the celebrity-inspired hack seems to exfoliate my skin and tackle the dry skin on the soles of my feet — something I've been dealing with since I turned 30. While I know moisturizing can help with cracked heels, I rarely ever remember to do so. My feet looked less dry after the garlic feet ritual. 

While I can't personally speak for the other ways in which topical application of raw garlic can benefit your health, garlic is one of the home remedies recommended to treat athlete's foot, a fungal skin condition that produces dry, peeling, and cracked skin, itchiness, skin inflammation, a burning or stinging sensation in your feet, and blisters. Damp and warm conditions, like wearing wet socks or too-tight shoes for long periods of time, walking barefoot in communal areas where there's a chance of infection, and sweating profusely, can all put you at risk of developing athlete's foot. Garlic contains an allyl sulfur compound named ajoene that is thought to relieve symptoms. 

Garlic also has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. This is probably why TikTok thinks eating raw garlic could cure acne. While there's more to the story than that, it's easy to see why this strong-smelling root vegetable has been studied in the context of skin concerns. 

While more research is needed on whether rubbing garlic under tired soles can help your feet feel better, the herb has been known to have wound-healing properties thanks to one of its main active compounds, allicin, according to a 2018 study in Dermatologic Surgery. Perhaps Priyanka Chopra was harnessing this benefit to tackle filming-related bruises and injuries. Whatever the reason, if you're intrigued, I'd recommend you try the hack. Be warned of the garlic smell and sticky feet thereafter, though. Gently washing your feet with soap helps remove the smell and stickiness. Also, be aware that garlic can cause allergic reactions in some.