Verrucas (or more correctly, verrucae) are a form of wart occurring on the soles of the feet, and are also known as plantar warts. Like all warts they are caused by a virus, and will disappear of their own accord when the body develops its resistance to the viral infection. However, because of the pressure exerted on the sole of the foot, they are exceedingly painful and usually need to be treated without waiting for them to go away spontaneously. A simple and effective treatment with essential oil can be found under the entry for Lemon. Tea tree is a very good alternative.

The virus is highly contagious, and verrucas are almost always the result of contact in places where people congregate in bare feet, such as swimming pools and changing rooms.

Local treatment is effective if there is a single verruca, or maybe two or three, but if there are a lot of verrucae present, or if new ones keep appearing, massage to increase the body's immune response to the virus will make treatment more effective. Long strokes up the leg, from the ankle towards the thigh, are used with oils of Rosemary, Geranium or Juniper, or a blend of any two of these. It may also be a good idea to look at other factors, such as poor diet or stress, which may be lowering immunity.