You know you have an athlete’s foot when you see the following; an itchy, stingy, or burning sensation between the toes or on the sole of your feet. Cracks, peeling skin, scales, and blisters between the toes. Or maybe a dry and cracky skin on the bottom or sides of the feet.
A warm, dark, and moist place is a perfect home for athletes’ foot fungi. Inside closed shoes, socks, locker rooms, indoor swimming pools, and public showers are perfect fungi areas. These fungi can dash to the feet and grow between the toes.
The good news is that the athlete’s foot is highly receptive to home remedies. In fact, in most cases, home remedies yield better results and heal quicker than medical prescriptions.
This post gives you the best 18 of such home remedies.
1. Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil in an ancient remedy in Australia to fight several skin infections. The oil has strong antifungal, antiseptic, and antibacterial properties. When applied to an infected area, it battles the fungus and brings almost instant relief.
All you need to do is apply tea tree oil to the infected area once daily. In just about one week, it will restore the soft, fresh feeling on your feet. You can mix the tea tree oil with a carrier oil like coconut oil for faster relief and better results. Do not use the tea tree oil undiluted.
Jemimah et al. (2019) poise that tea tree oil is 64 percent effective in curing athlete’s foot. They further observed that tea tree oil was more effective than other oils they tested along.
Tea tree oil also brings relief from itching, scaling, and inflammation on the skin. Tea tree oil causes a mild irritation that may worsen for a few people. The irritation may grow into rashes. So when you use tea tree oil and notice the irritation becoming worse, you can stop.
But don’t worry, the list is long, and you can choose any of the other home remedies.
2. Garlic
Apart from the considerable anecdotal evidence, many research studies have confirmed that garlic is an effective home remedy for athlete’s foot.
The process is simple;
Take three to five cloves of garlic and crush. Put them into a basin of warm water and stir to mix well. Soak your feet into this mixture for 20 to 30minutes.
Witness the magical healing power in just one week.
Garlic is very effective in fighting fungi and bacteria. With considerable evidence, Sharma et al. (2015) poise that garlic can kill many germs and bacteria.
3. Neem oil
Duke (2009) confirms that neem oil has powerful antifungal properties. These properties are very effective in fighting the fungi causing athletes’ foot. Neem oil can also help fight other infections, which may result from an athlete’s foot.
If you can get neem oil and you have athletes’ foot, this is what you need to do;
Take the oil and apply it to the infected area. Gently massage it into the skin. Leave for five to ten minutes. Repeat the process two to three times a day. Alternatively, you can use neem leaves extract. They are both equally effective.
Try neem oil now and forget about the athlete’s foot in a week.
4. Sea salt
One of the most accessible home remedies for athletes’ foot is sea salt. Its strong antifungal properties kill and eliminate the fungi causing athlete’s foot. For advanced athlete’s foot, it effectively inhibits the growth of the fungi, preventing it from worsening.
Take a cup of sea salt and dissolve in a basin of warm water. Soak your feet for twenty minutes. Dry with a clean towel and leave it aerated for another ten minutes. Consider mixing the sea salt with vinegar to form a paste for even better results.
It leaves your feet feeling fresh and relieved. In just one week, the athlete’s foot may be long gone.
5. Eucalyptus oil
Eucalyptus oil has excellent antifungal properties. What differentiates it from the other home remedies is that it works slowly but steadily.
I highly recommended this home remedy for athletes with foot conditions that are just developing. It gets into the foot slowly and destroys all the fungi causing athletes’ feet.
If you can get eucalyptus oil, apply it to the infected foot and nuzzle it into the skin. You don’t need to repeat it many times a day with eucalyptus oil. Just once when you’re nearing bedtime.
Repeat the process for about a month.
To be sure of complete healing, continue applying eucalyptus oil at least a week after the athlete’s foot is gone.
6. Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a drying agent. It keeps the feet dry and eliminates up to 90 percent of moisture.
Keeping your feet dry makes the surrounding area inhabitable for the bacteria causing athletes’ foot. Hence, apple cider vinegar is a perfect home remedy for athlete’s foot.
To reap the benefits, soak your feet in apple cider vinegar for about five minutes. Let dry. Repeat the process at least thrice per week for one month.
7. Green Tea
Green tea contains molecules with essential antifungal properties.
According to Ahuja, Gupta, and Gupta (2020), it provides excellent relief from an athlete’s foot symptoms and further eliminates it.
Jemimah et al. (2019) researched 23 athlete’s foot patients and found that green tea leaves were 78 percent effective. Also, none of the patients under his experiment complained of any side effects.
His process is doable at home. Place 3 to five bags of green tea in boiling water. Steep and cool to room temperature. Soak your feet for about ten minutes. Remove and let it dry. Repeat the process once each day until the athlete’s foot is gone.
The period it takes to heal differ from person to person. Some may get healed in as fast as three days. It may go up to two weeks for others, but not longer.
8. Sosa
Sosa is a very famous herb used to treat athlete’s foot. It’s primarily in Mexico, but with modern globalization, there’s no doubt you can get Sosa from anywhere. Apart from the athlete’s foot, it also helps cure other elated fungal skin infections.
In a research study by Duke, two groups of people with athlete’s foot were subjected to different treatments. One group applied Sosa on their athlete’s foot while the other used ketoconazole, a prescribed antifungal cream.
In two weeks, Sosa scored 79.5 percent success compared to the 55 percent score of ketoconazole.
So if you have an athlete’s foot and get some Sosa, you don’t have to go to the hospital.
Take the Sosa and apply it to the infected feet. Leave for about five minutes, then dry your feet.
If you repeat the process, your athlete’s foot will be gone in two weeks.
9. Keep the feet aired and dry
You can cure an athlete’s foot at home by doing nothing! Ridiculous, isn’t it? Think of this, the fungi causing athlete’s foot needs moisture to survive. By keeping the feet dry, you are simply starving the fungi. If you can keep it starved, there’s no doubt it will die.
Here is the most effective and cheap remedy for an athlete’s foot that is just getting started.
All you have to do is ensure you wear sandals and keep the feet clean and in warm and dry places. You may also check to ensure that you keep your feet dry as soon as you complete taking a bath. This way, you leave no chance for the fungi to survive.
10. Common table salt
Most home remedies for athlete’s foot create a homely atmosphere for fungi growth. Table salt is one substance that makes it difficult for fungi to thrive. As a bonus, it softens the feet and keeps them fresh.
Table salt is preservative and prevents the growth of fungi and bacteria.
For athlete’s foot, take two to three tablespoons of table salt. Add to a basin of warm water and mix. Soak your feet into the solution for about ten minutes. Remove, wipe with a clean cotton towel and leave to dry. Repeat the process every day. In just a week, the fungi-causing athlete’s foot will be long gone.
11. Giant Devils Fig
Also known as Solanum chrysotrichum, the Giant devil’s fig is a common weed. It grows naturally in most parts of the world. It’s has large leaves with serrated margins.
Devils fig is one of the most effective home remedies for athlete’s foot. It contains strong antifungal properties necessary for athlete’s foot treatment.
Take the leaves and crush them into a paste if you can get them. Rub gently into the skin. Alternatively, you can take the leaves and boil them for about 10 minutes. Sieve and allow to cool. Then soak your feet in the filtrate for about five minutes.
It restores normal conditions at the feet, fungi-free, within one week.
12. Oil of oregano
It isn’t the best smelling herbaceous oil, but, well; Oregano oil compensates for the foul smell in its medicinal value.
It contains reasonable quantities of thymol that effectively fight fungi.
A study by Jemimah et al. (2019) confirmed that it effectively fought fungi and had the most incredible antifungal powers of all the other essential oils tested.
Mix the oregano oil with a bit of emu oil for the best results and apply it to the infected area. It is also advisable to apply this remedy to the nails.
13. Change your socks daily
Have you tried any or some of the home remedies above, and they seem not to be working? Then you should pay attention to this;
Fungi are microscopic. They can hide in the smallest of spaces. Sometimes using other home remedies is not enough. If you are not keen, your socks may keep bringing the fungi back to your feet.
It is also advisable to wear light socks that are well aerated.
Changing your socks every day allows them to dry and eliminate any fungi they might have harbored.
It is advisable to leave your socks unused for at least three days before wearing them again.
Footwear hygiene gives your feet a good time to recover without the re-introduction of fungi.
14. Avoid tight and fitting shoes
Tight and fitting shoes make the condition around the feet warm. Therefore, it increases sweat on the feet. The two combined create a moist, warm and dark space, a perfect condition for developing the fungi causing athletes’ foot.
It may not matter the type of remedy you use if you wear tight, closed shoes. The fungi always find conditions to regrow.
If possible, avoid wearing tight shoes altogether. Instead, use bathing sandals or open shoes.
But if you cannot avoid it, wear shoes that leave the feet free. And ensure they are always dry. It will significantly speed up the healing of the athlete’s foot.
15. Coriander oil
Coriander has strong antifungal properties. It is effective in fighting the fungi, causing the athlete’s foot. Coriander oil can also help offset some symptoms of an athlete’s foot, like falling off of skin and scaling.
For people with very vigorous athletics foot, this is the best home remedy for you.
It can help fight even the most advanced forms of an athlete’s foot.
You need to take the coriander oil and apply it to the infected area. Massage gently for about ten minutes and let stay dry.
After applying the coriander oil, keeping the feet dry and aerated is advisable. Accompany this by wearing an open shoe or shower sandals.
So if you ever get an athlete’s feet infection, coriander should be among the top remedies in your mind.
16. Peppermint oil
The properties of peppermint are perfect for fighting the fungi, causing athlete’s foot. For this reason, peppermint is a good home remedy for athlete’s foot.
It helps relieve the itching and eliminate odor almost instantly. It also boosts blood circulation, enabling the recovery process to get faster.
If you have peppermint oil, try it. For the best result, consider combining with tea tree or lavender oils.
17. Camelia oil
Camelia oil is an extract of green tea seeds. It’s one of Japan’s ancient remedy for an athlete’s foot.
It contains catechins that are effective in fighting fungi.
Apply the oil on the feet and hands for excellent results and leave for about ten minutes.
For better results, you can consider mixing with emu oil.
18. Cinnamon back oil
Cinnamon is the sweetest smelling home remedy for athlete’s foot. If you avoid the other remedies for their smell, then cinnamon oil is the best for you.
Extracted from the bark of the cinnamon tree, it contains excellent antimicrobial and antifungal properties.
It kills the fungus, causing the athlete’s foot and relieves painful inflammation.
Just take a few drops of cinnamon oil and apply them to the infected feet. Repeat for a few days.
Wrap up
If you ignore an athlete’s foot, you run at a risk of worsening the situation. An athlete’s foot may cause a tremendous bacterial infection. This infection may lead to peeling off o parts of the skin. An athlete’s foot may even lead to amputation in very advanced stages.
As mentioned earlier, an athlete’s foot is also very contagious. The fungi may spread to the hands and fingers that touch or scratch the infected feet. It may be more challenging to treat if this fungus thrives under the nails or groins.
The fungi would have adapted to the harsher conditions on the feet. The softer parts of the hand allow it to multiply and make it easier for the fungi to thrive.
It is therefore essential to be keen on any similar condition.
The above home remedies can quickly help treat an athlete’s foot. Select one that is easily accessible to you and eradicate the bacteria ASAP.
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