Athlete's Foot
Natural Remedies

Natural Remedies to Treat Athlete's Foot Effectively

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.

Probiotics Applied Topically

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Jim P. (Petaluma, CA) on 01/31/2022
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Athlete's foot fungus can become much more than an itch on your little toe as I've learned. It started that way for me but over the years migrated elsewhere on my body so that it manifested itself anywhere my skin touched skin - toes, crotch, underarms, inside my elbows... Initially, the fungus was just on my feet. I sort of managed it by using anti-fungal ointment. After about eight years of sort of dealing with this problem, the fungus migrated elsewhere so I began an intensive effort to get rid of this scourge. Many suggestions can be found at this excellent, well-intended resource, but none of the treatments helped over the long term. Many were painful and I think some are dangerous health-wise such as applying bleach.

I even tried the prescription form of the anti-fungal ointment that is taken internally and requires blood test monitoring to ensure no harm to your liver. There were so many spores around the house that I was immediately re-infested after the treatment finished. Washing clothes with very hot water or just throwing them away after a single use weren't enough.

I had the thought of trying probiotics after using a heavy chlorinated whirlpool bath to kill the fungus was counterproductive as this permitted the fungus to go everywhere. This indicated I had killed my natural defenses.

Natural, bacterial defenses are the solution. I applied a top grade, multi-bacteria probiotic to the infested areas and it worked!! No pain, no fungus. These probiotics are anaerobic as they normally live in a person's gut. So, they don't have a long life and must be reapplied daily or whenever you feel a little itch.

After more research, I found the probiotic that attacks the fungus: lactobacillus rhamnosus. It is readily available online for a reasonable price. Mix the contents of one gelcap with about one teaspoon of water and apply to infested area.


Salt Water

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
  100%

Posted by Jimbo (Glendale, Calif. Usa) on 04/30/2012
★★★★★

For: athletes foot. if you live near the pacific ocean (any ocean). Walk along the sandy beach and let the ocean waves wash up on shore over your feet. The natural salt water will heal your athletes foot. (30 minutes or more, if you have the time. It will cost you nothing. I had A/F as a kid and the salt water cured it every single time.

Go for it! and heal your feet.


Salt Water
Posted by Jay (Altona, Fl) on 11/05/2008
★★★★★

Salt water cured Athletes Foot and Foot Odor

I keep a spray bottle in the bathroom filled with a mixture of salt and water. After showering I spray my feet with the saltwater and leave it on all day. By that I mean that I do not wash it off at all. This cured a case of athletes foot that was resistant to all OTC drugs I tried. I also spray the saltwater into my tennis shoes and that kills the fungus that is in the shoe.The saltwater also eliminates foot odor. I use about 1/2 (one half) cup of salt in the bottle.


Steam Your Floors

1 User Review
4 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Rosie (United States) on 02/08/2017
★★★★☆

Athlete's fungus lives on surfaces virtually forever, so walking around barefoot in the house means you're spreading it on the floor surfaces in your home, resulting in you reinfecting yourself, & anyone else who is walking around barefoot in your house.

When you come home from work, wearing sandals is a much better option, or if it's colder a clean pair of sox & slippers.

Most fungi, including AF fungus, can be killed with 140* hot water, so if you've been running around barefoot in your home all your floors are infected, & you need to get a floor steamer (steam is created at 212*) & run it over every square inch of your floors to kill the AF fungus, so you're not reinfecting yourself, or anyone else.

Just wish it was this easy to kill the AF fungus on my feet.


Tea Tree Oil

5 User Reviews
5 star (5) 
  100%

Posted by Jade (Indiana) on 05/12/2021
★★★★★

The essential oil "Tea Tree" also cures athlete's foot.


Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Travis (Austin, Tx) on 11/02/2013
★★★★★

When I was a teenager I had a bad case of Athelete's Foot. I remember trying everything available at the store and nothing worked. I had heard that Tea Tree Oil cures it since it is antifungal and gave it a try by rubbing the oil (undiluted) on the foot on and around the infected area with a cotton ball. Then put on a sock so that the Tea Tree Oil does not rub off. It cured the problem in a couple of days.


Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Moises (New York, Ny Usa) on 11/02/2009
★★★★★

Athlete's Foot: I mixed one part tea tree oil with 4 parts olive oil. Twice daily I washed me feet with soap and water. Then I dried them. Then I used an eyedropper to apply the tea tree oil dilution between the toes.

My athlete's foot cleared up in less than a week. This was after using Lamisil ointment for more than 3 weeks.

The first time I used Lamisil (terbinafine hydrochloride 1%), years ago, it also worked in a few days. Each successive time, it required more days to eliminate the athlete's foot. I have only tried tea tree oil one time. So, I do not know yet if its effectiveness diminishes with repeated use, the way Lamisil does.

Replied by Bill
(Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
04/15/2012
★★★★★

I put tea tree oil on a cotton swab and wipe around my toes. Interestingly, after reading several posts, I just realized my out breaks occur after taking anti-inflamitories. Another must-do is wipe down your shoes and either wash socks in anti-bacterial soap, or lay out in the sun to disinfect them.


Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Heather (Santa Clara, CA) on 04/03/2007
★★★★★

Starting when i was very young i would get terrible athletes foot, so bad i could barely walk. I found out that all the messy creams help for short term, but it comes back. My mom heard about tea tree oil, which dries out your skin, and it cleared it up within a week. every once in a while i use it even when i don't have athletes foot just to make sure i don't get it again. it also clears up pimples you dilute about 1 drop with 2 of water, you have to dilute it if you use it on your face and a little bit really goes a long way.


Toothpaste

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Beazy01 (Newark, De, Us) on 08/30/2011
★★★★★

When I was twelve I ended up getting athlete's foot from sharing my roller-blades with all my friends. My mom bought me all kinds of foot powders and treatments. None of them ever worked over the 1 year period I had to deal with the horrible itch. One night, an act of pure desperation led me to grab some white toothpaste and slather it on. The hunch came from its effectiveness on acne. Went to bed with a cold tingle on my feet. Woke up the next morning and was so elated to see that my feet looked 100 percent better and most importantly the itch was nonexistent.


Topical Silver

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Melissa (Lawton, OK) on 12/31/2008
★★★★★

Remedy - Topical Silver
Ailment - Athletes Foot

My husband had athletes foot for months and was desperate for a cure. He tried all over the counter applications with nothing working. Next he tried apple cider vinegar internally and externally which helped for the first few applications but then it came back in full force. He then tried a qtip soaked in silver and put on his badly cracked red skin. He has been applying for a week now and the crack is gone and the itching soreness of athletes foot is gone!

EC: Topical silver treatments and silver dressings are typically used for contaminated or infected wounds.


Urine

10 User Reviews
5 star (9) 
  90%
1 star (1) 
  10%

Posted by Vsherry9 (Detroit, Mi) on 07/01/2016
★★★★★

I used my own urine to stop athlete's foot fungus, I also had a variety of fungus on the bottom & sides of my feet. I used my own urine in a bucket while sitting on the toilet every morning for about 5 days. I started using the urine in the morning, then at night used vapor rub at night with socks, then next day I used the urine in the morning, and the vapor rub at night without the socks (I have a hard time wearing socks at night). Each time I took a shower in the morning after soaking with urine, I would dry off & rub Peroxide all over my feet with a cotton ball until they dried naturally. I did this for a week & all gone. I've had this problem since 1998 & I am a real person from the Detroit area. Don't let anyone tell you this doesn't work, especially a doctor - because it does & I am proof. I've tried everything imaginable & was never able to get rid of it, until just recently. Doctors will tell you there is not enough Urea in the pee to cure it, but that is just down right false. What is it going to hurt to just try it & see for yourself. Good luck!!!


Urine
Posted by Farmer Rose (Athens, Ga, Usa) on 12/06/2011
★★★★★

I haven't had althlete's foot since I was a child & I am 40 now so I was very surprised to find it creeping back in...!!! But I do a lot of hard manual labor in boots all day & let my shower get too dirty one time & there you go. So, I cleaned my shower and bleached all my floor mats, & put a bowl in my shower. When ever I got in I would pee in the bowl and add Hydrogen Peroxide to it. I like to take long showers, so while I was in there, I soaked one foot as I bathed and then the other & so on. After bathing, I dried the fungus area and put Calendula cream on it & put powder in my shoes. I ate lots of garlic, took a few epsom salt baths, stopped drinking alcohol & eating sugar/wheat and changed my socks several time a day. What plagued me my whole childhood, was gone in a week!!


Urine
Posted by Kin (Auckland, New Zealand) on 06/09/2009
★★★★★

Urine for Athlete's Foot

Saw quite a few latest Posts regarding Athlete's Foot, so decided to post my experience. Urine works well for Athlete's Foot. I have Athlete's Foot for about a year, tried AVC, Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Oil, Grapefruit seed oil, they all work to certain degree but Urine is the best cure. Iodine works well too but urine is the most effective.

I soaked my feet in my own urine daily for about 15 minutes in a leak proof plastic bag; let my feet dried off before I had my shower. I saw improvement within days and after about a week or two, it was almost 100% cured. It's free and easily available. Pee on your feet method did not work that well for me. Wonder if urine can be used externally for face and hair?

Replied by Joyce
(Joelton, Tn)
06/09/2009
490 posts

Kin, the answer is yes it can be. Urine can be used external on the face and hands, also can be taken internally. For more details on this go find yourself a copy of a book titled "Your Own Perfect Medicine", which is written on urine therapy. Very interesting reading. Seems it is effective against lots of things.


Urine
Posted by Rob (Robertsville, MO) on 05/02/2009
★★★★★

i had athlete's foot so bad i would pull large chunks of skin and my feet would bleed my cousens girlfriend told me her grandpa told her brouther to pee on his feet when he first got in the shower then wait till last to wash them i started doing this that night and it took about 2 weeks its been about 4 years cince ive had any problem with my feet


Urine
Posted by Scott (Anaheim, CA) on 03/04/2009
★★★★★

I tried everything OTC and nothing worked well. Literally everything. I am even put VICs on my feet before sleeping for 1 month. It cleared up the nails, but it came back really quickly after stopping. The nails started to get dark again. I did vinegar soaks and that didn't help either.

Finally, I decided to PEE on my feet twice a day (morning pee and night). I remembered a few years back, I had this bad headache that wouldn't go away and I ended up drinking my own morning urine for a week after trying everything else. It fixed that headache. Its really amazing, but it cleared up my feet in a matter of days, not months or 1 year. Don't believe those that say it doesn't work. Urine has thousands of nutrients, many of which can't be detected with our equipment. It literally cleared it up in 1 week. I also resorted to spitting on my feet and rubbing in the SALIVA letting dry. Remember dogs and cats always licking their paws? Its Saliva they are spreading and used to clean their paws.

Replied by Joyce
(Joelton, Tn)
03/05/2009
490 posts

Hello Scott, Thought you might like to know that there is another theory of what is actually happening when an animal licks its wounds. Allegedly, licking the wound sends any pathogens present to the digestive tract where the immune system kicks in and starts producing antibodies against these pathogens to kill them off and bring about healing.

However I suspect that the saliva probably starts softening up the pathogens for the kill.



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