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.
Greek Yogurt
Posted by Misszmsz (Las Vegas, Nevada) on 06/13/2015
★★★★★
After 6 months of fighting athlete's foot over the soles of both my feet, I tried plain Greek Yogurt. Rubbed a couple tablespoons on affected area and covered with plastic bags. Immediately feet stopped itching. Now just have to deal with dry skin and cracked fissures.
Borax
Posted by Victor (Wisconsin, US) on 04/18/2015
★★★★★
I had athlete's foot for many years, feet & shoes smelled terrible. One day I was reading the side of a box of borax, & there it stated that it removed odors. So I began to sprinkle borax into my shoes, and also into my socks. It made my feet hot, but in a few weeks it cured my athlete's foot, & has never returned. Now use it occasionally as insurance to prevent return infection.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by John (Gainesville, Florida ) on 04/13/2015
★★★★★
Rarely have I found a home remedy more effective than prescription medication, but in the treatment of athletes foot apple cider vinegar is much more effective and inexpensive. In spots that are about the size of a coin I tear paper towel patches to fit, then soak them in vinegar and place them to cover the spot. Leave it on until it eventually dries, which is about half an hour. Two treatments a day for two days will usually stop the fungus in it's tracks, depending on how deeply the fungus has penetrated the skin layers. Vinegar is an acid of just the right strength to kill the fungus without causing tissue burn, as does clorox. I use the bleach solution to soak my socks in and spray the inside of my shoes. Afterward, allow shoes to dry in the sun. Works like a charm.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Serafin (Covina, Ca) on 02/04/2015
★★★★★
For athletes foot, the best treatment is apply Virgin Coconut Oil twice a day. That bad smell of their feet will just go away at no time at all.
Alum
Posted by Thomas (Salem, Oregon) on 12/18/2014
★★★★★
Alum works to treat athlete's foot. Use cooking alum. My Vietnamese wife prepared this treatment for me. Warm up a pot of hot water and dissolve the alum in it. She might have added salt also. Soak the feet in it for an hour. However, I have found apple cider vinegar to be just as effective. Soak the feet in 100% ACV for an hour. Repeat daily for a week or so. Improvement will come after the first or second soak. Keep the feet dry and allow the feet to breathe. Avoid synthetic fabrics. Use only 100% cotton socks and 100% cotton bed linens.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Thomas (Salem, Oregon) on 12/18/2014
★★★★★
I have found Apple Cider Vinegar to be very effective to eliminate athlete's foot. I soak my feet in 100% full strength, undiluted ACV for one hour whenever the athlete's foot gets active. One or two soakings makes it go away. Daily soakings for an extended period of time might eliminate it altogether. The athlete's foot comes back when my feet don't get enough air. The worst thing is winter sleeping under synthetic (polyester or acrylic) blankets. I have to use cotton-only bed linens and blankets to allow my feet to "breathe." And I use 100% cotton socks.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Lana (DC, US) on 12/12/2014
★★★★★
I had a case of very itchy AF between my toes that I just couldn't kick - it had gone on for months. Lamisil was keeping it under control - sort of- but not eliminating it. I read about using vinegar diluted with water and tried it a while ago, but it seemed even less effective than the Lamisil.
Then the AF took a turn for the worse - the itching was waking me up several times a night, and was at the "want to claw your skin off with your fingernails" level. So I went back to the web and saw the posts about undiluted vinegar. I was worried that it might be too harsh on my skin, but was getting desperate it this point so I was willing to risk it.
I didn't have ACV in the house, so I used distilled white vinegar at 5% acidity. I put it in a Tupperware container elevated on one end so it mainly covered my toes. I also followed earlier posters' instructions and let it air dry without rinsing it off.
As some others have said, the results were amazing. The itching went away during the first soak. On day two, I soaked my foot twice. Since then I really haven't had any itching. But at this point (3 days after the first vinegar soak) I am continuing with daily soaks of 10-15 minutes until I'm confident it's all gone.
I also haven't noticed any ill effects from using the undiluted vinegar.
And one final thing -- I also started using antifungal powder between my toes when I need to wear shoes/tights/hose. That seems to help too.
Very happy with the vinegar!
Phythium Oligandrum
Posted by Sam (Miami, FL) on 06/22/2014
★★★★★
A friend of mine was unsuccessfully trying to cure some fungus on her feet for many years. She found Pythium oligandrum skin/nail fungus treatment (3 x 2 g) on shop.owndoc.com. It was a100% success.
Pythium oligandrum is a harmless fungus that eats harmful fungi, and then dies of starvation when all bad fungi have been eradicated. Pythium oligandrum is a parasite to other fungi such as Trichophyton, the dermatophyte fungus that causes various conditions knonw as Tinea - Athlete's foot, nail fungus, ringworm and jock itch
Fresh Aloe Vera
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 03/09/2014
Lady Mars, I've tried Aloe from my plant for a good many things and it never worked for anything, from burns to eczema etc. Do I have the wrong plant? It's Aloe Vera with green-grey spikey leaves. I've seen the same plant with speckled leaves, are they better?
Fresh Aloe Vera
Posted by Lady Mars (Lithia, Fl) on 03/08/2014
★★★★★
Had a persistent fungus infection (athlete's foot) which I get rarely, but have always treated successfully. This time, standard OTC and home remedies weren't working very well. Would calm the drive-me-out-of-my-little-mind itching for a while, but not really getting rid of the fungus. I grow aloe to treat fire ant bites (rub leaf goo on bite and prevents blistering and cools stinging. Works on mosquitoes also.)
Aloe worked better on athlete's foot than anything I ever tried before, including prescription stuff or 'female' creams. Did it once yesterday morning, goo dried or soaked into skin, not sure which. This morning swelling all gone and redness almost gone. Had NO itch for 24 hours since using once. Did once more today and I think that will take care of it.
No clue if aloe gel or cream would work as well, but my best guess would be probably not. Don't see how any gel could have more of the good aloe stuff than the plant. Aloe is so useful, I'd recommend that anyone with a sunny windowsill grow a couple plants. They will not tolerate a hard freeze, but will be happy outside in any temp. above freezing. Easy to divide, get more, give some away. They're a tough plant, but grow faster with decent soil and enough water.
The aloe drinks they sell everywhere now are also really good for upset stomach. My husband has severe gouty athritis among other problems and takes too many meds. For him, he thinks the aloe drinks help reduce the pain a little in his joints. I sometimes make him an aloe smoothie with a couple leaves and whatever I have on hand.
Aloe vera is one of my favorite natural remedies, powerful, safe and cheap. What's not to like?
Bag Balm + Lotrimin
Posted by Mike (Mlps, Mn) on 02/11/2014
★★★★★
I have a better solution for athlete's foot, My wife used the old bag balm and "lotrimin" powder, over the counter treatment here. I had tried sprays and creams and the powder itself and it seems to rub off to easily then the fungus takes over again... I had blisters. It took weeks for the powder to work, just a few days for the bag balm and lotrimin mix and it's gone ... 8 years now and no recurrence!
Garlic
Posted by Green (Canada) on 12/06/2013
★★★★★
Hi There, I ha Athletes foot for 2 months until I discovered garlic. Tried ACV and drugstore foot sprays & powders to no avail. I finally made a paste by crushing and mushing up garlic cloves, adding s little olive, and mushing some more to make a nice paste. I rub it into my feet well 2-3 times a day and put clean socks over top each day. I make up enough for one or two days at a time --usually 2 to 3 medium/large garlic cloves per day. I rub it in well to all areas of my foot. This method is finally working; after 3 days, it is so much better. Good luck.
Coconut Oil, Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Sara (The Beach, Ont. Canada) on 11/21/2013
★★★★★
I have been suffering with athletes foot for two years now and I believe a planters wart as well. for the last two weeks I have been soaking my feet in a foot bath of listerine and hot water. And I felt a nice relief from the wart, but since then I have added a mixture of coconut oil and tea tree oil twice a day on my feet and covering them with cotton socks. The difference is nothing short of amazing. I have one spot left and just a small amount of itching and its only due to my feet being dry. I truly hope it helps someone else to try this.
Blessings, Sara
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.
Green Tea Leaves
Posted by Astre (Sweden) on 08/08/2013
★★★★★
Green tea leaves for athlete's foot (vesicular tinea pedis)
I have the vesicular infection, with small blisters that itch and burn. The blister fluid is infectious so one must not scratch the infection. Skin becomes red, itchy and scaly when blisters become engorged and burst. I have tried mutiple tubes of anti fungal cortisol creams in childhood and it treated but never completely cure it. Then I discovered green tea leaves as a remedy!
This is what I do: Chew up a few leaves (dried and not brewed) with front teeth, with minimal saliva so it becomes a thick leafy paste. Spit out carefully on index finger and apply as a layer on the infected skin. I apply thick enough to cover and often slightly larger area than the infected skin, just to make sure I got it covered! I tape over with 3M Micropore tape, it is impt for the infected skin to breathe!
The itch and burn is soothed immediately. Change paste (which dries up to little leaf bits) and tape at least everyday, or more often )when it starts to itch-burn again).
If this treatment is done promptly on day 1, it takes a few days to eradicate. For chronic infection, it took me a week or so in childhood (can't really remember, but I know I used cortisol creams for months! ) to heal completely. I applied the leaf paste for another day or two even after symptoms have completely disappeared, just to be sure... Chronic infections take a long time to treat and can bite back with a vengeance if not eradicated completely!
Not sure if tea leaf freshness and quality matter, but I always some good whole-leaf green tea in my kitchen, kept fresh in an air-tight jar. In childhood I used whole green tea leaves that had been around for over 10 years (in air tight container neverthless) and it worked. I say, try this with any whole green tea leaves, will probably work!
If you try some from a tea bag, let me know! Also, if you try other types of tea leaves, leave a msg!
Coconut Oil
Posted by Pbird (Everett, Wa, Usa) on 06/27/2013
★★★★★
Yes, coconut oil cures athlete's foot. It stops it for me in one application to the itchy spot. It also works for my husband who tends to get an occasional very bad case of it.
