Natural Remedies to Treat Athlete's Foot Effectively

Garlic

Posted by AC (West Midlands, England) on 07/21/2008
★★★★★

I read a post on EC that said:
[YEA] Anonymous writes: "I had athletes foot badly between two of my toes. I taped a cut piece of garlic onto the wound in the morning and looked at it the afternoon, and the skin was totally healed and looked like new. I couldn't believe it!"

It took me a long time to follow this advice, but when I did, I took it a few steps further.

1. I took garlic cloves and cut them into smaller pieces lengthwise.
2. I stuck each of the smaller pieces between my toes: the ones that had fungus and even the ones that didn't.
3. I put plastic/non-PVC wrap over the top part of my feet.
4. Put on a pair of thin socks and then another pair of thick socks.
5. Went to sleep.
6. Woke up, took garlic out and washed feet.
7. Fungus between feet was reduced dramatically.

In addition to the fungus problem between my toes, I apparently had some sort of fungus problem with my small toe. My small toenail was hard and black. The blackness reduced significantly, maybe by 40 or 50% overnight.

I smelled the garlic very strongly as I was sleeping but my husband (who hates garlic and won't even touch me if I eat it) says he didn't smell it at all.

I hope this helps someone! Coconut oil has also helped.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Doris (Santa Ana, CA, USA) on 09/12/2008
★★★★★

Adding to my 04/28/08 entry. Pedicuring 82 yr old mom's Athl Feet, red chapped cracked heels she had thru my childhood years. Now her poorly cleaned large toenail had accumulated dead skin under nail with yucky dark fungus. I bought kitchen dishgloves dishpan scrubber-sponge hydrogen peroxide (HP). She couldn't reach to clean anymore. Athl Foot etc was up calves to her knees. In dishpan I mixed 4 cups comfy-hot water, 1 cup HP. Feet in pan, I scrub-sponged one leg. It didn't sting, Strongly tingled refreshingly like when your hand falls asleep. She didn't realize how numb Ath Ft made her feet sense of no feeling. Cleaned feet nerves felt like taking off thick socks for the first time. Dishwash gloves protected my hands while scrubbing. We both couldn't believe visual immediate result of no redness, and of powdery white dusty skin sloughing easily into water mixture. To do other leg, washed out dishpan, used new gloves, new sponge, fresh water-HP mix. Dust-size flakes came off her feet. Now with vigorous gentle sponge scrub, I could feel the difference between cleaned slick skin and slippery athl foot. Scrubbed 3 minutes foot-calf-knee per leg. CLEAN. Dumped water was thick with scaly powdery dead skin slough. Big point was Athl Ft numb feeling wasn't noticed till after cleaning. Last, I put aloe vera gel on each leg using 3rd pair kitchen latex gloves. Then used spray bottle of water-HP mix with paper towels to wipe dry, on her whole apartment especially shower stall, sink, commode, all chromework, doorknobs and sliding glass door-windows handles. Got her new shower flip flop sandals, sprayed them too. NOTE: Her bldg staff smelled vinegar-water wash I'd once used, which worked good enough, but staff said NO in case of doctor's meds conflict by skin absorption - go figure! HP has no smell. She does her own laundry, but now puts some HP in rinse cycle now. Thanks for this site. Years of Athl Ft - gone. It needs done 3X/year now.

EC: Doris, thank you so much for these detailed instructions!

Apple Cider Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Laura (Orlando, FL) on 08/24/2006
★★★★★

I am 3 months pregnant and had athlete's foot near the beginning of my pregnancy. I wanted to avoid over-the-counter chemicals to treat it if possible, so I tried using ACV, and it seemed to work miraculously. However, as soon as I stopped soaking in ACV, the fungus came back with a vengeance! Next, I tried soaking my feet in a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. I soaked them once for about 30 minutes. Then I just applied straight hydrogen peroxide to the affected area every night and every time after I showered. Within a few days the fungus cleared up. I used a pumus stone to exfoliate the dead skin. It has been about three weeks since it cleared up, and my feet look better than ever!!! Note: The hydrogen peroxide did fade the suntan on the top of my feet when I soaked them, and it dried out the skin on the bottom of my feet. I applied some unrefined organic coconut oil to my feet and the dry skin went away! Pretty amazing!

Coconut Oil

Posted by Dianne (Mansfield, MA) on 07/02/2006
★★★★★

within 2 days of using my athlete's foot has totally cleared. My husband has also had the same results.

Coconut Oil

Posted by Shelly (Medford, OR) on 03/22/2006
★★★★★

I had a stubborn case of athlete's foot for several months. Tried every kind of natural/herbal cure that I could think of, but there was no relief. I read about coconut oil bringing healing to skin rashes, so I decided to try it. After a week of applying the oil, twice a day, the rash is gone. I'm also feeding it to our dog every morning with his food. He LOVES it! He 's a young dog with no apparent health problems, but I look at as a preventative measure and I anticipate that it will also help him with flea and tick problems. It's great to have such wonderful natural remedies!!!

Chilblains Diagnosis

Posted by Clayton (Tulsa, OK) on 02/01/2024
★★★★★

Recently I discovered that what I thought was athlete's foot was actually chilblains. Chilblains occur when your feet (or sometimes hands) are very cold and are warmed up very rapidly, which can burst capillaries under the skin and result in redness, swelling, and lots of itchiness. For me, the tops of my toes were most affected (not so much in between, or anywhere else on the foot).

For the past week I'd been soaking my feet in various different things, and spraying a variety of herbal antidotes, to no avail: the itchiness and redness hardly went down at all, and I was getting worried I had some bad infection.

Deeper online searching revealed I had chilblains, from coming in from walking in the snow, and resting my feet near a space heater right after taking my boots off.

For better or worse, chilblains seems to improve on its own over time without treatment (unlike a fungal infection). Soaking in a diluted hydrogen peroxide or vinegar solution did help temporarily relieve itching.

I also read somewhere a man treated his chilblains with decent success applying minced onion mixed with salt. I've yet to try it.

I just wanted to let you know, if you are primarily experiencing redness and itchiness on top of your toes, and your toes have recently been very cold, you might check to see if instead of athletes foot you're experiencing chilblains.

Patchouli Oil

Posted by TR (California) on 01/30/2024
★★★★★

patchouli oil for foot fungus

Its amazing how fast it worked. Had fungus for over 15 years and used vinegar for years to no avail I applied the oil twice a day and within 2 weeks fungus was gone

Activated Charcoal

Posted by Shanee (Palestine, TX) on 01/10/2025
★★★★★

I have tried 3 over the counter creams and one spray for 3 weeks with no relief! Day 2 of cleansing my feet with alcohol and breaking a capsule of activated charcoal in between my toes and I'm not experiencing any itching at all! I have not worn socks and have only worn open toe sandles (even though it's In the 20's & 30's right now). I hope this helps someone else like it helped me, I am eternally grateful!!!

Borax

Posted by Shs (NY) on 07/20/2024
★★★★★

This was a life saver. I'm not through the end yet but this borax and hydrogen peroxide solution changed everything. It honestly has stopped at least the unbelievable itching that the Lotramine ultra could only stave away for a little.

I combined it with salicylic acid washes before and turbinafine after . I've seen some relief

I thought I had gotten rid of it once, as everyone says don't stop short even when u can't feel it continue treating it.

I tried vinegar soaks, borax soaks, bleach, anti-fungal soaps and it kept coming back. Thai really assisted the most

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Mama To Many (Tn) on 10/02/2017

Dear Becky,

I don't recall what I used many years ago; now I make my own. However, when I need to buy a tincture, I like Herbpharm.

~Mama to Many~

Baking Soda

Posted by Macswelly (California) on 01/26/2017 3 posts
★★★★★

Re: Apple Cider Vinegar Soak Not Helping Athlete's Foot Pain

Soak your feet for an hour in about a cup of baking soda only. Also in between soakings you need something to help kill the fungus as well. I would recommend making a dry mixture (basically a foot powder) of one part baking soda and three parts corn starch. Mix these two dry items in a mixing bowl and thoroughly combine. Afterwards find yourself a shaker container and pour the dry mixture into the shaker container. Apply this foot powder morning and night, wearing socks to help keep the mixture on while you sleep.

Urine

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!!!

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.

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.

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

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!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Gs (New Braunfels, Tx) on 01/10/2013
★★★★★

^^^^ To this guy with the moccasin type AF. The problem is probably that the skin is so thick that the ACV cannot penetrate. Go buy one of those girly foot scrubby things. After your soak, don't dry your feet. Keep one foot in the ACV and start scrubbing the thick skin with the tool. After about 30 seconds, the extra skin will start to roll off in clumps (do this over a towell or something). Put the foot back in for a bit while you scrub the other one, then put the other foot back in the ACV. Repeat nightly.

In about a week, the skin will be thinner and you will kill the fungus as you slough off the old thick crusty skin.

In the morning, put some powder in your shoes to help keep feet dry.

I was in the same boat at many other here (Military/Combat boots) and this is the only thing that helped.

Cream (even prescription) can't penetrate the thick skin.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Coconut Oil

Posted by Melynda (Seattle, Wa) on 05/09/2012
★★★★★

Soaking my feet at least once a day in ACV, full strength, for at least 10-15 minutes, followed by rubbing a little coconut oil on the affected areas has cured my athlete's foot. Also, it is helpful to know - pantyhose, are not so great for the health of your feet - they trap the moisture and create problems. Wear foot wear that allows your feet to breathe as much as possible. Trader Joe's has a great ACV that is unfiltered 'with the Mother', that is not terribly expensive. Since other posts have asked - I will note that I have re-used my ACV with no problems. I store it in a tupperware container, so that it is air tight when not being used, and replenish as needed.