Chilblains
Natural Remedies

  1. Home
  2. Ailments

Chilblains Treatment

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.
Sort by Default New Loved

Over the Counter

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%
Write a review
Posted by Steven (Fryeburg, Maine) on 05/03/2011
 ★★★★★

Hemorriod cream appied to affected areas, also to areas that are known to give problems as a preventive messure. Wear cotton socks and merino wool socks over them. Buy shoes for the cold weather months sized for the extra socks. This has brought relief to me.

Peppermint and Neem Oils

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%
Write a review
Posted by Mary (Utica, Ny) on 03/30/2014
 ★★★★★

Chilblains Treatment: My husband has suffered with red, raw toes for years. This occurs only in the winter time. While researching this site there was no doubt he has Chilblains. We started trying different suggestions. Peppermint oil, helped. Went to health food store they suggested neem oil. We mixed the two oils together, applied twice each day. Unbelievably, redness is gone and so is the pain. He will keep applying till cold weather is over.

Potato and Salt

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%
Write a review
Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 01/09/2025
 ★★★★★

Raw Potato – A Domestic Remedy for Chilblains.

From the book: Medical Council – A Monthly Journal for the Physican and Surgeon. Volume 15, p. 59. 1910

TO THE MEDICAL COUNCIL: For frozen feet or chilblains, slice up some raw potatoes, sprinkle salt over them, let stand twelve hours, and bathe the parts with the brine formed by the salt with the water exuding from the potatoes. It is simple, but has been very successful in my hands.

W. G. PEIRSOL, M.D. Avon, Ill

Potato and Salt. Like onion juice, potato juice is also very rich in nutrients and these nutrients help the body in getting relief from the damaged blood vessels. The juice also helps in reducing the itching and inflammation from the skin. You can apply the juice 3 to 4 times in a day for best results.

Make a potato poultice and add salt, apply it on the affected area. This formula is great to get relief from swelling, redness and itching.

Potato water. Potatoes contain a variety of nutrients and vitamins that are beneficial to the body and good for the skin. Potato can help reduce the itching and inflammation caused by chilblains due to its anti-irritant and soothing properties. It is also effective in treating blisters that may develop with chilblains. Boil 1 or 2 potatoes in 2 cups of water for 10 to 15 minutes. Allow the solution to cool down and wash area with water.

Rubbing Alcohol

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%
Write a review
Posted by Deb W. (Wisconsin) on 11/09/2016
 ★★★★★

This is an easy one. I had chilblains. I didn't know what they were at first. I mentioned it to my Dad and he told me to use rubbing alcohol. So, I put some on a cotton ball and rubbed my toes with it. Didn't take to many days and it was gone. So to keep it from coming back, I put the rubbing alcohol on my toes before I went outside to keep it from coming back. I have no need for it anymore.

Sea Salt or Epsom Salt

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%
Write a review
Posted by Arietta (Chania, Crete, Greece) on 01/11/2012
 ★★★★★

Adding a cup of sea salt or epsom salt to a foot bath helps tremendously the chilblains. Just have to do it like twice a day for 5-6 days and they'll pretty much be gone depending in the severity. Eating a non-inflammatory diet helps as well.

Silica Gel

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%
Write a review
Posted by Joey L (Oxford, Uk) on 03/29/2013
 ★★★★★

I have got to share this nugget of wisdom I have found for relieving chilblains...

Selica Gel. The packets you get when you buy new items, to keep them dry. Put some in your socks and wear them. This has gotten me through a working day on my feet without aggravating the soreness, and I believe it helps clear up the condition from keeping the feet from getting too humid/wet.

Urine

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%
Write a review
Posted by Christine (Nottingham, England) on 02/10/2012
 ★★★★★

I remember when we were children and suffered with nasty chilblains our mum would get us to soak our feet in urine. I do not remeber how long we did it for. It was a long time ago, but it did work. The old folk knew a thing or two in those days. Good luck

Replied by Nora
(Argyll and Bute)
01/30/2023

Thank you for confirming the urine/chilblains method.

My Grandfather told me about this 55 years ago.
I'm now living in freezing Scotland.. I love this country; but I need to negotiate my chilblain problem. Xxxx.

Urine
Posted by Eva (Amsterdam, Netherlands) on 02/12/2010

I had this too, until I was told that urine will make it go away. Before you go to bed put some of your own urine on your toes (or affected area). I did not wash it off, but put socks on before I went to sleep. Did this about 6 times and forgot about it, until I realized about a month later that my toes were not bothering me anymore.

Vitamin K

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%
Write a review
Posted by Lanna (Wichita, Kansas) on 02/01/2013
 ★★★★★

My 12 year old son has been suffering from chilblains on his toes. He has cerebral palsy and is nonverbal, so is unable to really tell us what is wrong. We first noticed that he was having difficulty walking. It wasn't until his toes swelled up and turned red/bluish that we could narrow it down to chilblains. His feet were very cold to the touch also. The pain was the most difficult as it got so bad that he refused to walk at all.

As I was searching for ideas to help him I came across somebody who mentioned that years ago they were given vitamin K tablets by their doctor and it had cleared it up. I googled "chilblains and vitamin K" and came across an article from 1947 on the NIH website that claimed success with vitamin K. At this point I figured I had nothing to lose - my son's toes were looking quite bad and he was miserable - and there wasn't much the doctor could do.

I happened to have a store brand of Advanced K2 Complex capsules on hand. I gave the first dose before bedtime that night and then did two doses a day after that. By that afternoon he was up and walking. Still a little tender, but the swelling had gone down and obviously the pain was much improved. We are now on day three and he is almost back to normal. I was so happy to see these results that I had to share.

Replied by Amb
(Des Moines, Iowa)
02/12/2013

Thanks for sharing Lanna. I'm going to get some vitamin K tomorrow! I had a red bump on the top of my 2nd toe... Started about 3 weeks ago. I thought I got bit by a spider in the night. Then after a few days it was the same red and swollen blister like on my little toe and the 2nd toe on the other foot. They really got itchy and burned. I refused to scratch it. Drove me crazy! My toes have been really cold lately too! I tried some antifungral cream cause I thought it was athletes foot. Although it was on the tops of my toes.... Didn't look like athletes foot. The creame sorta helped the itch for a little while. After about 2 weeks I decided enough was enough and go to the doctor. She agreed and said athletes foot and gave me an oral antifungral. After a week from that, still nothing. The only relief I have gotten is by soaking my feet in water I boiled ginger root in. I am convinced it's chilblains and not athletes foot. I just started taking ginger root, cayenne and hawthorn berry supplements. As they improve circulation. I am also using a topical cayenne and ginger ointment and tea tree oil. Getting relief from that also. I thing massaging it in helps. I am going to add the vitamin K to the mix. Guess if anything, I should have better circulation to work out!

Replied by Lanna
(Wichita, Kansas)
03/22/2013

Amb - Wow... You have tried a lot of things. I am curious if you think the vitamin K helped at all? I hope that you found something that worked for you.

Zinc Oxide Cream

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%
Write a review
Posted by Sarah (Arkansas) on 02/05/2018
 ★★★★★

I've found that using zinc oxide has helped me tremendously. I started having this problem with my toes 3 years ago - red bumps, rash and swelling. I could hardly walk and wearing shoes was almost unbearable! No prescription medicines nor anything else I tried seemed to help. Then, as mysteriously as the symptoms appeared, they cleared up as winter ended! The red bumps always start on my 2nd toe, then a rash would appear on all my toes. The 2nd winter, it had spread to two toes when I started using over-the-counter extra strength diaper rash paste with zinc oxide. In the morning after showering, I dry my feet thoroughly, then apply a thin layer of the paste. I apply once per day during the winter months. I also change my socks and/or shoes twice a day and try to avoid extreme temperature changes. This is now my 3rd year dealing with chilblains (which my doctor diagnosed as a fungus) and diaper rash paste works for me!


Previous Page 1 2
Advertisement

Please note that we use cookies necessary for the functioning of our website, cookies that optimize the performance. To learn more about our cookies, how we use them and their benefits, please read our Privacy Policy