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.
Vicks
Posted by Don (Lakeland, FL) on 01/13/2008
★☆☆☆☆
Vicks on finernail fungus. About a year ago I shoved a wooden splinter up my left index finger, about 1/2 way down. It never healed and my wife thought I had a fungus under it. I read that Vicks would cure this. Here's what I did, which didn't work!! I bought finger cots, put Vicks in it and rolled it onto the index finger every night for the last couple of months. It didn't change anything with respect to the nail growth or fungus removal. I'm going to try your vinegar/hydro peroxide treatment. I clipped my nail 1/2 way down, getting rid of most all of the fungus part of the nail.
Vicks
Posted by Robert (Naples, Florida) on 01/05/2008
The question of whether Vick's Vapo-Rub works on toenail fungus was the subject of a University of Michigan study about a decade ago. Their conclusion was positive; they isolated the specific ingredients that worked, and received U.S. Patent 6,361,785 (look it up to see the results of the research).
Also note that 90% of toenail fungus is caused by four dermatophytes that are the same culprits in athlete's foot and jock itch. (Therefore, to prevent re-infection, one must get the fungi everywhere -- nails, feet, & crotch. Also change towels regularly, and don't dry your feet first, then transfer the fungus to another place.)
The formula (based on the research study, (which I've adapted for a more natural cure) is:
1 part Menthol oil
1 part Thymol oil
1 part Camphor oil
1 part Lemon Eucalyptus oil
1 part Tea Tree Oil
5 parts DMSO
5 parts Aloe Vera
5 parts Rubbing Alcohol
(the oils can be bought on e-bay, DMSO in a health store)
Apply twice a day to nails and feet. I've suffered from this vexing problem for 40 years, as did my mother and grandmother. It works.
Vicks
Posted by Becky (San Diego, CA) on 11/15/2006
My Dr. (at a very well know medical organization), he asked that I not tell anyone that he told me to try this instead of the prescription he could have given. Apparently the prescription stuff takes just as long to work approx. 3mos and cost a lot more and has bad side effects on other organs in your body. The Vicks Vapor Rub every night before bed rubbed on toes, covered with socks and WOW! What a find... Renewed my faith in my Doctor as well.
EC: We have long suspected that many of these emails are from the manufacturer (or their PR firm). We post them here for your reading enjoyment.
Replied by Connie
(New Haven, Connecticut)
03/20/2012
Replied by Mazza
(Wellington, New Zealand)
05/19/2012
Vicks
Posted by Eric (Houston) on 10/10/2006
★☆☆☆☆
Vics = nothing, but bleach toenail fungus if it could penetrate the nail (See below). I have fungus -- 3 toes on one foot, and two on another and I tried the vapor rub fairly diligently with no success for several months. I gave up and wasn't putting anything on it for a while then the big toe nail got bumped on a couch and came completely off, so I tried some bleach on all toes for several months. The big toe is about 80% grown in looking healthy, while the others nails don't look any better. I concluded that the bleach absolutely works, but doesn't penetrate the nails well. So I think the next step will be to file off as much of the other nails as I possibly can and see what that does.
Vicks, Garlic
Posted by K.Lynn (Mt Healthy, Ohio) on 01/13/2009
★★★★★
Not too long ago I found a remedy for toenail fungus-storebrand vapo rub-. My whole toenail was black/purple and when I cut back the toenail as far as I could and squeezed the toe alot of pus came out at first. Then I put the vapo-rub (idea from this site) and the pus stopped, idid this every night and it slowly got lighter and smaller. But after parusing (spellugh) this site I decided to kick it up a notch and add crushed (in a bowl with a spoon) fresh garlic w/ vapo rub. I put it on my toenail(big glob) and wrapped it w/ loose gauze and first aid tape(hypoallergenic) the fungus was gone in 2 days! NEEDS FRESH APPLICATION EVERY NIGHT BEFORE BED. thankyou earthclinic, God Bless you.
Vinegar
Posted by Clare (Shotteswell, Oxfordshire, England) on 05/07/2013
★★★★☆
Vinegar: This really works and I am amazed. I have tried expensive fungus treatments and they have also worked, but at a cost. Now thanks to Earth Clinic I have found a treatment that works for a cost of pence. I can see a good sized band of new nail on every toe. I bought myself a dropper bottle for easy application. I didn't want to write a review until I was really sure vinegar worked, but as nearly half of my big toenails are clear in colour instead of brown I feel I can add my review. I am not the best at doing it twice a day as recommended, but always do it at least once a day.
Vinegar, H202, OTC
Posted by Trinh (Houston, TX) on 08/25/2008
★★★★★
1. Soak both feet (to get rid of the fungus on my big toe as well as preventing other toes from being infected) with distilled vinegar everyday for 30 minutes.
2. Rinse with water and use paper towels to dry feet.
3. Soak cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide and dab it on all toes.
4. Blow dry feet.
5. Apply fungus cream on feet.
6. Wait for about 30 minutes and apply Penlac on all toes.
7. I wore only open toe shoes, and I don't even cover my feet with a blanket at night!
I did the above steps everyday and my big toenail looked beautiful in only 3 months! As you can see, I used vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, antifungal cream, and Penlac. My theory is that if one doesn't work, then at least the other will, or the combination of all 4 is just too powerful for the fungus to survive.
Replied by Ms. M
(California)
08/27/2016
Vitamin E Oil
Posted by Jamberry (Usa) on 06/29/2017
★★★★★
Vitamin E oil works for me. Of the top ten nail fungus remedies, I have tried all but bleach and garlic (and I already eat an anti-candida diet). When I remembered reading about vitamin E oil, I added that to my nightly routine. Get a cheap bottle with lots of capsules. Pierce one with a safety pin then squeeze onto toe nail as described above. (The oil comes out easier if the capsule has been left on the counter for a while.) I do this twice a day when I am home and wearing sandals all day. If need to wear socks when going out, I put more oil on after I get home and back into sandals. At night I wear moisture-wicking socks (not cotton) and try to keep my feet out from under the covers so no moisture builds up on my toes. One-third of one toe is perfectly clear, and one-fourth of the other big toe is perfectly clear, after four months of treatment. I use Vicks under a bandaid if I must be in socks for several hours or more.
Replied by Jamberry
(NC)
10/17/2021
★★★★★
Vitamin E Oil
Posted by Boonie (Waukesha, Wi) on 03/11/2013
★★★★★
Vitamin E oil for fungus nails: use a Q tip or cotton ball to massage in to your nails on both sides after your bath or shower. It may take a year to do this every day but the nail will grow out clear. It takes about a year for the new nail to grow out completely. Trim regularily and continue to oil your toe nails every day as needed. Oil all the way to the cuticle to top of the nail and underneath nail surface as much as you can.
Walk on Wet Grass in the Morning
Posted by Kristina (Chicago, Il) on 09/05/2009
★★★★★
I haven't used this myself, but a lot of guys swear this works. This way to cure foot fungus was used in soviet army. Early in the morning take a walk on a grass while it is still wet, barefoot, and do this for a week. Fungus will be gone. This works on early stages of fungus. Scientific explanation for this is simple: As the water evaporates, a part of it makes ozone, which fights fungus.
Replied by Tami
(Kibbutz Hazorea, Israel)
08/29/2010
★★★★★
White Vinegar
Posted by Allyson (Colorado Springs) on 02/27/2020
★★★★★
I cannot stand the smell of ACV, plain old white vinegar works just as well, I would spray it on the 3 toes 2x a day, waited til the entire toenail bed grew out, no more toenail fungus, rah! Just put the white vinegar in a glass bottle so no plastic uglies leach into the vinegar. It really, really works!!
White Vinegar
Posted by Joy (Greer, Sc) on 05/14/2016
★★★★★
I, too, have had success with vinegar for toenail fungus, even after previously battling a very advanced case for 10 years, although I still have it in one stubborn toenail. I used white vinegar. It was recommended to me to spray it on twice a day, which I think is the fastest and easiest thing to do. I used a 2 oz sprayer found in the travel toiletries section. Wasn't told to soak, but it occurred to me just a few weeks ago that maybe I should soak and saturate that nail, and it is now much improved. Hasn't come back in the other nails, either. Am so happy about this safe, easy and inexpensive treatment.
White Vinegar, OTC
Posted by Suzanne (Norman Ok) on 03/17/2014
★★★★★
This is what worked for me regarding nail fungus. I had a fungus which ate away almost my entire fingernail until I discovered soaking it in white vinegar killed it in two days. I would soak for 15 minutes in undiluted white vinegar. I also had fungus affecting both big toenails. I had been soaking my toes in undiluted white vinegar for 15 minutes, then applying a mixture of coconut oil, OTC athlete's foot cream and vapor rub to my toes. That was slowly working but when I added a monostat cream to the mix the fungus was gone within a week. My toenails are clear for the first time in 10 years. Good luck to all!
Witch Hazel
Posted by Cereluna (Antioch, Ca.) on 07/21/2015
★★★★★
I was a bartender for many years and a common ailment is a fungus developing from handling and scooping ice on your fingernails and skin from the ice. My nails and skin around the nails looked grey-ish black all the time. A friend of mine who did nails suggested I soak my fingers in witch hazel and it worked!! A simple soaking in a bowl with the witch hazel every night for about 10 minutes did the trick. Also works for toenail fungus.
I discovered recently that I have Candida overgrowth, which resulted in a brown motteling of the skin on my arms which is spreading up my upper arms due to candida. I have had this for many years and doctors never knew or cared what it was. After researching, I discovered that it is caused by my candida overgrowth. I started applying witch hazel every day to my arms, followed by sunscreen and then alternating every day with different anti-fungal creams but always using witch hazel first. You have to use different anti-fungals to kill the little creatures because they get resistant if you don't switch up. The zinc in the sunscreen also helps. It's necessary to use a cream after witch hazel because it is drying. In about 3 days I noticed the "rash" getting lighter!! I am so happy that it is working. Mine was so brown and very embarrassing. Don't take pills to destroy fungus! Use witch Hazel!
Yellow Corn Meal
Posted by Ellen (Redwood Shores, California) on 03/26/2007
★★★★☆
To Allen regarding Cornmeal: For several months last summer, I used the same cornmeal treatment. I made progress and got lazy. I probably used it about 10 times. 7-10 days apart. Now I am doing it once again. I started a month ago and have used it 3 times. My toenails never fell off. You used it only 3 times??? I have a 35 year old infection. I do know it works, it's just keeping up with the weekly soaks-- it takes so much time!
