Natural Nail Fungus Treatments: Effective Home Remedies

Iodine

Posted by Rae (Pasadena, CA) on 01/26/2021
★★★★★

I tried many remedies, for my nail fungus (both thumbs and an index finger) but what actually worked was filing down the nails with fungus (about once a week) and then putting a layer of decolorized iodine on my nails followed by a bit of petroleum jelly to moisturize.

I did this every night before bed until the nails grew out a beautiful pink color. I'm so happy to get my nails back! And this remedy is do cheap!

Castor Oil

Posted by Mary (Port Orchard, WA) on 11/30/2020
★★★★★

I hurt my foot and as a last resort applied Edgar Cayces castor oil remedy. I put castor oil on flannel enough to cause the flannel to be wet but not dripping. I then wrapped my foot. Had left it on for 3 or 4 days when I needed to go to my acupuncture appointment. As he was applying the needles he exclaimed my toe fungus was gone. All except one small spot. I then asked my Dr if my toe fungus was gone a week later and he also said one small spot. My toe nails are beautiful white and healthy looking. I now have done both feet. I am still wearing the castor oil for the pain in my foot. I did use organic castor oil. And I am lucky enough to be able to wear the castor oil about 20 hours a day.

Distilled Vinegar

Posted by Fleur (Australia) on 10/28/2020

I'm a bit confused about which vinegar to use. In Australia our vinegar in grocery stores doesn't say if it's distilled or not. When I googled it, it seems like distilled vinegar is weaker than white vinegar. And distilled is suitable for cooking, because it has been purified.

In the above quote, he talks as if distilled vinegar is cheaper than regular white vinegar. But here, vinegar suitable for cooking (which I assume is the distilled version) is more expensive than regular white vinegar...

DIY Hand Sanitizer

Posted by Redj (Cuba) on 07/23/2020

An update:

I have switched my application method to using a finger cot (cut a finger off a disposable glove to achieve the same thing) and a piece of cotton wool soaked in 0.1% Benzalkonium Chloride.

I apply the soaked cotton wool to my infected toenail, put the cot over my toe, and leave it for somewhere between 1-4 hours depending on what I'm doing and how forgetful I am on the day. (Even 1 hour is probably overkill if I'm being completely honest.)

This works really well to get the solution to soak right through the nail, I have been having good success with only one application a day, and the only caveat is this:

I no longer use crushed aspirin because that caused some minor irritation to my nail bed but it's unnecessary anyway as I am definitely getting a thorough application penetrating right through my nail this way. (Likewise, there is no need for soap as the solution has nowhere to run off to.)

I would recommend this new application method wholeheartedly.

I reuse the cotton wool and the finger cot until they look bad, then I replace them. I have little concern about reinfecting my nail by doing this because both get absolutely soaked in the solution which kills the fungus so I don't see it being a problem however if you are not seeing progress you should switch over to a strip of tissue folded up appropriately before soaking and applying and then disposing of it after each application, and likewise for the finger cot. (This is where cutting a finger off a disposable glove would be ideal because you will get 5 day's application from a single glove so it will be quite economical this way.)

Bentonite Clay + Vaseline

Posted by Gary (Kitchener On) on 07/20/2020
★★★★★

Hi, I had toe nail fungus, mixed 50 - 50 Bentonite Clay & regular vaseline to make a paste.

Applied daily and once or twice a week. I also put 1/2 cup of baking soda in a foot bath to soak 20 minutes and found it was gone in 2 weeks..

Hope this helps.

ACV, Borax and Peroxide Soak

Posted by Julie (New Jersey) on 06/23/2020

Bill, regarding you and your girlfriend having issues with the air conditioner.

I found when I first moved to my apartment that if I'd been using the A/C, then there was maybe a week or two where it was cool enough to not use it, when I'd return to it I got massive headaches. I could barely detect a smell in the air that is only there when the A/C is running. I inspected it to find that when I took off the front cover, a (nonremovable) tray at the bottom of the unit collects an inch or so of water.

To make a long story short, it was growing mold, even if the tray had time to dry before I turned it on again. My solution was to purchase bottles of colloidal silver online that are intended for treating hot tub water in place of chlorine or bromine. I only have to put in maybe a dropper full, and this purifies that tray so that the when the A/C is on again, it's not filling my apartment with mold spores.

DIY Hand Sanitizer

Posted by Redj (Cuba) on 06/20/2020
★★★★★

This cure is based on a scientific study with good results (DOI: 10.7547/87507315-89-3-124) and made into DIY home remedy.

The study used a solution of 0.1% Benzalkonium chloride which is a common ingredient in non-alcohol based hand sanitizer. At 0.1% there is no risk of skin irritation unless you are allergic.

The other ingredient was allantoin which is a mild keratolytic and surfactant. This can be replaced with a crushed up aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), dissolved in approximately 100ml of solution. Mild body soap may also be added in a small amount however this isn't necessary but it may help.

The study applied the treatment to the infected nail and the base of the nail twice daily over 10 months.

RECIPE

• Benzalkonium chloride 0.1% (Non-alcohol based hand sanitizer or a concentrate diluted appropriately)

• 1 crushed aspirin, dissolved in 100ml of solution (optional, dilute further or omit if you experience a skin reaction)

• A small amount of gentle soap or bodywash (optional, omit if you experience a skin reaction)

METHOD

Cut away all excess infected nail with separate nail scissors or clippers so that you don't spread the infection to other nails.

Using a separate file, file back the nail on all surfaces well often. Ideally this should be repeated at least twice a week or more for best results.

Apply solution to infected nails once in the morning and once in the evening, ensuring that you cover underneath the nail where possible and where the base of the nail joins your finger or toe. Ensure that you apply the solution after showering and drying yourself for best results.

Continue until the infected nail has been removed and only uninfected nail remains.

DISCUSSION

This is a safe method of long-term treatment of nail fungus which has good results in controlled study environments.

Hand sanitizer can be applied regularly to the skin and left to dry and has very low risk of causing irritation.

I have personally been applying this solution regularly for about a month and a half and I can see a clear diagonal line of new, uninfected nail emerging from the base of my infected toe. I have often applied the solution more often than twice a day with no ill effects.

If you are a busy person or you have a disability which makes this sort of treatment regime difficult you can try applying the solution to a cotton ball or similar and attaching this to your infected nail using tape or a band-aid. The benefit of this is that you can re-wet the bandage for reapplication of the treatment, and as the solution remains in contact with the infected nail for a longer period this should result in a higher success rate. Ensure that you pay close attention to ensure that you are not causing irritation with the prolonged skin contact from this method.

Castor Oil

Posted by Gman (Alabama) on 10/20/2018 6 posts
★★★★★

Castor oil is so easy to use and works better than anything I have ever used. Just apply it to your toenails and toes. It penetrates the skin and the nails.

Castor Oil

Posted by Gman (Alabama) on 09/17/2018 6 posts
★★★★★

Castor Oil is the best thing to cure nail fungus. I've tried so many other cures and none of them worked. Castor Oil penetrates deep into the skin and is useful for skin problems, such as cysts. It's amazing to see all the useful problems it can be used for. It's oily but it cures.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Tea Tree Oil

Posted by Mad Al (Great Britain) on 09/05/2018
★★★★★

Toe Nail Fungus. Tried many things for five years with no results, my big toenails were almost completely black. Soaked a cotton pad in ACV and taped it on to the toes and left it on for a few hours. Before bed I soaked the toenails in tea tree oil. After two weeks the black has all gone and the toenils are starting to look normal again after five years, amazing.

Cinnamon Oil

Posted by Jennifer (Oklahoma) on 08/23/2018

I wonder if she used a carrier oil? Cinnamon is known to burn.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Tim (Georgia) on 06/19/2018 21 posts
★★★★★

If Nothing helps toenail fungus, try:

Fold down 2 napkins just to cover your toenails and toes completely, then pour with 3% H2O2, wrapped with a polyethylene(cellophane, etc soft film), needs good plaster to fix on feet all the night and wash your feet in the mornings with laundry soap. Needs 10-14 days. Hope you get rid of fungus forever.

Don't forget to change all your socks, sandals&shoes/ or at least pour shoes with ACV every time.

Thank me later.

Iodine

Posted by Alice Jolly (A) on 06/14/2018
★★★★★

Yes, I too used iodine for curing toenail fungus infection. And it worked so brilliantly that my fungus infection got vanished just after three weeks.

Iodine

Posted by Ninette (Cincinnati) on 06/10/2018

I found Iodine ( not clear) its true brown color at a pharmacy in Tampa FL. DAVID PHARMACY.

My grandmother in Cuba used iodine to cure much. Health issues. Is a great Desinfectant. ..

Castor Oil

Posted by Twinkytoze (Nerja, Spain) on 06/09/2018
★★★★★

A long dark winter in heavy socks and vinyl boots gave me a case of toenail fungus.

I was reading through the remedies here, and something that occurred to me was that fungus needs three things in order to flourish: moisture, darkness and oxygen. I figured if I can remove two of those conditions then I would be all set.

Night before last I slathered my toe in castor oil, wrapped it in a bandage, and went to bed. I felt tingling under the nail early in the morning, and then when I looked at it, the patch of discoloration and inflammation had reduced by about 30% in area.

I put on sandals, hit the area with 415nm blue light (acne pen) for about 12 minutes, then applied more castor oil. Went around barefoot all day, with castor oil all over the toe. I went to bed last night with another plaster and woke up this AM with about 50% reduction in area and discoloration of the nail.

Castor oil appears to work very well in starving the fungus of oxygen because it is very sticky and viscous, but also it gets into all the crevices where the fungus might retreat to in order to seek an oxygen source.

Fungus is very clever and very patient. If it detects that conditions aren't ideal for it to flourish, it will retreat into spore form and wait for conditions to improve. Spores can survive for years, which is why you have to keep on with a course of treatment for a long time, and why the infection can crop up again.

This is also why blue light exposure can help because it interrupts the sequencing of the DNA of the organism.

So far so good. If I hit a snag I will report back, but for now it looks like this thing is on the run.

Essential Oils

Posted by Marie (Manchester ) on 05/02/2018
★★★★★

I've suffered with it for years ive tried over the counter ointments from pharmacy none are that effective it takes for ever to get an improvement. I tried Oregano and Clove Oil Essential Oils they both kill fungal and viral bacteria. I also added Carrot Seed Essential Oil to encourage the skin to heal and reatach to new growth on toe nail. I used Coconut Oil as a carrier oil. I cut the nail right back to take away the home for fungus (I know you are meant to leave it at it can cause in growing toe nail in new growth).

I had instant relief from pain in my nails cause new growth happened rapidly. Now 3 months on, I have healthy pink toe nails and I'm not embarrassed to get out in public. New toe nail growth has attached to my toe for the first time in 10 years.

DMSO and Lugol's Iodine

Posted by Epeach (Ga) on 04/28/2018
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

DMSO and 2% Lugol's Cured Fingernail Fungus

For about a month, I have been applying a mixture of DMSO 50%, distilled water 50%, and 1 full dropper of 2% Lugol's in a 4 oz. bottle, to all of my fingernails. My thumbnail was infected with fungus and I have tried everything (prescriptions, essential oils, Vicks, Clorox, Lugol's alone, vinegar, H2O2, you name it). This mixture killed the fungus! I did not use it everyday, just when I remembered. I trimmed away any infected area, then I use a dropper to apply under, around, and on top of all nails at bedtime. (I have heard fungus will move from nail to nail if you do not treat all of them. I do not know if it is true, I just wanted to be safe.) I am still using it periodically to make sure it does not come back. After the application, I use castor oil, as the DMSO mixture is very drying.

I have not had a normal thumbnail since 2009. Now, it looks like all of the others. Hope this helps someone:)

Garlic

Posted by Donris (Gretna, Louisiana) on 04/16/2018
★★★★★

I had read on Facebook, a cure which is fantastic. You mince or press one garlic toe, to 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. You mix well & apply to clean feet. Be sure to put under toe nail & cover down to toe bed. Try to use the whole mixture. Then wrap the entire toes in Handi Wrap. Be sure the toes are cover tight. Then wrap with heavy foil around the toes, be sure to cover all the Handi Wrap to about almost have the foot. I use duct tape to keep it nice & tight. Then put on a loose socks & then a tight pair second over the foot. This will create heat. Leave on for 24 hr. Then remove & dig under the toe nail & clean it up. You will be in shock how much it loosed up. Then if possible do a second day again. During the breaks soak feet in Organic raw apple cider vinegar with (The Mother). Put about1/2 a cup of the vinegar. Then warm water to cover all the toes. Soak for at least 1/2 an hour. Like to watch T.V. Later on after shower, spray toes with a straight vinegar & air dry. really easy you only have to do the garlic treatment for extra boots. It won't take long to see a huge difference. I promise you will love the results.

Vicks

Posted by Sasha (Surrey, B.c. Canada) on 03/31/2018

What I do is always cut off until I can't cut anymore... And scrape out as much of the crumbly fungus crap as possible. No matter WHAT remedy you do or don't do ALWAYS DO THAT!

Baking Soda

Posted by Craig (Albany, Oregon) on 02/21/2018
★★★★★

For nail fungus, I found that making a baking soda paste and letting it sit on your toes for 10 minutes each day does the trick. Make sure that you clean your toes afterward.

I also found that washing your toes before bed each night really speeds up the process.

In the past (per Earth Clinic) I tried vinegar and tee tree oil, but experienced no results.

Vicks

Posted by Dianne (Pennsylvania) on 01/21/2018

The trouble with those pills, is that they are hard on the liver and can indeed cause liver damage. There are diet change suggestions on this site to help while using a non medical.remedy. I refuse to tale those pills, not worth the risk

Vicks

Posted by Suzy (Hemel, Hempstead ) on 01/02/2018
★★★★★

My daughter had nail fungus on her toes. The doctors said they don't describe it on prescription anymore for children so it was nearly £20 for a small tiny bottle that would last a month and would need more each month for 7/8 months Dr said.

I came on here and choose to give Vicks a go and within a couple of weeks of putting Vicks on each day it has totally cleared up, so a big saving. thank you :)

Bleach, Tea Tree, Vicks

Posted by Julia (Mauritius) on 12/19/2017

What is ACV

EC: ACV - Apple Cider Vinegar

How to Self-Test for Internal Fungus

Posted by Holly (Millersville) on 11/07/2017

ORH,

Sorry to be clueless here...but even if the jar is sterile and closed, the air within the jar could have spores, bacteria, etc. Kind of like when you preserve food by canning. Using just sterile jars won't work. You have to process via heat to create a vacuum and kill all pathogens first.

Thanks for your help. Holly

How to Self-Test for Internal Fungus

Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile , Tn) on 11/06/2017

HOLLY,,,,,,, you seal the sterile jar, so only your saliva is involved. That's the way my doctor does it.

======ORH======

How to Self-Test for Internal Fungus

Posted by Holly (Millersville ) on 11/06/2017

Mightn't a non sterile and wet from saliva q tip grow mold just from the air? Like a shower curtain? Or leftovers in the fridge?

How to Self-Test for Internal Fungus

Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn) on 11/06/2017

HI U OLE PATOOTS DOIN,,,,,,,, as all know ISJS. Anyways, on reflecting how the sight of my fungus shook me, I think you can test yourself at home.

Take two Q tips and swab one side of your mouth and the other side with the second Q tip. Store in a sterile glass jar and observe weekly for a month. If you have growth, the amount should tell you how severe your problem is. If you have no growth, I don't think you can say that you have no fungus. I am going to use the technique to ascertain my treatment progress.

My natural doctor told me the VF of my fungus and I was not impressed, but when he showed me the growth on my two swabs, it scared my mule. I think the visual result will tell you something too.

======ORH======