Natural Remedies for Nail Fungus: Home Treatments

Vicks

Posted by Terry (Dayton, Ohio) on 11/04/2011
★★★★★

I had a nail fungus since 1971 and I was reading this page and found the salve. Vicks salve and yellow root. It's gone, all gone now. But I did something different. I cut a lot of strips of plastic bags out so they would be handy. Then when I would put the salve one my toe nail I'd wrap it with the plastic strip so it holds it on the nail and don't soak in the sock. Change it every morning. You can feel it working. Tingling. I tell all my friends about this page.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Coconut Oil

Posted by Margaret (Knoxville, Tn) on 06/14/2011
★★★★★

For nail fungus, try soaking the toe in warm water and ACV. Organic ACV. Just put about a half cup in a warm foot bath and soak once or twice a day for about 20 minutes each time. I've cured my husband's toenail fungus with his remedy and he had had them for years!

Another thing that feet love is a rub down with organic coconut oil after that soaking.

Iodine

Posted by Lynn (San Diego, Ca) on 03/01/2011

I'm still waiting for response to my betadine question regarding toenail fungus. It completely eliminated the fungus on 2 of my toes after hammertoe surgery (they've been normal for 2 yrs. ). Anyone (esp. With some knowledge) can you comment on this? It's very messy stuff but I'd like to apply it to all my toes. At that time it was used just prior to surgery ONCE and fungus gone. Please advise. Thanks

Apple Cider Vinegar, Baking Soda

Posted by Reasoningforum (Vancouver , Bc, Canada) on 12/23/2010
★★★★★

Mix some vinegar with baking soda (soda bicarb) and dip your fingers into the brew (dilute if you wish with filtered water) - and see how the fungus runs away! Might be a solution for athlete's feet - just an idea.

Distilled Vinegar

Posted by Rachel (Sydney, Australia) on 11/13/2010
★★★★☆

I've had 2 dodgy toenails, one for about 10 years and one for about 2 years. After reading all the testimonials, I started soaking my feet in the cheapest generic supermarket white vinegar. I don't even know if it's distilled, but I assume it must be. I've also alternated between putting tea tree oil and generic chest rub ointment on both nails twice a day. After six weeks, the nail with the 10-year fungus now looks like a normal pink nail and the nail with the 2-year fungus still looks dodgy.

Application Hints

Posted by Tricia (Ireland) on 06/07/2010 84 posts
★★★★★

Treating Nail Fungus:

I'm going to add my tuppence here. The nail and the skin directly underneath it are so pressed together that it is impossible for cream or liquid to get at it. Any remedy should be loaded to the sides and tip of the nail and left to the air for 20 - 30 minutes so that it can spread skin cell to skin cell for effectiveness.

I know someone who tried many things for this but would put socks and shoes on straight away so that the liquids would soak straight into the wool. A clever nurse told her to do it half an hour before she got into bed and, hey presto, faster results.

Garlic

Posted by Jenn (Vancouver, Bc) on 11/28/2009
★★★★★

Garlic, garlic, garlic!!!
It's cheap.
It's convenient.
It works!

I've had a fungal/bacterial infection on both of my index fingers for 5 years and I tried all the remedies suggested but nothing worked so I gave up. Shortly afterwards I started cooking with garlic a lot and noticed the fungus on my left hand was clearing up fairly quickly. I did some research and found out garlic has powerful anti-fungal and antibacterial properties. I stared using it on my right hand and it worked! All you have to do is split a clove in half and rub the juices in and around where the fungus is for a few minutes (3-5). Do this every other day before you go to bed. Don't rub the juices in vigorously for more than 20 minutes or make a paste out of crushed garlic and wrap it around yor finger because it will burn, literally. A little goes a long way. You should start seeing results within 4 weeks if the fungus isn't too bad, 8 weeks for extreme cases. Toenails can take up to 3 months because they grow much slower than fingernails.

Baking Soda and Maple Syrup

Posted by Ellen (Redwood Shores, Ca) on 03/24/2010

What ever remedy you try, even if it were to kill the fungus, is NOT going to change the nail as it exists. You can only hope that in 4-6 weeks that you start seeing pink at the base of the toenail. Yes, it takes that long! Most people stop way short with their treatments.

Iodine

Posted by Mel (Orlando, FL) on 05/12/2009
★★★★★

I cured (and am still curing) toe and finger nail fugus using decolorized (white/clear) iodine. In combination with simply eating a banana and active yogurt (yogurt that promotes digestive health), I apply the ioding every day to my affected big toe nails, left thumbnail and right ring fingernail. I acquired nail fungus in my left big toe a year ago from a bad ingrown nail. I had a partial nail avulsion to remedy the ingrown nail and then later developed a fungus when the cauterizing had healed. I couldn't afford prescriptions at the time so I started using home remedies such as vinegar gel, over the counter topical lacquers,vapo rub and mouthwash. Everything under the sun. Then I saw this website about 6 months ago. Until I read about decolorized iodine, the fungus in that left big toe had only stabilized using other remedies. Which was good-but I wanted it gone! During that time of trying everything else, it spread to my right big toe and then my left thumbnail. This was all probably because I was not careful in cleaning in treating and spread it due to my own carelessness. Anyhow, I lost those other two nails then it started in my right ring finger. I was determined at that point to find my cure. I started using the iodine on my right ring finger and it stopped the fungus dead in it's tracks! My nail has since grown half in and healthy and is still going. As for where the fungus first started, in my left big toe-that's almost completely grown in and healthy! My right big toe and left thumbnail are well on there way, but taking a bit longer to grow in. Either way, iodine (2-3 drops) 1 or twice a day, a banana and a live active yogurt overy day have been my cure. Promoting digestive health, providing potatssium to help nails grow quicker and healthier and iodine to kill the fungus topically ahve been my miracle workers. The only down side to iodine is that it can be somewhat drying so I suggest using cuticle oil in between treatments. Do not use peroxide in combination with decolorized iodine. It will turn your skin orange! I only used alcohol to clean the affected areas before applying iodine and to sterilize the instruments I am using as well. What really sucks abou this whole thing, is I developed dyshidrosis as a secondary skin disorder from the fungus. That's a whole other story, but dishydrosis is like eczema in a way and it will resolve on it's own once the fungus is completely out of my nails and body.

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

Grain Alcohol

Posted by Dara (Key Largo, Florida) on 02/12/2009
★★★★★

Fungus /Mold/ Skin Conditions: In regards to the fungus. I have tried grain alcohol (everclare) works great for internal and external fungus. If you have it on your nails, soak 2 times a day for 5 days for approx. 10 to 15 minutes. Gone! Do NOT have any open flames around the alcohol. Works great for jock itch as well. May sting a little. Grain alcohol kills parasites as well. Regular Isopropyl alcohol stimulates parasites to multiply they are called media-redia and ascaria. For more information get Dr. Hilda Clarks book on "Cure for all Cancers"

Cornmeal

Posted by Gina (Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada) on 12/30/2008
★★★★★

After trying for nearly three years to get rid of a fungus on my toenails, using every home cure and even prescriptions, I read an article in a gardening magazine. Cornmeal cures fungus on your rose garden. Why not use it to cure fungus elsewhere? I sprinkled cornmeal on a wet toenail a few times per week and left it caked on the nail for a while and just walked carefully, barefooted, before wiping it off. It totally cured it. The nail is strong and clear. WooHoo!

Listerine

Posted by Julian (Phoenix, Arizona) on 03/13/2009
★★★★★

Take a soft bristle tooth brush, soak in listerine, and brush nails daily before bed. File down thick nfected nails, make sure to disinfect brush and file.

Listerine

Posted by Sherri (Seattle) on 07/14/2024

Hi Nancy,

There are several disinfecting or sterilizing solutions you can use for the toothbrush and nail file. Though, I would soak them in separate containers.

1. HOCL - Hypochlorous Acid 0.02%

A good brand is briotech.com - "BrioTech Pure Hypochlorous." Soak 1-2 hours. This solution is completely non-toxic. This is NOT true regular bleach and is at least 10X more potent. Your body naturally makes HOCL.

2. USP or NSF Bleach 6%

This is hypochlorite or regular bleach. USP/NSF indicates it is a food grade bleach. Add bleach to water: 1 pint water (500 mL) + 1 tsp. (5 mL) 6% USP/NSF bleach. The result is 0.05% hypochlorite. You can use up to 0.2%. Soak 2 hours. This type of bleach has toxins.

3. Iodine 5% - 7%

6 drops Lugol's Iodine in 1/2 cup filtered water. Only purchase "clean" Lugol's - e.g., from a compounding pharmacist, drclarkstore.com, make your own, etc. Soak 2 hours or overnight. The iodine will evaporate out of solution.

4. Grain Alcohol

1 Liter Everclear or Vodka 80 proof. Soak tooth brush in 70% - 76% grain alcohol or undiluted Vodka (which is about 50% alcohol). Use a wide mouth jar with a close fitting non-metal lid, since alcohol evaporates. Can add salt to this, synergistic. Soak 1 hour.

5. Colloidal Silver. Soak overnight.

Best to get a new toothbrush and drop it into steaming hot water for 1/2 hour to remove toxic plasticizers and dyes which would otherwise seep into your mouth. First, wash tooth brush with Borax to remove other toxins.

I simply liberally spray my toothbrush after I use at night with HOCL 0.02% and put it inside an also sprayed plastic holder. Then, it is ready to use the next day.

Most of these ideas are listed in books by Hulda Clark, PhD, ND.

Listerine

Posted by Megan (Jacksonville, FL) on 10/24/2008
★★★★★

I tried soaking my feet in Listerine after seeing a posting about toe nail fungus. It not only works on toe nails, but will get rid of athlete's foot issues very quickly. And this is much easier than pressing onion, etc. I love this site! I found it looking for Ted's Mange Cure, which is fabulous. Thanks!

Distilled Vinegar

Posted by AMD (V Ville, USA) on 10/22/2008
★★★★★

White Vinegar cured toe nail fungus

Had funky toenail for about 20 + years, tried a lot of remedies to cure it, no joy. Tried the vicks, acv, lavender oil, etc nothing worked. It was really bad by the time I started using white vinegar (distilled) heinz worked for me. To be honest I really was hopeful but not expecting a lot. Well within 3 months my toe nail is cured and healthy looking. I am 45 and have not seen this little chap/ette look healthy since I was about 22.

I just soaked a bit of cotton wool in vinegar, popped it on toe nail and then put a plaster over it. Best done after a shower/bath when nail is soft. After about 3 days of doing this the base of my toe nail (where there was a sliver of healthy nail left..& I use the word "healthy" loosely} got really sore and tender. The skin got red, swollen and kind of spotty. However shortly after that I began to notice a change that has been continuing. 'Tis a miracle!
God bless to all.

Listerine

Posted by Jill (California) on 12/15/2016

I've read that rubbing alcohol is damaging to the liver, I use cheap vodka instead.

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.

Oregano Oil

Posted by Michelle (West Palm Beach, Florida) on 03/05/2008
★★★★★

I couldn't find this one so here goes. Best for kids, as it helps whatever is causing the fever, especially virus. Two drops of Oreganol Oil, on each foot rub it in and fever will break in a matter of five (5) minutes. I have four kids and have used this on ALL of them. It has absolutely always worked.

You can rub a few drops on chest for congestion or sinus trouble too. I have used two drops behind ear (rub all around area) for curing ear infections, ear pain, etc.

You can't beat it for cuts, they will never get infected! Best for little finger cuts as they are hard to keep clean! Also cures toenail fungus, especially seriously infected ones, drop several drops around nail bed, under nail, and around affected toe, with in hours, the pain is gone! Three times a day and the toe infection will be gone in a few days. My friend 6'11" male, was about to go to the ER when I told him to try this, he could barely walk! It was easy to walk in a matter of hours and completely cured in a few days! Three times a day several drops. Epsom salt soaks help to draw out infection and help pain too.

Earth Clinic is my Favorite for everything!

Vicks

Posted by Laura (Lodi, Ca) on 03/18/2015

How or where can I get oregano juice?

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.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Ron (San Jose, ca) on 08/25/2007
★★★★★

There may be two prevalent forms of nail fungus so I am qualifying my comment. Nail fungus that causes delamination starting along the edge with the nail weakening substantially may be cured with Hydrogen peroxide. I needed to pry up the nail at each treatment being careful to pry up only the discolored portion. The nail began to regrow from the root. It looks good. I noticed some foaming with the initial treatments and the color was bleached a little. The healthy growth is quite clear.