Jock Itch Remedies

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Ivy (Louisiana, US) on 03/03/2015
★★★★★

For apple cider vinegar, the easiest way to apply it for jock itch is go find yourself a clean spray bottle. I used one that use to contain facial toner so it's a very fine mist. Clean it out really well if it's not a new bottle. Then fill with your vinegar, some people recommend diluting it with water, but I find it takes longer to dry and it's less effective although it may sting more on really bad spots. I spray the affected area a few times a day and I take an extra min to let it dry and then powder down with talc. Be warned most baby powder these days is made from corn starch which can make your infection much worse as it becomes food for the fungus. I like the spray bottle because I can keep it in my purse with a travel size bottle of talc powder for when I have issues at work. Once you get past the sting of the vinegar, it becomes very soothing as it kills off the infection simply by being too acidic for it to survive, making it safe and effective.

Rubbing Alcohol

Posted by Thomas (Martinton, Il) on 05/24/2014
★★★★★

Re: Rubbing Alcohol for Jock Itch.? Rubbing alcohol worked great! My doctor (who is excellent) suggested that Lamisil works best (out of all the topical creams). So I used the rubbing alcohol (on tissue paper squares) and then put the Lamisil on afterwards. Walmart sells a higher potion form of rubbing alcohol... and also sells a generic form of Lamisil that is a lot less expensive! Both worked great together! At first, none of the top brand topical creams worked for me whatsoever (except for only a little bit of change).

At first the rubbing alcohol stings for a minute or so... but after a few days... it's negligible! I now put on the rubbing alcohol (as a preventative) after daily showers... and a tiny amount of the Lamisil cream. I put the rubbing alcohol in a small medicine (vitamin) plastic container; I use only a new piece of tissue square each time I place it against the mouth of the container to soak it. Works great!!!! Goodby nasty itchy fungus among us!!!!!!!!! :)

Rubbing Alcohol

Posted by Alex (Los Angeles, Ca) on 05/08/2013
★★★★★

I had Jock Itch for years. It was horrible. I had tried many of the over the counter jock itch treatments, but they did not work. At times, I wondered whether they actually made the problem worse. Because topical treatments failed to work, my doctor recommended an oral medication, but I was a bit reluctant to take it (having read about potential side effects). I had decided that I would try some of the remedies on this website before taking an oral medication.

At first, I tried Oil of Oreganol. I applied it to the area. It was very painful! For about an hour after applying it, I was in quite a large amount of pain. It was manageable, but definitely quite painful. Nonetheless, it did seem to work. The Jock Itch was subsiding. After using Oil of Oreganol for about a month, the Jock Itch had cleared up by roughly 67%. However, it was not fully gone and I wasn't sure whether the Oil of Oreganol would completely get rid of it.

I noticed that rubbing alcohol had the highest number of successful posts on this website. I also read Gene Keyes story, described above. Therefore, I decided to give it a try. I felt a brief, sharp pain when I applied the rubbing alcohol, but the pain subsided in less than a minute. It was much better than being in pain for an hour with Oil of Oreganol. Furthermore, the rubbing alcohol cleared up the Jock Itch. Within just a few days, the Jock Itch completely cleared up.

It has been gone for two months now.

As described in Gene Keyes' post, daily application of rubbing alcohol (after I shower) does seem to be necessary to keep the Jock Itch away. I run a lot and the Jock Itch seems to come back (a little bit) if I have been sweating during a run or if it is a particularly hot day. But after showering and applying the rubbing alcohol, the Jock Itch quickly retreats again. Thus, rubbing alcohol does seem to be a foolproof preventer of Jock Itch, but not a complete cure, as described in Gene Keyes article (linked above).

But I do not care! Having struggled with Jock Itch for years, I have finally gotten rid of it. It was an embarassing, discomforting situation. It caused me a lot of emotional frustration, as I am sure anyone who has suffered from this condition can understand. But daily application of rubbing alcohol keeps the Jock Itch away. I feel so happy to finally be rid of this skin condition. And even if it does require daily application of rubbing alcohol to keep it away, I couldn't care less. I am so happy that rubbing alcohol works.

To those of you who are out there struggling with this condition, I encourage you to try rubbing alcohol to see whether it works. I am still amazed that rubbing alcohol -- an item sold in the pharmacy just a few feet from the conventional Jock Itch / Athlete's Foot ointments that have failed so many people -- is effective at getting rid of Jock Itch. Equally surprising is that few people are even aware that Rubbing Alcohol can be effective at eliminating Jock Itch (i. E. , there's no mention of rubbing alcohol as a treatment for Jock Itch on the Mayo Clinic website.)

In any case, rubbing alcohol worked for me. I am thrilled to finally be rid of this embarrassing skin condition! I hope that my story helps others deal with this condition.

Rubbing Alcohol

Posted by Terry (Florida) on 08/06/2018

Hey man, I read your post and you said your jock itch isn't completely cured w the alcohol. Here's the thing, fungus stays on your underwear and clothing bleach won't irradicate it completely. I recommend that you let any clothing that has or could be exposed to your jock itch to be sanitized in this manner:

First use boiling hot water then add a cap of lysol laundry disinfectant to the washing machine. Let it soak (after) its run through the wash cycle for 15 minutes. After 15 to 20 minutes turn your machine back on. When the machine goes through the final rinse cycle use the lysol again in the final rinse, like the lysol instructions say. The heat itself may kill the fungus but it seems the added lysol has prevented flare ups from exposure to contaminated underwear and clothing for me.

91% alcohol will then be enough to completely kill off your genital fungus. Thing is we reinfect ourselves with towels, underwear, even paints that have come into contact with your fungus groin. If in doubt poor a little extra 91% on your groin to wear your clothing that's going to come in contact with you soaks up the excess. Again I've found that clothing and towels will reinfect you very easily. Fungus is hard to kill off for this reason.

Rubbing Alcohol

Posted by Flower's Mom (Pueblo Of Acoma, Nm) on 08/09/2018

After washing sheets, towels, underwear, etc. I always hang them outside and let the sun dry them. The sun will kill will kill any remaining fungus and/or germs, that remain after washing. It is wonderful how Mother Nature has provided us with this resource. Best of healing and health to you. Flower's Mom

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Ning (Springfield, Missouri) on 01/01/2013
★★★★★

My husband had jock itch not very long ago and it looked real bad, it was very red and burning he said, he tried all the cream for jock itch, but anyway, I research here on earthclinic and I read Apple Cider Vinegar so I told my husband to give it a try, so after he shower he used about one half cup Apple Cider Vinegar and alum power ( 3x a day)and u know what after 2 days of treatment before he knew it was completely gone, Apple Cider Vinegar do wonders.. He is jock itch free for 2 days now. thanks again earthclinic...

Deodorant

Posted by Brian (Northampton, Ma) on 08/24/2011
★★★★★

I finally found something that keeps jock itch at bay. Preventing it seems to work better than any "cure" ever did. I just spray on Arrid Extra Extra Dry anti-perspirant every day or every other day and it stays away.

Probiotics

Posted by Jim (Santa Rosa, CA) on 02/24/2022
★★★★★

Athlete's foot fungus can become much more than an itch on your little toe as I've learned. It started that way for me but over the years migrated elsewhere on my body so that it manifested itself anywhere my skin touched skin - toes, crotch, underarms, inside my elbows... Initially, the fungus was just on my feet. I sort of managed it by using anti-fungal ointments. After about eight years of sort of dealing with this problem, the fungus migrated elsewhere so I began an intensive effort to get rid of this scourge.

I even tried the prescription anti-fungal treatment that is taken internally and requires blood test monitoring to ensure no harm to your liver. There were so many spores around the house that I was immediately re-infested after the treatment finished. Washing clothes with very hot water or just throwing them away after a single use weren't enough.

I had the thought of trying probiotics after using a heavy chlorinated whirlpool bath to kill the fungus was counterproductive as this permitted the fungus to go everywhere. This indicated I had killed my natural defenses.

Natural, bacterial defenses are the solution. I applied a top grade, multi-bacteria probiotic to the infested areas and it worked!! No pain, just dead fungus. These probiotics are anaerobic as they normally live in a person's gut. So, they don't have a long life and must be reapplied daily or whenever you feel a little itch. After more research I found the probiotic that attacks the fungus: lactobacillus rhamnosus. This is available online for a very reasonable price. Mix the contents of one gelcap with about one teaspoon of water and apply to infested area.

DMSO

Posted by Joel (Pa) on 10/24/2018 17 posts
★★★★★

DMSO diluted 1:3 or so in water cured my terrible jock itch. I tried every remedy on Earthclinic but only DMSO cured it. With just one or two applications it was gone. No burn or pain either. Not sure why nobody else knows about this. I actually put some magnesium chloride in my mixture but pretty sure that was not the reason it worked.

Just soak your area in the dmso water, rub it in real well... leave it on like that at least 5 minutes before rinsing off.

Baking Soda

Posted by Paracelsus (Orlando, Fl) on 07/04/2018 46 posts
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Baking soda for jock itch and all fungal infections:

I have had jock itch on various occasions and have been able to easily and quickly resolve the fungal infection with sodium bicarbonate aka baking soda. I either pour a mixture of water and baking soda on the affected area or paste some powder directly on the area. In order to prevent a recurrence I eat yoghurt or supplement with probiotics. I also would drink some baking soda and/or acv.

Baking soda is a very powerful antifungal and can take care of all fungus including athletes foot and yeast infections. It is also used to fight fungus associated with cancer. Dr. Simoncini from Italy cured many cancers with just sodium bicarbonate.

Since many people suffer from fungal infection after being treated with antibiotics, it is important to regrow the beneficial bacteria in your gut with probiotics.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Dan-o (Santa Rosa, Ca) on 01/14/2018
★★★★★

After 12 years of ineffectively dealing with athlete's foot fungus, it migrated to my crotch and so I made a full commitment to getting rid of it. It took two more years after trying many cures including ones on this excellent blog and also prescribed Lamisil taken internally.

The high points of my cure are:

- soak in a whirlpool bath that has a regulated anti-fungal solution (chlorine level monitored and maintained) for at least 10 minutes every day until the fungus is killed. If you have had the fungus for as long as I did, it is deeply embedded in your skin so it takes the chlorine a while to be absorbed adequately. You will feel the areas that are infested as they will itch while you are soaking. When the itching stops, the fungus has been killed. Repeat this treatment until the fungus is completely gone. It took around three months for me as it was deeply embedded. Chlorine has the benefit that it can actually kill the fungus and it's spores. Swimming in chlorinated pool suppressed my fungus, but wasn't concentrated enough to kill it off. Most other treatments cause the spores to go into a defensive mode that is very durable and will re-emerge.

- increase the acidity of the infested areas by applying a citric acid solution. Use a strength level of 1 teaspoon per cup of water. This acid is what is used for food products, can be ingested, is very effective and doesn't burn nearly as much as other options. This will keep spores from re-producing between whirlpool treatments. There are spores everywhere in your home if you've been infested for a while.

- wash your socks and underwear in very hot water for an extended cycle. Normal hot water washing didn't kill the spores of the fungus I had.

- toss shoes that are infested. If you have a really nice pair of shoes you'd like to salvage, you can lightly soak your socks and wear them in the infested shoes for a day. If this doesn't work, toss.

- clean your bathroom floors/shower/tub with a bleach solution to kill spores. This won't get them all as some will remain in bedroom carpets, etc. but this will get rid of most of them.

Dietary Changes

Posted by Jj (Rhode Island) on 03/18/2017
★★★★★

I tried rubbing alcohol and it worked -- eliminated jock itch that I had been experiencing for years. However, I still had to apply it regularly, once a day or once every two days, to keep it gone.

That said, for other, unrelated reasons, I switched to a whole foods plant based diet. After making this switch, the jock itch went away completely. It leads me to believe that either (1) something I was eating (eggs, dairy, etc.) was causing it or (2) something I was not eating but now eat on a regular basis (legumes, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts) has prevented the jock itch from returning. I recommend this strongly for anyone who has been struggling with jock itch.

KEFIR GRAINS

Posted by Carlos (Barcelona) on 07/14/2015
★★★★★

Hello

I read that kefir would get rid of Jock itch. I was given lamisil topical and oral by my doctor last summer and it went away but this summer it returned.

I have tried some remedies from here like ACV with didnt work for me, teatre oil seemed to work but made it worst.The best thing I used was vaseline, but still the next day I could feel th yeasty cheesy smell that Ive grown to hate.

So Ive been keeping it under control with vaseline.

I started drinking homemade kefir and I saw other health benefits but no benefit on my jock itch. I applied the kefir milk to my jock itch too, and I got relieve but the smell was back the next day.

2 days ago I saw my kefir grains were growing too much so I thought, why not use th kefir grains straight on my jock itch?

So I took a shower and washd the area with first hot water, then cold water for long time sinc I heard its good to apply cold.I dont use any soap sinc it has always agravate my problem.Then I dried the area with a towell I grabbed about 1 or 2 tbsps of kefir grains and I rubbed it on all the area for about 5 min .

Try to filter the grains befor so they dont have much milk, remember milk is food for all fungus yeast and it turns to glucose so milk is not the best thing to apply.

Be careful cause it can be very messy, grains will fall to the floor your feet etc.

It was just amazing, at the same tim I was rubbing the grains over my skin, the red patches were turning brown, it was killing the fungus in front my eyes and it felt so refreshing.

I didnt rinse. Latr while laying in bed I felt some stinging I thought oh no this is not working but I think it was the fungus dying.

Long story short, 2 days later I feel no disconfort AT ALL. Theres no redness only dark pigmentation that will go overtime, no swelling.And the best indicator.Its been 2 days I dont take a shower Ive sweat a lot and its summer but I dont have that cheesy yasty smell anymore.You may think Im nasty but I just wanted to fully test the kefir grains effect with only one use.

Im in disbilief caus lamisil took the pain away and rash but the cheesy smell was always there and thats how I knew it would com back eventually.

The reason behind this working is:

one kefir grains are tooo acidic, much more than the milk that you drink from the grains yt it doesnt irritate the skin like alcohol vinegar lemon etc

two.Kefir brains also contain billions of benefitial bateria yeast and fungus that when applied to your skin compete with the candida responsible for jock itch to survive, killing it in the process.

So this is my recipe, wash throuly with warm and then cold water.Dry the area with a towell and or hair drier.Rub the kefir grains for as long as you can in every area, let it air dry for a few minutes and gt dressed as usual.

Reducing sugar bread intake and drinking raw kefir is aditional help.Also dont use soap in that area sinc soaps remove your skin natural protection.

Please try this, I know how dificult it is to deal with this condition specially psycologically.

Google about kefir, learn how simple it is to make it at home.Find someone near to give you grains or buy them online cheap. You wont be disapointed.I us Milk kefir grains, I ve never had water kefir grains.

Ill keep reporting

Dietary Changes

Posted by Joyce (Lansdowne, Pa) on 09/19/2014

I was diagnosed with diabetes II in May 2014. My doctor wanted me to start taking Metformin. I told her I prefer to reverse it with diet and exercise. She was quite skeptical and told me that eventually I would have to take it. I went on a low carb diet with mild exercise that was just walking up two flights of stairs in my home twice a day for 10 to 15 minutes. I was not monitoring my blood sugar. I went back to the doctor early this month (September). My blood sugar was down 8 points and I lost 20 pounds. She was quite shocked and pleased. She asked me what I was doing and I told her. She said continue what you are doing, you don't need the Metformin. Sometimes you have to take control of your health and not wholly depend on healthcare professionals.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Baenasaru (New York, New York) on 10/28/2016
★★★★★

I tried white vinegar and 91% alcohol. It worked. The itching stopped within a few hours. What a relief. I was going crazy. I had the problem for 7 month. Thanks, EarthClinic.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by PayItForward (PNW) on 07/09/2024 60 posts
★★★★★

Yes - We too like the combo of rubbing alcohol (70 or 90%) and ACV (w/ the mother). We mix it in a little glass jar and apply it undiluted with those small round disposable makeup remover pads that come in a tube and can usually get these at a dollar store. An old glass spice bottles work great for your solution. Apply it 4x daily or every 4 hrs and the results are remarkable. We leave it on a few minutes then blot dry well using paper towels and discard. Using a reusable cloth towel isn't the best idea as we don't want anything transferring elsewhere. By the end of the week (max), all is well.

Swimming in a Chlorinated Pool

Posted by Goodtimecharlie (Miami, Fl) on 08/06/2009

Could you kindly let us know where you went for your treatment? So we can stay away from that pool!

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by JenCO (Birmingham, UK) on 05/18/2009
★★★★★

My husband used 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide (35 per cent food grade hydrogen peroxide diluted 1:10 with filtered water) sprayed onto his groin area, then left to dry, morning and evening. The spray did not sting in any way. The jock itch soon went away, and has never come back. This is an effective and cheap remedy.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by J.e.pettitt (Red Deer Ab Canada) on 07/03/2017
★★★★★

Hydrogen Peroxide is Cheap and Effective for Jock Itch

Bottom Line on several suggested treatments? -each to their own!

I myself discovered Hydrogen Peroxide somewhat by accident and am most pleased with it. I merely wet my palms and apply to either side of the groin--no diluting necessary (for me). Gold Bond? Only tried it once with no satisfaction. I also use alcohol pads (meant for diabetics) as they're very handy and simple, but only as a temporal measure. A worthy observation too-- don't sleep under too many blankets so as to sweat overnight and thereby cause the problem. I personally find an H.P. 'splash' only necessary when moistness and itching is evident. But again, each to their own.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Thomas (Homewood, Il / usa) on 02/17/2009
★★★★★

I've had 'jock itch' now for around 20 years. It comes and goes and is always worse in the summer. I've tried all the creams and sprays and all they do is suppress it and control it. I ordered some food grade H202 on line, 35% and just dabbed it on with a cotton ball and it immediately turned white and started to burn, I let it burn for about 20 seconds then jumped in the shower and rinsed it off. I did this again at night.The next day I diluted it by half and applied it again for as long as I could stand it, no longer then a minute. As I did this I noticed that the fungus was spread around a larger area then I ever imagined. I had small areas that went from my inner leg all the way up above my pubic hair. Anyway after about 10 days the insidious fungus was eradicated and hasn't come back! Thank you Earth Clinic. I am now huffing H202 a few times a day and I gargle with it twice a day and notice my teeth are getting whiter and cleaner. Who knew?

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Jim (Frankfort, IL) on 05/01/2009

Please be careful! 35% hydrogen peroxide can be VERY DANGEROUS and can cause severe burns. A man on this site writing about using it for jock itch and for oral care did not mention DILUTING the hydrogen peroxide. I believe it is crucial to dilute it properly.

Rubbing Alcohol

Posted by Greg (Dallas, TX) on 02/27/2015
★★★★★

I want to thank everyone on this thread, because I had given up on over the counter remedies ( I. E. Lotramin) that did not work. When I read the comments here and tried rubbing alcohol on my jock itch, it disappeared almost immediately. I still am applying the alcohol as a safe guard, but my skin looks perfect now and I have no more itching and red bumps. Thanks again!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 05/23/2023
★★★★★

Apple Cider Vinegar Bath for Jock Itch/Balantis Fungal/Bacterial infection of the skin. Add 2 cups of organic apple cider vinegar w/mother to the bathtub, take a 20-30 minute warm or hot bath. Pat dry when exiting tub. Do NOT shower or rinse off for 8 hours. Do this bath for 10 days.

Note: Throughout history, the antiseptic nature of vinegar has been used to clean and disinfect soldiers wounds and thus speed up wound healing. Apple cider vinegar was used to this effect during the Roman Legions, American civil war and as late as world war one. Also mix Tea tree oil and Coconut oil 1:1 ratio and use this as a topical rub to your man junk area. Do this every day til symptoms clear.

Lemongrass Oil

Posted by Joel R. (Philadelphia, Pa) on 03/25/2018 17 posts
★★★★★

Jock Itch:

What worked for me was lemongrass essential oil diluted into a carrier oil (best is squalane but maybe any will work). How dilute to make it depends on how sensitive your skin is, which partly depends on how bad the fungus is. At first, make it pretty dilute, like maybe only 20% lemongrass oil. As your fungus goes away you will be able to increase to 60% or even 70% lemongrass oil.

Apply it 4 times daily or more. If it burns like hell then dilute it more. It should burn just a little bit if your fungus is bad.

Borax

Posted by Joel R (Pa) on 01/22/2018 17 posts

Hi Becky, I don't get notified of comments/replies so just randomly saw this because I wanted to add to my original testimonial by saying that I do think the jock itch is an internal and external problem.

The borax works externally for a while, but then the itch comes back after some hours. I found that if I fasted, eating only a bit of spirulina and glutamine, the itch would not come back. There is an antifungal diet (rather, multiple antifungal diets) which I may try (basically no carbs + some some other ideas), tho I need to do a longer fast anyway for some other issues.

Still, borax is the best that I've found. I have also tried alcohol now, and it doesn't work as well as borax--maybe on par with vinegar.

Now, you asked how I apply the borax. I dissolve it in hot water and then smear the water on. Then I rub some fine borax powder (i ground it up) onto that wet area as well.

The main thing is at night, while sleeping, I sweat a lot. So I keep the borax powder by the bed and apply it at that point, and it absorbs into the sweat.

If you are dealing with a vaginal yeast infection, just insert a full 0 or 00 size capsule with borax powder.