Natural Remedies for Nail Fungus: Home Treatments

Eliminating Sugar

Posted by Michigan_gal (Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA) on 09/23/2012
★★★★★

Thank you Ted, Earthclinic and all of the people who sat down and took the time to share your stories. I'd like to share so that I can help someone too.

I'm a 41 year old white female. I stay active and I'm a healthy ideal weight (5Ft - 108lbs) Approx. 65% of my diet is organic foods and I do my best to avoid processed foods. I don't drink soda or consume artificial sweeteners. I avoid foods that contain High Fructose Corn syrup and Hydrogenated oils. However, I have come to discover my healthy diet wasn't as healthy as I thought.

For the last 3 years I have had recurring scabs near the back/crown of my head, sometimes infected. Like a bad habit, I've picked them for years not knowing what they were exactly. This summer's heat triggered the worst ever of my smelly scalp problem which would subside and get bad again. I wash my hair every morning but in the past few months I would notice my head got stinky before lunchtime. I would be sitting in my chair at work and could smell my own head just sitting there. It's smelled like a dirty cheesy rotten sock. If I rubbed my fingers on my scalp they smelled bad. I just started dating this summer and would rush home to wash my hair before going out on dates. I began researching and discovered other people with the same exact story as me. I was shocked and saddened to read it was a fungus and how it was so hard to get rid of. I'm against taking oral drugs as I've read they hurt your liver and never seem to work anyway. I found EarthClinic and I fully believe in natural remedies and that food is medicine.

I've tried many different topical scalp approaches listed on EarthClinic. They made my hair look great and lessened the smell a bit but never cured it. I read a few posts where people said they were cured from cutting sugar completely out of their diet. I wasn't ready to go that extreme and kept trying various topical treatments. As months passed and my dating relationship failed due to my avoidance of my partner, I knew I had to do the extreme and starve the fungus from the inside out.

I have cut out sugar completely. No sugar/honey, no ketchup, or mustard, (nothing with vinegar in it) no salad dressings, no flour, no white potatoes, no wheat, no fruit, no dairy, *although I do allow myself 2 tablespoons of cream in my coffee with stevia extract powder. My diet consists mostly of fish, chicken, eggs, beans of all kinds, tahini, spinach, zucchini, veggies, olive oil, seasonings, lots of quinoa.. For dessert I mix almond butter cocoa powder coconut oil together, it's delicious. I bought Ted's Alkaline ebook and in the morning and evening I drink the formula of lemon juice, water and baking soda. I also take probiotics in pill form since I can't eat yogurt right now.

I have been washing my hair for 2 months using a mild non SLS tea tree botanical shampoo and conditioner found in a local health food grocery store.

At night, I apply a mixture of lemon juice and a drop of pure tea tree oil to my scalp using a cotton swab or sometimes I drizzle it on. A few days a week I do a borax rinse in the shower. I go about shaving and let it sit for a few minutes then rinse it out. These seem to be working along with my new diet.

NO SUGAR- Day 1 - the worst that happened was I had a mild headache all day. I was a bit emotional but not irritable.

Day 3 of No Sugar - my head did NOT smell by lunch time! It did have a faint odor in the evening but only because I was rubbing my scalp to see if any smell rubbed off. It has been easier than I thought possible to do this diet and I feel very good so far. I am amazed and finding it hard to believe my head doesn't stink! This is a first.

Day 5 - I felt kind of weak and had foot cramps that woke me. Overall, doing very well and not craving sugar at all. My tongue is actually pink, not the regular whitish. Oh and I've lost 4lbs so far but I'm never hungry because I eat as much as I want.

Day 7 - It's gone, the smell is gone. I am in the practice of washing my scalp morning and night to keep it clean and so the fungus have nothing to feed on.

Day 14 - which is today the day I'm writing this. I am certain No Sugar is the CURE for scalp fungus. I plan on staying on this diet for a full 21 days. I'm a little nervous about going off it. I dont want to scoop sugar in my coffee anymore and I don't plan on it. I feel like all those foods I gave up are just useless filler foods with no nutrients. It doesn't mean I don't want those delicious cupcakes or chocolate chip cookies I smell baking in the store but I'm certainly not going back to my old ways of eating. I feel brand new now. This is a wonderful thing.

P.S. I think because my diet was pretty healthy to begin with that I didn't suffer from a lot of the sugar withdrawal symptoms people encounter.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Mary (Thedford, Ne, Usa) on 07/10/2012

As a science teacher, I would STRONGLY urge you to avoid using any concentrations of Hydrgen Peroxide higher than 20%. At 30% concentrations, skin can be severely burned. Even something as common as hydrogen peroxide can be very dangerous if not used properly.

Borax, Clove Oil

Posted by Elly (Topeka, Kansas) on 06/14/2011
★★★★★

Hi folks, clove oil and borax have helped me conisderably with my stubborn foot fungus and eczema. I ingested it and also used it on the foot. I used one drop of clove and a pinch of borax in water to drink and I added one drop of clove and a pinch of the borax to some olive oil and rubbed in on my feet. After a few days of this they feel 100% better so far. Im cutting my sugar down to help this as well. One side effect I noticed is increased libido lol.

Ted's Remedies

Posted by David (Denver, Co) on 03/07/2011
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Yea for Ted's Remedy -

Thanks Ted, I have dealt with toe nail fungus for about 6 years. I actually took the pills (which have gone generic in the last 2 or so years, dropping the price considerably) but noticed a huge effect on my health while doing so. It was sucessful in curing 4 of 5 affected nails, it took about a year and a half to see the results. One toe nail in particular looked suspcious so was applying ACV to it, along with an over the counter fungus remover. It was masked but never really cured, it was on a smaller toe so it wasn't very noticable and I ignored it for a while. This winter I vowed to have another go at curing it and came upon this site.

Ted's recommendation worked wonders for me. I filed down the nail as much as possible, I thought I went to far as I started to feel a bit of irritation and some very slow bleeding but proceeded anyway. I put ACV, H2O2, and a small amount of listerine (another site's recommendation) in a bucket to soak the affected foot. After I would follow up with the bleach/water solution. In the morning I would coat the foot with the Tree/Lavender oil (mixed with vasoline) and at night after the soak I would use Lamisl and I would re-coat with the Tree/Lavender before bed. After 3 days I saw that the nail had hardened under where I had previously filed. The portion under the nail, that I though was the nail bed was really just infected nail that was soft and looked and acted like nail bed (and actually bled), it was really a surprise and now I know where the reinfection was coming from. I re-filed the area again (no bleeding or irritation this time) and saw a huge improvement in the general area and nail, along with dead skin sloughing off of my foot. I have been at it for 2 weeks with exellent results and the new toe nail coming in looks great. I believe that with diligence and this method I will end this stupid thing that has inconvienced my summers for too long. I wanted to leave my feedback and say thanks my foot health in general is so much better. I wanted to comment that a lot of dead skin on the foot may be the same fungus as what can work its way under the nail, I have had a similar dissapearance of that dead skin on my foot while taking the pills and now while doing this soaking method.

I also wanted to leave feedback to some of the other users of this method. I believe that some other people that have different symptoms (i.e. Not just nail fungus) and should look at different methods as this can be pretty agressive on the skin. For instance, start with the recommended soaking times and if it irritates the condition, stop using. I have upped my soaking times in the past week to a few hours (for the ACV/H202) when available with no adverse effects on my feet.

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.

Colloidal Silver

Posted by Healthnut (Palm Springs, Ca) on 11/13/2010
★★★★☆

I've tried everything - and I mean everything! - to get rid of the nasty toenail fungus on my big toe. Finally, one day, I decided to spray my toes with colloidal silver. In a few days, the big black streak of fungus started disappearing. I know it's going to take up to a year for my toenail to grow out but, already, I'm about half-way there! I spray my toes twice a day, morning and night.

Iodine

Posted by Ddm (Tampa, Fl) on 09/28/2010

Yep. Regular & decolorized iodine stopped right big toe nail fungus, almost completely grown out nail now. Just keep trimming off as growing out.

Listerine

Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn) on 08/27/2016

HI U KAREN,,,,,,,,,,, listerine is a weak sister compared to Dr Tichenor's liniment that he developed in the War Between the States. He treated all wounds with this. It is made in New Orleans and few stores carry it, so I now buy mine via the internet. It is too strong to be used directly and must be diluted. Here is the URL.

https://www.drtichenor.com

It will cure all the things you are addressing.

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

Apple Cider Vinegar, Copper Sulfate

Posted by Liz (Stuttgart, Germany) on 07/06/2008
★★★★★

i mix 40 ml of cider vinegar with 20 grams of copper sulphate into a one liter spray bottle..top with water and it makes the most effective wound spray i have ever used (been using on it on my horses for over 20 years) .. it works equally as well on skin conditions .. copper sulphate prevents proud flesh and kills all skin fungus.

EC: Copper Sulphate is used for its blue coloring in fireworks and paints.

List of sources:
Local plant supply shops
Ebay
Science Supply Shops

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Jesse (Granite City, IL) on 09/04/2007
★★★★★

After reading many of the suggestions available on this and other sites I added some of my own thoughts to the process and formulated my own treatment method.

The major problem with toenail fungus is that once you get it it is hard to get at it because the nail itself protects the fungus. So I took a dremel tool with a fine grit sandpaper bit and ground the toenail completely away. This is relatively painless as long as you do not hold the sandpaper in one spot for too long as it will generate heat and burn you (not severely but painfully).

After sanding away the entire toenail surface the nailbed is almost completely exposed. Since then I have been treating it with peroxide and after about 5 treatments (just once or twice a day) the peroxide no longer bubbles when applied indicating that the infection is gone. I have let it grow out a little and ground it down again a couple of times for good measure but when the nail grows out it looks healthy and normal. I will have to see what happens when the nail is completely replaced but so far it is working! Just be careful and use your head when you sand off the nail so you don't hurt yourself.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Carol (Independence, Missouri) on 01/06/2013
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

I agree with Richard. I was grinding my toenails down with a sanding drum on my Flexshaft several years ago, which caused the fungus to spread to more toenails and fingernails, but the really scary part was that I got the fungus in my lungs from breathing that dust. I was hospitalized for two weeks and could have died from the lung fungus. My doctor told me it was dangerous to even file the thickened nail down because that also causes the fungus to become airborn. The only thing you should use are nail clippers. He told me to dip the clippers in a 50/50 solution of bleach and water after clipping each nail to prevent the spread of the fungus. If the nails become painful because they are pinching in at the side, soak them in warm water with ACV or TTO twice a day to soften them. You can also cut out a notch at the curve to relieve the pressure. The nail surface will absorb any remedy you use, so there's really no need to file or grind them down.

Lemongrass Essential Oil

Posted by Melissa (Staten Island, New York) on 04/25/2007
★★★★★

Lemongrass Oil. Wow...Turned Black overnight. However, I am curious, do you keep applying 2x daily and just wait for it to grow out? I'm so happy that it looks like it's dying. It does mean it's dying when it turns black right? I've also adjusted my diet and included flaxseed-Oil and Evening Primose caplets and have been drinking 2 oz Unsweetned (not Sugar free but Knudsens sugar free) Cranberry juice diluted with water. 64 oz a day. I will take your advice Ted and begin to cleanse my bloodstream with the baking soda, Citric Acid and water mix. Just need this to be at least half way gone for Sandal season.

Application Hints

Posted by DeeDee (Sydney, Australia) on 02/03/2007
★★★★★

Just a hint for all the medications you try. I found it best to appy after showers, soaking etc. But also needed to use on perfectly dry nails like at bedtime. You can see the liquid being pulled in by the dry tissue. Cures work much quicker.

Mouthwash

Posted by Alice (Sierra Vista, AZ) on 12/07/2006
★★★★★

I have used vinegar and monostat plus a wide range of expensive over the counter "cures" for toenail fungus. I'm thinking of using the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Most of these things "sort of worked" but only mildly and slowly. I'd get a patch of clear nail at the base, and a lessening of the under-nail build up, only to have the fungus rush in and take over the whole nail again if I missed any treatments. I used Listerine-type mouthwash only by accident, because both big toes and one smaller toe became infected and I was too poor to visit the doctor. I was only hoping to control the infection long enough to be able to get medical help. Imagine my amazement when I found not only the infection cured in just a day or so, but also the fungus problem both in the nail and beneath the nail make dramatic improvements. I am angry because the medical establishment should be aware of this and other cures which are readily available to the public at a cost which almost every person in this nation CAN afford. I am angry because I would not have had the nail fungus get to the point it has, except due to the medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry, I have been deliberately led to believe nail fungus was almost impossible to cure, and therefore any "home remedies" would have next to no effect in curing fungus, so I did not even try try until I accidentally got monostat on a "mole" and saw it instantly begin to "cure" the mole. I reasoned it might also help fungus. It did help, but nothing like the dramatic effect I've had with the mouthwash. Because of the misleading by our medical and pharmaceutical industry, I thought the progress I saw was the best I could hope for. The medical and pharmaceutical industry expect and demand to be paid immense amounts of money, so they can live like kings. To do this they apparently are either willing to lie or at best incredibly negligent, at a huge cost to the rest of us, in life and in health, as well as in money. My mother died with feet so badly infected with fungus and the subsequent infection, it was horrible. Had she known she could have cured the fungus problem with something as cheap and simple as mouthwash, she might be alive today. I know she believed toenail fungus to be extremely difficult or impossible to cure. It would have been nice to cure mine before my big toenail was totally destroyed. I'm hoping it will come back, but at least I have a real CURE. Plus I bet the other cures given here will also work. Meanwhile doctors collect vast sums of money to give people pills which destroy livers and cost a fortune. When they could simply advise them to use mouthwash! Isn't that what quacks are supposed to be guilty of?

Cedarwood Oil, Goat Milk

Posted by Darlenr (Cleveland OH) on 09/10/2025
★★★★★

After years of unsuccessful faithful daily application of commercial fungus products and a podiatrist's “solution” of cutting his toenail out, a goat milk cream with Cedarwood essential oil was tried. The goat mama who makes it said it was necessary to have those two in combination—GOAT MILK & good quality therapeutic (not just aromatic for the “perfume”) CEDARWOOD essential oil. We were amazed!!! In only one week of daily application, the fungus was finally gone and his nail looked normal, healthy and beautiful!

Application Hints

Posted by Alex (Thessaloniki) on 12/19/2023
★★★★★

For better results and penetration of every active ingredient you use, a Scholl product suggests filing the infected nail first. Their plan is to file the nail once per week (with a new or disinfected file) but apply the active ingredient every day. Repeat this for four weeks. Then in the second stage of protection just aply once per week until the new nail is developed and no discoloration exists.

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.

10-Undecylenic Acid

Posted by E. (Bklyn, NY) on 01/24/2019
★★★★☆

Hi, How can I find out more about using the undecyclinic acid on empty stomach for toe nail fungus?? Thank you.

10-Undecylenic Acid

Posted by Alicia (USA) on 02/15/2019

Hi Laura. How much please? Thx!

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 :)

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======

Baking Soda

Posted by Deborah (Michigan) on 08/10/2017
★★★★★

I have suffered from toenail fungus on a toe that got injured, years back, and I have erratically tried the medication from the drugstore, and a doctor prescribed some for me that can damage your liver, et cetera. I will not take anything like that that hurts my liver, so I had to find alternative ways to do it. For a while I soaked my feet in warm water and dish soap to soften the nails and then I purchased one of the battery operated nail files and filed the diseased nail down. Eventually I got rid of most of the unsightly nail, and change my socks twice a day. It was amazing how much the filing took care of it, and then air was able to get it the rest of the nail bed and the healthier nails. I have noticed that is a little tiny bit in the one corner that I don't want to encourage to go on so I purchased a heavy duty nail file and keep it filed down, and now I put a paste of baking soda on it and let it sit on it. It looks better! So I'm pretty excited about that. I'm thinking I'll also try the apple cider vinegar. Thank you for your great article I've been looking for this help for a long time. It's encouraging to know I'm not alone in this.