Natural Remedies to Treat Athlete's Foot Effectively

Borax and Hydrogen Peroxide Remedy for Athlete's Feet:

after moving to a humid climate I suffered with itching feet in the summer. I tried many natural remedies without much luck. After wading in a big lake one day my foot fungus got 10 times worse, and I had white protrusions on my feet which wouldn't come off, and it was red in a moccasin-type pattern. In desperation I searched the web and found a remedy that worked very well. This is what you'll need: 1) a small glass or plastic bottle with cap (I used a 4 oz plastic bottle with cap) 2) drugstore hydrogen peroxide 3) borax (such as Mule Team) 4) cotton balls or cosmetic pads Mix equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and water in your plastic bottle, leaving about a half inch at top.

Add a tablespoon of borax to the hydrogen peroxide mix. (I used 1 tablespoon to 4 oz mixture). Allow the borax to fully dissolve. When some of the borax sinks to the bottom of the bottle, it's okay to use, and in fact, the borax will *not* fully dissolve. Saturate a cotton pad or ball with the solution and wipe your feet with it. It will not sting, and the sensation will be pleasant. The solution dries quickly.

Do this twice a day at least. After doing this for just a few days, my feet began to clear up. Now only a couple of weeks later, my feet are like new. I keep up with the solution daily, however, as I like to walk barefoot at home and there's no way to get rid of all bacteria and fungus from surfaces on which you walk. So, the best solution is this solution!

You can also sprinkle plain borax in your tennis shoes.

Re: Athlete's Foot(AF):

I used a whole tube of OTC AF'S medicine. Minimal results. I have persistent and reoccurring AF between toes and on the bottom of my feet. I used ACV and it eliminated the AF until next time. The key is to use it and saturate the area over and over again until you feel relief. I do this in one sitting and than again the next day. It works better than anything else! Keep on it! Don't waste money on OTC stuff.

My athlete's foot was eczema!

I suffered for 2 years with chronic "athlete's foot" using Rx antifungals prescribed by my doc when all natural remedies failed. Last 2 months were so painful, just standing or walking made my feet crack and bleed. I was confined to recliner, walking on toes only to use bathroom and get food from kitchen. I cried in pain and frustration, thinking this was my world now - a recliner.

Finally got referral to a PA in dermatology. She took SKIN SCRAPING to lab. Test results 10 days later: NO FUNGUS! I have dyshidrotic ezcema!

The cure? Aloe Vera juice applied to feet, followed by Eucerin cream. Basically, giving feet TLC by moisturizing with hyperallergenic creams. Vasoline would probably work, too. Two weeks later, I returned to DANCING! Sort of, lol, but I am ambulatory again! Another week or so and I should be completely healed!

People with chronic skin conditions, INSIST on lab testing a skin scraping to rule out fungus! Two stinking years of my life spent on every remedy and treatment for nothing. Grrr.

I hope this helps somebody!

Your regimen is intense!

Way to go for stinky toes and yukky peeling toenails, and what I used to call Elephant heels.... and itchy as! Man there is no pain like an infected foot from gak that comes from ATHLETES FOOT.

Owchy!

But by chance I began using virgin pressed coconut oil, (it melts at room temperature) as I am allergic to cortisoids and the tinea stuff failed to work.

But this coconut worked a treat on my feet. After 35 years of this irritation on my feet, it is gone and the nails are growing back.

Splendid stuff I say, do try it!

I've used full strength, undiluted ACV on my chronic athletes foot. After trying every over the counter pharmacuetical antifungal cream, I finally did some research and decided to try the ACV. I applied it just with my finger twice a day for one week. I noticed a significant difference after only one day. By the 3rd day my long standing chronic athletes foot was almost completely gone. I was shocked at how quickly it worked. I continued applying for one week and I haven't had a reoccurance in over a year.

I too have had this Problem for about 2 months.

Before I tried the A.C.V my foot was scaly and the fisrt layer of skin was completely off from the toes to the middle of the bottom foot it also got really swelled up I could not walk very painful. I was trying all the O.T.C medicine but it did not work my foot was completly soaked with wetness and a gooey type wetness I gauzed up my feet but it still leaked through I was wearing sandals because my foot inside a show would get too wet and skin would just keep falling off my foot it was red and swollen I seen this article about A.C.V so I went to the store and purchased a gallon for 5 bucks at Ralphs I inserted the foot in complete A.C.V just to get the entire foot submerged mind it is going to be painful to do this but you have to once the burning and stinging stops soak in a 50/50 water and A.C.V and soak for 30 min you can put the remainder of what A.C.V is in the foot tub just add water it will continue to burn my foot was like it was on fire it did not stop burning for 30 min so in reality a foot dunk in complete A.C V then a 50/50 soak which can be a total of 45 min do it at night and wrap your foot in a dry towel overnight, soak again the next morning before you shower then I used Vaseline and Aquafor you can get these at Target it keeps your feet lubricated and from drying which can be painful to walk.

I did this for 5 days and my foot came back to normal all the skin fell off that was dried and cracked and the skin came back fine a new skin layer was completly there in about a week but keep on using it till you have no more athletes foot- it's the best thing I am glad I read this website its wonderful to walk in shoes again but be careful- it can come back as it did to me on one toe but A.C.V nipped that it the but real quick so I hope this helps anyone out there suffering from this ailment A.C.V is the truth

Thank you, Sharky

I am a PhD student at the University of Michigan earning my degree in a very empirical field. I tried almost 2 dozen expensive and doctor prescribed products for my case of athletes foot - which I've had for about 7 years - and nothing worked.

I finally tried something more "natural" and I must say that ACV has been an absolute (dare I say) miracle! I soaked my feet in a small tub that was 50% ACV 50% water every morning and night (20 mins each session and longer if possible). My athletes foot is completely gone after staying with this regime for 2 weeks. I had lost hope because it wasn't working the first week, but sticking with it payed handsome dividends. I'm going to look up some other things on this website now and must say that I'm slowly becoming a believer in both science and these more "natural" remedies. Thank you all previous posters!

Thanks for the reply, Shaun, but I won't be needing to try the ammonia after all - because I have changed my mind about apple cider vinegar - it really does work and I'm so happy! I'm guessing, but I the reason it didn't cure the moccasin athlete's foot I suffer with sooner, is because I wasn't soaking my feet in a strong enough solution. In the past, I had mixed a foot soak of about half ACV and half water, and although it dried my skin out, it didn't have much effect on the fungus. Recently, I thought I'd have one last try and I started soaking my feet once a day in neat apple cider viniger - no water at all. It stung a lot, probably because the athlete's foot had really damaged my skin in places, but I stuck with it, and wow - the skin has started to repair itself and the athlete's foot has nearly disappeared. I am amazed! And so so so pleased! I've stuggled for years with this and I can't believe I'll be able to wear sandals this summer without feeling embarrassed about my feet.

I've used hydrogen peroxide, 3% pharmacy grade cut 50% with water, to rinse my mouth before brushing, which has been a great help with eliminating bad breath and plaque. But here's a remedy that no one may have thought - a treatment for "tinea cruris" commonly known as jock itch. I had an issue with this for several months and during this period, several times a week, I used Curex and other over-the-counter options to eliminate it, spending $20.00 to $30.00 to no avail. I knew hydrogen peroxide was effective in killing bacteria, so, as a last resort, I cut the pharmacy 3% grade 50%, just like the mouth wash, and used it-in 2 days!!! the itch and soreness was gone! No joke. Total cost 20 cents!

For athlete's foot, a cure is raw garlic. gently slice and rub it into the feet and it should go very guickly.

Light for Athlete's Foot

I feel like I tried everything but this irritating infection just wouldn't leave. Not for over 20 years. OTC treatments, ACV, and garlic would alleviate it temporarily but it would always return. Same with high strength isopropyl alcohol. Then I discovered that exposing the infected area to light had an impact. It would penetrate the layers of skin to get at the cause of the problem. This lessened the discomfort but again, it was a temporary fix. Until I thought that if I were to have longer term exposure to light - at least an hour at a time - it might kill off enough of the infection to make a significant dent, and with repeated 'treatments' the fungus couldn't survive, as it needs darkness to thrive. So that's what I've been doing and I think I'm finally kicking this. I do apply tea tree oil and castor oil first, then just turn on a desk lamp and position it so that the light shines on the area. Relax, maybe throw on a good tv show and/or movie. Afterwards, put on a fresh pair of socks. Repeat as necessary - daily is probably ideal. Fingers crossed that this is the solution that works - it's been the most effective for me so far and I've only done it 3-5 times. Be careful about placement of the light - don't burn yourself (or anything else)! Good luck out there.

Colloidal Silver. If you make your own colloidal silver it is very effective for getting rid of foot fungi. I make 50 to 60 ppm. Put it in a shallow glass pan and soak my feet for 15 to 20 min. I save the silver solution and use it a second time then discard. You will need to make many quarts to get the fungi under control. If you do not make your own silver then this would be very cost prohibitive. Look into purchasing your own silver generator. I cured my nasty problem in about a week doing this. You can also spray the silver on your clean dry socks and allow to dry before putting them away, you have just made silver socks. You can spray the silver on your your tub and other areas where the fungi may thrive. Spray your shoes and allow to dry to kill off the fungi and other nasty bacteria. Ingest the 5 to 10ppm colloidal silver to combat it internally as well.

They were simply remedies for sweaty feet furnished by soldiers and Allies. An Irishman said that his remedy was the best. Bathe the feet in a dish pan with one teaspoonful of borax added. Soak for 20 minutes. Then dry them and add rub spirits of camphor.

From the book, The Officer's Responsibility for His Men Published 1898 page 34.

I have been suffering with athletes foot for two years now and I believe a planters wart as well. for the last two weeks I have been soaking my feet in a foot bath of listerine and hot water. And I felt a nice relief from the wart, but since then I have added a mixture of coconut oil and tea tree oil twice a day on my feet and covering them with cotton socks. The difference is nothing short of amazing. I have one spot left and just a small amount of itching and its only due to my feet being dry. I truly hope it helps someone else to try this.

Blessings, Sara

I have traveled for business for about 13 years. Never having had Athelete's Foot I was totally niave and wandered around many a hotel room rug barefoot and used moisturizers on my feet, legs, hands elbow and knees. It's not the bathroom or pool you have to worry about, it's the rugs!! Imagine my surprise when I finally realized that I had/have a raging case of Athelete's Foot and Tinea Corporis which is a fancy name for Athelete's Foot on other parts of your body. On my feet I have what is known as "moccasin style" Athelete's Foot. What that means is that there is a purple blue infection on the bottom and sides of the foot like a moccasin. Hard as heck to cure. Six years later I'm still battling it, fortunately for me I live in a warm climate and can mostly wear open shoes with no socks or stockings, but when at a client site I have to wear closed shoes and socks. On a very recent trip I came home only to find that I had a severe relapse on my feet and red lesions on my ankles and shins. I had worn Dr Scholls Diabetic Socks in my closed toed, but ventilated shoes, thinking they would be good for my feet and let them breathe... Unfortunately I didn't realize they weren't cotton based. DO NOT USE THEM if you have Athelete's Foot or Ringworm. Look for socks that are 90 per cent cotton or more. I developed a severe case of Ringworm/Athelete's Foot which I had nearly overcome. On top of that I also had toenail fungus which I'd never had before. It got so bad that in a matter of days I lost most of one toenail. Desperately, I searched and found this site. I went out and bought several bottles of Absorbine, jr and instead of Vicks Vapor Rub I bought Tiger Balm Ointment Ultra which is much stronger, but also more expensive. It works, but also irritated the skin so a mild secondary bacteria infection set in. I used that for three weeks and also did salt water and lemon juice or ACV foot soaks as often as I could. I finally got the infection to a point where I felt I could go back to my nail shop without infecting the entire community I live in. My nail shop is run by a lovely, caring, giving Viet Nahmese couple who would do anything to promote good, healthy feet. I trust them implicitly. They clean and sterilize all their metallic tools and UV them as well. I still suspect the toenail fungus came from my theraputic pedicures which were healing my skin, but it occured to me that the emery boards, buffer pads and some solutions used for French Pedicures, my favorite, were shared with other clients.... Thus the toenail fungus. It's appearance with the recurrance of Athelete's Foot was pure coincidence. Long ago they taught and convinced me of the value of rubbing fresh lemon or lime wedges on toes and other areas of the foot. It's always worked before now. Salt foot soaks with either lemon juice or ACV have also worked up until now. They were shocked to see what happened to my feet, toenails, ankles and shins in just one week of closed shoes and socks. I stayed away from the shop for two weeks after so it was a total of three weeks. One week later now four weeks, after visiting them here's what has made DRAMATIC improvement, meaning almost no red or pink lesions and the toenails beginning to heal.

1. Continue the Salt and Lemon or Lime or ACV foot soaks as often as you can. I can do it once or twice a day on weekends but during the week it's hard to do it even once a day. Soak for at least 15 minutes. Remove feet from the soak, but DO NOT DRY WITH TOWEL, let your feet air dry so the salt solution stays on your feet. This works really well if you do it just before bedtime.

2. My friends at the nail shop gave me, as a gift, they were NOT practicing medicine... A tiny tube of oinment I do not believe can be purchased in the US. It contains Clotrimazole, an antifungal, Betamethasone, not sure what that does, and Gentamicin, a powerful antibiotic. They suggested I put it on the very red angry lesions. I did and I could see results in hours. If you are in a country other than the US you may be able to purchase this ointment. You may be able to purchase this online from Viet Nahm, I'm not sure. If you can not, like me, I was able to successfully get the same results by purchasing Clotrimazole 2 per cent in the feminine section of the drug store, for vaginal infections. Gentleman, if this emabarrases you, get a sister, Mother or girlfriend to purchase it for you. In the longrun it's cheaper and stronger than what you can purchase in the Foot Care section of the drugstore. For the antibiotic portion of the creme I use the generic drugstore brand of Silver Colloiden ointment. It works! I put the Clotrimozole ointment all over my feet, ankles and shins. It absorbs easily with no smell. I only put the silver colloiden ointment on red, not pink spots. Do this twice a day, morning before socks and at night before bed NO SOCKS.

3. My drugstore chain just recently, in the last few weeks began carrying a product called _______. I believe it's a product out of the UK. It's active ingredient is Tolfunate 1 per cent. Even though it's not sold for toenail fungus, just the skin under and around the fungus, it seems to be helping. I also use it if I see any tiny pale pink spot anywhere on my body. It works. My mistake in the past was not addressing these tiny pale pink spots as soon as I saw them. The ringworm on my feet started out as pale pink spots from mosquito bites. Stupidly I igonored them. When I had to wear closed shoes and socks and they rubbed the spots... bingo, Ringworm....

4. I can't say enough how rubbing toes, toenails and feet with a wedge of lemon or lime has done over the years. That advice too, from my friends at the nail shop. (Obviously, it works on hands too! )

5. It occured to me that maybe I should look at myself internally as well. After some research online... Yes, everyone and their uncle talks about Probiotics.... But I also found out about Pau D' Arco. Sounded good, I always tend toward natural over chemical. Turns out I may not be able to take it internally but it works on other skin lesions like old age spots if rubbed on externally with a Qtip..... Many of mine are breaking up and going away... makes me wonder are they fungal based as well?

6. I seem to be sensitive to Probiotics too. If the tablet is too strong I get the runs. Have discovered if it is in tablet form I can cut the pill in half and be fine. Yoguhrt is still the best!! I think it is a good idea to treat the inside as well as out, as long as the Foot or Body Fungus seems to last.

Just a few comments to everything I've read here. Thanks all of you for sharing, it's really, really helped. For those of you who started a new treatment and felt it was "spreading", it probably wasn't spreading. The medicine just brought out infection that was probably already there so you could see it.

And PLEASE for those of you who have tried "scrubbing until it bleeds" PLEASE STOP THAT! That's how you will develop a secondary bacterial infection on top of the fungal infection you are trying to overcome. Skin is the largest body organ we have and it's fascinating in what it can do. Don't make what you have worse! Scarring will be almost nonexistant if you treat the fungus with what kills it and don't injure the skin in the process.

Killing fungas is a slow process, much slower than a bacterial infection, be patient, but most of all be persistant. You can may be skip a day or two if you are just plain too tired to complete the routine. I know, I have been many a night. But just because it looks "better" don't stop the routine. Fungus takes time to grow in your skin and even more time to kill it in your skin. Even after your skin looks healed, keep up with the treatments for at the very least four weeks and after that do some kind of preventive treatment so you never get a fungal infection again.

I've had Athlete's Foot in various forms for years. I used the usual topical ointments designed for this. Usually, I had success after a period of 1 to 2 week usage. I tried ACV full strength on my foot (a soak in shallow pan or applied directly with cotton). This is a "miracle" cure for me... My Athelete's Foot disappeared in one or two applications course it always reappears in different areas or the same... I apply ACV immediately not only treats the AF but stops the itching burning. Highly recommend ACV!

Apple cider vinegar has cured my husbands awful feet!!! I decided to try it after reading posts here. I purchased a gallon jug at local grocery store for about $4. He has been to doctors, tried multiple Crees none of which were effective. For past two months he soaked his feet in a plastic tub of apple cider vinegar. Let them air dry. That's it!! The mochas sin type look is gone. The great scaly heels, cracks and bleeding between his toes. All gone! Feet are now soft and pain free. This has been a miracle- anyone out there that will listen- seriously 4 bucks and nightly soaks for 30 mins- unbelievable results!!!

When I was twelve I ended up getting athlete's foot from sharing my roller-blades with all my friends. My mom bought me all kinds of foot powders and treatments. None of them ever worked over the 1 year period I had to deal with the horrible itch. One night, an act of pure desperation led me to grab some white toothpaste and slather it on. The hunch came from its effectiveness on acne. Went to bed with a cold tingle on my feet. Woke up the next morning and was so elated to see that my feet looked 100 percent better and most importantly the itch was nonexistent.