Natural Remedies For Athlete's Foot

Apple Cider Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Chuck (Lexington, KY) on 06/05/2009
★★★★★

I contracted a severe case of moccasin athlete's foot, which is especially hard to treat. It will spread to all parts of the feet and hands. The only recommended conventional treatment is with a pill that also runs serious risk of liver damage. needless to say not a great set of choices. I'd tried all the creams, etc. to no avail.

So I found this site and tried the remedy. I used a combination of approx. 60% "raw" apple cider vinegar, organic unfiltered with the mother, and probably about 40% hydrogen Peroxide. I soaked my affected areas for 30-40 minutes in the solution and let it air dry.

Seriously, after 2 days almost all the affected areas were visibly far better, and while it's too soon to declare it 100% cured, there is no doubt in my mind that this works. I plan on continuing treatment every couple of days at least for a week or so just to improve the odds of beating this thing, but I couldn't be happier if this cure came with a sack of money. Which, given the cost of medication, it effectively did come with a sack of money.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Lily (California) on 10/05/2021

Just a suggestion.....don't use a basin. Put your ACV in a plastic bag and put your foot in that. If you have a problem on both feet, use 2 plastic bags one at a time. You only need the liquid to cover your foot not a whole basin full. I would sit someplace with the basin in front of me and put the liquid the bags and insert my feet. some bags have handles on the sides like those heavy bags they give you at the market. it makes it easier to keep the bag upright. Also, if you don't have one with handles, you might want to tie a string around the top of the bag while you are soaking so you don't have to hold onto it. I used this method on a trip when I needed to soak my feet from too much walking. It worked beautifully.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Rhonda (Batesville) on 07/05/2015

Do not re-use. Cheap brands of Apple Cider Vinegar works great. Also, just use Apple Cider Vinegar & skip the peroxide..an earlier post said don't mix Apple Cider Vinegar with peroxide.. Damaging.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Missymichigan (Temperance, Michigan) on 05/16/2009

Here's how to penetrate the thick skin of the soles of your feet - I use a foot calus remover - it looks like a cheese grater, only made for feet. Once you are out of the shower and your skin and callouses are soft, just use the devise (found in most retail stores) to remove all calous areas of your foot, then try the home remedies. For fast removal of calouses, I use an electric Dremel tool found in most hardware stores with the round sand paper disc on it - it will clear up all of your callouses in 10 minutes or less but be careful to to put the speed too high. I got this idea from my podietrist who removed all of my calouses with one in her office! Good luck! Your feet will thank you!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Alyssa (Austin, Texas) on 09/01/2009

One way to prevent stinky feet... Wear socks with a higher content of natural materials. Dress socks generally have high levels of nylon and run-of-the-mill white cotton socks are usually only about 75% cotton. Aim for at least 80% cotton, and when doing the laundry, add about a half cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle. Your socks should come out squeaky-clean, smelling great, and ready to absorb any sweat. Additionally, rotating your shoes works wonders... Try not to wear the same pair of shoes two days consecutively, giving each a day to air out.

Oregano Oil

Posted by Cheryl (Manteca, California-USA) on 02/22/2009
★★★★★

Hi-Please do yourself a big favor if you are bothered by what the dr calls-athlete's foot type rash. For over a year I tried every cream, spray, powder on the market-doctor after dermatologist with biopsy gave me everything-presription including 2 mos of Lamisil pills and cream. The dermatologist got mad when Lamisil didn't work after her biopsy. Well, I prayed so hard and then found Oil of Oregano-wow! 3 days cured-its been months and its still gone. I diluted with olive oil under my tongue and later used the gel capsules to fill and take orally. I diluted this very strong oil with olive oil on the rash itself-stops that horrible itch,too. I later learned Extra Virgin Coconut oil is anti-fungal and mixed the oregano oil with this and used this on the skin. I need to know more-Iam very grateful to Earth Clinic-I learned about the evcc-extra virgin coconut oil from this site. Also, I really never knew what the rash was from-I think it was a Candida fungus type rash -it seemed way worse when I ate sugar. So, I also had to clean up my diet dramatically and I still stay away from processed white flour and sugar etc. But, try Oil of Oregano-anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti parasitic/worms. Great for wiping Candida out. Blessings and good health to you all. I would say-research all you can about all of these oils: Thuja, Thieves oil etc as to there healing qualities.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Katrina (NYC) on 12/21/2008
★★★★★

Athletes Foot: I rented ice skates for 1-hr and next morning got an AF. I read all the solutions here and doing following:

ACV -- i soak my foot for 15 min
ACV+ wet clay -- I put it as a mask on my foot overnight-- improvements right away!!!
Oil of Oregano -- overnight-- great improvements!!!

Oregano Oil

Posted by Jonna (NYC, NY, USA) on 07/27/2008
★★★★★

1:30am, Saturday Night: I read AC from West Midlands, England's post about using Garlic for Athlete's foot a few days ago and was eager to try it. I have had athlete's foot on and off for years. I also have deeply etched cracked heals which I understand is possibly a fungal infection. And then recently the skin around my right big toe started to peel and looks nasty as can be. I tried the best OTC for Athlete's Foot, but with limited success. Takes 5 days to go away and then comes back a couple weeks later.

We had just run out of garlic, so I opted instead for another powerful anti-fungal, Wild Oil of Oregano. I use OO for coughs and sinus infections and had about 15 capsules left. Before going to sleep, I punctured a capsule of oil and rubbed it over both of my feet, especially concentrating it on my big toe, in between my toes where the athelete's foot itched and the cracks on my heals. I put socks on so the oil wouldn't get all over the sheets. It doesn't smell bad at all -- much better than garlic for sure!

Just like AC reported, there was dramatic improvement by the morning! The infection around my big toe was 50% better... The blisters in between my toes had disappeared. The cracks in my heals have started to seal and are unbelievably soft... (I had been rubbing shea butter on the cracks every night, which helped, but not to this extent).

I did the Oregano oil 3 morning and night for 2 days, took a day off. The infection around my big toe is all but gone. No more peeling skin. The cracks on my heels continue to slowly improve. Tonight I switched to Grapefruit Seed Extract and my feet, normally cold, warmed up right away. This may be a great remedy for those suffering from cold hands and feet. My feet are still tinglingly warm 2 hours after applying the GSE.

I have the feeling that the GSE will work just as well as the Oregano Oil. I also am trying the GSE on my perioral dermatitis and will report back any improvements. I can tell you that the itchy postules around my nose have disappeared. I had to wash off the GSE after about 20 minutes because it started to burn.

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.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Doris (Santa Ana, CA, USA) on 09/12/2008
★★★★★

Adding to my 04/28/08 entry. Pedicuring 82 yr old mom's Athl Feet, red chapped cracked heels she had thru my childhood years. Now her poorly cleaned large toenail had accumulated dead skin under nail with yucky dark fungus. I bought kitchen dishgloves dishpan scrubber-sponge hydrogen peroxide (HP). She couldn't reach to clean anymore. Athl Foot etc was up calves to her knees. In dishpan I mixed 4 cups comfy-hot water, 1 cup HP. Feet in pan, I scrub-sponged one leg. It didn't sting, Strongly tingled refreshingly like when your hand falls asleep. She didn't realize how numb Ath Ft made her feet sense of no feeling. Cleaned feet nerves felt like taking off thick socks for the first time. Dishwash gloves protected my hands while scrubbing. We both couldn't believe visual immediate result of no redness, and of powdery white dusty skin sloughing easily into water mixture. To do other leg, washed out dishpan, used new gloves, new sponge, fresh water-HP mix. Dust-size flakes came off her feet. Now with vigorous gentle sponge scrub, I could feel the difference between cleaned slick skin and slippery athl foot. Scrubbed 3 minutes foot-calf-knee per leg. CLEAN. Dumped water was thick with scaly powdery dead skin slough. Big point was Athl Ft numb feeling wasn't noticed till after cleaning. Last, I put aloe vera gel on each leg using 3rd pair kitchen latex gloves. Then used spray bottle of water-HP mix with paper towels to wipe dry, on her whole apartment especially shower stall, sink, commode, all chromework, doorknobs and sliding glass door-windows handles. Got her new shower flip flop sandals, sprayed them too. NOTE: Her bldg staff smelled vinegar-water wash I'd once used, which worked good enough, but staff said NO in case of doctor's meds conflict by skin absorption - go figure! HP has no smell. She does her own laundry, but now puts some HP in rinse cycle now. Thanks for this site. Years of Athl Ft - gone. It needs done 3X/year now.

EC: Doris, thank you so much for these detailed instructions!

Apple Cider Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Laura (Orlando, FL) on 08/24/2006
★★★★★

I am 3 months pregnant and had athlete's foot near the beginning of my pregnancy. I wanted to avoid over-the-counter chemicals to treat it if possible, so I tried using ACV, and it seemed to work miraculously. However, as soon as I stopped soaking in ACV, the fungus came back with a vengeance! Next, I tried soaking my feet in a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. I soaked them once for about 30 minutes. Then I just applied straight hydrogen peroxide to the affected area every night and every time after I showered. Within a few days the fungus cleared up. I used a pumus stone to exfoliate the dead skin. It has been about three weeks since it cleared up, and my feet look better than ever!!! Note: The hydrogen peroxide did fade the suntan on the top of my feet when I soaked them, and it dried out the skin on the bottom of my feet. I applied some unrefined organic coconut oil to my feet and the dry skin went away! Pretty amazing!

Coconut Oil

Posted by Dianne (Mansfield, MA) on 07/02/2006
★★★★★

within 2 days of using my athlete's foot has totally cleared. My husband has also had the same results.

Coconut Oil

Posted by Shelly (Medford, OR) on 03/22/2006
★★★★★

I had a stubborn case of athlete's foot for several months. Tried every kind of natural/herbal cure that I could think of, but there was no relief. I read about coconut oil bringing healing to skin rashes, so I decided to try it. After a week of applying the oil, twice a day, the rash is gone. I'm also feeding it to our dog every morning with his food. He LOVES it! He 's a young dog with no apparent health problems, but I look at as a preventative measure and I anticipate that it will also help him with flea and tick problems. It's great to have such wonderful natural remedies!!!

Chilblains Diagnosis

Posted by Clayton (Tulsa, OK) on 02/01/2024
★★★★★

Recently I discovered that what I thought was athlete's foot was actually chilblains. Chilblains occur when your feet (or sometimes hands) are very cold and are warmed up very rapidly, which can burst capillaries under the skin and result in redness, swelling, and lots of itchiness. For me, the tops of my toes were most affected (not so much in between, or anywhere else on the foot).

For the past week I'd been soaking my feet in various different things, and spraying a variety of herbal antidotes, to no avail: the itchiness and redness hardly went down at all, and I was getting worried I had some bad infection.

Deeper online searching revealed I had chilblains, from coming in from walking in the snow, and resting my feet near a space heater right after taking my boots off.

For better or worse, chilblains seems to improve on its own over time without treatment (unlike a fungal infection). Soaking in a diluted hydrogen peroxide or vinegar solution did help temporarily relieve itching.

I also read somewhere a man treated his chilblains with decent success applying minced onion mixed with salt. I've yet to try it.

I just wanted to let you know, if you are primarily experiencing redness and itchiness on top of your toes, and your toes have recently been very cold, you might check to see if instead of athletes foot you're experiencing chilblains.

Patchouli Oil

Posted by TR (California) on 01/30/2024
★★★★★

patchouli oil for foot fungus

Its amazing how fast it worked. Had fungus for over 15 years and used vinegar for years to no avail I applied the oil twice a day and within 2 weeks fungus was gone

Borax

Posted by Shs (NY) on 07/20/2024
★★★★★

This was a life saver. I'm not through the end yet but this borax and hydrogen peroxide solution changed everything. It honestly has stopped at least the unbelievable itching that the Lotramine ultra could only stave away for a little.

I combined it with salicylic acid washes before and turbinafine after . I've seen some relief

I thought I had gotten rid of it once, as everyone says don't stop short even when u can't feel it continue treating it.

I tried vinegar soaks, borax soaks, bleach, anti-fungal soaps and it kept coming back. Thai really assisted the most

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Mama To Many (Tn) on 10/02/2017

Dear Becky,

I don't recall what I used many years ago; now I make my own. However, when I need to buy a tincture, I like Herbpharm.

~Mama to Many~

Urine

Posted by Vsherry9 (Detroit, Mi) on 07/01/2016
★★★★★

I used my own urine to stop athlete's foot fungus, I also had a variety of fungus on the bottom & sides of my feet. I used my own urine in a bucket while sitting on the toilet every morning for about 5 days. I started using the urine in the morning, then at night used vapor rub at night with socks, then next day I used the urine in the morning, and the vapor rub at night without the socks (I have a hard time wearing socks at night). Each time I took a shower in the morning after soaking with urine, I would dry off & rub Peroxide all over my feet with a cotton ball until they dried naturally. I did this for a week & all gone. I've had this problem since 1998 & I am a real person from the Detroit area. Don't let anyone tell you this doesn't work, especially a doctor - because it does & I am proof. I've tried everything imaginable & was never able to get rid of it, until just recently. Doctors will tell you there is not enough Urea in the pee to cure it, but that is just down right false. What is it going to hurt to just try it & see for yourself. Good luck!!!

Greek Yogurt

Posted by Misszmsz (Las Vegas, Nevada) on 06/13/2015
★★★★★

After 6 months of fighting athlete's foot over the soles of both my feet, I tried plain Greek Yogurt. Rubbed a couple tablespoons on affected area and covered with plastic bags. Immediately feet stopped itching. Now just have to deal with dry skin and cracked fissures.

Coconut Oil

Posted by Serafin (Covina, Ca) on 02/04/2015
★★★★★

For athletes foot, the best treatment is apply Virgin Coconut Oil twice a day. That bad smell of their feet will just go away at no time at all.

Alum

Posted by Thomas (Salem, Oregon) on 12/18/2014
★★★★★

Alum works to treat athlete's foot. Use cooking alum. My Vietnamese wife prepared this treatment for me. Warm up a pot of hot water and dissolve the alum in it. She might have added salt also. Soak the feet in it for an hour. However, I have found apple cider vinegar to be just as effective. Soak the feet in 100% ACV for an hour. Repeat daily for a week or so. Improvement will come after the first or second soak. Keep the feet dry and allow the feet to breathe. Avoid synthetic fabrics. Use only 100% cotton socks and 100% cotton bed linens.

Phythium Oligandrum

Posted by Sam (Miami, FL) on 06/22/2014
★★★★★

A friend of mine was unsuccessfully trying to cure some fungus on her feet for many years. She found Pythium oligandrum skin/nail fungus treatment (3 x 2 g) on shop.owndoc.com. It was a100% success.

Pythium oligandrum is a harmless fungus that eats harmful fungi, and then dies of starvation when all bad fungi have been eradicated. Pythium oligandrum is a parasite to other fungi such as Trichophyton, the dermatophyte fungus that causes various conditions knonw as Tinea - Athlete's foot, nail fungus, ringworm and jock itch