Natural Nail Fungus Treatments: Effective Home Remedies

1. Soak both feet (to get rid of the fungus on my big toe as well as preventing other toes from being infected) with distilled vinegar everyday for 30 minutes.
2. Rinse with water and use paper towels to dry feet.
3. Soak cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide and dab it on all toes.
4. Blow dry feet.
5. Apply fungus cream on feet.
6. Wait for about 30 minutes and apply Penlac on all toes.
7. I wore only open toe shoes, and I don't even cover my feet with a blanket at night!

I did the above steps everyday and my big toenail looked beautiful in only 3 months! As you can see, I used vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, antifungal cream, and Penlac. My theory is that if one doesn't work, then at least the other will, or the combination of all 4 is just too powerful for the fungus to survive.

Please don't drink your urine. It is a waste product that your body is trying to get rid of. It is full of toxins. However, it is sterile, and can definitely be applied externally. The easiest way is to urinate on your nails in the shower.

I worked for a spa that used no harsh chemicals in their mani/pedi's. I learned that spraying listerine mouthwash on your feet will disinfect them. Keeps fungus away. I also learned that rubbing alchohol is a good and sanitary cleaner for your tub so you can prevent and kill fungus and bacteria from re-occuring.

p.s. Rubbing alchohol can be used all over house as cleaner & disinfectant!!

Update: Ailment: Nail Fungus

Remedy: Thick Thai Red Curry Paste spread on infected areas & covered with transparent plastic food wrap.

Well, it definitely has a soothing effect but only use if you don't mind your nails turn orangish/red (color of the paste)

Overall, here is my favorite course of treatment so far:

Extremely hot rinse with bacterial soap (5 minutes) + cotton pad applications of the following essential oils:

1/ Hydroxide peroxide 6% Apple Cider Vinegar + tea tree or Manuka oil
2/ add few drops of Lavender oil
3/ add few drops of Lemongrass oil
4/ add few drops of rosemary oil
5/ add few drops of Peppermint oil
6/ add few drops of Cinnamon leaf oil
7/ add few drops of Eucalyptus oil

Then alternate the above with separate application of virgin coconut oil, Listerine, Vicks Vaporub, honey, garlic slices.
Rinse with scalding hot water and dry immediately with hair dryer set on maximum heat.
Also, if you have a terrace or you can step outside, expose the area to strong direct sunlight.
Try to sleep at regular hours, stay clear of stress (as much as possible) and improve your immune system by observing a good balanced diet. I just started taking 1 tea spoon of baking soda in 1 glass of water.

Looking good so far :)
Will keep you updated on my progress.

War has been declared on the fungi invaders. Show no mercy!

Ailment: Nail Fungus infection

Condition: semi-advanced (bed nail of two of my toes is partially damaged)
Treatment stage: beginning (started 4 days ago)
Diet: I completely eliminated refined sugars and started eating more fruits and vegetables.
Remedy used: on the 1st day, I applied (every 2 hours) a mix of the following: apple cider vinegar and tea tree oil on cotton pads.
Noticed some slight improvement, but when I stepped out, there still was an annoying itch.
On the 2nd day, I added Vicks Vaporub and poured some urine on the infected area. Applying Vicks before wearing socks and shoes got rid of the itching.
On the 3rd day, I added honey (applied topically for 20 minutes) followed by washing the feet with antibacterial soap under very hot water (as hot as I could bear) followed by alternate applications of hydrogen peroxide (pharmacy only had 6% solution), lavender, cinnamon leaf and Eucalyptus essential oils (diluted with apple cider vinegar on cotton pads). I also started drinking 1 teaspoon of baking soda mixed in 1 cup of water (on an empty stomach last night before sleeping and this morning upon waking up).

I am glad to say the annoying itching is completely gone. The color of my two infected nails are yellowish. The only place still itching this morning was on the lower part of my toes (bottom part that touches the floor when I walk) - which is the only place I did not concentrate any treatment as it was much easier to keep the cotton pads on the top part of my foot when seating on the couch and watching tv than the bottom part. So what I did this morning was spread a generous amount of Thai Red Curry Paste on all the infected area and keep everything sealed with transparent plastic food wrap. It seems to be working great. The itching is completely gone.

Today, I will start applying virgin coconut oil (as well as eating 2 tea spoons daily) + peppermint and rosemary essential oils applied topically.
I will also start a detox program along with a gentle exercise program in order to strengthen my immune system.
I'll keep you guys updated on my progress :)

I purchased decolorized iodine. It is clear out of the bottle but when it comes in contact with the skin it turns orange red immediately. It doesn't wash off and stays that way for days or weeks. I find that strange since the red colored iodine washes off very easily. Using it with Peroxide soaks and my skin around the nail is very dry and cracking and a little red. I'm going to keep using peroxide and not sure what else. There are so many ideas and opinions. In six weeks I have a trip to a lake resort area. Ikes!!!!!!!!!

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.

I have had toenail fungus for at least 15+ years on my big toe and the one next to it. I had heard that hydrogen peroxide would get rid of it. It did nothing for my toe fungus after using a bottle over a course of three months. I then heard from a couple friends that they cleared their fungus up with vicks vapor rub; so I tried it for two days and I can already see a dramatic improvement. You can get a generic brand also which is a lot cheaper. I bought a chest rub brand made by Target and I compared the active ingredients and percentages to Vicks and it was exactly the same mixture at a way cheaper price. It works great. I can't believe it took me so long to improve my toenails. I was always wearing socks with my sandals because I was so embarrassed of my fungus but not anymore.

I have fought toenail fungus for over 30 years. I have tried Lamisil, Vicks, hydrogen peroxide and now, distilled vinegar for the past 11 months and I have finally won the battle. I diluted the vinegar, half & half with water, and sprayed it on my toenails twice daily. I have also been cleaning under the nails at least once a week. IT WORKS!

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.

I have heard that Monistat works very well. It is a highly recommended treatment by nail salons. It worked for me and my father. However, it needs to be applied on a daily basis (I did it twice a day) and continue to cut the nail and file the top layer so that the medication can penetrate to the inside of the nail. Hope it works for you.

WARNING!

Just a heads up. I was just on Wikipedia looking at the definition of bleach and stumbled across the following. It warned that mixing common houshold bleach with vinegar can be quite hazardous.

Hi John, I was wondering how you found out about your ph level and how to measure it, keep it in check, so forth. I have nail fungus on my big toe and am prone to candida as well. I've been trying a variety of cures for this and would like to be fungus free! Thanks, Rula

Urine therapy worked for me on toe nail fungus, but I did not drink it. A friend who works in the medical field told me that urine is actually sterile and has the ability to kill off some bacteria, fungus and other things. I saved some of my urine (that was fun) and dabbed it on my big toe where the fungus was. I think I did it 2 or 3 times in as many days. It was weird, but it cleared up in about 5 days. I had been battling the stupid fungus for 6 months. I never saw a sign of it again. Go figure.

I used distilled vinegar to cure my toenail fungus. It took a little over a year to get rid of it, but it works. I had the fungus on both of my big toes for about 6 years. It was horrible and painful because they were lifted and very thick. My husband, being in the medical feild, was really amazed. We were told only lamisil would work. He also has the fungus on his big toe. He has had it for almost 20 years. He had his toenail removed when he was 20 and it grew back with the fungus. So after he saw my results he has been using it. It has taken a bit longer for him, but it is working. After 20 years he has new clear nail growing in and the nail is thinning out. Now the only thing he say's is " Honey can you refill my vinegar bottle". All you need is Patience and plain distilled vinegar!

I have successfully used castor oil to treat toenail fungus. My baby toenail was completely taken over by fungus. It had a black line running through it as well (another sign of fungus). I did this treatment twice per day until the nail grew out: First, I put two drops of vinegar on the nail. Then I placed a bit of cotton soaked in castor oil directly on the nail and kept it in place with a bandage. The nail is completely healthy. It's been almost two years since the treatment.

Coconut Oil melts at 80 degrees F. If it's solid, just run the container under warm water. The essential oils, when added, lower the melting point to below room temperature.

Regarding Rosacea, the following information may be helpful from internet research: "The Rosacea diagnosis includes a range of inflammatory events in facial skin. The range is so broad that it is reasonable to ask if Rosacea' is too fuzzy a term that can apply to diverse immune-mediated events in the skin with different causes.... Seborrhea is a related condition that involves the hair-bearing skin of the scalp and face, all expressions of infection with the fungus, pityriasis ovale. Seborrhea can involve the central forehead, skin under the eyebrows and beard and may contribute to or be confused with Rosacea."

Hope this helps.

To Robert, Thank you for sharing your research with us. It is fascinating! I no doubt transferred my toenail fungus to my face and I also have Rosacea--do you? I did read somewhere recently that the oils are the best remedies and it certainly sounds like they are, judging from your research. Regarding your recipe, I do have a question. With coconut oil being a solid, how do I mix it with the other liquid oils? Thanks again for sharing! I am hopeful to see the line of demarcation, too!

Robert's Fungus Saga - Vicks Update

Part One: Feet

Q. Do the ingredients (camphor, eucalyptus, thymol, menthol) work?

A. I've applied the solution on my nails as well as to my entire foot to get rid of all the fungus that might eventually cause a reoccurrence. The results were obvious after 4-5 days: first, the athlete's foot symptoms between my toes rapidly got better and were healed in about a week. Then, at the seven-day point lots of skin started sloughing off all over my feet where the fungus was obviously in hiding -- including the heal callus. I was surprised to see so much sloughing of the skin around the base, sides and top of the toe nails -- this area apparently had been deeply affected by the fungus, but just looked like tough skin that I had become accustomed to expect. Within 2-3 weeks the unaffected new toe nails could be seen at the cuticle. Now, several months later, there is a clear line of demarcation between the old fungal nail, and the new clear nail. I expect that it will be 3-4 more months before all the old nail has grown out and gone.

Q. Is the formulation the right one?

A. After much research and playing kitchen chemist, I learned that coconut oil is a good anti-fungal as well as a great emollient. DMSO doesn't need to be at 25% concentration. 10-15% is sufficient. Oregano Oil is composed of Thymol and University of Western Australia research proved tea tree oil's anti-fungal capability, so I added it as well. The essential oil amounts are at least or a little more than what bio-chemists call the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). The formulation I like and use now is:

Revised Formula
1 part Menthol oil
1 part Thymol oil or Oregano oil
1 part Camphor oil
1 part Lemon Eucalyptus oil
2 parts Tea Tree Oil
2 parts DMSO
12 parts Virgin Coconut Oil

There is probably a synergistic (i.e. harmonious working together) effect of anti-fungal herbs, which has been demonstrated in several studies. In one test of ten plant species whose oils were anti-fungal, researchers noted that "combinations of the anti-fungal essential oils increased their activity remarkably." In a similar study, researchers stated that "in all the oil combinations, the anti-fungal potency was found to increase over individual oils."

Part Two: Adult "Acne"

This is where the "saga" starts to get interesting. After my adolescent acne should have cleared up 35 years ago, it got slowly worse. All over the bearded part of my face, what appeared to be sacs of hardened oil under the surface of the skin had been forming nodules. These didn't get infected,' each just grew larger. Over the years I've seen dermatologists who said, because of my otherwise great health, "you're just a middle aged adolescent," blaming it on high testosterone, etc. The apparent acne problem continued and worsened.

I've seen doctors, dermatologists, pharmacists, herbalists, laser specialists, and spiritual healers. I've bought every acne ointment known to man. I took pills, vitamins, and herbs. I changed diet. I get plenty of exercise. Nothing worked. I had extensive surgery to correct the problem three years ago, and within 18 months it looked just as bad as before. As a public speaker and author in my profession, the skin condition was emotionally upsetting and stressful.
Having conquered toe nails, I started researching down the path that maybe the acne was caused by a fungus (although the symptoms didn't look like my feet). Was I surprised when I found:

" Tinea barbae is a superficial dermatophyte infection that is limited to the bearded areas of the face and neck and occurs almost exclusively in older adolescent and adult males. Symptoms include inflammatory, deep, kerion-like plaques and noninflammatory superficial patches and lumps resembling bacterial folliculitis. The hair breaks off below the skin surface. It is caused by several dermatophytes. Trichophyton species are most common. Infection of bearded skin may be the result of autoinoculation from tinea pedis or onychomycosis."

In other words, the mess on my face that had caused me so much grief and been misdiagnosed for decades was caused by the same fungus that gave my feet a problem. Apparently the dermatophytes enter the hair follicle (nails and hair are similar biological structures), then attack the sebaceous gland, feeding off the body oil; then the body's immune system reacts with scaring and hardening the facial oil, leaving an oil nodule. The dermatophytes then migrate to the next follicle, and eventually dozens of affected follicles link as a nodule the size of a pea.

Now it became obvious what had happened: The athlete's foot I got as a teenager went to my toe nails, and, because I was ignorant of the relationship of using a towel on my face that might have been used on my feet or crotch, the fungus got transferred.

Not a single dermatologist who examined my face ever bothered to ask the question: "Do you have toe nail fungus or athlete's foot!"

Using the same solution on my facial outbreaks as on my toe nails (the revised formula with coconut oil), the facial condition is clearing up. Just like with my feet, skin is sloughing off and the nodules are beginning to eject. This is the best result I've seen in years. I expect it will take a few months for the problem to be cured, as the fungus is down below the level of the base of the hair follicle in the sebaceous gland.

Part Three: Chronic Sinusitis

For the last 15 years I've had chronic sinusitis, post nasal drip, clogged nose, etc. I was constantly clearing my throat, and sometimes coughing. I snored a lot, which my wife didn't appreciate, and the snoring actually would wake me up in the middle of the night, leaving me tired in the morning. I seemed to catch colds more easily than before, but I attributed this to my very frequent plane travel.

Doctors prescribed antibiotics, but I they did not fully cure the problem and when I stopped the treatment, every symptom returned. (And I just don't like unnatural treatments.) Others said it was allergies.

I wondered: Could my sinusitis be a fungal problem? More exploring on the internet found the answer:

In 1999 Mayo Clinic researchers found the cause of most chronic sinus infections to be an immune system response to fungus, and that this may kick off a secondary bacteriological infection. It is not an allergic reaction, but an immune reaction.
Again, I felt betrayed by the medical profession. Why hadn't anyone told me this?

I went to the health and vitamin store to look for an anti-fungal nasal spray, and nothing met my requirements or budget ($10-15 for a one ounce bottle of ingredients seemed way out of line.) Here's the formula I "invented:"

1. Rinse out a 1 ounce nasal spray bottle
2. Add one eye-dropper (approximately 1 ML) of Oregano Juice (NOT Oregano Oil -it's too strong and will not dissolve in water)
3. Add a pinch of salt (approximately ½ ML) (Iodized salt is OK - iodine is a good anti-fungal)
4. Fill the rest of the sprayer with distilled water, and shake well until the salt is dissolved.

Spray as frequently as once an hour until symptoms subside. For me, this solution began working within an hour; most symptoms were gone in three days. And the price of the ingredients per bottle is just a few pennies.

If the oregano/saline solution is too strong for you, dilute in half with water. If you want, you can add a drop of eucalyptus oil with ½ ML of glycerin, (which will bond the oil to water). I now spray once or twice a day, just to prevent any recurrence.

A very dear friend, who is 75, has had awful sinusitis for years. He heavily cleared his throat every minute or two. I told him of this simple formula, and two days later he called me to say it was working. He then said with amazement: "I don't believe it, we've been talking for over 15 minutes and I haven't had to clear my throat once!"

There are articles and books that claim that some cancers are caused by fungus. If this is true, taking action on fungus early may be very beneficial in the long run. It's time we gave fungus a deeper analysis.

To Robert: Were you successful in fully eradicating the toenail fungus? Btw, it was Michigan State University's patent, not University of Michigan. I did look it up and skimmed the Doctorese. I was familiar with the Meijer's Chest rub study. Thanks for providing this information!

The question of whether Vicks 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.

I have taken Teds advice. What I'm now finding is I have a clear nail at the base around the the sides and on the top. To a certain degree, I was also able to clean under the nail, but unfortunately pushed some of the yellow further down my nail. I know it's not a good thing had hoping the extra concentration of clorox will help. The top part of the nail looks clear and lighter with some thin streaks while the middle has a yell strip through the center that go diagonally the to upper corners (top) of the nails.

The top of my nail is about a 1/16" cut back too far, but the toenail is of normal thickness. The nail itself however, because it is far back is high off the nail bed. It is also high enough out so I can slip a thin brush with Tea tree oil in. In about one or weeks my nail should grow long enough to where I will cut it at full length. My hope is I can have more of the bottom part of the nail grow clearer. My feeling is, if the entire part of the nail that touches the skin clear is beginning to clear up, it maybe a good sign the rest of the nail will eventually follow. I will keep trying Teds methods and accept any suggestions he provides.

I have continued to try Ted's method, but instead of soaking my feet using ACV, I switched putting only two drops on each toe of White Distilled Vinegar and H2O2. White Distilled Vinegar appears much better for external use and more effective as it also has the same PH as ACV. After laying off for a few months, I started again at the beginning of this month. Since that time, I see some progress. The base of the aflicted toenails are beginning to look pink and health. It is a small amount, but shows some progress from a month ago. I'm also seeing the top of the nail look much cleaner as it looks clear. The brighr brownish yellow color originally there has lightened and looks whiter in with vertical or diagonal ridges becoming more visable. Although I have not precisely used Ted's method and modified it, by switching to WDV and using drops rather than soaking, I found the method appears to be working. I also think Clorox does a great job in helping. Because my toe nails had been yellow for a few years, I think my toenails will take longer to cure and my nails will have to grow out which may take 3-4 months.

I have had a nail fungus i guess going on 20 years. I genetically have black toes so I never paid attention to my toe nails. I went for a pedicure the other day because i somewhat could not not even out the skin on my feet it was like what happens when you try to start a new roll of cheap toilet paper. The pedicurist told me I had a fungus affecting both my nails and skin she had heard about someone using a product used to wash vegetables and that it contained iodine. I search on the net and stumbled on to the site. I tried Ted from thailand's treatment somewhat First day soaked my feet the best I could in a bowl for 20 mins of 50/50 acv and 3%peroxide scrub my skin with the solution and washed with iodine the next morning i filed my nails and did the same. I could tell something was happening. Parts of my big toes had gone milky white.

Encouraged by these results I went and got a proper basin I have size 16 feet US that about 52 european bought a few liters of h202 and acv and soaked my feet coincidence or luck I started watching a movie and forget about my feet I must have had my feet completely submerged for 21/2 hours. When the movie was over I remember about my feet and felt them under the solution a paste had somewhat developed I took a pumice stone and scrubbed this paste of gently what emerged was a brand new foot no skin fungus everything was smooth. I trimmed my toe nails half of my big toe nails came off leaving something that felt lie another very thin nail in place the nails where also have the the thickness they had. I continued soaking for two more days. At night before going to bed I would use nizoral on my skin on the entire foot all the the way to my calves and put tree tee oil on the nails. I went looking for copper chloride and could not find any instead I was able to get a small flask of permanganate of potassium and painted my nails with pdp in the morning. I wore sandals for the first week. I am now using vicks and tree tee oil specially before putting on socks. Here is something else I noticed I lost nearly ten pounds a week later and my eating habits have changed I do not know if this is psychological or my body was stocking up to fight the fungus. This is something worth investigating!

I cut nail short, soaked it in above solution for a few minutes and used small nail brush to get solution under nail* this is the important part. did this several times a day and before going to bed. lamasil didn't work and vick's only made it worse as it keep the nail moist. I've done this for 4 weeks and my ugly nail is now looking 80% better I can't believe the difference. I'll keep doing it until the new nail grows in. I did hear that soaking it in diluted bleach for a few minutes helps also. I may try that with this treatment. Thanks

Over 25 years ago my big toe was injured. Fungus set in and also infected every toe on both feet. Lived with the problem way too long for 25 years. I did not want to take any prescription medications after reading the side affects!!! Then I came across this site by accident! I am so glad I found this site. Got me going and got me thinking from a different perspective.

In the summer of 2005 I started using white distilled vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. I applied with Q tips to each toe twice a day or more diligently.

First thing I noticed was the fungal smell went away! I started to notice a distinct improvement! I would make sure to cut and file my toenails and then sterilize the clippers and file as not to spread or reinfect myself or anyone else. I drank ACV twice a day. 12 oz. of water to 2 tablespoons of ACV. I cut way back on my grains and sugar in my diet as fungus loves these foods. Also don't drink alcohol and beer. You will be feeding your enemy the fungus. I also take probiotics and anti-fungals, such as a good multi vitamin, olive leaf extract, oil of oregano, and beta glucan. I took the time to study up on fungus.

My smaller four toes began to clear up completely and the big toes showed big improvement. My big toe nails were more stubborn to clear up. Then in summer of 2006 I started to soak my feet in white vinegar and peroxide for 20 to thirty minutes a day. Wow, my big toes are almost all cleared up! Once they are done then the fungus will have been defeated! But do not let your guard down. Continue with the applications and the foot soakings on not as often. I spray the inside of my shoes with Hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle and then I spray my toes during the day. The fungus has not returned to my smaller four toes. You must STARVE the fungus you have living inside your body, then you must take the anti fungals to ATTACK the fungus living in your body, then finally you must ATTACK the fungus externally with what I described above. It is working for me. I hope it works for you. The science behind this says it will from my research. Best of luck to you and best wishes. Warmest Regards