Natural Remedies for Nail Fungus: Home Treatments

Multiple Remedies

Posted by K4thl33n (Wilts, England) on 02/14/2011
★★★★☆

I have been using Iodine Tincture for athletes foot, a toe nail infection as well as ezcema on my foot. Since using this tincture (2 months) I have noticed a major improvement in the condition of my feet. The toe nail is repairing itself nicely, the ezcema has almost disappeared and as for the athletes foot, I no longer suffer this ailment.

I am also using magnesium oil twice daily and taking selenium tablets 200mg a day, so between the 3 minerals I seem to be getting back to a healthier body. I am also taking Iodoral twice a day which has improved my energy levels as well as the texture of my hair. All in all Iodine is the missing link to what should be good health but is actually being denied because of ignorance and misunderstanding of its multiple properties and benefits.

On top of this I am also in the process of introducing 100% seaweed supplementation for my garden and allotment as it has been seen to improve growth and health all round. I also wonder if the lack of iodine, selenium, magnesium and other trace minerals is also causing the demise of Birds, Bees and Butterflies as well as many other species who all share our one biological factor - a THYROID GLAND!

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Camilla (Istanbul, Turkey) on 02/15/2011

For athletes foot or any other fungi, try bikarbonate of soda. Look it up on Earth Clinic. Take it with maple suryp or honey, you will find lots of different 'recipes' on E.C. A friend of mine resently started taking karbonat of soda and flared up really badly on her feet. She didn't even know she had a fungi in her body. This is normal. It might get a little worse before it gets better. You can also do footbaths with BS.

Ted's Remedies

Posted by Lindsay (Chicago, Il, Usa) on 09/13/2010

I started out doing Ted's remedy for nail fungus six weeks ago. My big toenails were just starting to show signs of fungus with those scratchy white marks. I stopped the bleach step after awhile because the skin around my nails was starting to turn red and break down. About ten days ago I backed off the vinegar/peroxide step to every other day because the problem persisted, but kept the vaseline/tea tree oil on it every day. I started noticing that the fungus only extended halfway down my nail now instead of 2/3 of the way down the nail like it had when I started, but my nails were now very yellow, particularly around the perimeter of the nails. I reduced the vaseline/tea tree oil to once per day because my skin was still so dry and red around my nails and the tea tree oil was drying it out further, and I noticed today that the fungus is now progressing further down my nails than before. What am I doing wrong, and what can I do differently? What has caused my nails to turn yellow? I have had this fungus before, and it progressed much further before, but it never caused my nails to turn quite this shade of yellow, even when it pulled the nail away from the nail bed. Last time I treated it with Lamisil prescribed by my doctor, but since that was only two years ago and I didn't want to take Lamisil every two years, I was hoping for a remedy that doesn't require a prescription or that I take a liver function test first. I am so frustrated. Is there a milder treatment since my nails aren't that far gone yet and my skin is so sensitive?

Ted's Remedies

Posted by Lindsay (Chicago, Il, Usa) on 09/27/2010
★☆☆☆☆

It appears the reason my nails are all yellow now is that this remedy was breaking down my cuticles and the skin around my nails has allowed the fungus to spread to all of my nails. This should NOT be labeled as "better with side effects" since the side effect is that the fungus is now much worse. Based on my previous nail fungus, if I had left it alone, it would have taken months to progress to this point.

Ted's Remedies

Posted by Lindsay (Chicago, Il, Usa) on 03/10/2011

Update: I blame the diluted Clorox for the breakdown around my nails. I do not recommend doing that step unless your nails are so far gone that nothing else works. Here is the version of this remedy I have been using for the last few months (after several trials and errors) that has healthy pink nail finally growing in on every toe: each morning and evening wipe down the nails with the 50/50 vinegar and peroxide solution, then rinse, dry thoroughly, and cover the nails with Vicks vaporub (the Vicks was recommended by my doctor) and sprinkle a foot powder with Micronazole Nitrate over all the toes (I'm not sure how integral the powder part is, but it prevents athlete's foot from being a problem on and around the skin, and it keeps my toes from feeling like they are covered in Vicks vaporub). Since I've been doing this through the winter, my feet have socks and shoes on them almost all the time, but this has not been a problem. A couple of times a week I will soak my (clean) feet in the 50/50 solution for about 15 minutes instead of just wiping them down.

Positive side effect: If you have a problem with rough skin and callouses, the peroxide makes them soft and easy to slough off. Most of my small nails are already grown out, and the large ones are about half-way grown out doing this routine. It is time consuming but I consider it worth it. Doing the routine just once each day didn't have the same effect.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Michele (Orlando, Fl) on 09/13/2009
★☆☆☆☆

I have read all the posts and am trying to rid my fingernails (both thumbs and index fingers) of long term fungal infection. I have used all over the counter remedies, been to my dermatologist who prescribed oral terbinafine for 6 months, which helped a little, but it stopped working when the Dr. stopped the oral med due to possible liver side effects. I make every effort to keep nails clean and dry, trimmed back to apply the topical remedies and still I have off white discolored sections from the end of the nail in half moon shapes toward the matrix of the nail. I clean out the nails with sterile tools but cannot seem to find a cure. Will the Vicks treatment work on fingernails? I read most people had success with toe nails. How do I treat the nails during the work day where I am in an office environment? Help!

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 09/14/2009 490 posts

Hi Michele,

Have your tried painting with iodine at nail bed and I would also try putting some underneath the nail end where it joins the finger. Once daily should do it and once you get those nails back in shape, don't be putting any nail polish on your healthy nails, not even the clear, strengthening type. Potassium iodide (SSKI or Lugol's solution will also work.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Noelle (Minneapolis, Minnesota) on 09/06/2009
★☆☆☆☆

Hope someone can help me out. Since June I've been using one of Ted's remedies for toenail fungus: H202 ACV, let that dry, then Chlorox mixed one cap in 5 oz of water, let dry, then Tea Tree Oil, cover with socks. I already tried 1) Listerine, 2)Listerine & Vinegar, 3) Vicks 4) Tea Tree Oil. I started having some success only after I switched to spraying my toes with 3% H202 and distilled vinegar and upped the amount of Tea Tree oil in my vaseline to more than 50%. As I kept adding more Tea Tree oil, the nails looked better & better. Chlorox got the black streaks out of my toenails. When I occasionally bathe, shower or soak in Borax, the skin around the toes would come off in little sheets with nice new skin underneath. I had a nice line of demarcation where clear white nail was growing in.

But I noticed slight peeling of the skin around the toes when I sprayed the H202 mix.

Well, I suspect I may have made the tea tree solution too strong, because within a couple of days of upping Tea Tree/Vaseline mix, I noticed some painful tiny bubbles around the cuticle of the first & 2nd toes of the right foot. I applied the tea tree oil the next night & morning after spraying my toes and it got worse. I stopped all treatment for a week and did not wear socks to bed, waiting for what I thought was an irritation to cool down. Since I did not want to lose the progress I made, after a week I started using the H202 Vinegar and the tea tree combo again on the left foot only. The skin got irritated and itchy, but the only thing that would stop the itch was the tea tree oil. By this past Tuesday, I was waking up at 3am with the 1st two toes on each foot itching & burning. On Wednesday, I showed my chiropractor the feet to check if any medication I was taking could be causing this; she said she thought it was unrelated, but said when bubbles appear on the toes it was fungus migrating from other parts of the body.

By Thursday morning, I had many more bubbles on my left foot. I went to the movies Thursday afternoon and the foot was driving me crazy -- itchy and tender. When I got home I had a large blister between my 3rd & 4th toes, which I soaked in Espom Salts & Borax, which popped it. I covered the small crater with Aloe & Calendula gel & went to bed. I stayed in on Friday, applied Aloe, which seemed to cool it down. I applied Aloe before I went to work on Saturday morning. By 11 am I could feel lots of tiny blisters forming. When I got home there were lots of tiny blisters on the 1st & 2nd toes of the left foot. I soaked foot in sea salt, which soothed, and applied Aloe, which also soothed. I went out again; when I got home at 8:00pm I had a huge blister between the big toe & 2nd toe. I swear, it looked like a small condom! I soaked it Epsom Salt & Borax, but it would not drain.

I got up this morning, applied salt directly on the blister for 20 minutes, washed it off, bandaged it with Turmeric & Neosporin, then got dressed for church. As I was leaving the blister burst. The skin inside the blister was full of these little bubbles! As of this moment the first two toes are covered with these blisters and there are three more of the big honkers forming as we speak (one on the second toe, two on the big toe.) By the way, I am chugging Turmeric/Cayenne/Pepper/Coconut Oil in V8, and ACV & baking soda, like there's been a run on the market and I can't get any more! I'm also downing Garlic & Olive Leaf. I've lost all the progress I made over the past three months. The big toenail is now yellow and flaky, the toe itself is misshapen from the blisters/infection, and second toe is darkening again.

And all of this happened on my vacation!!! Does anyone have any suggestions? How do I get rid of this? Or at least get this under control. I go back to work on Tuesday; we're not allowed to wear open toed shoes!

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Dora (Volente, Texas) on 09/10/2009

soak your toes in peroxide, fill a bowl up and soak your toes in it.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Diamonds And Solitaire (London) on 11/01/2014

You might have some sort of defficiency. If you don't eat lots of meat then it could be B6 and B12 defficiency. I would not suggest eating meat but up your B6 and B12 levels through supplements. Check your zinc, magnesium, vitamin D levels. 70% population is defficient in Vitamin D. I would suggest having juice of green leafy vegetables everyday. Dino

Lavender Oil

Posted by Happy Nail (Whitefish, Montana) on 08/22/2009
★★★★★

After my immune system was lowered during recovery from surgery, a fungal infection took off in my big toenail. It started as a white mark and progressed into a nasty condition very quickly. I went to a foot doctor and he thought it was not recoverable and was getting ready to do some surgery. However, I opted first to try the medicated nail varnish. This didn't seem to do very much, so in addition to filing the surface of the nail to make it thinner and using the penlac, I started adding a few drops of lavendar oil on a fabric bandaid and would place this on my toenail every day. Very soon I could clearly see new nail starting to grow. This cured the problem! It took a long time, but the bandaid with lavendar oil was quick to do in the morning, and after the months it took for the nail to grow out, it worked and I now have a healthy toenail again :)

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Janneil (Tunapuna, Trinidad And Tobago) on 08/19/2009
★☆☆☆☆

well my case is defintley one of desperation, i believe it started off with me hitting my toe [big toe]it had swollen up and after a few days it came back to normal then, after a few weeks this little end of dicoloured nail appeared i took no heed to it and 5-6months later i still have it but it has nearly taken over half my nail it is yellowish white my nails always tend to go extremely fast so it keeps growing out pinkish but gets reinfected as the fungus travels down to the new nail. my remidies were boric acid and vaseline,then 2nail fungus removers one which was fungi cure this one worked a little but the fungus is still here and constantly for 2months now teat ree oil, it absoulutly did nothing ,it has been so difficult for me i dont ever wear nail polish but just to hide it i started, my mom told me to stop it because it may make it worse so today it was confirmed that it does make it worse.i will now try some of your methods the clorox tea tree oil thing and see what happens then i will try the ACV the results seem promising i will also keep the site of my updates, thank you

Bleach

Posted by jenn4875 (Houston, Texas) on 07/06/2009
★★★★☆

My husband has had toenail fungus for about 6yrs. I started looking up home remedies and heard about tea tree oil, bleach, vics, vinegar, and so on. We tried them individually with ok results. One night we decided to try a combination to see what happens. We put a drop of bleach followed by a drop of tree oil then vics. We covered the feet with socks and he slept with it on. He said it burned some, but not too bad. I have to say, we have gotten the best results by doing this. Every day the area we put it on has turned an orange color and is now soft and comes right off. I have experimented some to see if it's just the bleach and vics or tree oil and vics and so on, but nothing gives results like the combination of the 3. I am recently seeing sights using ACV and I think I'm going to try that too. It seems people are having very good results with that as well. I'll post again in a couple weeks with my results. We have been using this treatment for about a month so far. Good luck with whatever treatment you use.

Grapefruit Seed Extract

Posted by Kate (Minneapolis, MN) on 06/24/2009
★★★★☆

Does anybody know about the effectiveness of grapefruit seed extract for nail fungus? I have used it for a couple of years. It did seem to slow the fungus but not get rid of it. Now I apply it during the day after soaking my toes in ACV (see my previous post).

Cornmeal

Posted by rcw8888 (Santa Monica, CA) on 06/12/2009
★★★★☆

having some success, for toenail fungus, soaking an hour in cornmeal and warm water. Exact directions are:

line bottom of flat plastic pan with cornmeal one inch and add 1 inch warm water for one half hour, then add enuf warm water to cover your toenails and put your feet in for one hour. Do this once a week. Results in about a year.

Faster, comprehensive solutions will involve eating totally alkaline. Am also trying MMS topically plus DMSO with questionable results. Tried MMS internally 15 drops, 3x per day for 2 weeks as prescribed and have overal improvement in health but uncertain it affected toenails just yet.

Richard

Cornmeal

Posted by Steve S (Portland OR) on 10/20/2021

To the OP or the broader community:

1 — What does MMS stand for?

2 — What is “eating totally alkaline “?

Baking Soda and Maple Syrup

Posted by Janice (Coloma, Mi) on 05/24/2009

I just tried making a batch of this. I didn't have a real small pot and figured 4 tsp is really not very much so I tried to make it in a metal measuring cup (1/2 cup). I couldn't cook it the five minutes because it foamed up so high I had to take it off the burner. What a hoot! Next time I'll try it in the full cup or buy a really small pot. It's in the freezer now. Hopefully it will come out o.k.

EC: Please let us know if it cures nail fungus.. very curious!

Baking Soda and Maple Syrup

Posted by Rena (Mineral Bluff, Georgia) on 05/30/2009
★☆☆☆☆

Hi Whisper From Timmins,

I did this recipe to the T for 5 days and still did not notice a difference, and by no means cured. Did your nail fungus get cured after 3 days or did you just notice a difference? At this point I have to give your remedy a big nay. I also remember Janice from Coloma was doing this recipe as well, I would like to hear back from her on this as well, Peace, Rena.

Baking Soda and Maple Syrup

Posted by Linda (Clinton, Iowa) on 06/04/2009

Hi, I just wanted to know do you think this treatment would also work for candida?

Baking Soda and Maple Syrup

Posted by Sim (Portland, OR) on 06/09/2009

I wonder if blackstrap molasses would work as well as maple syrup as a trojan horse for the baking soda? For one thing, it is way cheaper than maple syrup (anyone notice how the price almost doubled last year when there was a supposed poor yield, but have not come back down at all??), but also this method of heating and allowing to cool and harden and then cutting off a piece in solid form might make the taking of BSM on a daily basis easier for those of us who really have a hard time taking the stuff in liquid form.

Is there any reason why the BSM might prove a less effective trojan horse in which to conceal the baking soda than the maple syrup?

Would the nutrients in the BSM be adversely affected by bringing the BSM to a boil in the manner described?

Thanks!

Sim

Baking Soda and Maple Syrup

Posted by Whisper (Timmins, Ontario Canada) on 05/21/2009
★★★★★

Fungus and Cancer:

I've used baking soda and maple syrup to cure fungus that I had on my big toe. In a matter of 3 days of taking one batch of this every day I saw the difference.

What I did, in a small pot I put 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 3 tsp of maple syrup I heated it up on medium (setting at 5) then reduced to 3 to allow it to boil for 5 minutes in all. Do not try to double the recipe otherwise you take away the effectiveness. Before it cools down too much I transfer onto a sandwich bag (not sure if this is wise, but that's what I've used so far) and I've put it in the freezer for about 3 to 4 minutes to let it cool and once cooled it comes off the plastic very easily, now don't let it sit in freezer too long otherwise it'll get real hard. Check it often and when it comes off then its ready to make into small pieces, I find its like making toffee, I twist it so that it looks equal lengthtwise and then take the scissors and cut into small sizes, once that is done I then take half of what I've cut and swallow them down with water. Some have eaten it straight from the pot I can't handle the taste and it seems to work just as well.

I learned this at another site and was wanting to share it since I've gained so much more from this site. APPARENTLY, HEATING it is VERY important. the molecules of the salts and sugars must be bonded by heat. THE FUNGUS OR CANCER loves the sugars of the syrup but then the attached sodium bicarbonate is A LETHAL TROJAN HORSE. I didn't use this for cancer but this information was given along with the fungus.

Iodine

Posted by Dm (Parker, Co) on 12/30/2011

For the dyshidrosis skin infection - I fought this for almost a year thinking it was just eczema... In the end what took care of it, in about a week's time, was Absorbine Jr and Tinactin. Great combo for dyshidrosis

Vicks

Posted by AL (DALLAS, TX, USA) on 04/21/2009

FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, NAIL IS DEAD TISSUE. IF YOU WANT TO GET TO THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM, IT MUST DONE INTERNALLY. PILLS BY PRESCRIPTION FROM YOUR DR. VICKS MIGHT KILL THE PRESENT NAIL BUT THE FUNGUS IS STILL IN YOUR SYSTEM. AGAIN, THIS IS MY OPINION.

Vicks

Posted by Christina (Battle Mountain, Nevada) on 03/31/2012
★★★★★

I had been trying multiple remedies but I only seemed to be keeping the fungus at bay rather than actually killing it completly. Then I added vicks to my other remedies and slowly stopped all other remedies except for the vicks and my two infected nails are doing great. Also I had the fungus for almost 6 years on one nail and about 18 months on the other. I read somewhere that it is the thymol that makes it so effective, don't know if its true. Good luck everyone!!

Vicks

Posted by Elizabeth (Shelby, Nc) on 05/04/2012

I tried a product similar to Vicks called Raleigh Salve. It has been around my whole life, and I figured it would work the same as Vicks, and it does. I had a fungus on a small section of my big toe, and I started using it twice a day. Within one day I could see a difference in it. It looks like it is repairing my toe nail from the inside out. It almost looks completely normal. Thank you for the information.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Sally (Toronto, ON) on 04/19/2009

My BF who has been neglecting the toe nail fungus for a couple of years has finally come to the realization that it's not only affecting his toes but possibly his health as well. I read all the posts of others' experiences then went to the natural health store. After a lengthy discussion with the store assistant (who had experienced a mild case of toe nail fungus herself), I bought the following based on her recommendation and the posts I read. My BF started the treatment yesterday:

Probiotics - 1 capsule 2 x/day with meals to re-balance the body's intestinal flora
silica gel - 1 Tbsp per day to strengthen the new nails to come (BF has v. brittle, thin nails)
ACV - sipping approx 2 tsp in 1 lg glass water 3x per day

I have also told BF he needs to cut out the sugars, acidic foods as much as possible. Our diet is pretty healthy, but with the fungus, I think it wouldn't hurt to be more mindful.
----------
Soak feet 2x per day (morning and night) in hot water bath for 10 mins and wash w/ natural anti-bacterial soap. Dry feet and apply cotton pad soaked w/ 50/50 ACV & hydrogen peroxide. Remove after 15 mins. and apply iodine drops and then neem oil (I was told it's stronger than tea tree). We're going to change the procedure in the evening and tape a cotton soaked pad w/ the 50/50 ACV & hydrogen peroxide on the toes overnight.

There was no pinching or fizzing the first night the ACV/hydrogen peroxide was applied as a few people mentioned in their posts.

The ACV used was not _____'s but an unpasteurized, unfiltered one from a local Ontario apple orchard.

Will report back on the results in a week.

Ted's Remedies

Posted by Lisa (Boston, MA) on 04/17/2009
★☆☆☆☆

I've been trying Ted's remedy for fingernail fungus for over a week and the fungus is still spreading on that nail. If this is going to work, how soon should I see progress? Any other suggestions? Should I clip away the detached fingernail?

Thanks,
Lisa

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Diana (London, Uk) on 10/14/2009

how to avoid touching the skin???!!!!

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Vicky Lindsay (Naples, Fl) on 10/30/2024

Someone mentioned food grade peroxide for nail fungus. It comes in different strengths. Which one is recommended please?

Vicks

Posted by Beth (Memphis, TN) on 03/05/2009
★☆☆☆☆

I've read through the nail fungus posts and have heard previously about Vick's working; however, I've been using it for quite a while now on my nail (big toe toenail) (applied at night before bed, put on a sock), and nothing is happening. My problem is that the fungus is at the base of my nail. How do I get to it?? It seems that a large portion of the nail is dead and detatched from the skin towards the top of the nail, so I'm hoping whatever I apply will soak through that opening. I don't think it's working, though. Should I try and cut away what looks like the dead portion of the nail and go from there? Will anything soak through the nail to get to the base?

Vicks

Posted by Nancy (Sunnyvale, Ca) on 08/07/2009

you just have to be patient..and u will see improvement..it sounds like you want to see it overnight..but it doesnt work that way..so just wait..

Vicks

Posted by Ascha4 (Springfield, Il) on 10/22/2009

What I did was grabbed a new, small makeup brush that had an angled edge, it was just one I had gotten in a free kit somewhere. I dabbed that in the vicks and then shoved it as far under my nail as I could get it, hoping to attack it at the base. I also rubbed the vicks all around the outside of my nail. I've already seen improvement. I also apply it before I get into the shower to keep the water out, then reapply it after the shower when everything is dry again. Hope that helps.

Vicks

Posted by Bee (Lima) on 02/17/2013

Cut the corners off a plastic grocery bag, slather your toes in vicks, put a corner of the bag over your toes than a sock to hold in place.

Listerine

Posted by Nancy (Farmington, Michigan ) on 07/13/2024

How does one disinfect a toothbrush and nail file? In what solution? And how long do you keep the toothbrush and file in the solution?

Lemongrass Essential Oil

Posted by Carolyn (Northwest, OH) on 11/14/2008
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

There seems to be a lot of confusion about using Lemongrass oil for nail fungus. I too decided to try it last summer. I had never used essential oils before and was ignorant about proper dilutions. I applied the oil straight out of the bottle to all my nails on both fingers and toes. I applied it twice a day for less than a month. Then I started to have a reaction: I got a very bad rash and had degloving of my fingertips. I was very discouraged because I saw my nails growing out healthy. I stopped that treatment and am now using a diluted blend of different oils (will report back if this new blend works--so far so good).

However, if you wish to try Lemongrass oil, here is how to Properly Dilute the Essential Oil:

Pick a carrier oil such as coconut or grapeseed oil. Measure out one ounce (30 mL) of your carrier oil and add 12 drops only of the essential oil. This will make a 2% dilution.

Never apply undiluted essential oils to the skin until you are sure you will not have a reaction. For nail fungus, it is common to continue applying the oil treatment until the nail is completely grown out: up to a year. So be sure you are not allergic to the oil before you commit to using it!

Vicks

Posted by Mercy (Woodland Hills, Ca) on 10/28/2008
★★★★★

I recently just googled to see what I can do to get rid of some toe nail fungus. I was using bleach and some over the counter cream and it was working slowly. But I made the mistake of getting a pedicure nad painting my toes. Well it just ran wild. So I saw that using vapor rub worked. So I bought a generic brand at Walmart...same active ingredients and I started using it day and night. I would apply it and put socks on for bed and in the morning right after my shower. I already see the difference. I cannot believe it. My feet are also becoming real smooth. So I let my mom know because she has it real bad too and we are both seeing a lot of improvement. the nail seems to already starting to grow out smooth. I wish more people knew about this so they could stop wasting their time buying expensive creams and medication. I have already been using it for over a week and I am already seeing the difference. I will see at the end of the one tub I bought if I really see any changes. I will keep you posted.

Listerine

Posted by Karen (Maryland Hts, Mo) on 08/27/2016

How many days do is the Listerine soak needed to cure athletes foot fungus? How many times a day did you soak? What about the type of fungus that causes the really thick, cracked heels that hurt very badly? My husband has this problem and his terribly rough feet wear holes in our fitted bed sheets. I have to replace or repair the sheets every 6 months or less. His heel callouses are about 1-1&1/2" thick. Please advise.