Nail Fungus
Natural Remedies

Natural Remedies for Nail Fungus: What Works, Why Nails Thicken, and How to Heal Them

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Bleach
Posted by Cottin (Philadelphia, Pa) on 08/21/2009
★★★★★

bleach for foot fungus......i used a cap full of bleach in a gallon of water in my foot spa. i have been suffering from a bad foot fungus, not on my toes but on the bottom of my feet in the middle portion. i soak one day and used a puma stone to get the hard skin off, WHAT AMAZING RESULTS IN ONE DAY.I SOAKED FOR 1/2 HR. IN THE BLEACH DILUTED IN WATER THEN RINSED OFF IN WARM WATER...... I DID IT THE NEXT DAY... OH MY I AM REALLY RELIEVED.


Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by John (Pahoa, HI 96778) on 05/20/2021 6 posts
★★★★★

I recently began treatment with hydrogen peroxide after having lived with chronic toenail fungus for over 20 years. I used 6% H202 to soak my feet for 20 minutes each night for a month. As the fungus was killed off the damaged part of the nail softened and peeled off painlessly. I switched to borax soaks, and the nails are thinner and clearing. I still soak on alternate days and apply Kerasal and now the nails are normal except for the length in only 2 months!

Vitamin E Oil
Posted by Jamberry (Usa) on 06/29/2017
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Vitamin E oil works for me. Of the top ten nail fungus remedies, I have tried all but bleach and garlic (and I already eat an anti-candida diet). When I remembered reading about vitamin E oil, I added that to my nightly routine. Get a cheap bottle with lots of capsules. Pierce one with a safety pin then squeeze onto toe nail as described above. (The oil comes out easier if the capsule has been left on the counter for a while.) I do this twice a day when I am home and wearing sandals all day. If need to wear socks when going out, I put more oil on after I get home and back into sandals. At night I wear moisture-wicking socks (not cotton) and try to keep my feet out from under the covers so no moisture builds up on my toes. One-third of one toe is perfectly clear, and one-fourth of the other big toe is perfectly clear, after four months of treatment. I use Vicks under a bandaid if I must be in socks for several hours or more.

Bleach
Posted by Js (New York, Ny) on 06/14/2014
★★★★★

I am on my second month of soaking my toes in bleach and water to see if I can get rid of nail fungus on one of my feet. It seems to be working. FINALLY! I have tried every other nail fungus treatment on the planet, including laser treatment, to no avail.

I read about the bleach cure from someone on Earth Clinic. I have been using Chlorox bleach (regular, not the splashless one)... about 1/2 cup to a half gallon of hot water in a large plastic bucket (the kind you'd use for mopping the floor). I soak my foot for at least 1/2 hour, sometimes more, once or twice a week. I make sure to dry off my foot with a white towel and then hop to the bathroom to wash off any remaining bleach so I don't turn our carpets white!

If I fly, I make sure to do the bleach treatment on my foot the day before flying in each direction if possible.

Will update again in a few months, but so far, thumbs up on this cure.

Bleach
Posted by PayItForward (PNW) on 11/23/2024 69 posts
★★★★★

Edited 12/27/24 at 11:48 pm
An alternative to soaking is to simply paint it on full strength. Only the nail, including the nail bed, like you're painting with nail polish. Take a little (makeup) brush and dip it into the bleach and paint 2-3X daily. That's it. Maybe a total of 2 weeks if done daily. I'm doing it now so I can update later but so far so good and it's been 4 days. I think daily consistency is crucial. It absorbs and dries quickly. Additionally, you can gently file down some of the fungus - in my case it was white. Filing it down (carefully) left a powder residue you can wipe off with a damp paper towel (you can feel when it becomes sensitive). It's recommended to use disposable paper towels when dealing with fungus to avoid cross contamination elsewhere.

UPDATE: It worked beautifully! I missed a few days so for good measure I applied it for 3 weeks, at least twice daily. Can't believe how thorough and fast this worked. My sister had a toe nail fungus for years. This remedied it in less than one month. A healthy pink nail has grown out in place. Super happy!


Castor Oil
Posted by Gman (Alabama) on 10/20/2018 6 posts
★★★★★

Castor oil is so easy to use and works better than anything I have ever used. Just apply it to your toenails and toes. It penetrates the skin and the nails.


Castor Oil
Posted by Gman (Alabama) on 09/17/2018 6 posts
★★★★★

Castor Oil is the best thing to cure nail fungus. I've tried so many other cures and none of them worked. Castor Oil penetrates deep into the skin and is useful for skin problems, such as cysts. It's amazing to see all the useful problems it can be used for. It's oily but it cures.


Essential Oils
Posted by Marie (Manchester ) on 05/02/2018
★★★★★

I've suffered with it for years ive tried over the counter ointments from pharmacy none are that effective it takes for ever to get an improvement. I tried Oregano and Clove Oil Essential Oils they both kill fungal and viral bacteria. I also added Carrot Seed Essential Oil to encourage the skin to heal and reatach to new growth on toe nail. I used Coconut Oil as a carrier oil. I cut the nail right back to take away the home for fungus (I know you are meant to leave it at it can cause in growing toe nail in new growth).

I had instant relief from pain in my nails cause new growth happened rapidly. Now 3 months on, I have healthy pink toe nails and I'm not embarrassed to get out in public. New toe nail growth has attached to my toe for the first time in 10 years.


D3, K1 + K2
Posted by Steve (Nv) on 07/22/2017
★★★★★

Toenail fungus is usually a symptom of the body's inability to heal itself. Try taking 20,000 IU of vitamin D3 and K1/K2 supplement. It will raise your body's ability to fight off the fungus internally. There's a real problem in out country with people that are getting sick because of a lack of sunlight which creates D3 in body. If you don't get enough sunlight daily your body weakens and becomes more susceptible to all of the viruses, funguses, infections etc.


Iodine
Posted by Tg (Oklahoma, US) on 09/22/2014
★★★★★

The first time I experienced toenail fungus, years ago, I tried tea tree oil without success. I eventually saw a doctor who prescribed Lamisil pills for 24 weeks. That worked. The second time I had a fungus infected toenail, over 10 years later, I applied iodine. A single drop in the morning. Probably another at bedtime (I don't recall now). Iodine worked brilliantly! Without risking liver damage (i.e., Lamisil).

Iodine
Posted by Quercus (Cucamonga, Ca) on 01/29/2013
★★★★★

My wife and I found that taking Lugols orally has resulted in clearing up both of our toe nail fungus problems. We try to take at least 5 mg /day.


Vicks
Posted by Robert (Naples, Florida) on 01/20/2008
★★★★★

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 1 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 1/2 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.

Bleach
Posted by Eric (Houston) on 10/10/2006
★★★★★

Vics = nothing, but bleach toenail fungus if it could penetrate the nail (See below). I have fungus -- 3 toes on one foot, and two on another and I tried the vapor rub fairly diligently with no success for several months. I gave up and wasn't putting anything on it for a while then the big toe nail got bumped on a couch and came completely off, so I tried some bleach on all toes for several months. The big toe is about 80% grown in looking healthy, while the others nails don't look any better. I concluded that the bleach absolutely works, but doesn't penetrate the nails well. So I think the next step will be to file off as much of the other nails as I possibly can and see what that does


Black Walnut Tincture
Posted by GH (BC, Canada) on 06/24/2025
★★★★★

I have completely cured my own and another person's fungal nails (big toes) using black walnut tincture. Fill a jar with green walnuts with the husks on, fill remaining space in jar with Everclear grain alcohol, seal and let sit, shaking maybe once a week or so. In one case the toe was dipped into a shot glass of the tincture for a few minutes each morning, in the other simply applied with a dropper once a day. Die-off was fastest with the immersion, but some inflammation occurred. This was easily resolved by immersion in Common Plantain tincture made by gathering the leaves and blending to pulp in a solution of grain alcohol (Everclear) Plantago Major or Common Plantain is extraordinarily effective for healing and infections and should always be on hand: make the tincture in summer for winter use when the plant is not available.

Fenbendazole
Posted by Tyler (Canada) on 02/23/2024
★★★★★

For the toe nail fungus. Use fenbendazole with a drop or two of Liquid dmso. You don't have to overdo it. Just rub this around and under the nail and a little on the toe. Put a little on the other nails too for good measure. Fenbendazole in the tube found at feed lots and typically given to horses is what I used. One tube should do the trick. Just a little bit twice a day till it clears up. I usually put a drop on a q tip of dmso then a pinch of the fenbendazole paste and rub it around.



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