Earth Clinic Mobile: Home Remedies for People and Pets

Borax for Jock Itch

5 star (3)		75%
4 star (1)		25%

Joel R. (Philadelphia, Pa) on 01/14/2018:
5 out of 5 stars

I've tried nearly every cure for jock itch so far (except rubbing alcohol). MMS just made it terribly worse. Coconut oil was doing nothing. Vinegar worked for some hours but burned like hell. Lemongrass oil worked longer but burned even worse.

Then I tried topical Borax. Not only is it extremely effective, but it doesn't burn at all! Why on earth are pharmacies selling all these lame antifungal creams that barely do anything, when Borax is the real solution? What is wrong with the way knowledge is spread in this world?

Kathi (New Brunswick, Nj) on 02/21/2016:
5 out of 5 stars

Yea for borax! I get occasional jock itch, for me it is associated with exercise/sweating and then not changing soon enough. After reading all of the Earth Clinic suggestions I tried this one and it works wonderfully to control the problem: apply straight borax powder to the affected area. I now keep a small spice jar with borax in my bathroom and use when needed.

Merk (Frigid, Land O' Ice) on 06/26/2013:
4 out of 5 stars

Jock Itch: Buy a box of Borax (the old "20 Mule Team").

Fill an old pill container with the borax and store the rest of the box. A whole box of Borax will be enough to last many years.

After your shower, while the skin is still damp, dip a finger in the jar of Borax and dab it on the affected areas. If fungus is in the groin area, one finger dip per side. You need very very little of this stuff, a small pill bottle full lasts me months.

Fungus thrives in dark, damp high pH environments. The Borax is boric acid and applying this to the skin lowers the pH of the skin making it slightly acidic (the way skin should be) and inhospitable to the fungus.

Do this once a day after your shower and continue as an everyday routine. The athletes foot or jock itch will be gone in about two days. However, if you skip a couple of days it will come roaring back.

Bigguy (Iowa City, Ia) on 09/24/2010:
5 out of 5 stars

Tea tree oil worked for me on jock itch a couple of times where over the counter remedies failed. But the last time I tried it, I got a rash all over that wouldn't go away until I stopped using tea tree oil. Apparently, that is not an uncommon side-effect. A couple of weeks ago, I went for a run and kept my sweaty shorts and socks on while doing some yard work. By the end of the day, that old, familiar itch was back. Baah! After going through a couple of expensive tubes of Lamisil (and finding the relief to be increasingly fleeting), I found the discussion of Borax cures on this site. I knew that Borax was good for removing the mildew smell from old gym clothes, so I decided to give it a try. I dissolved about a cup of Borax in a big pot of hot water (maybe two gallons). I dipped a microfiber car rag in it (a wash cloth would do, if your wife doesn't mind you getting too familiar with it :)), and applied it to the affected area for a few minutes. Then I soaked my feet in the rest of the solution for half an hour. It felt great -- about a 60% improvement after one day, and 90% after two days. By day three, it's virtually cured, but I will keep it up for a few more days to make sure it's knocked out. There's no more itching or redness around my privates, and no more peeling skin on my feet. Be sure to toss a little Borax into your laundry to kill the tinea fungus on your socks and shorts. I also applied a bit of boric acid powder in the morning, as Wikipedia said it's effective for jock itch. I also figured that the alkaline Borax and acidic boric acid might deliver a 1-2 punch against any skin problems.

P. S., I have also suspended taking my hypertension medication (Lisinopril, an ACE inhibitor) until I'm sure this is cleared up. I found it would make me sweat more when exercising or eating spicy food. Staying dry is essential!

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