8 Natural Home Remedies To Get Rid of Warts

While warts generally are not painful, they are irritating and unsightly. Benign skin growths, warts are caused by viruses which infect the upper layer of skin and increase the growth rate, resulting in one or more warts. Most warts come from HPV (the human papillomavirus) and are contracted after cut or damaged skin encounters the virus on someone else’s skin. You can also contract the virus from indirect contact like sharing towels or razors.

Anyone can be susceptible to warts, but some people are more so than others. Children, the elderly, and anyone else with a weakened immune system are particularly at risk.
Each kind of wart looks a little different and will manifest in different physical locations. Check out what type of wart you have below.

Common warts – These are rough, grayish brown and dome-shaped. They generally manifest on the hands.

Flat warts – These can be tricky to identify because they vary in appearance and location. They are small, flat topped warts that may appear brown, pink, or yellow. They show up on the arms, legs, and face.

Plantar warts – These can be painful when you put pressure on them and, since they grow on the bottoms of the feet, it’s hard not to put pressure on them. They’re thick and rough and have dark specks.

Periungual warts – These warts are restricted to the areas around the fingernails and toenails.

Filiform warts – These flesh-colored warts generally show up on the face, near the nose, mouth, or chin. They have thin, string-like growths that grow out of them.
Now that you can identify them, you are ready to learn how to treat them. You don’t have to live with the embarrassment and discomfort of these unsightly blemishes on your hands, legs, face, or anywhere else. There are plenty of easy, effective tricks for getting rid of them.

The following is a list of 8 effective home remedies for wart removal.

1. Vitamin C

Use a mortar and pestle to grind a vitamin C tablet then use water or lemon juice to make the powder into a paste. Water will work for this, but lemon juice adds an extra dose of vitamin C and its acid content helps to eradicate the virus. Cover the wart with the paste. Use tape or a bandage to ensure that the paste isn’t disturbed and reapply this mixture daily, as needed. You can also use vitamin E in this way. Simply break open a capsule and empty it into a cup then mix in some liquid to make a paste.

2. Stop the spread

Because warts are caused by a virus, they can spread from place to place and from person to person. If you have a wart, do not touch it. And if you do touch it, make sure to wash your hands afterwards with soap and water before touching anything, or anyone, else. The last thing you want to see is another wart popping up a few days later.

3. Aloe Vera

Pure Aloe Vera contains malic acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid used in skin-care products. Studies have shown that malic acid can eliminate wrinkles, reduce acne, support collagen production, and help the body shed dead skin cells when applied topically. Use fresh aloe if possible by breaking off a small piece from the plant and rubbing the gel on the affected area. If you don’t have access to fresh aloe, use the purest form available. Cover the wart after applying the aloe.

4. Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is like a miracle elixir when it comes to home remedies and it can even help with warts. It won’t actually kill the virus that causes the wart, but its high acidity undermines the skin growth that makes up the physical wart. Once the wart deteriorates enough to peel away from the skin, it will most likely take the virus with it.

As you apply this process, there will most likely be accompanying swelling and soreness. This is to be expected and is perfectly normal but, of course, you can temporarily suspend treatment if it is too uncomfortable. Assuming you proceed without difficulty, your wart should darken significantly before it falls off. Don’t be alarmed by its change in appearance. Don’t pull the wart off, wait for it to separate itself from your skin, or you risk leaving the core of the wart behind.

5. Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil is an essential oil widely used in homeopathic remedies, cosmetic products, and the pharmaceutical industry for its antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties. Tea tree oil is recognized as a natural treatment for skin problems because it eliminates bacteria, fungi, and infection while reducing redness and inflammation. Apply tea tree oil directly to your wart and then cover it. Try mixing in frankincense or clove oil for an added boost.

6. basil

Basil contains antiviral properties. By attacking the underlying virus, basil helps to remove the wart quickly. Simply crush about ¼ cup of fresh basil leaves and apply them directly to the wart. Cover this with a cloth or bandage. Reapply every day. It should take 1-2 weeks before the wart is removed.

7. Soak in Pineapple Juice

Pineapple contains acids and enzymes that will literally dissolve the wart. This process may sting in the beginning as the pineapple juice literally eats away at the tissue. Just soak your wart for a few minutes each day in pure pineapple juice, then pat dry.

8. Honey

Honey is naturally antiviral and antibacterial. If you can, use Organic Manuka honey, from New Zealand, because it is particularly potent while remaining chemically stable. Any organic honey should do the trick, though. Smothering the wart, you deprive it of oxygen. This should kill it. It employs the same logic as using duct tape but honey serves as a better adhesive and does not introduce chemicals to the site of irritation. Plus, honey’s antiviral and antibacterial properties promote healing while attacking the virus causing the wart