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10 Natural Home Remedies for Athlete’s Foot
It’s itchy, it burns, and it’s just downright unsightly: Athlete’s foot is a common problem that unfortunately can spread like wildfire, rear it’s ugly head rapidly, and be a stubborn ailment to rid yourself of. If you’re experiencing a little athlete’s foot, you’re not alone. Luckily there are many all-natural, at-home remedies that can not only sooth the an ailing athlete’s foot, but can rid it too.
The Symptoms
Athlete’s foot is generally identified as red, cracked, and scaly skin on the foot. This irritated skin is often itchy and sometimes is raw and painful. Athlete’s foot often appears in between the toes and on the soles and sides of the feet. In severe cases, it can spread to other parts of the foot and even appear under the toenails.
The Cause
Athlete’s foot is a fungus which lives in dead layers of skin on our feet and destroys keratin. It’s medical name is tinea pedis.
This fungus likes warm, moist places. Sweaty shoes and socks are a common breeding ground. For this reason, people who tend to have sweaty feet are more susceptible.
Athlete’s foot is highly contagious and can be spread both by direct and indirect contact. Unfortunately, this means that gym locker rooms, public showers, swimming pools, and anywhere people walk around with bare feet is a high-risk area when it comes to the spreading of this fungus.
If you have athlete’s foot, this fungus is contagious to others and to other areas on your body. Be careful not to rub infected areas and always sanitize your hands after any contact. To avoid spreading the fungus to your family, wear footwear, wash well, and get rid of it as soon as possible!
10 All Natural At-Home Remedies for Athlete’s Foot
Now that you know exactly what you’re dealing with, you’re on your way to busting this troublesome fungus. Here are a few easy, natural, and fairly cheap ways to say goodbye to athlete’s foot. Make sure to read the whole list, because many of these hacks and precautions can work in tandem to provide an effective and quick remedy.
1. Dry your feet out. After showering and bathing, make sure to thoroughly dry your feet. You may even want to use a hairdryer in extreme cases as it is really effective at getting the spaces in between your toes dry. Expose your feet to air and sunlight as much as possible.
2. Gear up to stay dry. Always wear clean white socks. They should be made of natural fiber since these are the best at absorbing moisture. If you’re a heavy sweater, change your socks throughout the day to make sure your feet stay dry.
3. Avoid moisture in your shoes. Wear breathable shoes made out of canvas or leather. Skip on any rubber or plastic shoes which trap in heat, encourage sweat, and accommodate fungal growth. Just as changing your socks throughout the day can help keep the feet dry, so can changing your shoes.
4. Disinfect your shoes. Use a natural anti fungal powder or spray to kill spores and disinfect your shoes with something moderately powerful. Gold Bond or baking soda can dry out your shoes, and crushed aspirin can be a great solution for drying and treating infected areas.
5. Keep your feet covered when in public. Wear shoes or slippers in shared spaces where others are barefoot. Swimming pools, showers, gyms, etc
6. Arm up with baking soda. Keep baking soda handy as it is a great odor absorber and can also relieve itches and burns on your skin.
7. Try a therapeutic soak. For some much needed itch relief and TLC, try a beneficial foot soak. Try one (or a few) of the soaks listed below.
-Add a few tablespoons of salt to warm water and soak for 10 to 15 minutes.
-Another great soak is with tea. The tannic acids work well to dry out the feet, so steep a few bags in some boiling water, wait for it to cool to a warm to lukewarm temperature, and then soak for around 30 minutes.
-Grapefruit seed oil is known to be a powerful fungus repellant. Mix about 10 drops in a cup of water and either let feet soak in this solution for 5 minutes, or put into a spray bottle for a quick spritz once or twice a day. You can also spray a little on socks and in your shoes for a more thorough effect.
-Mustard seeds contain powerful anti-fungal properties and will help you combat your athlete’s foot. Treat yourself to a soak by adding a bit of mustard powder to some warm water. Soak your feet for 30 minutes and try this method twice a day.
8. Treat with tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is a great athlete’s foot hack. This powerful antiseptic will stop the fungus in its tracks. Add a dab of a few drops of this potent stuff two times per day. -Pro tip: If you add a drop of olive oil to this mix, the skin has a better chance to soak up the tea tree oil. Aloe gel can work in a similar way to olive oil if you have some around the house.
9. Rub it out with garlic. Garlic is a powerful player when it comes to fighting fungi, so treating your athlete’s foot to a pungent garlic rub could help take care of the spread of the fungus. Take some raw and slightly crushed garlic and rub on the irritated skin. Take some more and rub around surrounding areas.
10. Adjust your diet. Believe it or not, a change in your diet can balance the levels of bacteria your body produces and help you control and rid yourself of athlete’s foot. Adding foods such as garlic, grapeseed oil, yogurt, and apple cider vinegar are beneficial. Sugar and carbs are important to the growth of a fungus, so avoid these foods as much as possible to discourage the spread of your athlete’s foot.
