Natural Remedies to Treat Athlete's Foot Effectively

I have a nasty case of Moccasin type Athlete's Foot. The entire front portion of the soles of both feet (from the top of the arches forward) exhibited a thick fungal scaling. I have had it for many months, probably over a year by now. I don't like using the OTC creams and since the itching initially was only in the evenings and only when I walked in tennis shoes for a long period I had been (to my regret) ignoring it. The arrival of summer's heat led to intense daily itching anytime my feet perspired.

I researched alternative treatments and decided to give vinegar and garlic a try. Distilled White Vinegar (4%) (DWV) was initially used because my local grocery store didn't carry any Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV).

Both feet were soaked (undiluted) for 5-15 minutes (10 minute average) twice a day and 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic were eaten twice a day. Having read that Moccasin cases are much more resistant to treatment, I thought garlic with its potent anti-fungal properties would promote faster recovery. I also started walking around in thongs only.

The DWV soaks alleviated the itching immediately. No significant improvement in appearance was seen until the morning of the 8^th day. I switched to ACV (5%) soaks (undiluted) that evening to see how it would work. The ACV was less harsh than the DWV and left my skin feeling very soft. A little improvement was seen nearly every day thereafter.

The garlic seemed to help. While continuing soaking I discontinued the garlic for two days and my feet didn't show any improvement. I resumed the garlic and the next day my feet looked much better. It may not be necessary for everyone but in my resistant Moccasin case it seemed a benefit.

A little tip: Garlic is very harsh -- don't take it on an empty stomach! On two occasions I did and immediately threw it up. When taken with a good sized meal it wasn't a problem. To make it easier on my stomach in the second week I reduced my garlic to 1-2 cloves per day, which seemed adequate. Luckily I wasn't one of those people that develop an odor problem while consuming garlic.

Another tip: -- make sure during your soaks that you don't rest your feet on the bottom of the container. Doing so can press the toes together and keep the vinegar from contacting the recesses between the toes and the soles of the feet. The same vinegar was used for several soaks in a row, which didn't seem to hamper its effectiveness.

I think long soaks are unnecessary. Beyond 10-15 minutes they often just irritated the skin and didn't seem to hasten recovery. Shorter multiple daily soaks seemed more effective than longer less frequent ones. Yesterday I soaked my feet about 5 times and upped my garlic to 2 cloves twice a day. Today my feet appeared much better. It has been 15 days and my feet are about 90% improved. Most of the scaling on the soles and under the toes is gone.

I have a fungal infection in the toenail of one toe. Unfortunately, I have to report that there has been little improvement in appearance. I don't know if the nail has to grow out before the toenail looks better or if it is not working. Will have to wait and see.

If you elect to treat your Athlete's Foot with ACV and garlic be patient. Long standing and/or Moccasin cases may take weeks to completely heal. I will post again later to update my progress.

I would like to add my voice in endorsing Vetericyn for athlete's foot. I bought the Vetericyn that is formulated as a hydrogel. I have been dealing with athlete's foot for well over a decade; most likely much longer. Recently it flared up causing the usual lesions between toes becoming swollen and somewhat painful to walk around on. The fungus had, over the years, affected my left foot and the skin was dry and cracking to the point of bleeding. I read the post I am replying to and decided to try this product since I had worked with about everything else with mixed results. In using this product for only about two weeks it has been a most remarkable result. The athlete's foot lesions between my toes are, at this point, healed and the entire foot looks to be healing with the skin becoming more normal and soft. The hydrogel form allows for easy spray and then massaging into the tissues. I sprayed at least three times a day in the beginning massaging it in between the toes and all over the foot and part way up the calf (I did not know how far the fungus has progressed by this time. I want to say I noticed a change after only 24 hours of use but I was not sure it was just wishful thinking on my a part. All I can say is give this product a try. All of the testimonials indicate it really works and apparently is quite benign for healing of all sorts of problems. I hope this works for others living with problems such as this.

Bonnie, for problems with cracked feet, especially heel, I would advise you try calendula cream. I don't have as many problems as you have but any time my heals are a bit cracked I use this cream and in a day or so my feet feel like a baby's bottom! Also good for the elbows and for the skin generally, even your face!

Athlete's foot is a fungus, surface applications give temporary relief. To kill the fungus from within a person needs to take an anti-fungal. I had cracked and stinky feet, started taking Iodine and two days later the stink was gone. A week after I started Iodine, the cracks were healing.

ACV is healing my atheletes foot. I had it on the bottom of both feet and on my leg. I used OTC spray, cream, and powder to no avail. The doctor gave me anti-fungal cream, still no help. After reading these posts I soak my feet in ACV for 30 minutes each night and has done more in two months than the others did in 5 months. It is gone on one foot, and only one little spot left on the other. I get the generic ACV from Smart & Final for a little over 3 bucks a gallon. I warm it up so it is more comfortable and it seems to work better when warm.

First -- Thanks to ALL the members who have contributed to this thread!

SECOND: My Moccasin Heel Athletes feet have shown MORE improvement in one week using ACV than all the other endless professional treatments in the last three years.

Also, essential oil of lavendar, used undiluted has worked wonders for me. I "contracted" athletes's foot while vacationing at a hot springs resort. Much like a public swimming pool, it would be ahrd to avoid. I have never had it before and when it started to develop I had no idea what it was. By the time I realized it was athlete's foot, it was well underway on my two outside toes. I tried tea tree, acv, oil of oregano. none of it seemed to worked and the Apple Cider Vinegar and oregano stung.

I am not sure how I heard of lavendar oil, but I used it undiluted (just drizzle some over the affected area) and in 2 days the skin was smooth and healed. I plan to use lavendar oil as a preventative when I think I could have come in to contact with the athlete foot fungus. I have learned since that lavendar is a great antifungal. Additonally, wiping out your shoes and washing socks in lavendar oil probably wouldn't hurt as it would likely help break the fungal cycle. Lastly, I also dosed myself pretty heavily (internally) with colloidal silver solution a few days after the athlete's foot started to clear up. I thought I was getting a cold and cs works wonders. I bet spraying cs on the foot would also be very helpful.

After reading the comments on this site, I tried apple cider vinegar (with the mother in it) as a soak to cure my moccasin athlete's foot. Basically, after 4 months of use, it was better but definitely not cured. I had the moccasin athlete's foot on both feet and one hand and had been unable to shift it, (in spite of frequent trips to the doctor), for 5 years.

In its favour, the apple cider vinegar did a lot more for me than the steroid creams my doctor prescribed and was also better than the OTC anti-fungal drugs. It did make my skin softer and helped heal some of the painful cracking. However, it could not kill the fungus. I suspect that this is because moccasin athlete's foot is extremely difficult to deal with once it gets hold and perhaps if I had used ACV years ago, before the moccasin athlete's foot became chronic, it might have worked.

For anyone wondering whether I managed to cure it some other way, the answer is yes, but not at home. In the end I was so desperate that I went to a traditional chinese herbalist who gave me a pile of herbs (many of which looked like fungus, bark and mushrooms) to boil up every night as a foot/hand soak. I was pretty skeptical but amazingly it worked within a week and I'm so happy! It wasn't as cheap as ACV, two consultations plus the herbs cost me around £80 (GBP), but for me it was worth it.

In conclusion, if you've got a really bad case of moccasin type athlete's foot, my experience has been that apple cider vinegar will soothe it - maybe even halt its development - but it won't give you a complete cure.

I had a bad case of athlete's foot on my left foot that plagued me for well over a year. I wanted to try a natural remedy, and I found this site and used a combination of ACV (swabbed on with a cotton ball) followed by tea tree oil. This worked somewhat, but did not cure it. What finally got rid of it once and for all was soaking my foot in straight ACV for 10-20 minutes. The trick for me, I think, was that I needed to leave it soaking in the vinegar until it started to burn and itch. That's when I knew that it was working, it felt like the fungus was being killed off. After I did this, the next day I saw a big improvement, plus I found small white blisters. I did this once a day for about a week, and it completely went away. It has been about 6 months now, and it is still gone. I hope this testimony helps someone else out!

ACV is without a doubt the only way to deal with the foot fungus. At first if it burns deal with it just think the next day you will be a new person, don't forget to trash the shoe pads away and take newspaper spray some disinfectant on the paper and stuff the shoes with the paper every day and rotate your shoes! Believe me, this takes care of your feet and your hands and you'll be a happy camper!

Remedy: Apple Cider Vinegar
Usage: 1Day/1Time/2Weeks for 30Minutes before bed
Cured: Yes

Ok this my sound a little harsh to some, but sometime the truth hurts. 99. 9 percent of all athletes foot can be prevented by one simple step. WASH YOUR FEET EVERYDAY!! I myself sometimes neglected my feet (and don't say you haven't) during quick showers not to mention military days when there were no "Hollywood showers" allowed. Well I don't want to place all the blame on the military, but I was in boots more than out of them during my tour. I didn't even have athletes foot til I got out of the military. WTF. ;o;

Well it was worst on my left foot between my little (weewee)piggy and my starved piggy. Cracking, itching, peeling, etc. Never spread though. Thank God. I tried it all. Bought all the fix it quicks online, the crap from the doctors office, and online healing BS. Then I found this site and read each and everyone of your reviews. I thought what the hell. Let me give it a try. I went to Costco and bought boxes of ACV. The first week I used the stuff straight outta the bottle covering both feet 20 minutes a night. The first treatment was already mind blowing. The next morning I looked at my feet and the redness was almost gone. After the first week I could see not signs of the fungus. I then started diluting the ACV into water at a 2 to 1 ration. The smaller being water. Continued for another week and I think I am cured. I am washing my feet like crazy everyday just to be extra safe. I can tell you I now am not embarrassed when the ladies come over and can take of my socks without worrying about my feet. Damn!! I got beautiful feet again. The only downside to the ACV (and I think this was already said) but it does dry the hell out of your feet. Better dry than moist I guess. THANK YOU EARTHCLINIC for putting up this site and allowing me to find a cure for the devils fungus. If you have not experienced athletes foot then good for you, but you best never neglect your feet or Mr. Fungi might come a knocking. Use the Apple Cider Vinegar!! I am telling it works. Just don't half ass the remedy though. Stick to it every day until you kill those little critters eating away at your feet.

I wanted to post an update to my original post. The Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) soaks completely cured my feet. They had rough spots and I thought they may have been residual fungus but I was wrong. My feet stayed the same for months. After about a year when it started getting warm again the fungus returned. I hadn't used the ACV soaks since my initial treatment and I ignored it until it started itching on the archs of both feet. It has been two treatments and my feet look and feel better already. This time I didn't take any garlic internally. I used full strength soaks for 30 minutes and have had no adverse reactions to them at all. ACV rocks!!!!!!!!

My friend had a minor case of athletes foot and small blisters on his feet almost every day. We have been taking an iodine supplement that has greatly improved our over all health and got rid of his athetes foot. But the blisters still kept popping up. Mind you, he has had them forever. Every day after work, he would be popping them. So since the iodine has helped his athletes foot, maybe the body needs a little more help with the blisters. It has been amazing!!!

Recipe::
Take a bath to soften the skin.
Cotton ball with regular iodine disinfectant from pharmacy.
Coat foot with iodine.
Let dry or put on a nylon sock.

Results::
soft feet for first time ever.
In 3 days, only one blister appeared.
Much more comfort when walking around.

Itchy Toes

I just thought I would share what finally worked to get rid of this stubborn infection - a hair dryer! I thought as one person suggested, something might be in my shoes, so I "blow-dried" the insides of my shoes on high for two periods of 30 seconds each. Push the hair dryer right in there so the inside gets good and hot. The first time I did this I melted the rim of the hair dryer so be sure to let it cool down in between! I was amazed when the infection on my toes went away without any further treatment of the skin itself. I now do this every month or so for all my shoes and slippers - sometimes I feel a tingling sensation that implies the infection is still around but with this approach it doesn't seem to ever develop. AND this also gets rid of odor in the shoes as it kills the bacteria that cause that too!

Athlete's Foot: I mixed one part tea tree oil with 4 parts olive oil. Twice daily I washed me feet with soap and water. Then I dried them. Then I used an eyedropper to apply the tea tree oil dilution between the toes.

My athlete's foot cleared up in less than a week. This was after using Lamisil ointment for more than 3 weeks.

The first time I used Lamisil (terbinafine hydrochloride 1%), years ago, it also worked in a few days. Each successive time, it required more days to eliminate the athlete's foot. I have only tried tea tree oil one time. So, I do not know yet if its effectiveness diminishes with repeated use, the way Lamisil does.

Apple Cider Vinegar used to cure my moccasin type athlete's foot.

I just want to say THANK YOU!!!!!! I have had the moccasin type of athlete's foot for over a year and it was so PAINFUL! I went to the doctor and tried EVERYTHING! I was spending about $60.00 a week purchasing anti-fungal treatments and followed all the directions to the tee. I was doing anything possible to get rid of this because I'm a diabetic and I was afraid of my feet becoming infected from the athlete's foot. They would crack and bleed, some mornings it was extremely difficult to even walk because they hurt so bad. I kept buying the anti-fungal treatments because I was trying to cure it and trying to prevent it's spread to my toenails.

Out of desperation I did a Google search on home remedies for athlete's foot.....I didn't have much hope, I was just hoping for something to help ease the pain....I thought I would have to live with this for the rest of my life. I read about the Apple Cider Vinegar and I read all the comments and decided to give it a try. WOW!!! Within a week the open wounds were healing. At that point I was only applying the apple cider vinegar with a cotton ball. My husband was so excited about the improvement that he went out and bought a couple of gallon jugs of the stuff so I could soak my feet in it. I have been soaking each foot in it full strength for 30 minutes each for about 3 weeks now and it's almost GONE! It stung a lot at first, but that was because of the open wounds....now the fungus is clearing up and it even makes my feet soft and healthy!!!

Thank you sooooo much! This site saved me from a lot of pain and discomfort! The apple cider vinegar really works!

Try soaking your feet in a household ammonia solution (50/50 ammonia and water) for a while. Works a treat for me.

Just put some baking soda in the shoes & leave it in. I started doing this when my kids were young and it works!

Organic apple cider vinegar cure worked wonders in 3 days, redness decreased on bottom of foot, skin appears to have returned to normal in area where it had peeled off, blisters decreasing in size and almost dried up. I also used the coconut oil to keep the skin soft. Can't thank you enough!!!!!!!

My husband had a severe case of athletes foot, and his skin would crack from how think and hard it was. We tried every cream, spray and powder out there, it helped with the smell but that was it. My sister told me about raw organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar and that it would kill the fungus. I figured we would give it a shot, and after the first night there was an improvement, and when he came home from work the smell was gone! So we kept on it soaking his feet in it for 15 mins a night after he got home from work and took a shower. after 2 weeks of this no more athletes foot, he now has soft normal skin on the bottom of his feet and they dont stink!!! give it a shot it is an amazing cure for athletes foot!!

I have used ACV to successfully treat Athlete's Foot. Just soak cotton balls in the vinegar and apply often to the affected toes. Do this twice a day for 2 to 3 days and the problem will vanish. Try to keep your toes dry as reinfection is common with this ailment. I have also used ACV for itchiness in my ears. Just pour it in as best as you can and massage to let the vinegar get right down into the ear. This fully healed my ear itchiness that I had suffered for years.

Urine as a cure for athlete's foot is the most economical, safe, and timely remedy known to me. I tried tea tree oil, aloe, black soap, coconut oil, Burt's foot cream, all of the former offered little to no resolve. I had a serious case of athlete's foot known as "trench foot" which was a name gained from the soldiers of many wars where moisture would collect in the boot or shoe, creating the necessary conditions for bacterial growth. My condition was so bad that the epidermis was cracking and in areas of the foot - primarily the ball of the foot, there would be lesions that would bleed. The cure is simple, apply urine (fresh and warm) to the infected area allowing it a minute or so to absorb into the skin; this is best done prior to sleep. Repeat this day after day until you see desired results. Note, although the symptoms may subside i.e. itching and cracking, the actual bacterial infection may not be gone. Thus, one should continue daily treatment for at least 1 week beyond the epidermic symptoms remediation.

Tested and true.