You may have heard about several athlete’s foot home remedies that claim they will help relieve your symptoms and fight the infection. But what are these athlete’s foot home remedies and do they actually work?
In order to get the most out of this post, we recommend that you take a moment to read our post What is Athlete's Foot first if you haven't done so already.
Foot Soaks for athlete's foot
While searching for athlete's foot home remedies, you have likely heard of at least one of these popular foot soaks. Maybe you even had a friend or family member recommend one to you. But do they really work? Let's find out.
Apple Cider Vinegar Athlete's Foot Treatment
As an athlete's foot treatment, vinegar is far from a scientifically proven solution. While you could see mild improvement or change in your symptoms, the athlete's foot fungus will remain on your feet and continue to cause problems. This home-based remedy is not recommended!
Baking Soda for Athlete’s Foot
While using baking soda for athlete’s foot may seem to be an easy fix, it has also not been clinically proven to cure athlete’s foot, meaning that foot fungus will likely remain on your feet, or even get worse. This home-based remedy is not recommended!
Epsom Salts for Athlete’s Foot
Though the common household products that Epsom Salts are made of can make these foot soaks sound appealing, there is little to no scientific evidence showing their effectiveness, and most times end up being a messy waste of time. This home-based remedy is not recommended!
Athlete's foot hydrogen peroxide treatment
Hydrogen Peroxide is a compound that is well-known for its disinfectant properties. Since it is a popular cleaning agent and disinfectant, a hydrogen peroxide treatment for athlete's foot may sound promising at first.
However, effective concentrations of hydrogen peroxide are far too harsh to be applied to irritated skin, as it can cause this irritation to worsen. This makes hydrogen peroxide a poor treatment choice for athlete's foot, whose sufferers are looking for relief from burning and irritation. This home-based remedy is not recommended!
Essential oils for athlete's foot
Though many claims have been made in favor of the benefits of essential oils for athlete's foot, they may not be as impressive as they seem. No essential oil has been clinically proven to be a safe and effective antifungal treatment.
Athlete's foot cream: the most effective treatment
While natural remedies for athlete's foot may seem like a great idea at first, they are either largely ineffective or lack strong scientific evidence. This means that you could end up spending excessive amounts of money on these athlete's foot home remedies, seeing little to no actual improvement, and in some cases even a worsening of symptoms!
If you are looking for a fast, clinically tested and proven, convenient, and mess-free athlete's foot treatment, athlete's foot cream is your best bet. Athlete's foot cream is available at various retail stores and effective in as little as one week of treatment, and while it might not be the most colorful solution, its safety and effectiveness makes it the best athlete's foot home remedy.
Silka Ⓡ Antifungal Cream, with the clinically proven antifungal ingredient terbinafine, is designed specifically to target and treat foot fungus with just 7 days of treatment.
Even if you're not a fan of foot cream, there are also over the counter powders that work in a similar way to antifungal cream to fight the fungus. If you are not sure what treatment is best for you, we recommend that you take a look at our post on choosing the right athlete's foot treatment for more guidance.
Keep in mind that if you have serious or persistent athlete's foot, or if you are diabetic, you should touch base with your primary care doctor or a podologist to rule out other conditions that could be causing your symptoms.
Take Care!
