Sprinkling cornstarch on your toes can help treat athlete's foot by absorbing excess moisture. Donald Iain Smith/Getty Images
To treat athlete's foot at home, you can apply tea tree oil or soak your feet in a tea bath.
To prevent the recurrence or spreading of athlete's foot, you should try sprinkling your feet with cornstarch and disinfecting your shoes.
If your athlete's foot symptoms do not improve within a few days of using natural home remedies, reach out to a podiatrist or primary care provider.
This article was medically reviewed by Jason R. McKnight, MD, MS, a family medicine physician and clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine.
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HOME HEALTH
5 natural remedies to treat athlete's foot at home, according to podiatrists
Allison Torres Burtka Nov 13, 2020, 11:10 AM
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talcum powder feet
Sprinkling cornstarch on your toes can help treat athlete's foot by absorbing excess moisture. Donald Iain Smith/Getty Images
To treat athlete's foot at home, you can apply tea tree oil or soak your feet in a tea bath.
To prevent the recurrence or spreading of athlete's foot, you should try sprinkling your feet with cornstarch and disinfecting your shoes.
If your athlete's foot symptoms do not improve within a few days of using natural home remedies, reach out to a podiatrist or primary care provider.
This article was medically reviewed by Jason R. McKnight, MD, MS, a family medicine physician and clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine.
Athlete's foot is a type of fungal infection that can cause painful symptoms like itching, redness, peeling of the skin, and even blistering. It often affects the skin between the toes, but it can occur on other areas of the foot as well, like the sole.
Athlete's foot is most effectively treated with a prescription topical cream or with over-the-counter treatments. However, you can also try clearing the infection at home if it's mild.
Here are five natural home remedies that can treat athlete's foot.
1. Apply tea tree oil
Because tea tree oil has antifungal properties, it may help treat athlete's foot.
Tea tree oil is an essential oil that comes from the leaves of the Australian tea tree. A 2002 study compared two different concentrations of tea tree oil and a placebo in treating patients with athlete's foot. They applied the solutions for four weeks, and the study found that about 70% of the people in both tea tree oil groups saw an improvement in symptoms, compared to 39% in the placebo group.
According to Jason Galante, DPM, a double-board certified foot and ankle surgeon in New Jersey, you can use tea tree oil to treat athlete's foot by following these steps:
Shower and thoroughly dry your feet.
Apply the oil directly on your skin and nails.
Repeat this process once or twice a day until the infection has cleared.
Products that contain tea tree oil, like foot soaks and soap, may also help clear the infection. These can be purchased at a drugstore or natural food store.
HOMEPAGE
HOME HEALTH
5 natural remedies to treat athlete's foot at home, according to podiatrists
Allison Torres Burtka Nov 13, 2020, 11:10 AM
Download the app
talcum powder feet
Sprinkling cornstarch on your toes can help treat athlete's foot by absorbing excess moisture. Donald Iain Smith/Getty Images
To treat athlete's foot at home, you can apply tea tree oil or soak your feet in a tea bath.
To prevent the recurrence or spreading of athlete's foot, you should try sprinkling your feet with cornstarch and disinfecting your shoes.
If your athlete's foot symptoms do not improve within a few days of using natural home remedies, reach out to a podiatrist or primary care provider.
This article was medically reviewed by Jason R. McKnight, MD, MS, a family medicine physician and clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine.
Athlete's foot is a type of fungal infection that can cause painful symptoms like itching, redness, peeling of the skin, and even blistering. It often affects the skin between the toes, but it can occur on other areas of the foot as well, like the sole.
Athlete's foot is most effectively treated with a prescription topical cream or with over-the-counter treatments. However, you can also try clearing the infection at home if it's mild.
Here are five natural home remedies that can treat athlete's foot.
1. Apply tea tree oil
Because tea tree oil has antifungal properties, it may help treat athlete's foot.
Tea tree oil is an essential oil that comes from the leaves of the Australian tea tree. A 2002 study compared two different concentrations of tea tree oil and a placebo in treating patients with athlete's foot. They applied the solutions for four weeks, and the study found that about 70% of the people in both tea tree oil groups saw an improvement in symptoms, compared to 39% in the placebo group.
According to Jason Galante, DPM, a double-board certified foot and ankle surgeon in New Jersey, you can use tea tree oil to treat athlete's foot by following these steps:
Shower and thoroughly dry your feet.
Apply the oil directly on your skin and nails.
Repeat this process once or twice a day until the infection has cleared.
Products that contain tea tree oil, like foot soaks and soap, may also help clear the infection. These can be purchased at a drugstore or natural food store.
2. Consider a tea foot bath
Soaking your feet in tea may also ease symptoms of athlete's foot.
A small 2013 clinical trial found that 12 weeks of foot baths containing green tea polyphenols — micronutrients found in plant-based foods — improved symptoms of athlete's foot in elderly patients compared to a placebo.
Black tea may also alleviate symptoms of athlete's foot, particularly the odor, due to the presence of a specific type of polyphenol called tannins.
"The tannins that are in black tea help with that foot odor," says Galante.
3. Sprinkle cornstarch on your toes
Cornstarch, a common kitchen ingredient made from corn, can also treat athlete's foot by absorbing excess moisture from feet, says Galante. That's because keeping your feet dry prevents the spread of this fungal infection.
If you don't have cornstarch, you can try drugstore foot powders like Dr. Scholl's, which can be helpful as well, says Jon Sherman, DPM, a board-certified foot surgeon and fellow at the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.
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