Use These Home Remedies To Fight The Fungus That Causes Athletes Foot

Itchy, smelly feet following you around? Use these natural home remedies to soothe the itch and fight the fungus that causes athlete’s foot.Your feet have been attacked by tinea pedis. This stealthy intruder, which targets the nails, skin and hair, causes skin to redden, crack, burn, scale and itch. When the fungus invades the area between your toes, the classic symptom is itchy, flaking skin. Sometimes tinea stays between the toes. But it may also appear on the soles and sides of the feet and even spread to your toenails.

Severe cases of athlete’s foot can be accompanied by oozing blisters. The locker-room floor is one place where tinea hangs out, but it also loves warm, moist places. Your feet, often confined in sweaty shoes and socks, are an ideal breeding ground.

* The heavenly scented herb lavender also has antifungal properties. Make a massage oil by adding three drops of lavender oil to one teaspoon of carrier oil (any vegetable oil or skin lotion will do). Rub into the infected skin daily.

* The oil of the Australian tea tree is a potent antiseptic. It alters the environment of the skin, making it harder for tinea to do its nasty work. For a soothing, healing treatment, mix tea-tree oil with the same amount of olive oil and rub the combination into the affected area twice a day. The olive oil helps to tenderize skin toughened by athlete’s foot so the tea-tree oil is better absorbed.

* Alternatively, mix tea-tree oil with aloe gel, another skin softener. Mix three parts tea-tree oil to one part aloe gel and rub this salve into the infected area twice a day. Give this treatment six to eight weeks to work.

* Calendula has been valued for centuries as a topical treatment for wounds and skin conditions. This herbal healer is said to have both antifungal and anti-inflammatory powers. Rub calendula ointment, sold at health-food stores, on the affected areas, especially between your toes.

* Add a few drops of mustard oil or a bit of mustard powder to a footbath. Mustard will help to kill the fungus. Soak your feet in the bath for up to half an hour.