Foot odor affects many humans. If you are having this problem yourself, you know how embarrassing it is to have this condition, and naturally, you would want to get rid of it fast. Shoe inserts may reduce the smell but it will not make the problem go away.
Unfortunately, not much research has been made to address this problem. Perhaps, you can go to a foot specialist or podiatrist to help you design a treatment plan that is suited to your condition. Or you can try any of the following home remedies.
One of the most effective herbs that can treat smelly feet is sage. Reportedly, the continuous use of sage has been very effective in keeping the feet odor-free.
Accordingly, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Actually, apple does a lot more that that --- it also keeps foot odor away. It has been said that soaking your feet in one-third cup of apple cider vinegar mixed with a part of warm water can effectively control foot odor, especially if done on a regular basis.
If ever you run out of apple cider vinegar, one alternative you can use as soak is alum mixed with two gallons of water. Soak your feet in this solution for about 30 minutes, and do this regularly. After a month, you will be amazed that you no longer have smelly feet. Then you can also soak your feet in a quart of water mixed with five black tea bags. Black tea contains tannins that act as natural astringents.
The versatile household item, baking soda, is also a natural odor neutralizer. Sprinkle it in your shoes and you will have a pair of odor-free feet anytime of the day. You can also spray your feet with the juice of two dozens of radishes mixed with one-fourth teaspoon of glycerine.
If you enjoy eating yogurt, you will be very pleased to know that eating yogurt with live culture or drinking kefir will help ward off fungal infections. Also, take zinc supplements because zinc has the ability of reducing odor by making the skin more resistant to bacteria.
Other effective home remedies for foot odor:
Home Remedies for Foot Odor with Kosher salt:
Kosher salt is a type of salt that has slightly larger crystals than the ordinary salt.
Kosher salt produces a drying effect on the feet, preventing it from sweating. Sweating may trigger foot odor when it combines with fungi and bacteria.
• To use kosher salt for foot odors, just dissolve one-half cup of salt to one-quart water. Soak your feet in it. Don't rinse. Just pat your feet dry.
Treat Foot Odor with Alum powder:
Alum power, or more particularly aluminum chloride hexahydrate, is a good agent to keep your foot away from nasty odors.
Alum power has a deodorizing effect on the skin, more particularly the foot. There are a lot of powers available in the market today that contains alum as an active ingredient.
Natural Treatments for Foot Odor with Baking Soda:
If you can't find alum powder in your closet, you might as well go find baking soda in your kitchen counter.
Baking soda can deodorize your feet in no time. Just sprinkle one to two teaspoons of baking soda on your feet. Baking soda would absorb the moisture and it could hide odor as well.
Natural Remedies for Foot Odor with Black tea:
If you have black tea sitting in your kitchen counter, soak several bags in a small basin of water.
Use five bags per quart of boiling water. Black tea contains tannic acid that has astringent properties that could prevent your feet from sweating. Soak your feet on the black tea solution. You can also add some ice cubes for a more soothing effect.
With all these home remedies, you can virtually say goodbye to smelly feet.
How To Cure Smelly Feet
Smelly feet are unfortunately a part of our lives. As we spend almost our entire day wearing shoes and socks our feet don't get a chance to air out and breathe. This lack of being able to breathe means that our feet become damp and bacteria starts to grow in this condition.
The bacteria that causes our smelly feet produces an acid called Isovaleric acid. It is this acid which is responsible for the bad odor. The bacteria acts on the sock enclose feet which have become sweaty. The sweat in turn acts as an agent for the bacteria to breed and the accumulation of Isovaleric acidic bacteria is why we get smelly feet.
There are also other reasons why we can get smelly feet besides wearing socks and shoes. The reasons are sweaty feet or hyperhidrosis, lots of stress due to our hectic lives, various types of drugs and hormonal changes in our bodies. Any of these reasons or even all of them will produce the bacteria acid which creates smelly feet.
Luckily we have the means of controlling this problem and altogether eliminating smelly feet from our lives. The control measures are: make sure that your feet are clean by bathing them in lukewarm water with a mild soap and dry the feet thoroughly, especially between the toes. Change your socks at least once a day. Dry your feet and dust some powder on them. Remember to wipe between your toes to remove the excess moisture, so that the powder doesn't build up between the toes.
Also wearing thick, soft socks will help to absorb the sweat. Socks made from natural fibers like wool, cotton and other materials that are absorbent have the ability to let the feet breathe better. You should try to avoid wearing nylon socks or plastic shoes as these can lead the build up of bacteria and the result is smelly feet. Instead you might want to try shoes that are made of leather, canvas, mesh or other types of materials that will let your feet breathe.
One of the best things that you can do to prevent smelly feet is to avoid wearing the same pair of shoes two days in a row. When the shoes become damp with sweat they need time to dry out. To help with this drying out process you can also remove the innersoles of the shoes. While smelly feet are an embarrassing problem they are treatable and the measures can be carried out by you every day without any difficulties.
Both David Klein & Anne Hoston are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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