5 homemade remedies for embarrassing foot odor
Smelly feet can be embarrassing when you walk into a room full of people after taking off your shoes. Usually, bacteria and fungus that accumulate on the bottom of your feet cause them to smell foul. These bacteria live off the sweat that your feet produce and create an acid that leads to a bad odor. Here are five home remedies for foot odor.
Black tea spa
Packed with tannic acids, black tea helps kill odor-causing bacteria and eliminate bad smells. It also closes the pores of your feet which reduces sweating and keeps your feet dry and clean. Boil tea bags in water for 15 minutes. Mix the tea with more water and soak your feet in it for 15-30 minutes. Do this once daily for a week.
Mint scrub
Made with sugar and peppermint, this minty and fresh foot scrub will kill the bacteria caused by sweat and keep bad odors at bay. Sugar will help remove the dead skin cells while peppermint will soothe your feet, give a cooling sensation and deodorize the skin. Mix together dried peppermint, water, and sugar, and massage your feet with this paste daily.
Vinegar
Loaded with acids, vinegar will help kill bacteria and fungi and neutralize the odor on your feet. Its drying effect will in turn prevent your feet from excessive sweating. The antifungal properties of vinegar will also prevent toenail fungus. Mix some apple cider vinegar in a bucket of warm water and soak your feet in it for 10-15 minutes. Try this once daily.
Lavender essential oil
Essential oils are extremely effective in countering foot odor. The antimicrobial and antifungal properties in these oils eliminate the bacteria from the skin. They also moisturize and nourish your skin. You can use lavender essential oil which covers the stink and soothes your feet. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to warm water and soak your feet in it for 30 minutes.
Corn starch
If you are fed up with embarrassing foot odor, corn starch can come to your rescue and kill the bacteria and fungus that cause the bad odor. It absorbs sweat and keeps your feet fresh and dry just like any talcum powder. You can sprinkle some corn starch on your feet before putting on your socks and shoes to keep them from smelling.
