Learn how I successfully use tea tree oil to treat tinea pedis (athletes foot). I always treated athletes foot with over-the-counter anti-fungal products until a tough case did not respond for MONTHS. I substituted tea tree oil and the fungus was gone in DAYS!
This post uses affiliate links. They don’t cost you a thing and help us bring you natural body care tutorials. Read more in Polices & Disclosures.
What is Athlete's Foot?
Tinea pedis is a common fungus that thrives in warm humid conditions. It is contagious and easy to catch. The fungus is called athlete's foot because it is often spread by going barefoot in damp public places such as locker rooms or public pools. spread in your home shower or bathroom tile.
Athlete's foot is characterized by itchy or burning toes/feet, excessive peeling skin on the feet/toes, and pink or raw skin on the feet. (Check between toes and on the soles for these symptoms.)
My Athlete's Foot Experience
There are a few people (I’m not naming any names!) in our family with sweaty feet and swimming hobbies that make tinea pedis a common occurrence in our home.
When complaints of itchy feet or overly pink skin reached my ears I used to apply over-the-counter anti-fungal products such as Terbinafine or Clotrimazole that come in sprays and lotions.
Then, thanks to a busy swimming schedule and a hot, humid summer the fungus kept going and going and going. We kept apply the creams and sprays for month, but the fungus was not eliminated. I decided that it could not be cured by the over the counter products.
I began to look for a new solution…. but refused to subject my kids to a prescription for oral anti-fungal drugs (they can damage the kidneys/liver and often require blood tests). I investigated natural home remedies and decided to try tea tree oil.
Why I Use Tea Tree Oil to Treat Tinea Pedis (Athletes Foot)
Tea tree oil, also known as melaleuca oil, is an essential oil taken from the leaves of the melaleuca alternifolia tree which is native to Australia. It has a strong odor, similar to a strong pine or eucalyptus odor with heavy herbal notes.
Tea tree oil has been used in Australia for thousands of years to treat skin infections. It was first used by Indigenous Australians (Aboriginal people). Australian doctors began to use the oil in the 1920a and it soon became a common home remedy for fungal infections and other skin conditions. Tea tree oil was even included in first-aid kits given to Australian soldiers and sailors during WWII.
According to the American Cancer Society, more recent laboratory experiments suggest that tea tree oil can work as an antiseptic when used on the skin to kill germs (including those that are resistant to other antibiotics) and tea tree oil may be helpful in treating some types of fungus.
How I Use Tea Tree Oil to Treat Tinea Pedis (Athletes Foot)
Collect the supplies:
- Tea Tree Oil (100% Pure Essential Oil)
- Carrier Oil (Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, or Pure Virgin Olive Oil are good choices, I use Almond Oil)
- Cotton Balls
- Clean 100% cotton socks
Apply the tea tree oil:
- Place 5 drops of Almond Oil (or carrier oil of choice) on a cotton ball.
- Top the carrier oil with 5 drops of Tea Tree Oil.
- Rub the cotton ball on a affected areas and surrounding areas.
- Cover feet with clean cotton socks.
- Apply 2 time daily, changing to clean socks each time.
- A pre-made mixture of 1/2 tea tree oil and 1/2 carrier oil in a dark glass dropper bottle can also be applied to feet.
Our Results Using Tea Tree Oil
- The athlete’s foot that had been haunting us for months was noticeably better the very next day and nearly gone in 3 days! (We continued the treatment for 3 full days after the noticeable fungal infection was gone to make sure all the fungus had been eradicated.)
- We have had NO athlete’s foot in 4 months. Hooray!
I also took these preventative steps:
- Clean all shoes – I wash /spray the shoes of the affected individuals using a mix of ½ cup vinegar, ½ cup vodka and 10 drops of tea tree oil. (add eucalyptus or lavender essential oils to mask the tea tree odor).
- Spray the feet – I make a solution of vodka, water and tea tree oil to spray on feet and kill the fungus before it takes hold. We use it after we have been at the pool or in a locker room. It aslo makes a great deodorizer, get the foot spray recipe here.
Warnings and Tips
- Please note: This information is intended for educational purposes only and is not meant as a substitute for medical care or to prescribe treatment for any specific health condition.
- Before using any essential oil you should patch test it to make sure that you do not have an adverse reaction.
- Tea tree oil should NEVER be taken internally!
More Natural Foot Care Ideas
If your family suffer from athlete’s foot or stinky feet try these all natural DIYs:
- Natural Deodorizing Foot Spray (for feet and shoes)
- Cooling and Deodorizing Foot Powder (for feet and shoes)
- Cooling Foot Lotion (softens and deodorizes)
Like my natural body care tutorials? Sign up for my newletter below and never miss a thing!
Bren Did Newsletter Subscribers Get Access!
geny says
When you said you washed the shoe’s , did you actually washed or just sprayed the shoe’s? Please specify. Thank you…….
Bren says
Geny, I wash all the washable shoes (Crocs, flip flops, Keens, etc.) and the spray the inside if shoes that cannot be washed (dress shoes, etc) .
Jennifer Travis says
Thanks for the tip! I’ll be trying this tonight.
Bren says
I hope it works for you, Jennifer!
Kyandra Byars says
-I just soaked my feet in a little bit of bleach, gain dish detergent and alcohol with warm water. i then scrubbed the dead skin off of my feet and put the tea tree and olive oil on my feet after drying them. Did I do anything wrong? My feet feel better, However they still itch.
Bren says
Your feet will probably itch until the athlete’s foot is gone. Itching is one of the symptoms. I would personally avoid bleach and gain. It is probably really irritating and drying to skin. I am not a doctor, so you should see one if you have questions or concerns. I simply use regular showers for cleaning and the tea tree treatment when we have athletes foot.
Krystal says
Hi! Question… What is the shelf life for the vodka/water/EO spray? wondering if I could just keep it on hand in the spray bottle. Thanks!!
Bren says
Krystal, I have kept it on hand for several months with no problem. I usually make about 4 ounces and store it.
Kenny says
I’m a truck driver and I have athlete feet and toe nail fungus really bad what do you suggest?
Bren says
I would check with your doctor before stating any home treatment.
Rio says
Hi Bren – great website! I’m glad i bumped into this as i was searching for an athlete foot solution. (I’ve enjoyed your other articles too.)
So I have been trying tea tree & olive oil combo for a few days now and it seems to work. Now, what’s your thought on socks vs bare feet after putting on the oil? i know we don’t want the oil to rub off against other things. So far, i am doing the oil right before bed and sleep bare feet so there is minimal rubbing, and that has shown some improvement, but the rate of improvement is slowing down, so wondering if i need to do this also during the day, where i am kinda torn between socks absorbing the oil vs bare feet spreading the oil around, neither of which we want, right? And with socks, i wonder if there’s additional risk to build moisture…
Any thoughts on this appreciated!! Thank you.
Bren says
Rio, thanks for the kind words! 🙂 I usually put socks on after applying the oil. I have kids so I don’t want them tracking the oil all over or getting it on their sheets. I apply the oil several times a day for best results and then put on 100% cotton socks.
Rio says
Thank you Bren! I am upping the frequency of oil application!
By the way, I found a few house cleaning recipe from you other pages that I want to try and am wondering which one is good to clean the floors and rugs etc to kill the fungus that may be lying around. Any thoughts on that?
Bren says
I’ve never specially cleaned dry floors but I do wash the shower with my no scrub shower cleaner (athlete’s foot likes wet places). You could use any of my floor cleaners on dry floors. Good luck!
Ryo says
That’s right, I need to focus on the bathroom, thanks for the reminder!!
By the way, I’m on the fence about Sal’s Sud as I went to the store to get one today and saw that it contains SLS. See more here: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/13/sodium-lauryl-sulfate.aspx
Thought you may be interested in the article.
Bren says
Thanks, Ryo. I’m aware of the SLS in Sal’s Suds but I’m persoanlly okay with using it since it is a cleaner (not a body care product) and it is replacing many more dangerous cleaners that I used to use. You can read more here too: http://www.lisabronner.com/there-is-no-cancer-risk-from-sls-sodium-lauryl-sulfate/
Chrystal says
Hi Bren! For the vodka, vinegar, tea tree oil spray – is there a strong vinegar or vodka smell? Like if I used the spray in shoes, do I need to leave them outside to dry/air out in the sun?
Thanks for the great tips by the way?
Bren says
Hey Chrystal! I think you mean the vodka and tea tree foot odor spray? It uses vodak which had virtually no odor. You should let the shoes dry but they do not need to be aired out. Sunlight is a bonus bacteria killer if you have extra stinky shoes but I just spray mine then pop them back on the shelf.
Nikki says
Thanks for sharing! Athletes’s foot is the worth things I’ve ever suffered. I am so confused between purchasing anti-fungal soap or trying a home remedy. Which one is more effective?
Bren says
I’m not sue Nikki, I’ve never tried anti fungal soap.
Richard Cassells says
Hi Bren,
Great article, I follow your advice plus using Apple Cider Vinegar for soaking my foot for 3 weeks. I’m happy to say after so many years my Athletes foot is gone!
Thanks for your great tips.
Bren says
Great tip on using apple cider vinegar to soak, Richard! I’m so happy the tea tree oil worked for you.
Robin says
Great advice!. Like you I just suffered a particularly severe bout of athletes foot I could not shift with the usual over the counter spays, lotions and prescription lotions. I was panicking because I had returned to the gym and was working out with a run at the end, I had not wanted injury interruptions but the itching and burning sensation from my feet was becoming excruciating. I was running out of options and had not wanted to go down the more risky oral medication route. Then I remembered how tea tree worked well in the past on skin problems. I decided to give it a go and added a few drops of lavender too as a more potent mix. Blessed relief soon followed after first application and it’s now been three days and the skin between all my toes has dried up and no longer resembles red salami. Keep up the great advice!
Bren says
Thanks Robin! I’m so glad tea tree oil worked for you too!
Dave says
Could you substitute rubbing alcohol for the vodka? Thanks!
Bren says
Dave, rubbing alcohol can be used however I prefer to avoid it because it contains artificial ingredients. (Rubbing alcohol is ethanol, water, acetone, methyl isobutyl ketone, flavoring to make it taste bad and/or artificial coloring and artificial fragrance.) In addition, rubbing alcohol smells bad when sprayed and the vodka is almost odorless. Hope this helps!
Karen West says
According to my Dr., I have a fungus on the bottom of my heel ( hard like a callus, but very tender and sore). He prescribed an “anti-fungal” cream to apply, but doesn’t seem to be helping. Am wondering if the tea tree oil might be a solution to help relieve this “so called” fungus? Any advise is greatly appreciated! Thank you.
Bren says
I can’t give any medical advice because I am not a doctor! 😉 Check out this information from Consumer Reports which says that tea tree oil may be helpful in treating some types of fungus.
Amanda says
Tea tree oil can be used as a cure for almost all tropical skin infections and diseases. I really like this article so much. Thanks and keep sharing.
Bren says
Thanks, Amanda.
Bill says
Hi Bren, you wrote this article a few years back. I was wondering, did you finally stop athlete’s foot for good ? With the heat in the summer it is easier for the fungus to flare up. did you get athlete’s foot this Summer or you managed to be fungus free the whole summer ?
Bren says
Yes, we got the athlete’s foot eliminated… and haven’t had any return for a few years! (At the first sign of itchy toes I slap on a little tea tree oil to be extra cautious.) Hope it works for you!
Kristy says
Hello! So glad I found this! I’m trying the tea tree oil tonight. My question is do you have to use a carrier oil? Or can you use straight tea tree oil so it would be more potent??
Bren says
I have done it both way but you should definitely us a carrier oil until you know how the tea tree oil reacts on your skin.