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!
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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)
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Daniel
Did you keep cotton socks 24 hours a day?
Bren
Yes
Alisha
I’m totally about to try this. I’ve been fighting it on and off since I got a pedicure last summer. I don’t think I’ll ever risk getting another again. And now since I think I have this fungus issue, I definitely can’t go get one. I’ve read that sticking shoes in the freezer will kill it. Have you heard of that? I have quite the shoe collection and if I could bag them up and shove them in my deep freeze that would be awesome hahaha.
Bren
Hmmm, I’ not sure about freezing! I think sunshine or dring out the soles would work best!
Norah Lospennato
Thank you!
Malcolm
Yes this works. I had an extreme case of times a few years back. The diseased flesh was around a centimetre thick between my little and 4th toe. It was painful with deep fissures continuing to the open flesh. I started applying pure tea tree oil to the affected area and then applying cotton ball pieces soaked in pure tea tree oil packed onto the infection other band aids while I slept. Gradually over a few months the infection subsided with the dead skin slowly and more easily removable. After 4 months or so I could once again see healthy skin at the proper webbing level.
Sherrie
I cannot THANK YOU enough!!!!!!! My husband had developed the same conditions and his skin was cracking and peeling and no amount of over the counter treatments worked. The tea tree oil really was the ONLY thing that worked and in only 3 days too!!!! I soaked his feet in warm water with epsom salt too. Thank you so much for fixing this problem. This post has helped us tremendously after years of search for a cure for a recurring problem! I’ve now finally seen his skin heal and it’s all thanks to your post! So grateful.
Bren
Woo hooo! So glad it helped!
Jess
Hi Bren! I’ve never used tea tree oil before and would like to try this to rid my athletes foot. Could I use coconut oil? Do I make a paste of this or just the cotton ball soaked with coconut and tea tree oil? How many drops should I use? Would it be best to try on my hand to see if I have a reaction? Also for the spray do you use Apple cider vinegar or distilled vinegar with vodka and tea tree oil? Is this effective to spray in the shower to rod the fungi and if you have mold?
Bren
You could make a paste with coconut oil or use olive oil (or another liquid vegetable oil in your cupboard). I would recommend an overnight spot test. I use vodka, water and tea tree in my foot spray (recipe here: https://brendid.com/no-more-stinky-feet-spray/). I use this spray to clean the shower: https://brendid.com/non-toxic-no-scrub-shower-cleaner/. Hope this helps!
Jess
Thanks, Bren! Can I still do the apple cider vinegar soak? Wash my feet after with water then use the coconut and tea tree oil? How many tablespoons of coconut or olive oil do I use? Or do you think both would be too acidic to do at the same time? When you had athlete’s foot did you just use the carrier oil with tea tree or both? Does it really work in 4 days?
Kristy
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
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.
Bill
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
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!
Amanda
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
Thanks, Amanda.
Karen West
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
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.
Dave
Could you substitute rubbing alcohol for the vodka? Thanks!
Bren
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!
Robin
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
Thanks Robin! I’m so glad tea tree oil worked for you too!
Richard Cassells
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
Great tip on using apple cider vinegar to soak, Richard! I’m so happy the tea tree oil worked for you.
Nikki
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
I’m not sue Nikki, I’ve never tried anti fungal soap.
Chrystal
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
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.
Rio
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
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
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
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!
Kenny
I’m a truck driver and I have athlete feet and toe nail fungus really bad what do you suggest?
Bren
I would check with your doctor before stating any home treatment.
Krystal
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
Krystal, I have kept it on hand for several months with no problem. I usually make about 4 ounces and store it.
Kyandra Byars
-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
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.
Jennifer Travis
Thanks for the tip! I’ll be trying this tonight.
Bren
I hope it works for you, Jennifer!
geny
When you said you washed the shoe’s , did you actually washed or just sprayed the shoe’s? Please specify. Thank you…….
Bren
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) .