What Are Essential Oils
Essential oils are the aromatic liquid extracted from flowers, leaves, resin, nuts, fruit or root of a plant or tree. They are highly concentrated and often have hundreds of different chemical compounds.
Over the last several years there has been a resurgence of interest in essential oils as many people look for more natural ways to enhance their health and wellbeing.
4 Useful Oils for Treating Athletes Foot.
Common Signs & Symptoms Of Athletes Foot
The most common symptoms of athletes foot include:
- Itchiness and burning around the toes.
- Cracked, torn or flaky skin on the toes that looks very dry.
- White coloring of the skin, or sometimes redness around the toes, can develop. In severe cases of athletes foot the skin might appear green between the toes.
- Swelling, thickening of the skin, heat and pain can happen in some cases. Swelling becomes worse when the infection is deeper and more severe.
- Sometimes a stinky smell to the feet.
- Although less common, ulcers or blisters can form in severe cases of athletes foot. These blisters are found on the bottom of the feet in the case of moccasin athletes foot.
- Spreading to the toenails, or even to the hands and fingers, if left untreated. This can result in symptoms like discoloration of the nails, chipping, itching, redness and sometimes a bacterial infection.
Tips And Precautionary Measures:
If you are planning to use oregano oil to treat toenail fungus, practice these tips and guidelines to make your toenails fungus-free.
- Perform a patch test on your skin to ensure therell be no untoward side effects.
- Keep your nails short and clean before starting your nail fungus treatment.
- Thoroughly dry your feet and toes after bathing.
- Change your socks once they become moist and sweaty.
- If you should wear socks, use ones made of 100% cotton that will enable your toenails to breathe.
- Use separate clippers and nail files for infected and non-infected nails to prevent the spread of the fungus.
- Dont wear shoes if you can help it. If you must, then wear comfortable shoes that allow your toes some room for movement. Avoid shoes that are too snug which crowd your toes together and encourage the growth of the onychomycosis-causing fungus.
- Dust your feet with anti-fungal foot powder before wearing socks and shoes.
- Wear comfortable flip-flops and allow your feet sometime in the sun as sunlight inhibits the growth of fungus on your toes.
- Dont go walking barefoot in public places, particularly in dirty and moist areas.
- Be patient, diligent, and careful when using oregano oil.
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Essential Oils For Healthy Nails
- Tea Tree There are a number of benefits that tea tree essential oil has to offer. For starters, its powerful antiseptic properties make it a great option for treating foot and toenail fungus. Its also believed to be a good home remedy for getting rid of warts.
- Orange Orange essential oils antifungal properties make it another great option for treating toenail fungus. Some recipes recommend combining a drop of orange essential oil with tea tree essential oil.
- Chamomile Are you suffering from foot pain and inflammation? If so, you might want to consider trying out chamomile essential oil. The flavonoids in chamomile offer anti-inflammatory properties that can help you feel relief.
- Lavender This EO is a great option if youre aiming for healthy feet and nails. Lavender oil is thought to help with mild foot and toenail fungal infections. In addition, lavender oil is also a great pain reliever, so it may be able to reduce your foot pain.
- Lemon Lemon essential oil can benefit your feet in several ways! Not only can it help ward off fungal infections due to its antiseptic properties, but its also known to help improve blood circulation.
- Peppermint Trying to find a DIY home remedy for your neuropathy? Peppermint essential oil may be a good option. Peppermint relaxes muscles to reduce pain, which may help you feel foot relief.
How To Use Oil Of Oregano For The Treatment Of Toenail Fungus
High-quality oregano oil is derived from the wild oregano plant that thrives in the Mediterranean highlands and other mountainous areas in Europe and Asia. All of its fungi-fighting properties are packed and concentrated in its essential oils to combat even the toughest infection. In its concentrated form, the oil is so strong that it can irritate the skin. It is therefore recommended to first dilute the oil of oregano in a base or carrier oil before applying it to the skin. As a rule for topical application, you never thin oregano oil with water. The best dilution is done with carrier oils like coconut, almond and olive oil. Jojoba oil can be a pricey carrier oil because of its healing components that come close to the consistency of the skins natural sebum. If money is a concern, you can opt for olive oil. It is much cheaper than jojoba oil and is just as effective.
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The 7 Best Essential Oils For Toenail Fungus
Oregano oil
Oregano essential oil is considered a strong and natural antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal due to its high content of carvacrol and thymol.
Tea tree oil
Tea tree essential oil is a powerful antiseptic that can prevent infections and accelerate wound healing.
Peppermint oil
Peppermint essential oil is an antifungal and also acts as a potent pain reliever that, thanks to its high content of menthol, provides a cooling and soothing effect that can help relieve itching.
Cinnamon essential oil is rich in eugenol and cinnamaldehyde.
These healing compounds make it a potent antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial.
Lavender oil
Lavender essential oil is one of the most well-known essential oils on the market.
Its rich in linalool and linalyl acetate, which makes it very helpful for fungal skin conditions and wound healing.
Lemon essential oil is a powerful antifungal, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory.
Clove oil
Due to its high content of eugenol, clove oil is a powerful antifungal that can also fight parasites and promote good blood circulation.
Eucalyptus Essential Oil For Toenail Fungus
Eucalyptus oil is often mixed with other essential oils. This is known for the treatment of nail fungus and to strengthen the immune system.
If you are feeling a slight pain or itchiness try eucalyptus essential oil to treat toenail fungus.
How to use it?
For fast results, you can apply toenail fungus directly on the nail. Add a carrier oil, apply it twice a day. Let it dry, and you are good to go.
Below is our recommended Essential oil of Eucalyptus for nail fungus.
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Tips To Minimise Your Risk Of Getting Athletes Foot
There are some simple steps you can take to minimize the chances of contracting this infection:
- Wash and dry feet and toes thoroughly everyday
- Wear natural fibre socks that draw moisture away from the skin
- Wear open shoes or sandals where possible
- When wearing enclosed shoes it is best if they are made from breathable fabric ie leather
- If possible allow your shoes to dry before wearing them again
Best Essential Oils For Fungus Treatment
Essential oils are obtained from botanical sources and have the ability to affect our body through the nerves in our skin. Toenail fungus is considered to be a fungal infection that usually affects toenails, however, it can also affect the feet and may even cause hair loss.
Rosemary and camphor are two popular essential oils for toenail fungus treatment. This is because they are quite popular in cooking and can also be applied as such. A common method of treatment is applying the essential oil to the infected area.
In some cases, you may need to use more than one of these essential oils for toenail fungus as it can also be an issue that is caused by poor foot care products. However, toenail fungus can be treated using only one of these two essential oils for toenail fungus treatment.
Also, you can check out treatment for yellow toenails.
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Example Of Patents Of Natural Compounds With Antifungal Properties
Because of their numerous antimicrobial effects, it is not surprising to find many projects on this subject in the literature. There are also a number of patents pending to advance the quest for an effective new antifungal drug and some of which are described below. Patents can be seen on the website of the World Intellectual Property Organization.
On 31 August 2006 a patent proposed by Weiqi and Wenwen for an essential oil gel coat to fight onychomycosis was granted. The product has a synergistic interaction between its compounds that allows an effective fungicidal action.
Another patent based on natural product is a bath salt capable of removing dirt from human skin while having antifungal, anti-inflammatory and skin oxidation resisting action. This product was created by Meirong and patented on 1 March 2019.
The proposed patents concerning essential oils not only concern the medical field. On 14 March 2019, a project of Satyawati, Abhishek, Saurabh and Naik on a microemulsion composed of two essential oils was published. The goal was to facilitate the overall antifungal efficacy of the microemulsion but also to maintain its power against the fungus F. oxysporum, which induces the wilt during storage.
Finally, Ramirez and Sanchez have created a degradable film for fruit packaging . This film contains a polymer matrix that incorporates an antimicrobial active ingredient of an essential oil and a degrading agent.
Crop Disease And Fungal Infections
Fungal infections are not just a human health problem. They also affect the field of agriculture. In fact, it is estimated that 20% and 40% of the total agricultural productivity loss is caused by animals, weeds and pathogens. These losses have implications in human health, environment, and economy .
In the 21st century, it is estimated that the cross-loss is due to 18% animal pest and 16% microbial disease , for an average loss of 68% of the crop production tonnage . Among these plant pathogens we find, for example, Botrytis cinerea, which is responsible for the rot gray mold and can infect more than 200 species of plants . Another example is Fusarium graminearum implicated in Fusarium head blight in wheat and with significant economic consequences, for example between 1998 and 2000, it caused an estimated loss of 2.7 billion dollars in the United States .
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Lavender Essential Oil For Athletes Foot And Fungus
Scientific studies have indicated that lavender essential oil has excellent potential as a treatment for athletes foot. A 2011 study noted lavender essential oil may be an effective, anti-fungal agent when treating dermatophytes, which can cause athletes foot and other similar afflictions of the skin, nails and hair.3,4
In the study, various strains of fungi were isolated and exposed to lavender essential oil. Its fungicidal properties were found to be very successful against dermatophytosis and candidosis.4
Given the recent rise of drug-resistant fungi, a treatment based on essential oils for toenail fungus and skin conditions like athletes foot, has become increasingly valuable.3
To create a natural remedy for athletes foot, combine 10 drops each of lavender and tea tree essential oil with 2 Tsp. of carrier oil. Apply the solution topically twice a day to affected areas.
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Keeping Your Feet Clean When Using Essential Oils
When it comes to keeping your feet clean, there are several things you should do. First, when you do your daily walk around the block, always clean your shoes as well as your feet.
Make sure that you wash your socks as well, as they will also be part of your daily foot care routine. Also, you should never use soap on your feet when cleaning them, because it will cause the nail to get dirty faster.
Using one of these essential oils for toenail fungus treatment is not only extremely cost effective, but is also a great way to get rid of your foot problems. If you follow these simple steps, you should be able to get rid of the fungus as soon as possible.
These essential oils are available at a local pharmacy or in the market at a discount. They can be very effective for treating the problem but make sure that you read the instructions on the bottle or label.
Benefits Of Using Essential Oils For Nail Fungus
The mainstream treatment for fungal nail infections includes both oral and topical medicines. There are creams, gels, nail polish, and pills that are usually prescribed by doctors as remedies for nail fungus treatment. In extreme cases, the doctor might even remove the affected toenail entirely through a minor operation.
However, most of these prescription medicines and surgical processes are unwarranted. Allopathic treatments for fungal infection involve a cumbersome process with some possible side effects. Frequent visit to your doctor for the treatment of toenail fungus also takes away a lot of your time and energy. Worst of all, most of them do not work to meet your expectations.
The best remedy for nail fungus is natural remedies with essential oils. Home remedies are great as they are safe, inexpensive, and very convenient to do at your home.
People had been successfully using various essential oils to cure toenail fungus infection of ancient times. As soon as you spot the symptoms of nail fungus, you can begin to treat with any of the essential oils that work for eliminating the fungus.
Now let us have a look at some of the best essential oils that contain powerful antifungal properties and the potential to kill the dermatophyte fungi that cause toenail fungus.
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Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil
Cinnamon essential oil is related closely to cassia oil and possesses anti-fungal properties as well as anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antimicrobial qualities. It is most often used to treat immune system complaints but it also has antifungal applications including the treatment of a variety of Staphylococcus strains.
Cinnamon bark essential oil should be diluted before topical application and care should be taken when diffusing it because it is a potent oil that may cause irritation to the nasal passage.
For the same reason, cinnamon bark oil should not be inhaled directly from the bottle.
Essential Oils For Athletes Foot
While many people turn to commercial preparations to treat foot fungus, there are many excellent home remedies for athletes foot. If you are afflicted with athletes foot and toenail fungus, essential oils can be very effective.
Many essential oils have natural antifungal and wound healing properties that can help reduce the symptoms of athletes foot.
Below, you will find out which essential oils are considered the best natural treatments for athletes foot and foot and toenail fungus. As well, ow to use essential oils to make your own athletes foot home remedies.
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Natural Toenail Fungus Treatment
Step 1: Eliminating the Source of Yeast and Fungus
The first step in treating toenail fungus is using one of the most effective and natural ways to fight candida. In other words, youll likely need to make some changes in your diet and adopt a candida diet. The most crucial tactic for treating candida overgrowth is to eliminate what feeds the yeast and candida virus living in your digestive tract in the first place: sugars and conventional grain products.
Candida albicans is a common yeast that grows inside the human body. In healthy people, other bacteria and immune cells keep this yeast under control so it doesnt cause any problems, but in some people candida can become overgrown and cause infections in various areas. One of the ways candida shows up is through the skin where it can cause noticeable reactions or infections. Other ways are on the mouth, vagina and anus.
What triggers candida in the first place? This overgrowth of yeast can develop from a number of factors, including antibiotic use, poor digestion, low immune system function, a high sugar and grain diet, stress or hormonal changes. All these create an acidic environment that encourages yeast growth and the presence of candida. Many people opt for over-the-counter anti-fungal creams or even medications, but they only treat the symptoms, not the environment that allows candida to flourish.
Step 2: Replenishing Healthy Bacteria
Step 3. Consume More Fiber, Protein and Quality Fats
Foods to Eat Plenty Of:
Tips For Using Essential Oils Effectively
Essential oil treatment for toenail fungus is a great natural remedy that works every time. It is easy to use and very inexpensive than mainstream treatment. You need to consult a doctor only if you have a severe toenail infection in critical condition.
You can easily get rid of toenail fungal infections with essential oil treatments at the comfort of your home. However, you need to fulfill certain requirements to achieve fast and effective results from them. Here are some of the tips to get rid of toenail fungus faster:
Other Essential Oil Remedies
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As A Topical Application:
- Dilute a few drops of oregano oil with an equal amount of olive oil. Use full strength if needed.
- Gently rub the infected nail and surrounding area with this mixture. Give some time for the oil to be absorbed. Do this two to three times a day.
- Do not cover the toe, but keep it exposed to a lot of fresh air. Keeping the toes inside socks and shoes tend to keep them trapped in a warm moist environment, which is an ideal condition for the fungus to thrive.