Tea tree oil for athlete’s foot

On September 14, 2008 in Skin

An Australian study has found tea tree oil for athlete’s foot to be a very effective treatment. Here’s a quote from the My Dr website:-

Researchers examining 158 people with interdigital tinea pedis (athlete’s foot between the toes) found a ‘marked clinical response’ after only a month in those who used a tea tree oil solution (Australasian Journal of Dermatology 2002; 43: 175-78).

Almost three-quarters of those who applied a 25 per cent tea tree oil solution to their feet twice a day for 4 weeks showed improvement. This is compared to 68 per cent of those who used a 50 per cent tea tree oil solution, and only 39 per cent of people who used a placebo.

The mycological (from the fungus) cure rate was more than double in the 50 per cent tea tree oil group compared to the placebo (dummy treatment) group (64 per cent compared to 31 per cent).

Neither the study participants nor the researchers knew which group the participants had been randomly allocated to.

Four patients applying tea tree oil developed moderate to severe dermatitis that quickly improved when they stopped the treatment.

Blackmores, which has long recommended tea tree oil to treat athlete’s foot, suggests on its website that a 15 per cent solution is sufficient.

It advises patients to soak feet at the first sign of itchiness or redness between the toes, and to dry feet thoroughly using a hairdryer or fan before applying the tea tree oil solution.

What is athlete’s foot and what are the symptoms?

About.com : Alternative Medicine give us this explanation of what athlete’s foot is, and what the symptoms are:-

Athlete’s foot is a common fungal infection of the skin also known as tinea pedis. The fungus thrives in warm, damp environments, such as the locker rooms, health clubs, public showers, and indoor swimming pools.

Athlete’s Foot Symptoms
* Itching, burning, or stinging between the toes or on the soles of the feet.
* Scales, cracks, cuts, peeling skin or blisters between the toes or on the soles of the feet.
* Skin dryness on the sides or bottoms of the feet

How does tea tree oil help athlete’s foot?

Tea Tree Wonders offers the following advice about how tea tree oil works to help with athlete’s foot:-

It has been suggested that tea tree oil may work against specific fungal, bacterial, and viral infections. Tinea pedis, or athletes foot, is caused by a fungus that thrives in warm, humid or moist environments, like locker rooms, showers, and indoor public swimming facilities.

You can use tea tree oil as a topical application for fungus infections and athletes foot. Most references on the subject suggest 3 or more times a day applying pure tea tree oil to the infected area.

How much tea tree oil do I need to use for athlete’s foot?

Here are instructions from Scent by Nature for how to use tea tree oil for athlete’s foot:-

To relieve Athletes Foot or fungal infections of the nails add 3 - 5 drops of oil to a warm foot bath and soak the feet daily. Dry thoroughly with a clean towel, especially between the toes. Follow up with an application of Tea Tree Antiseptic Cream.

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