If you suffer from smelly feet, you know how embarrassing and uncomfortable it can be. Stinky feet can be caused by a variety of factors, including sweating, fungal infections like athlete’s foot, and wearing closed-toe shoes and socks all day. Luckily, there are many things you can do to help prevent and treat smelly feet. Here are some of the best tips:
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Practice Proper Hygiene
One of the most important things you can do is make sure to keep your feet clean. Wash your feet daily with soap and water, especially between the toes where sweat and bacteria can accumulate. Make sure to rinse and dry your feet thoroughly after washing. Foot powder or deodorant spray can help absorb moisture and prevent odor-causing bacteria from growing.
Consider changing your socks more than once a day if you have excessively sweaty feet. Wear moisture wicking socks to help keep feet dryer. Always wear clean socks, and consider socks made specifically for sweaty feet. Boot liners under socks can create another moisture barrier.
Soak Feet
Make it a habit to soak your feet in warm water mixed with antibacterial soap, hydrogen peroxide, apple cider vinegar, or Epsom salts at least a few times per week. Soaking feet helps soften calluses, clean grime from skin, and reduces odor-causing bacteria. Epsom salt is especially effective at controlling foot odor because it draws out toxins, cleanses skin pores, and neutralizes odors.
After soaking, scrub feet gently with a loofah to remove dead skin and debris. Always completely dry feet, including between the toes. Then apply foot lotion, cream, or coconut oil to moisturize skin. Taking good care of feet prevents bacteria and fungi from thriving.
Wear Breathable Shoes
What you put on your feet impacts sweat and odor problems. Wearing the same athletic shoes over and over traps moisture inside them and spreads bacteria. Alternate between different pairs of well-ventilated shoes so each pair has a chance to fully dry out before wearing them again.
Choose shoes made of breathable materials like leather and mesh over plastic and rubber which lock in heat and moisture. Make sure shoes aren’t too tight either, which can cause excessive friction and sweating. Going barefoot occasionally will also give your feet a chance to breathe. Just don’t walk barefoot in public places like gyms, pools and showers which expose feet to infection risks.
Use Antifungal Cream and Foot Powder
Over-the-counter antifungal creams, powders and sprays containing ingredients like miconazole, clotrimazole, and tolnaftate will kill athlete’s foot fungus and other microbes that grow on moist feet. Apply an antifungal twice daily, including between the toes if needed. Wash hands after application to avoid spreading spores elsewhere on the body.
Dusting your feet with medicated foot powder containing zinc oxide or cornstarch is also great for absorbing moisture and preventing fungal infections. Reapply foot powder more than once a day if excess sweating is an issue. Just avoid putting powder between toes which can cake and irritate skin.
Try Odor-Eliminating Insoles
Insoles designed to eliminate foot odor can work wonders inside all types of closed-toe shoes including sneakers, work boots and dress shoes. Insoles imprinted with antimicrobial metals like copper, silver and zinc disrupt bacteria’s cell membrane and prevent odor-causing microbes from reproducing. Activated charcoal insoles absorb moisture and toxins to hinder bacterial growth too. Or look for insoles infused with baking soda, tea tree oil or other odor-fighting ingredients. Replace insoles every 3 to 6 months for maximum effectiveness.
Get Pedicures
See your podiatrist regularly and treat your feet to professional pedicures at a nail salon every month or two. Podiatrists can diagnose underlying conditions that may be contributing to unsightly nails or foot odor like fungal infections, excessive sweating, and problems with foot structure or gait. They can prescribe oral antifungal medications, topical solutions, or medical grade creams to clear up infections which over-the-counter treatments might not solve.
Getting regular pedicures removes hardened skin through expert exfoliation to keep feet soft and callus-free. Salon technicians trim and file nails to prevent ingrown toenails and thick, yellowed nails which can trap dirt and debris. Be sure the nail salon properly cleans tools and foot tubs between clients to minimize infection risks. Getting your nails professionally polished also discourages you from picking at nails or skin yourself which can spread germs.
Consider Prescription Antiperspirant
Some people have such chronically sweaty feet, nothing over-the-counter seems to help for long. This excessive sweating condition called hyperhidrosis can lead to serious, uncomfortable foot odor issues even with proper hygiene. Consulting your physician about prescription-strength antiperspirants made specifically for the feet could be a solution. These stronger formulas often contain aluminum chloride which temporarily plugs sweat ducts to keep feet drier. Prescription antiperspirants typically need to be applied once or twice weekly to start working followed by once every one or two weeks for maintenance of sweat and odor reduction.
Try Self-Care Remedies
If prescription treatments seem too extreme or expensive, some home self-care remedies might be surprisingly helpful for smelly feet. Soaking feet weekly in a vinegar foot bath can balance skin’s pH level to combat odors and soften dry, cracked skin prone to bacteria. Create a foot soak using one part vinegar diluted with two parts water. Relax feet for 20 minutes then scrub with pumice stone if calluses are present. Rinse and moisturize feet after soaking. The vinegar smell dissipates as feet dry.
You can also freeze black tea bags soaked in water inside ice cube trays then rub a frozen tea bag all over your feet and between toes until melted. The tannins in black tea have antibacterial benefits to neutralize odors for fresher smelling feet. Rinsing feet with mouthwash containing antiseptic ingredients like alcohol and eucalyptol kills bacteria as well. These inexpensive foot care tricks are worth trying before spending money on other unproven remedies.
Preventing and treating smelly feet comes down to consistently practicing proper foot hygiene, using moisture-wicking socks and breathable shoes, treating fungal infections promptly, absorbing sweat with foot powder and odor eliminating insoles, maintaining clean nails and callus-free skin through pedicures, and trying over-the-counter or prescription antiperspirants if excessive sweating persists. Getting into a daily ritual of washing and thoroughly drying your feet followed by applying antifungal creams or powders works wonders. Catching problems early and sticking to a proactive foot care regimen keeps embarrassment from stinky feet at bay.
