Table of Contents Show
Are you suffering from painful toenail fungus? Don’t worry! In this article, we will get to know what essential oils kill toenail fungus1.
Everyone needs to know about toenail fungus and its treatment to avoid any larger consequences that you will regret later on. Fungal infections can spread when ignored so it’s preferable to take action beforehand. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
You will find that the home remedy of treating toenail fungus with essential oils may be beneficial, or can be the first aid to it. Sometimes, the home remedy can do wonders.
Before we know what essential oils kill toenail fungus, let us look at what toenail fungus is, and also how essential oils for toenail fungus can be useful to treat fungal infections.
What is Toenail Fungus?
Toenail fungus is scientifically known as onychomycosis or tinea unguium. It is the state in which fungi attack the toenail tissues. The most common type of fungus that stimulates the growth of the infection is dermatophyte2, also, yeast and moulds can cause growth as well.
Symptoms of Toenail fungus
- You may notice discoloration of the nail, it becomes slightly yellowish.
- The nail is separated from the nail bed and becomes thicker.
- The affected nail can take a strange shape
- It can be itchy and painful.
- It can also cause inflammation, dryness, and foul odour around the affected area.
In the later part of the article, we will know how and what essential oils kill toenail fungus.
What are the Causes of Toenail Fungus?
Toenail fungus could be caused by an unhealthy gut. Bacteria in your gut3 play a vital role in determining your health condition. Healthy bacteria are essential to avoid the growth of yeast and fungus.
Apart from this, there are some more causes mentioned below:
- It can be caused by damp places or public places like common swimming pools or gyms.
- Poor circulation, poor immunity power, poor hygiene, diabetes, or even through wounds.
- It can be caused by damp socks or closed shoes.
- Also by any low-quality nail polish.
- Having an athlete’s foot can lead to toenail infection.
What is an Essential Oil and How is it Useful?
Essential oils, also called ethereal oils4, are extracted from plants. They then go through the process of distillation. It contains the fragrance of the plant from which it is extracted, also, it has the power of healing and is used by many worldwide.
Many of them have antifungal properties and fight harmful bacteria and fungi in your body, and it is very important to know what essential oils kill toenail fungus. Toenail fungus is a common issue as we often ignore the health of our feet.
What Essential Oils Kill Toenail Fungus?
There are many essential oils for toenail fungus like tea tree essential oil, cinnamon essential oil, and clove essential oil which are very powerful in treating nail fungus. Most of these essential oils have few or no side effects at all.
So, check out this list of the best essential oils for Toenail Fungus or athlete’s foot.
1. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree is native to Australia and has been used for medicinal purposes for years. It is believed to have powerful antifungal properties. A few drops of tea tree oil kill fungus quickly.
It is very rare to have any side effects from it. Hence, it is considered the best oil for toe fungus.
Along with this, it is also used to cure acne, dandruff, hair problems, and a lot more.
Directions:
- Dilute 4-5 drops of tea tree oil with 15-20 drops of carrier oil like coconut oil, which alone has powerful antifungal properties.
- Apply on the affected nail with a cotton ball.
2. Cinnamon Oil
Cinnamon essential oil is extracted from its leaf and magically helps to get rid of toenail fungus. It has a powerful antifungal property that kills fungus.
Cinnamon oil treatment is traditionally used to promote skin health. Cinnamon also increases your body’s immunity and power.
Direction: Add 4-5 drops of cinnamon essential oil with a carrier oil such as coconut oil or jojoba oil and then apply to the affected area.
3. Clove Oil
Clove essential oil is extracted from the clove plant. It is used as a flavouring agent in cooking and also used as a healing agent that helps to increase your immunity power and has marvellous antifungal properties.
Direction: You must dilute it with carrier oil and then apply it to the affected area.
Essential Oils
This is the answer to what essential oils kill toenail fungus. There are some other essential oils like oregano oil, lavender essential oil, almond oil, lemon essential oil, thyme oil, and manuka oil which may cure toenail fungus.
Doterra essential oils for toenail fungus are also very effective. Because of the powerful antifungal and antiviral agents5 present in them, they treat nail infections effectively.
Note: You can always go for a doctor’s prescribed medicine which includes oral drugs which might affect your liver and heart. But also, if you choose essential oils instead, do not hesitate to consult your doctor if you have any doubts or other skin problems.
Things to Know Before Applying Essential Oils
After having the answer to what essential oils kill toenail fungus, now it’s time to know how to apply them correctly.
- Avoid being in a dark and humid environment as it increases fungus growth.
- Try to keep your feet dry after taking a bath or having any contact with water.
- Avoid wearing anything which closely sticks to your feet.
- After you know what essential oils kill fungus, do not forget to do a patch test before using it on the affected area to make sure you are not allergic. If you see any irritation or adverse effects, stop using the oil immediately.
- Keep the oil out of reach of children.
- Make sure it does not come into contact with the eyes and mouth.
Note: People with diabetes and compromised immunity must avoid using any home remedies. They must visit a doctor.
See what the doctor says:
It is not sufficient to know what essential oils kill toenail fungus, it is also necessary to know things that can be avoided to decrease the risk of fungal infections.
Side Effects of Essential Oils
We have discussed what essential oils kill toenail fungus<span data-preserver-spaces=”true”> elaborately and also about its benefits. Along with this it also has a few very rare side effects, like:
- Irritation
- Burning
- Headaches
- Asthma attacks
It is preferable to test it before applying, and people with asthma should strictly avoid inhaling it. Inhaling too much can also lead to headaches.
Some Other Home Remedy to Treat Toenail Fungus
Now that we know what essential oils kill toenail fungus, how to apply them to the affected area, and their side effects, let us read about some other home remedies that may cure fungal infections.
Some of them are discussed below:
Baking Soda
Baking soda is effective on toenail fungus, and it also eliminates foot odour. Take some baking soda and add water to it to give it a paste-like consistency. Then apply it to the affected area using a cotton ball.
Garlic
Garlic has powerful antifungal properties to cure fungal infections, so you can use chopped garlic or garlic oil. But you must be very careful as it can produce a chemical burn on the affected area. Put some garlic oil or chopped garlic on the infection very carefully.
Change in Diet
Try to consume foods that are rich in fibre, protein, vitamin D, and calcium. Eat green vegetables and foods that contain probiotics
6and iron.
Note: Try to avoid the intake of sugar, alcohol, and foods that promote the growth of yeast or worsen the condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do you get rid of toenail fungus fast?
A fungal infection under the toenails can be cured by taking antifungal medications for two months.
2. What is the most effective way to treat toenail fungus?
The anti-fungal liquid is the most effective toenail fungus therapy since it heals and cures fungal feet in addition to relieving annoying symptoms and boosting overall skin health.
3. How can toenail fungus be cured?
Infections of the nails do not typically heal completely on themselves, and the best therapy is usually antifungal medications taken orally.
In the End
It is not advisable to only know what essential oils kill toenail fungus, we should also know whether it suits us or not. So, a patch test is necessary beforehand.
Stay safe and healthy!
To read a more informative article like this, please click here.
- Patra, Mamta, et al. “Utilization of essential oil as natural antifungal against nail‐infective fungi.” Flavour and fragrance journal 17.2 (2002): 91-94. ↩︎
- Hainer, Barry L. “Dermatophyte infections.” American family physician 67.1 (2003): 101-109. ↩︎
- Suhr, Mallory J., and Heather E. Hallen-Adams. “The human gut mycobiome: pitfalls and potentials—a mycologist’s perspective.” Mycologia 107.6 (2015): 1057-1073. ↩︎
- Bralewski, T. W., Magdalena Frąckowiak, and Lucyna Kozera-Stochaj. “Effect of selected aromatic oils on the development of pathogenic fungi colonizing vegetable seeds in the laboratorial conditions.” (2007): 89-92. ↩︎
- Shuter, Jonathan. “Antifungal and antiviral agents: A review.” Cancer investigation 17.2 (1999): 145-152. ↩︎
- Williams, Nancy Toedter. “Probiotics.” American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy 67.6 (2010): 449-458. ↩︎
Last Updated on by laibaarif