Beauty

If You Have Athlete's Foot, These Soothing Soaks Will Bring Relief To Your Dry, Itchy Feet

by Margeaux Baulch Klein
fotolia/lukasvideo

Athlete's foot, otherwise known as Tinea pedis, is a common fungal infection that can cause itching, burning, or even a rash on the skin of the foot. To treat it, some people turn to foot soaks for relief. Not only is immersing your feet in a tub of water at the end of the day a relaxing thing to do, but the best foot soaks for athlete’s foot also contain ingredients like tea tree oil that have anti-fungal properties.

According to Dr. Bruce Pinker, a New York-based podiatrist with Progressive Foot Care: "In terms of soaks, tea tree oil soaks can be beneficial to resolve cases of Athlete's foot fungus, and most are available over-the-counter. In general, however, tea tree oil, while proven to be anti-fungal, is not very potent, and is usually effective only for mild to moderate cases of Athlete's foot fungus. For better resolution of the condition, an anti-fungal cream is recommended. There are some available over-the-counter, such as Lamisil antifungal cream, and many others, by prescription."

You may also want to consider a soak that also contains Epsom salt, as Epsom salt is thought to have healing and detoxifying benefits. And, if the itching, peeling, or burning is particularly bad, you may also want to double up with one of the best sprays for athlete's foot.

But let's get you some relief. Here are the three best foot soaks for athlete’s foot.

01The Overall Best, All Things Considered

This tea tree oil foot soak is an Amazon best-seller for a reason. It utilizes ingredients like tea tree oil, Epsom salt, and peppermint oil to tackle athlete’s foot and other types of toe and foot fungus. Some reviewers have also said it helps with cracked calluses and dry foot skin. Bonus: This cruelty-free foot soak is safe for all types of foot spas and basins and is even made in the U.S.

What fans say: "I have had issues with my feet, one in particular, for a long time. I thought I had psoriasis but I realized it was probably Athlete's foot and bought this foot soak. I can't believe how fast it helped! I used it everyday for about a week and couldn't believe the difference. My foot was less red, the cracks were healed, and there was no more itchiness."

02The Runner Up

While not quite as popular, this FineVine tea tree oil foot soak still has an impeccable 4.7-star Amazon rating. Over 500 reviewers have reported back that this soak helped clear up their athlete's foot and other types of toe fungus. It's made of a proprietary blend of seven different essential oils, including tea tree oil, as well as Epsom salt, Dead Sea salt, and a few others, to help in the battle against athlete's foot. This soak has a lovely scent that reviewers praise and, as an extra incentive, it comes with a money-back guarantee if you're not happy with it.

What fans say: "I love this stuff! My feet are super smooth after a soak... I have noticed that my athletes foot has not returned since I started using the soak - awesome!!"

03The Most Affordable

Why pay more for a therapeutic foot soak when, for half the price of other brands, this tea tree oil foot soak contains all of the same beneficial ingredients? This soak boasts tea tree oil, Epsom salt, sea salt, and other essential oils to help fight Athlete's foot naturally. While it doesn't have quite as many glowing reviews backing it as other soaks on this list, the manufacturer offers a one-year, money-back guarantee. For just $7, there's really nothing to lose with this option.

What fans say: "I love this product. My feet feel way better after I use it!"

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