Toenail Fungus: Natural Remedies to the Rescue

If you live in a warm, damp climate, spend a lot of time hanging out in pools or saunas, or exercise a lot, then you may have experienced a bout with toenail fungus (onychomycosis). And you wouldn’t be alone! One in four Americans over the age of 40 can expect to have had nail fungus during their lifetime. Nail fungus can be hard to treat, but a combination of traditional medicine and herbal remedies may be your best bet. Let’s review some natural remedies for nail fungus . . .


Visit a doctor or podiatrist at the first signs of a fungal infection (white or yellow spots, crumbling nails, thickened nails, or separation of nails from the nail bed). Your healthcare professional may prescribe and give you a topical cream, such as Nailstat, that combines the antifungal treatment clotrimazole with oregano, lavender extract, and other natural, botanical ingredients that have been shown to be beneficial in fungal treatment.

You may want to give the following supplements a try as well:

Garlic. This herb purportedly is a powerful antifungal. While oral supplements are popular, it can also be applied directly to infected areas up to three times a day.

Tea Tree Oil. This natural extract has antiseptic properties that can treat a variety of fungal infections. For toenail fungus, use a dropper to place the oil on infected nails twice a day.

Licorice Root. Powdered licorice mixed with water can be applied directly to areas affected by toenail fungus.

Vinegar soaks. Many people swear by this home remedy: prepare a foot bath with one part vinegar to three parts water. Stir and soak your feet for up to twenty minutes. Rinse your feet with plain water afterwards (a squirt of non-detergent soap can be added if you don’t like the vinegar smell) and dry them thoroughly. If you have a hard time reaching your feet, set a hair dryer to cool and use it to air-dry your feet quickly.

“Fun” is definitely not the key part of toenail fungus, but you can get relief with the above advice. So try it today!