Tea Tree Oil and Athletes Foot (Foot Fungus)
What Tea Tree Oil is:
Tea Tree Oil is a naturally occurring antiseptic oil produced from an Australian tree called the Melaleuca Alternafolia. It kills germs (some viral germs), bacteria, and fungus, and is used as a cure for acne, body odor, foot fungus (athletes foot), halitosis, head lice, and oral herpes outbreaks, or cold sores. There are a number of products out there that combine tea tree oil with another naturally occurring cream (such as aloe) as a means of applying it to the skin and diluting its potency.
Tea Tree Oil for Athletes Foot:
The reason people have been using tea tree oil to treat athletes foot is because of the anti-fungal (fungicide) properties of the oil. Athletes foot, as you may know by now, is caused by a fungal infection within the skin of the foot. Tea tree oil helps to stop athletes foot by soaking into the skin and killing the fungus that causes the itching and burning associated with athletes foot.
Tea Tree Oil Use:
Either buy a product that has already mixed tea tree oil with another cream and apply it to the foot as necessary, or try this: Wash your feet well, and make sure they are dry. Then, apply the oil to your feet, rubbing it in to make sure you get the stuff in there real good. Do this twice a day for a few weeks and you should start to notice the symptoms of athletes foot go away. You can also put some oil in a warm foot bath and soak your feet for several minutes, two or three times a day, to achieve the same effect--but direct application seems to work the best.
