Tea Tree Oil for Athlete's Foot

How effective is tea tree oil for athlete's foot?

Tea tree is traditionally used as a potent antiseptic solution. Many people keep a bottle of it handy in their first-aid and medicine cabinet for those minor cuts and scraps.

Animal and human research studies show that it can kill bacteria, fungus and viruses. Some experts suspect that it has to potential to even kill off some of the really difficult infectious bacteria found in the hospital settings.

How to use tea tree oil for athlete's foot

You can apply undiluted tea tree oil (full strength) with a cotton ball or gauze directly on the fungus infected area. Apply two or three times daily.

If you develop skin irritation, you can dilute the tea tree oil with equal parts of water or aloe vera gel. Of course, you can adjust the concentration down or up as need but the secret to try to use as concentrated solution will minimizing the side effects.

Always do a test first on a small area to see if you develop any type of allergic reactions.

Keep in mind that if the athlete's foot is very bad and many areas have cracked skin, it may cause pain and discomfort when you apply tea tree oil even if it's diluted quite a bit.

At this stage, you may need to seek the help of your family doctor to find a suitable alternative. You've probably let the condition go too long with treatment.

How long does it take to see results?

How long it takes the cure the athlete's foot depends on how deep and large an area the fungus infection is.

Do not expect quick results. It may take weeks to months before the athlete's foot fungus is completely killed off.

Want to know more? See our detailed and complete report on the health benefit of tea tree oil.