Archive for the ‘Foot Care’ Category

Find Relief For Your Nail Fungus

Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

Nail Fungus is known in the medical world as onychomycosis. Strange word for a fairly disgusting condition. Disgusting though it may be, nail fungus is very common, especially in the toenails.

Nail fungus is caused by bacteria that makes its way into the toenail and gets embedded between the nail bed and the outer nail. It is embarassing and unsightly, and can be caused by a number of factors, like getting a crack in the toenail.

Fungus thrives in damp or moist environments. That is why you need to be especially vigilant if you sweat a lot or spend a lot of time in pools, or other moist spots. People who work in moist environments, wearing shoes, are very likely to get nail fungus in one form or another.

There are no easy or quick cures for nail fungus. There are, however, some home remedies that you can try. It is important to allow your feet to dry thoroughly after they have gotten wet, and to allow them to breathe freely throughout the day.

The germ killers in mouthwash are believed to be fairly effective against nail fungus. Soak your nails in a bowl of Listerine. Not only can it help the fungus go away, but your feet will smell minty-fresh, not medicin-y!

Mixtures of 50/50 white vinegar and distilled water can be effective, as can Eucalyptus oil applied directly to the affected nails. There is another oil, tea tree oil, that is supposed to be even better.

Finally, try applying Vick’s Vapo-Rub to the nails. Again here, it’s Eucalyptus that makes a difference and will help kill the bacteria.

If those remedies don’t help, you should talk to your doctor about getting a prescription medication.

Herbal Feet Care

Monday, April 14th, 2008

Tips for Herbal Feet Care

For most all of us, the problem of smelly feet can from time to time become a miserable and even unbearable problem.  There is so much advertising on just this problem alone that when our feet become odorous, the subliminally sub-conscience thought may be to go out and purchase some of the many foot odor products.  But before you start spending, you may first want to try a few of the many natural herbal methods of ridding your foot odor problems. 

With not counting any other body areas, there are a quarter-million sweat glands on your feet alone. Just one foot can produce almost up to one liter of sweat, but the sweat is not the culprit that many of us think it to be when it comes to the bad smell.  These reoccurring pungent odors are caused by bacteria or fungus problems.  One very effective herbal way to almost always rid these bacteria and fungi that may plague our feet is to soak the smell away with freshly mild brewed ice tea for 30 minutes a day for 7 days straight.  This is a proven method to dry out your feet for longer periods of time to fight off the bacteria and fungi growth.

Along with the tea soakings, the internal intake of Zinc is a proven linkage for reducing smelly foot odors.  Zinc is a necessity of good health for several reasons, but reducing or even eliminating routinely stinky feet is one of them.  We now know that what is consumed internally food wise is very importantly linked to our external well being too, and Zinc by food intake along with a Zinc supplement will make a stronger difference for a positive overall health effect in us all. 

When we shower, it is important to wash our feet thoroughly with a wash cloth and soap.  There are several inexpensive herbal body washing soaps out there to choose from and taking the time to appropriately clean your feet daily is vital to better smelling feet.  After scrubbing your feet with a natural antibacterial soap, make sure to towel dry them well before your socks or shoes are put on for the day. 

After doing all that is needed for removing your bad foot odor, make sure to only wear 100% cotton socks for one of the best antibacterial preventive measures.  For extra precautionary methods, by adding baking soda to the insides of your shoes, you will keep your feet refreshed and smell free through out the day. 

 

 

Feet Care Tips

Wednesday, March 5th, 2008

Tips for Effective Feet Care

With our feet getting such a daily workout, it is so important to pamper your tired feet regularly. By doing periodic pamper sessions, your feet will be softer, healthier and just completely feel more energized.  In return for better foot care, you will feel better because roughness tension and any previous pain will diminish.  By massaging and softening the feet regularly, blood circulation will improve which will contribute to better overall health. When really doing the job right, you will need a good foot scrub made of natural ingredients, a nice aromatic foaming bath gel, a good size bowl or proper fitting container, a large towel and 2 small towels, a pumice stone and a basic pedicure kit.

The first step is to place your bowl of warm water upon the large towel at the bottom of a very comfortable chair.   With your water, add any drops of essential oils you may desire and a small amount of foaming gel.  Mix the oils and gel with the water well to bring out the full effect of the mixture.  Soak your feet in the relaxing mixture for around 5 minutes and then remove to dry off excess water.

The next step is to massage the foot scrub over the sole of your feet with a little amount on the cuticles. With the foot scrub still on the rough areas of your feet, place each foot into a plastic bag and secure for a good 10 minutes.  Then when the bags are both removed, both feet are to be returned to the water which should have cooled a little to help motivate stimulation for better circulation in the feet.

After again removing and drying your feet from the water, the next step is to use the pumice stone for rubbing the sole.  This is done best by using firm pressure on the ball and the heel, and lighter pressure onto the arch of each foot.  For the top of the feet, use lighter pressure for improving the skin texture and to bring nutrient-rich blood to the surface for a better appearance.

The last very important step for the best foot care and appearance is to trim the nails straight across and smooth rough edges with an emery board.  Apply cuticle softener with cotton and wait several minutes and when the cuticles are soft, push back with hoof stick. After one more soaking, gently dry the feet and apply a polish if desired.