Foot Odor Natural Home Remedies And Prevention: Causes Of Smelly Feet

Foot Odor Natural Home Remedies And Prevention: Causes Of Smelly Feet









Foot odor may develop due to a host of reasons, the commonest being poor foot hygiene, excessive bacterial multiplication, wrong foot wear, etc. Foot odor and sweaty feet can be quite embarrassing; nevertheless, with the help of certain effective home remedies you can get rid of the offensive stench easily and successfully.

What Causes Smelly Feet?

The primary cause is foot sweat. Sweat although odorless, provides an environment that is conducive for bacterial multiplication. Bacterial growth and their products are responsible for offensive foot odor. Wearing shoes and/or socks (especially, polyester and nylon ones), and insufficient ventilation aggravates the condition.


Socks absorb varying quantities of sweat from feet; wearing shoes without socks in fact increases the amount of sweat that is in contact with the feet, and thus, increases bacterial activities that cause a smell. Hair on the feet is also a big contributing factor, they encourage bacterial growth.

Foot odor, or bromhidrosis, is caused by bacteria that flourish on warm, moist feet. Sweat generates a favorable environment for the bacteria to multiply. The soles of the feet have innumerable sweat glands which release sweat, which is made up of water, sodium, chlorine, fats and acids.


Bacterial multiplication and a production of certain products cause an offensive foot odor.

Home Remedies For Foot Odor

The following are decidedly effective home remedies for foot odor:

• Soda Bicarbonate
  Add a little bit of sodium bicarbonate to a bucketful of water and soak your feet in it for 10 minutes. Sodium bicarbonate raises the acidic properties of the foot and diminishes foot odor significantly. Sodium bicarbonate generates a antagonistic environment, that is not conducive for bacteria multiplication, thus checking the nasty smell.


• Black Tea
  Take 5 tea bags and boil them in water for 15 minutes. Let the water become lukewarm, and then soak your feet in them. Thereafter, dry the feet well and apply foot powder.


• Tea Tree Oil
  Wash your feet well, dry them and then rub some tea tree essential oil on to the soles. Do not apply the essential oil directly. Blend about 10 drops of tea tree oil with 10 ml of almond oil or wheat germ oil.

Prevention Of Foot Odor

Given below are some tips that can prevent smelly feet or foot odor.

• Make sure that you wash your feet well every day, using an anti bacterial soap. Scrub them once or twice a week to get rid of the dead cells. Never miss the area in between the toes.


• Dry the feet immediately after bathing.


• Change socks regularly.


• Avoid wearing the same shoes 2 days in a row.


• Sprinkle some talcum powder on to the toes to keep the feet dry and put off bacterial growth.