Do You Want A Natural Treatment For Nail Fungus Try Tea Tree Oil
Using tea tree oil to combat fingernail fungus is an effective natural treatment, although it does take time and persistence. The best way to do this is dip a cotton ball into the tea tree oil and then apply directly on the affected fingernail two to three times a day you should see some positive improvement within a few months.
Another way to use tea tree oil for fingernail fungus is to soak your fingernails. Heres our recipe for a tea tree oil foot soak:-
- Add 1 cup Epsom salts to a basin/tub filled with hot water.
- Add 4-5 drops of essential tea tree oil.
- Soak your fingernails for 15 minutes.
- Dry fingernails thoroughly after soaking.
Repeat this treatment daily for at least a week to help in the treatment of fingernail fungus.
How Do You Use Tea Tree Oil For Fungal Infection
Its quite simple to use tea tree oil to treat fungal infection. First, you start by preparing the affected area by taking off dead skin. Secondly, you buff your nails a little bit so that the oil can sink through after which you can then apply.
PS: Before you proceed with the application, make sure to dilute the oil with a carrier oil as applying it directly to your skin may cause irritation.
Precautions While Using Tea Tree Oil
Although its natural and safe, there are a few things to keep in mind while using this oil on your body to treat infections. This oil is toxic if ingested, and it should be reserved for topical use only. If not, it may cause undesirable side effects. It can also cause skin irritation in some people, so performing a skin patch test before using it is highly recommended. If an infection gets worse or doesnt seem to improve after several months, you should consult a doctor for medical advice. Finally, always make sure that your oil comes from a reputable and safe source so you can trust that itll work to safely clear up infections.
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What Is Tea Tree Oil And How Does It Work
Tea tree oil comes from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a small tree native to Queensland and New South Wales, Australia.
Although Melaleuca alternifolia is known as the tea tree, it should not be confused with the plant that produces leaves used to make black, green and oolong tea.
Tea tree oil has been used as a traditional medicine by Aborigines for centuries. These native Australians crush tea tree leaves to extract the oil, which is then inhaled to treat coughs and colds or applied directly to the skin for healing.
Today, tea tree oil is widely available as a 100% undiluted or neat oil. Diluted forms are also available, ranging from 550% strength in products designed for the skin.
Tea tree oil contains a number of compounds, including terpinen-4-ol, that have been shown to kill certain bacteria, viruses and fungi .
Terpinen-4-ol also appears to increase the activity of your white blood cells, which help fight germs and other foreign invaders .
These germ-fighting properties make tea tree oil a valued natural remedy for treating bacterial and fungal skin conditions, preventing infection and promoting healing.
Read on to learn about the many uses and benefits of this versatile oil.
Oregano And Tea Tree Oil For Treating Toenail Fungus: Uses & Side Effects
Essential oils have always played a major role in treating skin, hair, and nail diseases. Sometimes, infections caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi can easily be treated by just a few drops of essential oils.
You may consume them orally or apply them topically to treat your condition.
Toenail fungus can be treated by a combination of two or more essential oils such as oregano and tea tree oil.
As many of our cosmetic products have these two essential oils, it would be safe to say that theyre very effective.
Both oils have individual properties that work differently to fight the toenail fungus. When combined, they work synergistically to make your toenail free from any trace of the fungus.
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Tea Tree Oil Application
Tea tree oil is an ideal treatment for toenail fungal infections, but it is best to dilute it with carrier oils to avoid any skin reactions.
- Step 1: Mix 2-3 drops of tea tree oil with 1 tablespoon of a carrier oil like olive oil or coconut oil, both of which have anti-fungal properties.
- Step 2: Saturate a cotton ball with the tea tree oil blend and apply on the infected toenails. Let the oil soak into the nail bed as well as the skin.
- Step 3: Let the oil dry out naturally on your feet.
- Step 4: You can also follow this up by soaking your feet in a tea tree oil bath for 10 minutes. For a tea tree oil bath, you need to add 4-5 drops of tea tree oil to a tub of water.
It is best to do this treatment twice a day, once or twice a week depending on the severity of your toenail fungal infection.
Essential oils can be a great choice to prevent or remedy fatigue naturally. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Tips to Prevent Toenail Fungus
- Make sure you follow good hygiene to ensure that you prevent toenail fungus by keeping your nails short and by wearing clean shoes and socks.
- Tight or closed shoes can also cause fungal growth.
- Regular tea tree oil treatment along with these preventive measures can ensure that you dont have to deal with fungal infections.
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Tea Tree Oil And Baking Soda
Baking soda contains fungistatic properties which kills the fungus causing infection. It also balances the pH levels which creates an inhospitable environment for fungus to thrive.
- Combine 3 drops each of tea tree oil, basil oil, and sage oil.
- Add 2 teaspoons each of baking soda and arrowroot powder into it.
- Mix the ingredients thoroughly until combined well.
- Apply the mixture on the infected finger or toenails and wear socks.
- Leave it on for 20 minutes and remove socks.
- Rinse with cool water, and towel dry.
- Repeat the process once in a day until the infection clears.
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Tea Tree Essential Oil Household Cleaner
Tea tree essential oil can also serve as a natural household disinfectant. To create a household cleanser, mix a few drops of tea tree essential oil with water, vinegar, and 2-3 drops of lemon essential oil. This mixture can be used to clean and disinfect counters, showers, sinks, toilets, and kitchen appliances.
The Oregano And Tea Tree Oil Blend To Deal With Nail Fungus
Fungal infections may target any part of the body. Fungus is always present in the body. It thrives alongside bacteria. The trouble starts when there is an overgrowth of fungus since this causes an infection. Onychomycosis is the medical name for a fungal infection that occurs on the toenails and fingernails.
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Whatever Treatment You Choose Take These Precautions To Prevent Recurrences:
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Practice good hygiene to ensure that you prevent toenail fungus.
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Keep your nails short, clip toenails straight across and keep them shorter than the tips of your toes.
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Wear clean shoes and socks and change often is feet are prone to sweating.
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Wear ventilating socks to evade moisture buildup on feet.
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Wear shoes in shared spaces such as gyms, locker rooms, and spas.
Talk to your doctor if your fungal infection does not improve or if it worsens despite treatment, and see your doctor right away if your feet or toes have any redness, warmth, open sores or bleeding.
Prepare Nails Before Applying Tea Tree Oil
Before you use a product with Tea Tree oil as an ingredient on your nails, it is important to first prepare your nails. Imagine trying to shampoo your hair without first having to wash it it would not work, and neither will using Tea Tree oil on your nails
Step 1. Trim the areas of your nail which are affected by nail fungus.
First, you need to remove the areas on your nails that are heavily affected by this fungus. That is if it can be easily removed. Think of this like trimming your nails. You should remove as much of your infected nail as is safely possible.
Step 2. File down remaining areas of your nail which are affected by nail fungus.
Once you have used clippers or nail scissors to remove areas of infected nail, you should now use a nail file to remove the last remaining areas which can be safely filed away. The aim is to remove as much of your nail infection as is possible before treating it with Tea Tree oil.
This helps any treatment you apply after to have maximum effect.
Step 3. Wash your nails thoroughly to remove affected nail fungus dust.
Now you are done the cutting and removing infected areas of your nail, it is time to wash away any debris. You might not be able to see it, but it is almost definitely still there. Wash carefully with tepid water and a skin friendly shower gel.
Step 4. Carefully dry your nails taking care not to irritate them by rubbing vigorously.
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What Are The Key Things To Look For When Buying Tea Tree Oil
When buying tea tree oil, it is important to note the key things to look for. Firstly, we have to make sure that it is 100% pure oil, this is very important. Tea tree oil is produced from the Melaleuca alternifolia tree, a natural resource which can be found in Australia and New Zealand. It has been used for years by healers for its many healing properties and is also used in aromatherapy and personal care products. However, before buying tea tree oil, there are a few more considerations we need to make.
When buying tea tree oil, you should note the area where the oil will be applied. The affected area must be clean and free of skin, blood or other bacteria. If the area is covered in hair or fur, the oil cannot be applied directly and will not work as effectively. Next, you should apply the oil to the affected area once or twice, massaging gently in circular movements, taking care not to get any of the oil on your skin. Tea tree oil can be very messy when applied so it is important to keep any towels or clothes away from the area to avoid any possible contamination.
Mythbusting: Does Tea Tree Oil Really Cure Toenail Fungus
Toenail fungus is not a pleasant condition to experience. Once you have it, it can be hard to get rid of. If you’re especially prone to wearing tight shoes, hosiery, and having damp feet due to being an athlete, the condition only grows worse.
Older people and those with weakened immune systems are more likely to get toenail fungus. If you have symptoms, you’re probably here to cure toenail fungus. Keep reading to find out how to get rid of toenail fungus and if using tea tree oil for toenail fungus is effective.
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Dosage And Toxicity Levels:
Topical tea tree oil is not recommended for oral use however, in rat models, a 50% lethal dose occurred within a range of 1.9 2.6 ml/kg. Tea tree oil lethal toxicity levels have not been tested in humans, of course, but human poisoning has occurred with full recovery.
For lowering the risk of dermal toxicity, it is widely recommended to use tea tree oil at a diluted dosage of 10% or less. During a patch-test study involving human participants, the results revealed dermal irritation at a mean score of 0.25, indicating that tea tree oil should never constitute 25% of a dilution formulation. Allergic reactions occur mostly due to oxidated oil from either natural age factors or a lack of proper storage precautions.
Among The Home Remedies
If you are afraid of taking any medicine for the toenail fungus, try applying the apple cider vinegar.
You can mix it with baking soda or make a foot soak to use the apple cider vinegar as an alternative home remedy. The acidity of the apple cider vinegar is going to be the game changer.
It will change the pH of the toenail, making it more acidic, which is unfavorable for the toenail fungus.
Also, Baking soda is another good treatment for the nail fungus. It will also disturb the natural pH of the toenail fungus. It will remove the bad odor from the toenail fungus.
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Applying Tea Tree Oil To Your Nails
Before you apply 100% tea tree oil anywhere on your body, its best to do a test. Some people have sensitive skin. While its a safe oil, its properties can prove too strong for some when its used on its own. If you have done a patch test and experienced no reaction, you should be safe.
If you experience minor irritation or want to be safe, create a solution with the tea tree oil. You can still enjoy its benefits by diluting it with a carrier oil. Olive oil and jojoba oil are great neutral carriers. They will also help to add moisture to your nails and the surrounding skin.
Once you have made a solution of tea tree oil, follow these steps:
Does Tea Tree Oil Work For Nail Fungus
Yes, tea tree oil is one of the more effective essential oils for toenail fungus due to its antifungal properties. A study conducted in 2013 demonstrated the efficacy of tea tree oil in reducing the growth of Trichophyton rubrum, a common nail fungus .
Combining tea tree oil with other medications can also successfully reduce nail fungus. One study demonstrated the use of a cream that contained butenafine hydrochloride and tea tree oil. When applied for 16 weeks, this cream had a success rate of about 80% in treating toenail fungus infection with no recurrences .
Several other studies have also shown promising results in the use of tea tree oil for nail fungus. But, is this essential oil safe to use? Find out below.
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Does Tea Tree Oil Work
Results from scientific studies supporting the use of tea tree oil to treat nail fungus are mixed. Some of the research points to tea tree oils potential as an antifungal, but more studies are needed.
According to a 2013 study, tea tree oil was effective in reducing growth of the fungus Trichophyton rubrum in nail infections. T. rubrum is a fungus that can cause infections such as athletes foot and nail fungus. Improvements were seen after 14 days.
This study used an in vitro model, which is sometimes called a test-tube experiment. In in vitro studies, the experiment is done in a test tube instead of on an animal or human. Larger human studies are needed to expand on these findings.
Combining tea tree oil with standard medicated creams is also an option. A small 1999 study found that participants were able to successfully manage toenail fungus by using a cream that contained butenafine hydrochloride and tea tree oil.
After 16 weeks of treatment, 80 percent of participants who used this cream cured their toenail fungus with no relapses. No one in the placebo group cured their nail fungus. Further studies are needed to determine which of these ingredients is most useful in treating nail fungus.
Results of a 1994 study found pure tea tree oil was equally as effective as the antifungal clotrimazole in treating fungal toenail infections. Clotrimazole is available both over the counter and by prescription.
Even with diluted tea tree oil, always do a skin patch test before use:
Is Tea Tree Oil Safe For Use On Nail Fungus
Generally speaking, tea tree oil is safe for external use. However, you should never consume this essential oil.
Tea tree oil can cause skin irritation and allergic reaction in some people, resulting in redness, inflammation, and itchiness. Hence, it is recommended to perform a patch test, even if you use small amounts of tea tree oil for nail fungus.
To safely use this essential oil, mix a few drops with a carrier oil like almond oil or coconut oil and apply it to your skin or nails. Avoid using it directly without diluting it on your nails or skin, as it is quite potent.
To conduct a patch test, apply a few drops of the oil mixture to your forearm. If you develop any redness or irritation, discontinue its use immediately. If not, you can continue using it. But first, you should prep your nails for the treatment. Find out how to do that in the next section.
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