Foot Odor

Foot odor results from the perspiration of the feet mixed with bacterial growth on the skin.

This is further promoted by wearing shoes for hours with poor ventilation of the feet.

Feet have a high density of sweat glands and continuously produce perspiration all day long. This combines with bacteria in the surface of the skin to produce the characteristic odor.

It is important to note that the bacteria found to be causing foot odors are normal residents of the skin and can be found on almost everyone.

Why is it then that not everyone has foot odor even if we all have the same bacteria residing in our feet?

Foot odor now becomes a function of what we wear, how long we wear it, and how we take care of our feet. Given the right conditions, everyone will develop foot odor.

Socks and shoes play an important role in foot odors.

Socks being the ones in direct contact with our feet play such a pivotal role. The material make of the sock determines how much moisture it absorbs and how much ventilation the foot gets. For this matter, cotton socks are better than nylon and polyester since cotton absorbs more moisture and allows better ventilation.

Shoes don’t have direct contact with feet but are the main determinant of how much air can ventilate the feet. Leather shoes allow very little air inside and make you more prone to having foot odor.

Wearing shoes without socks increases the amount of moisture trapped and also the bacterial activity producing foot odor.

However, wearing open shoes that allow free movement of air minimizes but doesn’t totally eliminate the odor.

Natural Cures for Foot Odor:

Foot Hygiene:

Proper foot care is instrumental to get rid of foot odor.

It is actually the natural cure against foot odors because clean feet have minimal bacteria present that can cause them.

Wash your feet before you sleep and especially after walking barefoot because this takes away dirt and other organisms responsible for the foul smell.

Foot Powder:

This home remedy is commonly used and is very effective.

The powder absorbs the perspiration and dries up the moisture in the feet preventing the buildup of odor.

In addition to the powder, some preparations have scents that counter the odor, if ever there is one.

Cotton Socks:

A simple home remedy for foot odor is to wear cotton socks.

Cotton absorbs more moisture and allows better ventilation of the foot as compared to other materials.

It is also advisable to change socks regularly especially when you do a lot of physical activities that make you perspire a lot.

There are also some people who perspire more than others.

In this case, they should change socks more often too.

Odor-Fighting Insoles:

There are some insoles available in the market today that incorporate activated charcoal and other moisture absorbing material into their insoles to fight foot odor.

Activated charcoal, as you may already know, is a natural cure for foul odor.

Some insoles are also specially designed not only to give more comfort to the feet while walking but also to allow better air circulation in the shoe.

These are some of the home remedies you can do to get rid of that embarrassing foot odor.

Shoe Care:

Take care of your shoes because they take care of your feet.

Washing, cleaning, brushing and drying your shoes are the simplest natural cures available to get rid of foot odor.

Occasionally, drying them under the sun can get rid of any bacterial as well as fungal growth inside the shoe.

Sunlight is a natural cure for any bacterial or fungal colonization.