Foot odor: what to do and how to remove the unpleasant odor

Unpleasant foot odor is a common, delicate problem, the occurrence of which causes inconvenience to both its owner and the people around him. A person with such a problem develops complexes; he experiences great embarrassment whenever he needs to take off his shoes.

An unpleasant drawback requires mandatory elimination. Before you fight the smell, you need to identify the causes of its occurrence. The reason why your feet stink or smell may vary from person to person.

Causes of unpleasant odor

Unpleasant foot odor does not appear out of nowhere. The reasons for this may be:

1. Using shoes made from non-natural materials . Such a wardrobe item blocks the flow of air to the skin of the legs. This also applies to shoes that are too tight. As a result, the feet begin to sweat. All favorable conditions are created for the spread of microorganisms that cause bad odor.

2. Wearing synthetic products . The use of socks, stockings, and tights made from low-quality materials is a common cause of stench. The principle of its appearance is similar, as in the case of low-quality shoes.

3. Individual predisposition . Some people are naturally endowed with the peculiarity of severe sweating of the feet. Therefore, any physical activity, active lifestyle, stressful situations will provoke the appearance of sweating, and as a result, an unpleasant odor.

4. Failure to comply with hygiene requirements . These may include wearing dirty socks and footwear, walking in wet shoes, and not caring for your feet (removing rough skin).

Often the causes of foul odor from the feet are diseases:

• fungal infections. This is one of the most common causes of the disease . The disease can affect both nails and the skin of the feet and provoke the appearance of an unpleasant odor. Any stress or heat that leads to profuse sweating will create an ideal environment for the growth of fungal bacteria;
• Many diets and poor nutrition lead to metabolic disorders . The consequences of this may manifest itself in the form of foot odor;
• various diseases, the course of which is accompanied by sweating. This could be diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, various disorders of the thyroid gland, as well as the nervous and vascular systems;
• the cause may be menopause and any hormonal changes in the body;
• a weakened immune system of the body is unable to resist the effects of various bacteria.

How to get rid of sweat smell from shoes?

The reasons highlighted above for the appearance of an unpleasant odor on your feet also lead to an unpleasant odor of sweat from your shoes. Sometimes the reasons for the unpleasant odor of sweat have already been resolved, but this “aroma” remains in the shoes and is transferred again to the feet. The smell of sweat is absorbed most deeply into the fabric and is most difficult to remove.

There is a professional remedy for sweat odor, SmellOff. This neutralizer removes unpleasant odor at the molecular level without masking it. The product is universal and suitable for treating both shoes and clothing, and any type of textile.

In order to eliminate the smell of sweat from shoes, you need to:

1. Clean shoes from visible dirt. Remove the insoles and spray them with neutralizer.

2. Apply the product to shoes, 3-4 sprays per shoe. It is important to ensure that the neutralizer reaches the toe of the product and other hard-to-reach places. In addition, if the odor is strong and persistent, you can pour the product onto the sole so that it reaches its maximum depth.

3. After treatment, leave the shoes to dry completely for 12-24 hours. It is advisable to put it in a box in a dry and closed place, for example, in a closet. The main thing is the absence of drafts and warm temperature.

4. After complete drying, ventilate.

It is important to note that this neutralizer has an absolutely natural composition, so you do not have to worry about allergic reactions on the skin, as well as the effect of this product on leg diseases, if any.

The main reason is Foot and nail fungus

Fungal disease is caused by parasitic microorganisms. You can get infected with them everywhere : in crowded places where people walk barefoot, in swimming pools, showers, saunas, baths, gyms.

When a fungus appears, you can detect symptoms such as peeling, dry skin, itching, unpleasant odor, cracking, redness, yellowing of the nail plates, their separation and fragility.

There are many types of the disease. A doctor can determine the type and nature of the fungus. He will also prescribe appropriate treatment.

Ways to eliminate foot odor

Unpleasant foot odor is not a death sentence at all. It should not be ashamed, it should be gotten rid of. Some rules will help you effectively and quickly overcome a delicate problem. The main steps must be followed:

Maintaining hygiene. If you have a problem, do not forget to wash your feet regularly . This should be done with special care, using a washcloth and an antibacterial agent. It is good to wash the areas between the fingers, as the most suitable area for bacteria to live and spread.

Timely disinfection . Special disinfectants containing alcohol are ideal for these purposes.

Using antiperspirants specially formulated for feet . You can use available products that can dry the skin and cleanse it. It could be talc, soda.

To get rid of the smell, you need to wear only leather shoes . Otherwise, cleaning any other shoes requires significant attention. It should be washed, or better yet, washed, and it should be done regularly.

In summer it is worth wearing open shoes so that your feet can breathe. But rubber slippers or sandals, as well as shoes with plastic inserts, will only increase the unpleasant odor of your feet.

Under no circumstances should you wear wet shoes unless you want to develop unpleasant foot odor.

Be sure to wear clean, good quality socks . If there is a problem, it is better not to wear or purchase synthetic products. You should wear a new pair every day . As the problem worsens, socks need to be changed more often.

Foot baths made using natural ingredients at home will help get rid of the foul odor

The use of essential oils and various ointments that have an antiseptic effect on the skin.

The use of talcs , which eliminate excess moisture and reduce sweating.

Special products and antiseptics, foot powders

To eliminate the problem of bad smelling feet, pharmaceutical companies offer many different products. Each of them is effective in its own way and has its own application features:

1. Foot lotions are special preparations that have a deodorizing and disinfecting effect on the skin of the feet.

Effective drugs are “ Galeno Pharm ” and “ 5 days ”.

2. Ointments:

• zinc ointment is an affordable budget product for reducing foot sweating, softening, moisturizing the skin and eliminating unpleasant odors;
• ointment DEO-control , consisting of lavender, tea tree, shea, cocoa oils and a complex of vitamins. Thanks to this composition, the ointment acts on the feet as an antiseptic - it softens the skin and reduces sweating;
• Teymurov's paste is a recommended and highly effective drug for combating foul odor. The product has drying and antibacterial properties and has proven itself in eliminating deficiencies.

Before using any ointment, you need to wash your feet well , let your feet dry naturally, then rub the product in with smooth, careful movements for several minutes and wait until it dries completely. The procedure must be carried out for 4-7 days until a noticeable result is obtained.

Creams, lotions for feet

In order to eliminate excessive sweating, foot creams are also used. They are suitable for constant use, it is only important to choose the ideal product. In addition to preventing sweating, the cream helps soften and nourish the skin.

Among the popular foot creams, the best are:

• Dry-Dry from Scandi Line is a transparent lotion with aluminum chloride hydrate and denatured alcohol. Thanks to the active substances, a protein-aluminum plug is formed on the sweat tubules. The blocked sweat is released through the free glands located higher up the legs and is eliminated by the kidneys. The product can prevent excessive sweating for 5 days.

  Directions for use: Apply gently to dry, clean skin of the feet one hour before bedtime. Massage a little, then wait a couple of minutes for the lotion to dry. After using the cream, it is not recommended to carry out any bath procedures so as not to wash off the drug.

• Lavilin by Hlavin is made in Israel and is rich in natural ingredients: calendula, chamomile, mountain arnica, potato starch and talc. Thanks to them, the cream destroys fungi and bacteria and binds excess liquid. Zinc oxide, ethylhexylglycerin and triethyl citrate slow down the secretion of sweat.

  Directions for use: Rub evenly into the skin on problem areas, then avoid letting the product get wet for about 15 minutes. If the unpleasant odor appears again, the cream may be reapplied.

• “5 days” from Galino Pharm contains zinc oxide, acetyl alcohol, camphor and menthol. This ensures a complex effect: menthol refreshes and creates a feeling of coolness, camphor disinfects the skin, alcohol retains moisture, and zinc oxide dries and binds unpleasant odor molecules.

  Directions for use: daily, preferably before bed, apply a small amount of cream to clean and dry skin so that the product is completely absorbed into the skin without leaving a greasy film.

• Deo-control differs from Kalina in its special oil vitamin complex OilCare. The complex contains cocoa, lavender and shea butters, as well as tea tree extract, retinol, tocopherol and nicotinic acid. The protective film formed by these substances prevents the appearance of sweat odor and prevents the growth of bacteria.

  Directions for use: rub into the skin between the toes and over the entire surface of the feet after a shower. After each bath or if an unpleasant odor is detected, re-application is required.

• Foot cream from Green Pharmacy has antifungal and deodorizing properties. A prolonged five-day effect is provided by tea tree oil, menthol, camphor and zinc oxide.

  Directions for use: Apply a small amount of cream to the skin of your feet and wait until the product is completely absorbed. The product becomes more effective when used after steaming the skin in a bath, bathhouse or sauna.

Folk remedies to combat unpleasant foot odor

Traditional medicine offers many options for combating unpleasant foot odor. Among the huge number of folk remedies, the following recipes are truly effective:

Chamomile infusion . To prepare it, you need to pour the dried crushed plant (3 tablespoons) with a liter of boiling water. Then cover the container with a lid and let the liquid brew for 1 hour. After this time, add 1 tbsp. l. soda, and the infusion is ready. You will need to rub the product on bad-smelling feet, after washing them first.

Oil cocktail . When taking a bath, you can add a mixture of essential oils to the water. Take 5 drops each of sage, eucalyptus and pine oil . These scents will help eliminate foul odors.

An infusion of vinegar is suitable for both eliminating odor and fighting fungus . To do this, you need to mix 200 g of butter, 100 g of vinegar, 1 egg and its crushed shell. Place everything in a glass jar and refrigerate for one week. The prepared infusion should be lubricated daily on the affected areas for 2 weeks. If you add carrot juice to vinegar, this will help improve the skin of your feet and promote its speedy recovery.

Garlic ointment . You need to crush the garlic and mix with the same amount of butter. The finished ointment is applied during the day until the first positive results appear.

Onion compresses . In some situations, onions help get rid of sweaty odor.

Burdock leaves are used to create a compress for the feet. The plant must first be prepared by rolling the leaves over the leaves with a rolling pin to squeeze out the juice. Then you just need to wrap your feet with the prepared leaves and leave them overnight, securing them with socks. You need to be treated in this way for 3 weeks. Rowan leaves also have similar properties .

A little about the benefits of baths

Warm foot baths not only solve the problem of sweating, but also contribute to overall health. And this is not surprising, because there are sensitive areas on the feet that can be affected using this procedure. This water therapy helps you relax, relieves stress and fatigue. The person calms down, his sleep normalizes, and his mood improves. In addition, hot baths activate blood circulation in the legs, which has a good effect on metabolic processes.

Regular foot baths help solve many health problems:

• Reduces the amount of sweat produced.
• Suppress the development of bacteria and neutralize unpleasant odors.
• Prevents the appearance of fungus on the feet.
• They relieve inflammation and fungal infections (but only in the early stages).
• Have a beneficial effect on the nervous system.
• Reduce blood pressure.
• Eliminate pain from joint diseases.
• Relieves spasms and muscle pain.
• They soften the skin of the feet, making rough areas easily susceptible to the action of pumice. Over time, the heel spur is removed (at its initial manifestations).
• They are a good addition to the treatment of colds.

A bath solution can contain various additives; there are a lot of recipes, and everyone can easily choose the option that suits them. Perform these simple procedures regularly, and you will always feel fresh and light in your legs. In addition, baths will improve your emotional state, relieve stress and nervous tension, which will also help reduce sweat secretion.

The most popular compositions are based on the following components:

• Healing herbs.
• Teas.
• Vinegar.
• Iodine.
• Salt.
• Soda.

Important! Baths with these natural ingredients give a good effect if used regularly!

Recipes for refreshing and therapeutic foot baths

A good way to eliminate the annoying nasty foot odor are various baths. They must be taken regularly to achieve noticeable results. Several available recipes:

Oak decoction . To create the product you will need crushed oak bark (2 tbsp.), 1 glass of boiled water. The mixture should be placed in a water bath and cooked for 30 minutes. After cooling, the liquid must be filtered and a little water added to it to replenish the original volume.

Massage

Manual therapy is a good way to restore normal blood circulation in the extremities and normalize sweating. Foot massage is performed taking into account the following rules:

• therapy begins with vigorous rubbing of the entire surface of the sole;
• when the skin is red, proceed to massaging the toes;
• complete the procedure by kneading the heels and rubbing in a warming cream.

There are acupuncture points on the legs that affect the functioning of vital organs and systems. Frequent foot massage improves a person’s overall well-being and has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the immune system.

Maintaining personal hygiene rules

To prevent the problem of bad foot odor from disturbing a person once again, it is necessary to follow the rules of hygiene. It is much easier to prevent the occurrence of any disease than to deal with its consequences. Therefore, a few worthwhile tips will be useful to everyone:

• You should not walk barefoot in public places;
• It is important to change socks regularly;
• you need to keep your feet clean, for this you need to wash them daily and wipe them dry with a towel;
• You need to keep your shoes dry and air them regularly. Various aerosols to eliminate odors will help in this matter;
• try not to wear someone else’s shoes and not give yours to strangers to use in order to avoid acquiring fungus;
• Do pedicures regularly and monitor the condition of the skin on your feet.

Proper care of shoes and socks

The problem of unpleasant foot odor can be completely eliminated only through a comprehensive approach. To do this, you need to monitor not only foot hygiene, but also properly care for your shoes. It must be stored in special ventilated boxes.

Of the available remedies, a small amount of baking soda . If you pour this product into your shoes, you can eliminate excess moisture and bad odor. The portion of shoe soda should be changed every day.

Bay leaves will help eliminate unpleasant odor from shoes that is transferred to your feet . You just need to put a few leaves under the insole. The spice clove will help solve the same problem.

To prevent your feet from smelling bad, you need to pay attention to the cleanliness of your socks or tights. It is better to wash clothing items inside out .

If you approach solving the problem comprehensively, regularly devoting a little time to foot and shoe care procedures, you can get rid of the foul-smelling scourge in the shortest possible time.

Specialist help

Sometimes the methods listed above do not help completely eliminate the unpleasant odor and sweating of the feet. So how to remove foot odor forever? Excessive sweating can be associated with a number of reasons not related to hygiene. For example, a person may inherit such a feature from parents or close relatives. If you experience severe sweating of your feet, you should find a qualified dermatologist. A specialist may prescribe a more potent antiperspirant and recommend additional treatment measures.