12 February 2020

The Most Effective Natural Treatments for Nail Fungus

By Marie Davis Health

Published 12 February 2020

Last updated 15 June 2021

Nail fungus is a widespread condition that can be difficult and expensive to cure. Many people turn to over-the-counter treatments that come in the form of soaps, soaks, solutions, and creams to try to improve the symptoms that occur along with fungal infections. If you catch your infection relatively early, or you have a mild case, you may be able to get good results using over the counter products. We have compiled a list of the best over-the-counter and natural products that can be applied directly to the nail and surrounding skin to help treat cases of nail fungus.

Purely Northwest Toenail Fungus Treatment

Purely Northwest has put together this kit that has a 3 step system to help get rid of the fungus. It includes an antifungal soap to help scrub and wash away dead skin and nail, a tea tree foot soak that soothes itching and burning, and a ReNew Nail Solution that has tea tree and oregano oil. Since nail fungus can be so challenging to treat, it is a good idea to try to attack the fungal infection in a few different ways, and this is a useful way to do that. Tea tree oil is a common natural ingredient that has strong antifungal and antibacterial properties with clinical studies to back up its effectiveness.

Available on Amazon

Perfect Nail Toenail Fungus Treatment

Perfect Nail Toenail Fungus Treatment is a product that fights nail fungus and helps get rid of nail discoloration. It also claims to start to be effective in as little as four weeks. The main ingredient is oregano oil and tea tree oil. Oregano oil is known for having powerful antifungal properties that can help improve the appearance and color of infected nails in a relatively short period.

Available on Amazon

Nature’s Cure-All Antifungal Nail Fungus Treatment Solution

Nature’s Cure-All Antifungal Nail Fungus Treatment Solution is an effective solution that uses antifungal 25% undecylenic acid to help eliminate the fungus from your nails, prevent the recurrence of infection and to stop the spread to other toes. It also contains a blend of Oregano, Tea Tree, Manuka, Clove Bud, Virgin Olive Oil, and Lavender. It is blended in South Carolina and is okay for use on people with diabetes. The company claims you may start to see visible improvements in 2 – 4 weeks.

Available from Amazon

Pur360 Manuka Oil

Pur360 Manuka Oil is a kind of a multi-purpose oil that happens to work well for fungal infection since it is an antifungal, as well as being antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. You may have already heard of Manuka Honey, that people love to use for all kinds of different ailments. Manuka oil is a little different than the honey. The honey comes from the flowers of the Manuka tree that the bees gather, while the oil comes from the leaves of the Manuka tree. The oil is much stronger. You rub this oil into and around the skin of the nail twice a day. It doesn’t work for everyone, but a fair number of people have been getting good results with it. It is a tad pricey, but anything related to the Manuka tree tends to be relatively expensive. Some users dislike the odor of the oil, so you may want to keep that in mind if you are sensitive to strong smells.

Available from Amazon

Pedifix Fungasoap

When you are trying to treat any foot fungus, an excellent place to start is with an antifungal soap. There are a few options around, but one that is often recommended by podiatrists is Pedifix’s Fungasoap. It is a soap that is made in Vermont that contains coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba seed oil, peppermint oil, tea tree oil, guar gum, glycerin, aloe, rosemary extract, and iron oxides. You will want to use this in combination with other treatments, or once an infection has cleared up, it can be used as a preventive measure to help stop future infections. It is a reasonably economical option compared to other available products. Fungasoap has a very fresh and minty smell that doesn’t hang around for too long after using it. You will probably want to use Fungasoap with a nail brush (make sure you clean and disinfect the brush daily).

Available from Amazon

What Do You Need to Know about Otc and Natural Treatments

Unfortunately, when you are treating fungal infections, you need to be extremely patient. You won’t see any improvement with any products for at three weeks, but more realistically, you probably won’t see a considerable improvement for at least six weeks and many months to fully get rid of it. To get the best results with natural products, you should:

Follow the recommended treatment times pretty carefully. If you don’t use the product and follow the treatment schedule, you won’t be successful.
Keep your nails free from anything that may stop the cream, oil, or soaps from getting to the fungus, which includes polish.
Remove debris from the nail, so you have the most chance of the product absorbing. Many of the products also recommend that you file down any discolored bits, so the treatment can get to where the fungus is hiding.
Keep everything clean. Toenail fungus is contagious, so you need to be super clean when you are trying to get rid of it. You should also wear clean socks every day, and you may want to consider treating your shoes with an antifungal spray.
Anything else that touches your feet should also be cleaned and disinfected regularly, including clippers, scissors, towels, tubs you are using for soaks, bed sheets, shower, bath, and bath mats. You can use hot soapy water, rubbing alcohol, bleach, vinegar, or antibacterial cleaners to clean these types of items. Also, wash your hands, especially under your nails after you have been touching your feet.

Ingredients to Look For:

There are a few ingredients that are present in the most popular and effective products. They are:

Tea Tree Oil– You probably have already heard about tea tree oil, but you may be a little skeptical about its effectiveness. It is a powerful antifungal, antibacterial and antiseptic oil that comes from the leaves of Australia’s Melaleuca alternifolia plant. There have been clinical trials done on the oil that in some cases have found it to be as effective as clotrimazole (Lotrimin) for treating fungus on the nail. It’s one of the best natural ingredients available.

Oil of Oregano – Oil of oregano has been used since the ancient Greeks used it to help treat a variety of ailments. It does have some scientific studies backing up the oil’s main ingredients, Carvacrol and Thymol. There has been research conducted that found the Carvacrol component can kill three types of fungi.

Manuka Oil-Manuka oil is quickly gaining a reputation as an effective antifungal. Manuka oil comes from the manuka tree in New Zealand.

Undecylinic Acid -Undecylinic Acid is a natural fungicide that inhibits the growth of fungus. It can be synthetically manufactured or extracted from castor oil. Undecylinic Acid is known for its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and antiviral properties.

Summary

Fungal infections are complicated and time-consuming to cure, but with a lot of patience and persistence, there are OTC and natural products that can help mild to moderate infections. The key is to be consistent with your treatments, use a multi-step approach, and to ensure that you are keeping everything very clean so there is less chance of reinfection.