7+ all-natural remedies to help eliminate foot odor

When you take your shoes off in public, are you assaulted by an odor that singes your nose hair? Maybe you simply keep your shoes on to avoid the embarrassment of foot odor. Whichever way you deal with this issue, smelly feet are tough to deal with.
What creates the foul odor is the bacteria on your feet. If your feet get hot and stay moist, the bacteria breeds even more, creating a worse smell. You don't have to just live with bad foot odor, though. Read about 7+ ways to fight back against the the smell.
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1. Black tea. The tannin in black tea helps fight bacteria. Reader's Digest recommends soaking your feet in a black tea soak every day for 30 minutes until the odor goes away. Place 2 tea bags in 2 cups of water and let them boil for 15 minutes. Add 1 quart of water to this solution, and soak your feet in it.
2. Vinegar. If you don't have black tea on hand, Huffington Post says a vinegar soak will do the same thing. Add 1 cup of vinegar to a basin of warm water. To give the soak a more pleasant smell, a few drops of thyme oil. Soak your feet for 15 to 20 minutes a day for a week.
3. Salt. Salt naturally fights bacteria, so Health recommends trying a salt soak. Combine 1/2 cup kosher salt with 1 quart warm water. Soak your feet, and when you're done, don't rinse them off. Just dry them thoroughly.
4. Lavender oil. Another great bacteria fighter, lavender oil has the added benefit of a pleasant smell. Reader's Digest says to rub some diluted lavender oil into your feet every night and then cover them with socks. You might want to use coconut oil as your carrier oil as it also has antibacterial properties.
5. Exfoliate. Removing dead skin cells is a great way to keep the bacteria in your feet from reproducing as quickly. Reader's Digest makes a mint scrub from 1 tablespoon of oatmeal, 1 tablespoon cornmeal, 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 teaspoons dried peppermint. Mix this together, and then add 1 tablespoon yogurt, the juice of 1 lemon and 5 drops peppermint essential oil. Massage this into your feet.
6. Powders. During the day, foot powder may help absorb extra moisture so your feet don't sweat as much. Huffington Post says that baking soda and cornstarch both make great all-natural foot powders.
7. Blow dryer. Make sure that your feet are completely dry to keep bacteria from breeding. In order to get them dry, best health recommends using a hair dryer set on low to get rid of all the moisture.
8. Antiperspirant/deodorant. No, your feet aren't your pits -- but they do sweat much the same. Health says that using a deodorant or antiperspirant on your feet can reduce the smell the same way it does on your armpits.
9. Cedar chips. If you want to keep your shoes fresh, best health says to put a sachet of cedar chips into your shoes after wearing them. The cedar absorbs bad odors while giving your shoes a nice, fresh scent.
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Say goodbye to embarrassing foot odor. One of these home remedies are sure to eliminate your problem completely.
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