Essential Oils
The 8 Best Essential Oils for Stinky Feet
Jul
Keeping your feet dry and clean is very important. Most of us know this, and we try our best to keep up.
However, it is possible that once in a while we get stinky feet, especially during summer. It happens to the best of us: people who are on their feet all day and even runners can have stinky feet.
It can be very embarrassing, especially when you take of your shoes in public, and to avoid this, we all try to give our feet the best treatment they can get. Nature provides us with a beautiful way of getting rid of that odor in our feet: Essential oils.
What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are compounds extracted from plants that are obtained through distillation - via steam and/or water - or mechanical methods, such as cold pressing.
Basically, Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts that retain the natural smell and flavor, or "essence," of their source.
It is imperative to know that the process of obtaining essential oils is very important. In other words, essential oils obtained through chemical processes are not original essential oils.
The benefits of essential oils cannot be overestimated. They help relieve stress, anxiety, headaches, migraine, insomnia, and other health issues. Essential oils are also used in aromatherapy, as mosquito repellents, and for industrial cosmetics.
They are also used around the house as cleaning wipes, toilet cleaner, hand sanitizer, car freshener, fabric spray, hand soap, home filter, carpet freshener, floor cleaner, and laundry detergent. This article is concerned with how essential oils help eliminate stinky feet.
Stinky feet can happen even if you have clean feet. It goes beyond cleaning your feet every day with soap and water. In fact, moisture can happen in clean feet, making them start to smell.
In addition to the bad smell, moisture also means a breeding ground for bacteria. If you have a foot odor even when your feet are dry and just after washing them, it is possible that you have bacteria in your feet.
Antibacterial essential oils have long been used to combat the growth of "bad" bacteria that cause odor. It should, however, be noted that not all essential oils can be applied directly to the skin.
Our Favorite Essential Oils for Stinky Feet
Below are our favorite essential oils for stinky feet. These essential oils are known to contain natural deodorizing and anti-bacterial properties, which can be applied to the skin directly or mixed with a carrier oil, thereby keeping your feet smelling fresh and free of bacteria:
Bergamot Essential Oil
Bergamot essential oil is a cold-pressed essential oil produced by cells inside the rind of a bergamot orange fruit. With a scent similar to that of sweet light orange peel oil with a floral note, bergamot essential oil is commonly used in aromatherapy.
Several compounds in bergamot oil have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The sweet citrus scent of this essential oil will eliminate even the worst foot odor, but it should be noted that bergamot essential oil should never be applied to the skin at full strength because doing so can cause extreme skin inflammation, stinging, and photosensitivity.
It has to be mixed with a carrier oil like coconut oil. For best results, rub a couple of drops of the mixture on your feet right before you go to bed, and sleep in socks.
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender essential oil is one of the most impressive essential oils for eliminating odor. It has antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties.
These qualities make Lavender oil one of the best essential oils for getting rid of that unpleasant feet odor. The smell of lavender oil is not only soothing but it also kills the bacteria, which causes foot odor.
One noteworthy feature of lavender essential oil is that it can be applied directly to the skin. Also, it can work well with other essential oils to give your feet a romantic aroma.
The scent of lavender essential oil can help ease everything from stress to allergies to insomnia, and getting rid of foot odor is just one of its specialties. For best results, put a few drops of lavender essential oil on your feet and massage them properly before going to bed.
Peppermint Essential Oil
Peppermint essential oil is quite popular for its therapeutic and refreshing effects, tension relief, and insect repellent properties.
It has antiseptic and antibacterial properties that help in removing that embarrassing feet odor.
Peppermint is naturally cool, minty and it helps to stimulate the mind. The cool, invigorating scent will leave your feet smelling nice and fresh. It contains menthol for an automatic soothing sensation, perfect to heal rosacea, oily skin, puffiness, or irritation.
By reducing oil secretion, this essential oil is perfect for eliminating feet odor. It should be noted however that peppermint essential oil should never be applied to the skin at full strength because doing so can cause extreme skin inflammation, stinging, and photosensitivity.
It has to be mixed with a carrier oil like coconut oil or jojoba oil. For best results, rub a couple of drops of the mixture on your feet right before you go to bed.
Lemon Essential Oil
Sourced from the peel of the Citrus limon plant, lemon essential oil can be used to ease stress, elevate mood, stimulate the immune system, alleviate pain, and promote weight loss.
Lemon essential oil is astringent and detoxifying. Its antiseptic properties help in treating and clearing skin. With its strong, purifying, citrus scent that is revitalizing and the uplifting, lemon essential oil is effective in removing any unpleasant odor from your feet.
It also contains antibacterial and anti-fungi properties that help in killing the germs that cause foot odor. It can be applied directly on the skin or mixed with a carrier oil and any other essential oil.
If you intend to use it solely, put a few drops of lemon essential oil on your feet, and massage them properly before going to bed.
Lavender Essential Oil
Peppermint Essential Oil
Lemon Essential Oil
Sweet Orange Essential Oil
Sweet orange essential oil comes from Citrus sinensis, the oranges we eat. This essential oil is one of the most popular essential oils in aromatherapy, and this is as a result of its versatility, affordability, and wonderfully uplifting aroma.
Sweet orange essential oil has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties that make it one of the best essential oils for getting rid of that unpleasant feet odor. The smell of sweet orange essential oil is not only soothing but it also kills the bacteria, which causes foot odor.
It can be applied directly on the skin or mixed with a carrier oil and any other essential oil. If you intend to use it solely, put a few drops of lavender essential oil on your feet, and massage them properly before going to bed.
Clary Sage Essential Oil
Clary sage essential oil, derived from the Salvia sclarea herb, possesses nervine, bactericidal, antiseptic, astringent, and deodorant properties that prevent bacteria from growing.
Clary sage essential oil is used as calming aromatherapy and improves circulation. Sage oil has excellent antibacterial and antifungal properties that make it effective in removing any unpleasant odor from your feet, by killing the germs that cause foot odor.
It is recommended that clary sage oil is mixed with a carrier oil before applying on the skin. After you have mixed clary sage essential oil with a carrier oil of your choice, rub a couple of drops of the mixture on your feet right before you go to bed.
Grapefruit Essential Oil
Grapefruit essential oil, which is extracted from the rind of the grapefruit plant, has a pleasantly sweet, tangy/tart aroma that blends well with several other essential oils.
Filled with anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, grapefruit essential oil is effective in removing any unpleasant odor from your feet, by killing the germs that cause foot odor.
It should be noted however that grapefruit essential oil should never be applied to the skin at full strength because doing so can cause extreme skin inflammation, stinging, and photosensitivity. It has to be mixed with a carrier oil like coconut oil or jojoba oil. For best results, rub a couple of drops of the mixture on your feet right before you go to bed.
Tangerine Essential Oil
Cold-pressed from the fruit of the Citrus reticulata tree, tangerine essential oil is a calming essential oil with a sweet, tangy aroma, similar to orange.
This essential oil is antiseptic, antispasmodic, cytophylactic, digestive, depurative, and sedative. In fact, tangerine essential oil is a common ingredient in several skincare products because of its antiseptic and anti-fungal properties.
Due to the presence of these properties, tangerine essential oil is effective in removing any unpleasant odor from your feet, by killing the germs that cause foot odor.
One noteworthy feature of lavender essential oil is that it can be applied directly to the skin. When applied to your skin topically, the oil penetrates deeply to increase the flow of blood cells and nutrients to the area.
Also, it can work well with other essential oils to give your feet a romantic aroma. For best results, Put a few drops of tangerine essential oil on your feet and massage them properly before going to bed.
Are there any essential oils you feel should be on the best essential oils for stinky feet list? Share them in the comments below.
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