Along with armpit odor, foot odor also causes embarrassment to anyone who wears shoes. Sweaty, smelly feet begin with bacteria that eat dead skin cells and oils from the skin. When these bacteria are multiplied, their colonies excrete waste called organic acids, which are to blame for the unpleasant odors your feet emit.
Here are some tips that can help you get rid of foot odor.
1. Always keep your feet clean and dry
Soaking your feet can help reduce odor, so you need to wash them daily with warm water and antibacterial soap. You need to exfoliate the entire surface of your foot with a washcloth or brush to remove bacteria and dead skin cells that bacteria like to feed on. You can wash your feet a few times a day depending on your amount of activity. After a bath, you need dry your feet completely before putting on socks and shoes because moisture invites bacteria to grow and cause odor. When you dry, you should pay extra attention to the space between your toes.
2. Soak your feet in tea
Soaking your feet in a mixture of tea and warm water each night for a week can treat your foot odor. The tannic acid in the tea can prevent the feet from sweating and producing odor. When the condition is kept under control, you can do the process once a week.
3. Wear cotton socks
Wearing cotton socks will not only absorb moisture but also help eliminate sweat in the shoes. The cotton socks will allow your feet to breathe rather than trap moisture around your foot and cause unpleasant odors. Changing your socks everyday with laundried ones is a way to get rid of foot odor. You can change your socks more than once a day if necessary. Don’t forget to dry your feet before wearing a new pair.
4. Wear sandals or open-toed shoes
Donning sandals or open-toed shoes is a way to keep your feet cool and not producing much sweat. If you must wear shoes, you should choose the ones that are made of leather or canvas or mesh to allow your feet to breathe. Synthetic materials such as rubber and plastic are not recommended because they trap in odor and bacterias and can make your feet sweat more.
5. Get plenty of zinc
Foot odor is one of the symptoms of zinc deficiency, so you need to make sure that you get enough this mineral in your diet. Sticky, smelly feet will go away within two weeks if you take 50 mgs of zinc per day. High-zinc foods include oysters, liver, seeds, chocolate, bran cereals, etc.
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