Toenail Fungus
5 Natural Remedies that Work

Toenail fungus is a prevalent and annoying problem for many people. The fungus can cause nail discoloration, pain, and irritation.

People most often contract it from gym showers, public swimming pools, and other public areas. Athletes and people who wear tight shoes are at higher risk of getting a fungus.

If you’ve had a toenail fungus, you know how difficult it can be to get rid of. What most people don’t realize is that even though the fungus may appear somewhat harmless, it often spreads throughout the entire body and compromises the immune system. 

Just think of it as a low-grade infection that your immune system has to deal with sometimes for months or even years.

Thus, I encourage people to get to the bottom of it as soon as it appears. Several home remedies are effective at treating this condition.

All of these remedies work faster if applied topically two to three times a day. In addition, what works best for one person will not necessarily be the best remedy for everyone. You might have to experiment a little.

However, drinking lemon water daily and applying lemon essential oil to the toenail is an easy and inexpensive place to start.

5 Natural Remedies

Lemon.  Apply lemon essential oil liberally to the affected toenail. Lemon oil has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. You can also apply the juice of a fresh-squeezed lemon to the nail. The natural acidity of the lemon juice can destroy fungi and should relieve itching and irritation. Drinking lemon in water (about ½ fresh-squeezed lemon in 8-12 ounces of water) once or twice a day can also help reduce systemic fungus. 

Apple cider vinegar.  Apply the vinegar to the toenail. Vinegar works in much the same way as lemon juice because of its acidity. You can also make a vinegar foot bath, using one cup of vinegar to a couple gallons of warm water and soak for as long as comfortable. Repeat a couple times a day until the fungus disappears. You can also drink raw apple cider vinegar in water (1/4 tablespoon of vinegar in 8 ounces of water) once a day.

Tea tree oil.  Simply apply therapeutic grade tea tree oil directly to the affected nail two to three times a day. When used at the earliest appearance, it will usually alleviate the fungus in just a few days, but some cases may take a few weeks. Even though you can get food grade tea tree oil, I don’t recommend ingesting it. Essential oils are very concentrated and can be harmful, depending on the quality and type of oil.

Oregano oil.  Apply the essential oil of oregano on the toenail.  Again, we do not recommend ingesting essential oils unless under the care of a health care practitioner. However, you can take oregano oil in the form of capsules or a liquid extract, which is highly effective for systemic fungus.

Colloidal silver.  Colloidal silver comes in a topical gel or cream form as well as a liquid that you can ingest.  Both are effective for getting rid of fungus. From what I have heard from customers at the health store where I work, colloidal silver seems to work the best for toenail fungus that a person has had for more than a few weeks.  I highly recommend the brand Sovereign Silver because it offers the safest and most effective concentration of bio-active silver hydrosol (shown below on Amazon).

Note:  We highly recommend that you first consult your health care practitioner before ingesting natural anti-fungal supplements, especially if you are taking any medications. Also, if you have had the toenail fungus for several months or years, you will more likely need a comprehensive plan with diet, supplements, and topical applications.

Healthline.com: 10 Home Remedies for Toenail Fungus

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