Fungal Infections - Natural Treatments

Apple Vinegar * Cinnamon * Clove * Copaiba Balsam * Garlic * Geranium * Goldenseal * Grapefruit * Horseradish root * Myrrh * Neem Oil * Papaya * Spilanthes * Tamanu Oil * Tea Tree oil * Thuja oil *

Fungus needs moisture and darkness to grow, which is why keeping affected areas dry is a most important first step. Athlete's foot, tinea pedis, is a superficial fungal infection that infects the skin. Other species affect other parts of the body,tinea corporis, commonly called ringworm, and tinea cruris, commonly called jock itch, which can affect women too. Common household items like cornstarch, garlic and vinegar are the first line of defense against these common personal infections.

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Essential oils - natural infection fighters. For those of you on a budget, and aren't we all these days, a bottle of tea tree oil is the best all around essential oil for killing fungus, and it is also one of the least expensive to use. The main medicinal uses of myrrh oil are as a cleansing agent. Its antifungal, antiseptic and astringent action makes it a major ingredient of gargles and mouth-washes. Cinnamon essential oil is a reliable remedy for athletes foot, but caution should be used to dilute this hot oil with a vegetable oil or other carrier.

Essential oils are useful agents for treating thrush (Candida albicans). Because of it's ester content, rose scented geranium is a strong antifungal agent effective against Candida albicans , and it does not disturb the delicate balance of beneficial bacterial flora.

Neem trees are cherished in India, where they are considered good luck. Neem oil is effective against scabies when applied to the skin. The oil also has antibacterial and anti-fungal activity that make it ideal to treat a variety of skin infections. For use in skin care for bacterial and fungus infections, dilute with coconut oil or other vegetable oil in a 10 to 20 percent solution. ^{White, Linda B. M.D.}

Goldenseal and other herbs containing berberine are widely used in many herbal salves and ointments as a disinfectants. Goldenseal root contains berberine and hydrastine which have a broad-spectrum antibacterial and antiviral properties. ^{(Duke,James, Ph.D.)} Berberine is added to herbal remedies to fight upper respiratory and sinus infections. It works well as a topical antibiotic in most skin infections, and in disinfecting cuts and wounds.