Tea tree oil treats athlete's foot
2 August 2002
Tea tree oil is an effective cure for athlete's foot, an Australian study has confirmed.
Researchers examining 158 people with interdigital tinea pedis (athlete's foot between the toes) found a 'marked clinical response' after only a month in those who used a tea tree oil solution (Australasian Journal of Dermatology 2002; 43: 175-78).
Almost three-quarters of those who applied a 25 per cent tea tree oil solution to their feet twice a day for 4 weeks showed improvement. This is compared to 68 per cent of those who used a 50 per cent tea tree oil solution, and only 39 per cent of people who used a placebo.
The mycological (from the fungus) cure rate was more than double in the 50 per cent tea tree oil group compared to the placebo (dummy treatment) group (64 per cent compared to 31 per cent).
Neither the study participants nor the researchers knew which group the participants had been randomly allocated to.
Four patients applying tea tree oil developed moderate to severe dermatitis that quickly improved when they stopped the treatment.
Blackmores, which has long recommended tea tree oil to treat athlete's foot, suggests on its website that a 15 per cent solution is sufficient.
It advises patients to soak feet at the first sign of itchiness or redness between the toes, and to dry feet thoroughly using a hairdryer or fan before applying the tea tree oil solution.
Last Reviewed: 02 August 2002
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