The summer is nearly here and the soaring temperatures can make you sweat a lot, including from your feet. But this extra perspiration may be turning your feet into a stink bomb. The bacteria that live in your skin and in your shoes feed on your sweat, producing an acid byproduct that reeks, according to a recent Japanese study. This is a natural process, but you can luckily reduce the bacteria by creating a drier habitat for your feet.
Here are 4 very simple things that you can do in the comfort of your home to enjoy odor free feet.
Soak your feet in saltwater
Salt pulls out moisture from your skin, thereby reducing the amount of bacteria that can survive in there. Fill up either a large bowl or a tub with warm water and dissolve half or one cup of kosher salt in it and soak your feet in the mixture for 20 minutes. Do this every day for 2 weeks.
Add some vinegar
If you would like to create an inhospitable environment for the bacteria, bathe your feet regularly in vinegar. Vinegar has a drying effect so the bacteria end up being starved. You should mix one part of vinegar with two parts of water in a tub or a large bowl. Then soak your feet for 30 minutes once every day for a week.
Invite your feet to tea
The acid contained in tea closes your skin pores, thereby reducing the amount of sweat you exude. It also acts as a natural antibiotic that kills the bacteria on your feet. Add two black tea bags to a pint of water and boil it for 15 minutes, and then cool water to bring it to a bearable warm temperature. Pour this solution into a tub or large bowl and soak your feet in it for half an hour every day for one or two weeks.
Follow these easy to do steps at home to care of your legs and be able to enjoy odor free feet in no time at all.
Image courtesy of: health.howstuffworks.com
