Take Action Against Foot Odor

Foot odour seems to be a common condition affecting most of the individuals and it can feel embarrassing as well as something which one cannot avoid. The medical name of smell feet is termed as bromodosis and it can also affect anyone. One of the main cause of smell feet is sweat. The function of the sweat glands is to ensure that the skin is moist hence supple which may not lead them to crack.

It also helps to regulate the temperature when the weather outside is hot and dry or while you are exercising. Our feet have more of the sweat glands than in any part of the body but unlike the sweat glands present in any other part of the body the sweat glands present in the feet tend to secrete at all time and not just in response to exercising or heat.

The feet tend to smell when the bacteria present on the skin tends to break down the sweat as it comes from the pores. There is a cheesy kind of smell which gets released as more and more sweat decomposes. Hence the causes of sweaty and smelly feet can be attributed to, lack of proper foot hygiene, wearing the same shoes every day without cleaning them properly since the feet tends to smell if the sweat soaks into the shoes and you often wear them again and again even before it gets dry, changes in the hormones can lead to feet becoming sweatier which is more prone in case of teenagers and pregnant women, also when you are stressed the feet tends to sweat a lot.

The feet would not feel great overnight hence it becomes important to stick to a regime of taking care of the feet. You can carry out a trial and error style regime which would best suit your feet.

• Clean and dry your feet on a daily basis since it is one of the most important thing which can be done to prevent the instances of smelly feet. Once you experiment with foot soaks you would find out that your feet would feel great. Get rid of the dead skin present on the heels which can help in reducing the smell. Scrub your feet at home itself by using an exfoliating scrub or with the help of a pumice stone. At home itself you can treat your feet with a good session of pedicure. Always keep your toenails trimmed for reducing the bacteria, you should also moisturise your feet on a daily basis with a good lotion or moisturiser for keeping them soft as well as healthy. Try out lotions with different fragrances such as peppermint or lavender to reduce the odours.

• There are many things which can be added to the warm water for soaking your feet. Those can include vinegar, black tea or vinegar. But do not add all of these three items at once in warm water, it can be one thing at a time. You can carry out this regime before you hit the bed so that the feet can breathe post the soaking procedure. This step can be repeated on a daily basis until you see the results. Ensure to wash your feet on a daily basis with warm water and soap. It would help to remove dirt, sweat and odour causing bacteria. It is important to make sure that one should take special care to wash their feet while taking bath or a shower. Many a times individuals who forget to wash their feet or do it in a rush since feet is often overlooked in terms of maintaining a good hygiene. Your feet also need lot of pampering and care as much as other parts of the body, it may not be more amount of time but the same attention as you provide to other parts of the body. Wash thoroughly in between the toes as well as around the nail beds since these are those places where there is growth of bacteria. For those whose feet smell constantly can ensure to wash their feet multiple times in a day. It can be once in the morning, once in the night, and once post the workout or when they get too sweaty.

• One of the key central thing is foot breathability for clean and odourless feet. Hence while choosing socks you can go in for cotton fabrics but while you are at home or asleep you can stay barefoot since that is ideal. For those suffering from foot odour would mean that their shoes are also suffering. Ensure to clean your foot on a regular basis so that it creates an ideal environment for your feet. Whenever you can ensure to wear your socks along with clean shoes. Socks help in absorbing moisture so when you skip to wear them the sweat gets transferred to the shoes or it gets trapped in between the toes. Also when you are wearing boots or sneakers do not forget to wear socks. Always wear a fresh pair of socks do not reuse the same socks multiple days in a row. Also while going in for a good sock, choose the synthetic one. Cotton socks tend to absorb moisture which can make your feet quite soggy hence smelly in turn. Also it is not a good idea to wear the same shoes for two days in a row. By alternating shoes, you can allow for at least 24 hours’ period for the shoes to become dry. This would help in reducing the moisture which is where mostly the odour dwells which gives rise to bacteria. While you are not wearing your shoes, you can also sprinkle some baking soda or any talcum powder onto those shoes. Baking soda helps in neutralising the odours wherein it neutralises the pH level of the sweat present in the shoes thereby reducing the occurrence of bacteria. While at home it is fine to go bare feet or let the feet be free.