Listerine, vinegar mixture softens feet, doesn’t remove dry skin (2024)

FAQs

Does Listerine and vinegar take dead skin off your feet? ›

Proponents suggest that a Listerine foot soak can treat dry, cracked feet, and resolve other foot problems. While it may act as a chemical exfoliant, there is no scientific evidence to support this use.

Vinegar soaks may help soften feet and allow you to remove dead, dry, or cracked skin. You can use almost any type of vinegar. Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar are popular options, and you may already have them in your kitchen. Use cool water to create the soak, as hot water may dry out the skin more.

Dry skin and calluses come right off. There's a method to the madness: "Both Listerine and vinegar contain gentle acids that exfoliate skin," says cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson. (Benzoic acid, the ingredient in Listerine, isn't in all mouthwashes.)

Ingredients in Listerine contain antibacterial, antioxidant, and antifungal properties. However, there are no official studies to back any claims about the benefits of a Listerine foot soak. That said, this remedy is inexpensive, easy to make, and safe for most people, if you want to give it a try.

This type of vinegar is thought to get rid of fungus because of its high levels of acidity. Place feet in the solution for 45 to 60 minutes at a time. Use a Listerine foot soak every day until fungus clears up. You may also consider using the soak occasionally as a preventive measure.

For an effective foot soak, follow these steps: Mix one part vinegar to two parts water. Soak your feet in the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes, a few times a week.

Add Epsom salts or mild soap to the soak, if you wish. Soaking your feet will soften the skin and make it easier to remove the dead skin. Exfoliate – Using a pumice stone, loofah, buffer, foot file, or another type of foot scrubber, knock down the dead skin on your feet. Be careful not to scrub too hard.

Gently rub your feet and heels to remove any dead skin, then coat them with a heavy, oil-based cream or petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline). Put on a pair of thin cotton socks, which also helps protect your bedding, and the healing will happen as you sleep.

Sounds crazy but it works! Mix 1/4c Listerine, 1/4c vinegar and 1/2c of warm water.

Do you rinse feet after vinegar foot soak? ›

Because vinegar is antimicrobial, soaking the feet in a vinegar bath for 10 to 20 minutes may help to kill the bacteria or fungi contributing towards foot odor. Clean the feet with a regular, soft soap before and after soaking.

The best type of vinegar to treat toenail fungus is apple cider vinegar, a very acidic and strong solution that destroys toenail fungus at the source. To take full advantage of this, mix one cup of apple cider vinegar with at least 2 cups of water – this will dilute the vinegar so that it won't burn your skin.

This may sound a bit odd to those who have never heard of it, but some say that soaking your feet in a mixture of Listerine and water or vinegar can help remove athlete's foot and forms of foot fungus.

Listerine soaks

Mouthwashes like Listerine have antibacterial and antifungal properties, so have been reported to be used to treat toenail fungus. Some home remedy recipes suggest mixing mouthwash with vinegar in a 1:1 solution (or adding 2 parts water for a more diluted solution).

Mix equal parts apple cider vinegar and warm water with a tablespoon of either baking soda or Epsom salt. Soak your feet in the bath for 20 minutes. After your soak, apply castor oil, tea tree oil, or eucalyptus oil, which Dr.