A Listerine Food Soak sounds as odd as using toothpaste to cleanse your nails. What does a mouthwash have to do with teeth? Don’t worry; we’ll let you know what this is about.
Homemade remedies are causing quite the commotion online! During these days, new recipes and ingredients are suggested to treat any type of affections, and how we love to try them!
Not only because it’s really fun but because it’s quite accessible. Several commercial products have such simple active substances that it’s absolutely valid to want the natural source for great results and at a lower price.
Today’s recipe is a must try since almost everyone can get this product easily on their bathroom or local market, the preparation is absolutely effortless and the possible results are quite attractive.
What is Listerine?
In case you don’t know it yet, Listerine is one of the most popular antiseptic mouthwashes in the world.
Its name comes from John Lister, a doctor who by 1865, discovered that by using carbolic acid it was possible to prevent several post operatory infections. The original creator, John Lawrence, another doctor, decided to enhance its antiseptic properties with Eucalypt and name the product Listerine as a tribute for Lister. It was first promoted to dentists for oral care in 1895 and since then it has been a people’s favorite when it comes to oral hygiene.
Get Rid of Cracked Heels with Listerine Foot Soak!
Besides cleaning our teeth, preventing cavities and gingivitis, Listerine can be used for other purposes more related to skin care in a place you wouldn’t imagine, your feet.
Let us explain how. Cracked heels and most foot affections are related to the presence of a variety of fungus and bacteria. As an antiseptic with multiple active substances such as thymol, menthol; Listerine can fight bacteria and fungus on your feet eliminating the horrible crack heels for a mix of dry skin and fungal infection.
What’s The Listerine Foot Soak Recipe?
- Get a tub or recipient big enough for the size of your feet and deep enough to submerge them inside.
- Fill it with Listerine and 2/3 of water. Make sure that there’s sufficient solution to cover your feet.
- Submerge your feet in the solution up to60 minutes.
- Repeat every day until you start seeing results (the cracks healing and starting to fade) as a plus add a moisturizer to your feet to prevent further dryness for the eucalypt or menthol.
- Also if there’s too much dry skin, try to remove with a sponge.
The Listerine and Vinegar Foot Soak Recipe
This is the exact same recipe except for the fact that this time, instead of adding water to the mix, you’ll add vinegar in equal proportions. It’s thought that given its high levels of acidity vinegar is very successful at keeping fungal infections at bay in foot plant, fingers, and fingernails.
Other uses for Listerine and Vinegar
This team can also be used as a homemade remedy to treat head lice at home. It does not kill adult lice but it can be mixed up with other DIY recipes like apple cider vinegar to treat lice in kids.
Listerine and Vinegar Foot Soak Side Effects
Although very rare, some side effects can be seen with the use of Listerine and Vinegar Foot Soak.
Irritation
People with highly sensitive skin can suffer from irritation and experience itchiness and burning sensation on the affected area.
Contraindications
It’s contraindicated in:
- People with allergies to its main components (menthol, thymol and methyl salicylate) open wounds that
- Open wounds such as blisters, bleeding open cracks and ulcers.
- People allergic to aspirin for its chemical similitude to methyl salicylate.
We must remark that these natural remedies do not serve as a replacement for topical treatment used for diabetic foot wounds.
Those need to be treated by a specialist since there are no studies proving the utility of Listerine in such afflictions and bacteria may develop resistance to alternative antiseptics, please be careful and don’t try to treat them at home.
Final words: Questions & Honest Answers
Considering the number of people who have tried the foot wash, their reviews and scientific criteria including active chemical ingredients on the recipe and research, we’ll reply some question you may be having on the remedy with the utmost honesty and level of objectivity.
Question: Does The Listerine Foot Soak work?
Answer: There are NO conclusive studies which prove the utility of Listerine Foot Wash in fungal infections and skin afflictions related to feet. There are several testimonies online with mixed opinions about the subject but nothing final. In the end, as far as there are no studies it can’t be used to treat affections, just to try something new as part of a relaxing spa pedicure. No more than that.
Question: Can I improve my results by using a foot file or a pumice stone to take off the dry skin of my feet?
Answer: Yes. After reading several reviews online, we’ve found that people say the results are better but similar to the same effect you get when you submerge your feet in hot water in a regular pedicure.
Question: How many times should I apply the Listerine and Vinegar Foot Wash?
Answer: The recipe establishes that you can do it as much as you want. However, the menthol present in the formula of Listerine and the level of acidity in vinegar could be quite irritating, therefore, we suggest to try it once a week maximum.
Question: Is this Listerine and Vinegar Foot Wash a homemade cure for athlete’s foot?
Answer: Yes, it’s known as a homemade recipe to treat athlete’s foot but no studies have shown that it’s as effective as an actual antifungal powder, all we know if that Listerine does have antiseptic properties but mostly for bacteria and fungus concerning to the oral cavity.
In conclusion, it may not work but you have nothing to lose, it’s a fun thing to try. Still, it’s best not to have high expectations. Home remedies might or might not work and nobody reacts to them the same way. For that reason, you’ll see many mixed opinions about it.
Since the materials are mostly innocuous, it’s actually worth giving it a try! Who knows? Maybe you’ll get great results to share with other people or maybe you’ll research a bit and come up with some other hack to talk about with friends and family. Have fun!
The right option is out there, all you have to do is keep looking.
