What does apple cider vinegar do for soaking your feet

Last Updated on June 16, 2021 by

Since the discovery of apple cider vinegar’s healing properties, it has been passed down from generation to generation as a natural antibacterial.

Lots of remedies include apple cider as a hero ingredient, which is one reason why apple cider vinegar is highly recommended for detox drinks. As the foot detox trend emerged in the recent decade, organic experts naturally preferred apple cider vinegar for it as well.

Despite this trend, however, some individuals still get positively startled when they hear about the idea of an apple cider vinegar detox for feet.

Why?

While full body detox might make perfect sense given the amount of toxins we come into contact with each day, a foot detox might seem like an excessive and unnecessary hassle.

But in fact, an apple cider vinegar (ACV) foot soak can have a lot of potential benefits, as you’ll soon see.

What Is An Apple Cider Vinegar Detox For Your Feet?

Generally, “foot detox” is a term used for a bath that expunges toxins from the surface of your skin. Just like the rest of your body, your feet are exposed to toxins in the air, in your socks and shoes, and on whatever surfaces you may walk on barefoot throughout the day.

Of course, many people also struggle with foot funguses like athlete’s foot. These individuals are a perfect fit for an apple cider vinegar detox—it can be a beneficial remedy to try before moving on to try harsher treatments.

A daily shower, no doubt, can sufficiently clean your feet, but to remove certain microorganisms, you might want to try a slightly more powerful (but still natural) acid wash that an apple cider vinegar detox can provide. Apple cider vinegar is safe for almost everyone to use.

When to Detox Your Feet with Apple Cider Vinegar

It can’t hurt to try an apple cider vinegar detox foot bath every month or so if you want to and find personal benefits from it. Otherwise, the best time to do an apple cider vinegar detox is at the first sign of trouble.

Take Bromodosis, for example, a.k.a. smelly feet! Generally, Bromodosis is caused by excess bacteria production, and doing an ACV cleanse might help with this.

Similarly, if your feet are appearing dull and brittle, you may want to do an ACV detox to get rid of some of that dead skin.

How Does Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Your Feet?

An apple cider vinegar detox can help treat several conditions, from unbalanced PH to feet that are just tired. But in general, it targets three specific areas:

  • Dry skin
  • Fungal infection
  • Warts and cones

Dry and Cracked Skin

Cracked heels are fairly common.

For those working long hours on their feet, a good foot soak and scrub can adequately remove callouses and leave feet feeling refreshed, with less itchiness and pain.

But sometimes, you might need a bit more than a typical soak. As ACV contains antiseptic and exfoliating properties, an ACV footbath can provide extra support to help your feet heal.

Of course, there may be a more serious issue going on, so be sure to talk to your doctor. But if you’ve ruled out more critical medical conditions, here is how you can detox your feet with apple cider vinegar.

Steps to Prepare an Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Foot Bath for Dry Skin

  1. Fill 70% of the tub with lukewarm water and 30% with apple cider vinegar.
  2. Soak your feet for 10 to 20 minutes or until the water is cold.
  3. Gently rub your feet with a pumice stone or other exfoliation tool and rinse your feet with plain water.
  4. Dry your feet immediately.
  5. Repeat the bath as needed.

Athlete’s Foot and Toe Fungal Infections

Contrary to popular belief, athletes are not the only ones who develop athlete’s foot!

If you routinely wear shoes without frequently changing socks, your feet could get a dermatophytes infection as easily as the athletes do, with a toenail fungus to boot.

Most people are just unaware of it because cracked heels and dryness between the toes are ordinary symptoms and easily overlooked until it’s too late.

Since ACV is antifungal, it goes deep into the skin to kill those radicals while slowing down the fungus infection, giving your body the support it needs to fight the infection.

Steps to Prepare an Apple Cider Vinegar Detox for a Fungal Infection

The detox method is similar to the above mentioned, but can be done more often for maximum benefits.

  1. Soak your feet in 2 parts warm water and one-part ACV solution for 20 to 30 minutes.
  2. Rinse with plain water.
  3. Detox your feet a few times a week for 10 to 20 days and take note of the progress.

It should not burn. If it does, consult with your doctor and consider switching to an Epsom salt footbath, which can also help to relieve pain, promote detoxification, and inhibit the growth of fungus.

Warts and Cones

Typically, a doctor recommends a salicylic acid solution for warts or cones. Salicylic acid burns through the dead skin and bumps, removing the affected area.

ACV foot detox works somewhat similarly, only the burning part is not severe.

As a peeling agent, ACV contains malic acid that carefully scales the outer skin, shrinking warts and cones.

Eventually, the wart detaches from the skin and the cones erode, bringing out the supple skin hidden underneath.

For stubborn warts, you can try putting apple cider vinegar directly on the skin using a cotton ball and bandaid, letting it soak overnight.

Steps to Detox Feet for Warts and Cones

  1. Prepare the 2:1 ratio water and ACV solution, adding salts and essential oils if you’d like.
  2. Soak your feet until your skin softens.
  3. Softly scrub your feet.

Repeat the detox weekly (or even a few times per week) until you begin to see the difference.

Things to Consider Before Trying Out an Apple Cider Vinegar Foot Detox

Before you decide to try apple cider vinegar feet detox, you should be aware of two concerns.

One, despite apple cider vinegar’s organic nature, there’s always a possibility it can adversely affect sensitive skin, as it happened to an adolescent girl.

Make sure to consult a doctor if you have allergies, other conditions, or experience a negative reaction to the vinegar.

Secondly, you might hear a general assumption about the foot detox (also called Ionic Footbath) removing toxins from the whole body. So far, the evidence doesn’t support this claim.

But in the meantime, apple cider vinegar can be a gentle but effective way to deal with specific foot problems!


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Image Credits: Anna Shvets, cottonbro
Sources:

  1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333839375_Antimicrobial_Activity_of_Apple_Cider_Vinegar
  2. https://cen.acs.org/articles/86/web/2008/04/Toxic-Socks.html
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5788933/
  4. https://www.your.md/condition/bromodosissmelly-feet
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5788933/
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4479370/
  7. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jeph/2012/258968/

What happens when you soak your feet in apple cider vinegar and water?

Sometimes, foot odor is made worse by the growth of bacteria and fungi on the feet and in footwear. 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.

Does apple cider vinegar detox your feet?

Known for its many health benefits, studies show that ACV demonstrates antimicrobial and antifungal properties. For this reason, ACV is a great addition to a foot soak or foot bath detox recipe.

How long should I soak my feet in apple cider?

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.

How much apple cider vinegar do you put in water to soak your feet?

Vinegar will not hurt your feet, but you should still dilute it for a foot soak. Generally, using 1-part vinegar to 2-parts water is a good ratio.