An ingrown toenail may be mildly painful in the beginning, but once it creeps into the surrounding skin, it can turn into an infectious ailment.
If your toenail looks red, sore, and infected, then you probably need to go to a podiatrist.
If left untreated, ingrown toenails do worsen over time and make something as basic as walking from one room to the other a dilemma.
Luckily, there are many solutions to this foot condition. The best way to treat ingrown toenails is to look at what causes it in the first place.
In most cases, the root cause can be easily managed and controlled.
Most people tend to trim their nails too short because they look well-manicured and clean that way.
However, this can easily create the perfect bed for ingrown toenails. Even if you’re not cutting them super-short, you might not be trimming them properly.
Clipping the nails straight across without angling them from the sides can very easily lead to ingrown nails.
Other causes include wearing footwear that’s too tight or suffocating.
Shoes that cramp your feet can damage the natural toe alignment over time, resulting in toenails that grow into the skin.
If you’re not maintaining good foot hygiene, the excess buildup of sweat and bacteria can also lead to infectious toenails.
However, if none of these is the cause, then you were probably born with curved toenails.
In all cases, the condition shouldn’t be left untreated as it can aggravate to red, painful swelling.
Apart from consulting a doctor, you can try many natural remedies at home.
A foot soak is one of the best ways to treat ingrown toenails, and here’s what makes it so great.
What Does A Foot Soak For Ingrown Toenail Do
A foot soak is a wonderful way to treat your feet with a healing recipe in just under 30 minutes.
Instead of applying different medicinal herbs and essential oils separately to the affected toenail, you can add them all to a foot soak for a magical therapy.
Depending on the natural ingredients you use in the foot soak, two things it will always do are stimulate blood circulation and flush out toxins.
Using salts, for example, naturally disinfect the area around ingrown toenail and soothe any painful swelling.
Essential oils, on the other hand, are mostly anti-fungal and anti-septic, making them great candidates for infected ingrown toenails.
Above all, foot soaks are super-easy and quick to make, so you can prepare one daily for your foot condition.
The warm temperature will relax your nerves and suck out all the fatigue from the feet.
With so much to offer, here are the best foot soaks for ingrown toenails.
Foot Soak Recipes For Ingrown Toenail
There are many natural ingredients in your garden and on your kitchen counter that can be crushed and infused in a foot soak.
The simplest of herbs, essential oils, and mineral salts can do wonders for a sore ingrown toenail. So, without further ado, let’s get into it!
1. Cedarwood Oil And Lemon Foot Soak
Not many people know this but cedarwood oil is one of the finest anti-septic remedies for an ingrown toenail.
Commonly used to soothe Athlete’s foot, cedarwood oil can help soothe redness, irritation, and inflammation around the affected toenail.
The essential oil prevents dryness and foot odor. It does this by eliminating fungus and bacterial infection around the ingrown toenail.
The oil also has impressive moisturizing properties that prevent cracking, blistering, and peeling of the skin around the ingrown toenail.
Infused with lemon that’s naturally anti-bacterial and exfoliating, this foot soak makes for a wonderful recipe for an ingrown toenail. Here’s what you need:
- 7-8 drops of Cedarwood essential oil
- 3-4 drops of Lemon essential oil or ¼ cup of lemon juice
- A bucket full of warm water
- Towel to dry
Mix up all the oils and pour them into the warm water.
Dip your feet and allow the toenail to receive all the soothing benefits of the foot soak for about 30 minutes.
Do this every day before bed and make sure to dry the feet thoroughly.
2. Wintergreen Oil And Peppermint Essential Oil Foot Soak
Known as nature’s aspirin, Wintergreen oil offers an instant cooling sensation to red, sore feet.
The oil is a natural soother to help with pain and swelling.
On the other hand, peppermint essential oil is perfect for softening the nail and encouraging a healthy toenail growth.
Together these oils make for a powerful foot soak for an ingrown toenail. Here’s what you need:
- 7-8 drops of Wintergreen essential oil
- 6-7 drops of Peppermint essential oil
- A bucket of warm water
Prepare the foot soak with the oils. Make sure the temperature is lukewarm to avoid the skin from drying out.
Treat your feet to this footbath at least thrice a week to soften the nail, allowing it to heal properly.
3. Dead Sea Bath Salts Foot Soak
You’re probably already familiar with Epsom salts for soothing ingrown toenails.
However, if you have high-quality Dead Sea salts, the results are even better and more long-lasting.
They balance the skin’s pH levels, immediately remove redness and swelling, and strengthen the skin’s tissue to prevent future occurrences of ingrown toenails.
Here’s what you need:
- 2 cups of Dead Sea salts
- 5-6 drops of Lavender essential oil
- A warm bucket of water
Pour the salts in the footbath and allow them to dissolve. Next, add the lavender essential oil for its gentle anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.
Soak your feet for about 20 minutes or until the water turns cool.
Do this at least twice a week to heal the redness and swelling of the ingrown toenail. After visible improvements, you can gently clip it off.
Foot soaks are incredibly healing and soothing for ingrown toenails. Treat your tired, aching feet to these footbaths, and watch your toenail heal completely!
Pin This Image
This account is run by a team of writers, researches, and more who simply love contributing to the site.