Inouye S, Uchida K, Nishiyama Y, Hasumi Y, Yamaguchi H, Abe S. Combined effect of heat, essential oils and salt on the fungicidal activity against Trichophyton mentagrophytes in foot bath. Jpn J Med Mycol. 2007;48(1):27-36.

Tinea pedis, also known as athlete’s foot, is a common fungal infection of the toes and feet. Trichophyton species of fungus are typically responsible for the infection. Tinea pedis is treated with topical or oral antifungal drugs. Aromatherapy practitioners suggest that a heated foot bath containing essential oils may be useful in the treatment of Tinea pedis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of essential oils, salt, and heat on the survival of Trichophyton species in a water bath.

This laboratory study was conducted at Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology in Tokyo, Japan. Plates of agar being inoculated with T. mentagrophytes or T. rubrum, small sections of the agar were treated in a water bath with and without essential oils, 10% salt (sodium chloride) at temperatures ranging from 27°C to 42°C (80°F to 117°F), and the proportion of surviving fungal cells calculated.

The essential oils were cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), clove (Eugenia aromatica), geranium (Geranium maculatum), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), oregano (Origanum vulgare), palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii), peppermint (Mentha x piperita), tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris; one oil being rich in thymol and one oil was rich in geraniol). The oils were obtained from Sanoflore Laboratoire in France and Pranarom International S.A. in Belgium.

More than 99% of the fungal cells were killed after 20 minutes in the 42°C water bath without added essential oils or salt. All of the essential oils showed fungicidal activity, but increasing the temperature from 27°C to 42°C markedly reduced the amount of time needed.

Get therapeutic-grade essential oils here!

Learn more:

Foot Application of Essential Oils