An inexpensive oral health remedy can treat toenail fungus

Did you nail it?

Nail fungus is a frustratingly common disease – around 10% of people are expected to have it at some point in their lives – and it can be difficult to treat because medications have to penetrate the nail deep enough to reach infection within the nail bed.

And because nails—especially toenails—grow slowly, treatment tends to be expensive and time-consuming.

Now, a Harvard-trained, board-certified dermatologist is sharing an inexpensive trick to treat unsightly toenail fungus at home.

“If you have crushed and crumbly nail fungus, use Listerine. The same brown Listerine that you use as a mouthwash has anti-fungal properties and can help you with a stubborn fungus on your fingers or toes,” Dr. Neera Nathan recently said on TikTok.

@dermatologykirurge

Here’s a personal hygiene hack I refuse to keep as a dermatologist. Brown listerine has antifungal properties and can be used to treat toenail or toenail fungus at home. To use it, wet a cotton ball and apply it above and below the affected nails daily and let it dry completely. Alternatively, you can soak the affected nails in it for about 15-20 minutes several times a week. Treat fingernails for 6 months or toenails for a year. This is an affordable alternative to current prescription antifungals, which are very expensive and don’t work very well. To get rid of severe acne, see a dermatologist for a prescription oral treatment. #toenailfungus #hygienetips #fyp

♬ original sound – Dr. Neera, skin surgeon

Listerine “Brown” is officially known as Listerine Original Antiseptic Mouthwash, which contains the antifungal compounds menthol, eucalyptol and thymol.

Amber mouthwash has been praised for everything from killing lice to treating bug bites to clearing dandruff.

For fungus, Nathan suggests dabbing a cotton ball with Listerine, placing it above and below the affected nail and letting it dry.

You can also soak your nails in the solution for 15 to 20 minutes several times a week. Fingernails should be treated for six months and toenails for one year.

“This is an affordable alternative to current prescription antifungals, which are very expensive and don’t work very well,” Nathan said. “To get rid of severe acne, see a dermatologist for a prescription oral treatment.”

Prescription drugs such as Lamisil and Sporanox generally have higher success rates than antifungal creams and gels, but side effects can include diarrhea, stomach pain, mood changes, and rarely, liver damage.

Nathan also recommends soaking fungus-ridden nails in diluted apple cider vinegar, which has antibacterial and antifungal benefits, for 15 minutes two or three times a week.

Dr. Scott Walter, a board-certified dermatologist near Denver, likes a three-pronged approach.

He suggests soaking the toenails with the fungus in a mixture of equal parts Listerine, white vinegar and water twice a week for 15 minutes and using Vicks VapoRub daily.

Like Nathan, Walter is fond of the original Listerine. It says it’s less likely to stain your tub than the green and blue varieties.