Stop Hiding Your Feet — These Toenail Fungus Treatments Work Like a Charm (2024)

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Type: Liquid | Size: .1 oz | Ingredients: ethanol, propylene glycol, chlorhexidine acetate

The Ariella Toenail Fungus Treatment does the trick on both fingernails and toenails. Shoppers repeatedly rave about how it's out-performed many similar products they've tried and how easy it is to use. To that point, it touts a super convenient and mess-free brush-on applicator, and the liquid formula dries very quickly. The brand promises results in two to four weeks and recommends applying the treatment two to three times per day to help eliminate discoloration and strengthen nails.

Type: Polish | Size: 13 milliliters | Ingredients: Salicylic Acid, Urea, White Petrolatum

Amazon's top choice for "nail repair," this one-stop-shop not only helps treat fungal infections, but it's also ideal for addressing any type of nail damage or discoloration due to one too many gel manicures, aging nails, or just general brittleness. Much like the Kerasal Fungal Nail Renewal formula (which is targeted at those who just have fungal infections), it needs to be used twice a day for the first week and then once a day thereafter. Luckily, the formula is clear and odorless, so it's easy to use discreetly.

Again, this product’s weakness is in the applicator itself. Many folks noted that it didn’t work well or broke before they could start to use it. Buyers should be gentle as they open the packaging and start to use Kerasal.

Type: Gel | Size: 1.6oz | Ingredients: Tolnaftate

"[Fungi Nail Anti-Fungal Ointment] is one of my favorite nail fungal treatments because it relieves symptoms such as burning and itching and also restores the skin under the nail and around the cuticle," says Lucy Chen, M.D., a dermatologist at Riverchase Dermatology in Miami. “It's also very easy to use and won't break the bank.” It touts Tolnaftate 1 percent, a clinically proven anti-fungal active ingredient, to cure and prevent infection, as well as five essential oils — tea tree oil, aloe vera, eucalyptol, olive oil, and lavender — to restore skin health. On a not-so-positive note, many reviewers found that this formula took a little longer to start working (up to a month) compared to other options.

Type: Oil | Size: 15mL | Ingredients: Tea tree oil

Applying cuticle oil daily is arguably one of the best (and easiest) ways to strengthen nails. Dr.'s Remedy Anti-Fungal Caress Cuticle Oil goes above and beyond the call of duty, thanks to the inclusion of undecylenic acid, an ingredient to help treat and even prevent fungal infections from starting. The other nice thing? The formula can even permeate polish, meaning users can apply the oil even if their nails are painted.

Type: Oil | Size: .33oz | Ingredients: Tea Tree Oil

For those on the search for a totally natural nail fungus treatment option (or just an easy at-home remedy), Dr. Chen suggests tea tree oil. Naturally anti-fungal, "it's been studied to be just as effective as clotrimazole, the active ingredient found in many over-the-counter toenail fungus treatments," she says. She recommends diluting Healing Solutions Tea Tree Essential Oil with a carrier oil (olive or jojoba are both good options) before dabbing it onto the nail and surrounding skin.Of course, it’s important to remember that this oil isn’t specifically designed to treat toenail fungus like many of the other items on this list. Those who prefer more clinical options should look elsewhere.

Type: Ointment | Size: 1.76oz | Ingredients: Menthol, camphor

Vicks VapoRub is often mentioned as an effective nail fungus treatment because of both the active and inactive ingredients it contains, according to Dr. Stern. "Thymol, menthol, camphor, and oil of eucalyptus have shown efficacy against dermatophytes in a lab setting," she explains. The caveat? Those using this (or any other type of alternative) regularly and not seeing any improvement after two to four months should see a dermatologist, she advises. That's because similar to tea tree oil, Vicks Vaporub Ointment wasn’t specifically designed to help with toe fungus. Those who prefer more straightforward options should choose another product on the list.

Type: Gel | Size: 5mL | Ingredients: Amorolfine

Runners ask a lot of their feet, so when marathon training leads to a bad case of toenail fungus, it’s time to practice some foot care. Luckily, LOCERYL Antifungal Nail Treatment is effective with a once-weekly application, making it great for those of us who spend a lot of time in running shoes and may not have the patience to let our nail gel dry every single day.

Type: Polish | Size: 1.5oz | Ingredients: Tea tree oil

While Dr. Weiser says it’s inadvisable to wear nail polish over a bad case of toenail fungus, life happens! Maybe there’s a wedding on the horizon or a trip to the beach that requires hot pink toenails. When an occasion for polish arrives, Dr.’s Remedy Enriched Nail Polish offers beautiful colors and antifungal tea tree oil.Users did note, however, that this polish takes quite a while to dry. So throw on a TV show, apply a couple of coats, and relax.