How to Control Foot Odor

As the days become warmer, it's not uncommon to experience foot odor particularly if your wear tight fitting shoes. Foot odor is caused by the presence of bacteria that produce unpleasant smelling by products. These bacteria are attracted by the moisture found on sweaty feet. Fortunately, there are things you can do to make your feet smell more pleasant. Here's how to control foot odor.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Wash your feet thoroughly and exfoliate.
   
   Choose a high quality anti-bacterial soap and use it to wash your feet at least once per day. Use a gentle exfoliating pad to lightly scrub your entire foot and between the toes to remove dead skin cells which may harbor bacteria. These can be found at your local drugstore.
2. After washing, dry your feet and toes thoroughly with a soft towel. It's important to remove any excess moisture that could be a breeding ground for bacteria.
3. After drying your feet and toes, apply a spray-on, powdered deodorant foot spray. These can be purchased from a drugstore. Dr. Scholl's makes an excellent one.
4. Put on clean, dry, 100% cotton socks. These will allow your skin to breathe and reduce the accumulation of sweat which encourages bacterial overgrowth This will help to control foot odor.
5. Slip on a pair of loose fitting shoes.

Tips & Warnings

• Give your feet a break from tight shoes by wearing open toed sandals.
• You can also buy shoe inserts that help to control foot odor at your drugstore.