The skin of an adult contains about 3 million sweat glands, and their favorite places to localize are the face, forehead, armpits, inguinal folds, and the soles of the feet. On the skin of the soles, on every square centimeter, the excretory ducts of more than 300 glands open. In this case, the sweat glands on the feet are perhaps in the most disadvantageous position. If a person’s face and palms are in the open air and sweat evaporates in a timely manner, and the axillary and inguinal folds are covered with clothing, which also does little to prevent evaporation, then the feet, especially in winter, are kept in closed shoes for a long time.
These conditions do not in any way contribute to the removal of sweat, but, on the contrary, lead to the fact that the sweat stagnates and decomposes, forming nitrogenous compounds rich in ammonia, which have an unpleasant odor and serve as a food source for many fungi and bacteria, among which there are pathogenic varieties. Excessive sweating of the skin of the feet can be associated with various diseases.
This symptom (hyperhidrosis) occurs in circulatory disorders, disorders of the autonomic nervous system, and neuroses. Also, the unpleasant odor associated with the secretion of sweat on the soles can increase with endocrine disorders (diabetes mellitus) and with basic non-compliance with hygiene rules. In some cases, poor-quality shoes are to blame, which may be tight and contain a large amount of artificial fabrics that do not allow water to pass through. In some cases, excessive physical stress may also be the cause.
This rating of remedies for combating sweating and unpleasant odor coming from the feet will not consider diseases and their causes. Here we will talk about various groups of cosmetics, antiseptics, and other products that will help keep your feet clean and get rid of unpleasant odors.
Pathological causes:
- Fungal diseases on the legs;
- Hormonal imbalance;
- Nervous disorders, increased anxiety;
- Diabetes mellitus in a progressive form;
- Disruption of the endocrine system;
- Tuberculosis;
- Diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
- Poor nutrition.
The best combination products - ointments and powders for foot odor
Lassara paste (salicylic-zinc)
Rating: 4.8
Without a doubt, many people know this paste under a different name, namely salicylic-zinc. It is very widely used in dermatology, has a drying effect, and also produces an antibacterial and antiseptic effect. In dermatology, it is used for application to acne, pustular skin lesions, and even in the presence of damage, such as ulcers and wounds. In addition to salicylic acid and zinc, the base substance is Vaseline, and it is indicated for softening the skin.
Lassara paste helps very well to get rid of foot odor in the presence of cracked heels and excessive keratinization. It heals small wounds and ulcers, softens and removes dead skin cells of the epidermis, which serve as a source of nutrition for microorganisms, and thanks to Vaseline, softens the skin. Apply Lassara paste, as in the previous case, once or twice a day. In some cases, the number of applications can be increased to 4.
Before buying this paste, or its analogue - salicylic-zinc ointment, you need to ask whether it contains petroleum jelly or not. The fact is that salicylic-zinc ointment (and not Lassar's paste) does not contain petroleum jelly, although the composition of the active ingredients of the drugs is identical.
Therefore, if you decide to replace the paste with salicylic-zinc ointment, then know that it dries out the skin greatly, and if you decide to use it in the armpits or on the palms, then it is only suitable for oily and normal skin types, and for people with sensitive and It is contraindicated for dry skin. Lassara paste is produced by the Tula Pharmaceutical Factory, and a 25 g package costs only 26 rubles.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantage of this paste is the possibility of application in the presence of skin defects, and if you use the paste, and not just an ointment, it additionally softens and smoothes the skin. In addition, it can also be used for pustular rashes, from which no one is safe. The paste is widely distributed in the pharmacy chain, has a low price, and this is also important.
Galmanin
Rating: 4.7
What will happen if salicylic acid and zinc oxide are not produced in a soft dosage form, but mixed in powders? Then you will get an excellent powder, which is sold in pharmacies under the name Galmanin. It can be purchased either in a small jar with holes or in bags. A package of 10 packets, each containing 2 g of the drug, costs an average of 44 rubles, and Galmanin is produced by the same Tula pharmaceutical factory.
Unlike Lassar's paste, Galmanin can be used by people with normal and even dry skin, since the powder acts in a thin layer and, unlike ointment or paste, does not envelop the skin. This leads to careful treatment of the sensitive epidermis. You need to use Galmanin by rubbing your feet once or twice a day. The treatment course for getting rid of foot hyperhidrosis and foot odor lasts, on average, about 2 weeks.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantage of Galmanin will be a softer and more gentle effect on the skin, its cost is also low, and it is unlikely that the difference between the price of Lassar and Galmanin pastes can cause irritation in anyone. But Galmanin has one undeniable advantage: it can be poured into cleanly washed socks, and in the evening it is recommended to be applied inside the shoes in which a person will walk down the street the next day. Therefore, in mild cases, when there is no too pronounced unpleasant odor, and the sweating of the feet is not very great, then it is quite possible to use Galmanin in this way, without direct application to the feet.
Five days (5D)
Rating: 4.7
This product is also available in sachets. One package contains 10 sachets weighing 1.5 g each. The composition includes, as in previous cases, boric acid, salicylic acid and zinc oxide. But other ingredients that have a refreshing and antibacterial effect include camphor, menthol, which has a cooling effect, and triclosan, which is often used in antibacterial soaps. As a result, the manufacturing company Galenopharm received an excellent complex product that can be used not only to eliminate unpleasant foot odor, but also protects the skin of the feet from abrasions, cracks and itching.
Treat feet by pouring one sachet onto the skin of the foot and rubbing its surface evenly. You need to rub your feet in the morning, before putting on socks or stockings. The second application is shoe treatment. Naturally, only closed shoes can be processed, for example, winter boots with fur inside or closed demi-season shoes. To do this, pour one sachet into your shoes, and you need to do this before leaving the house.
In the event that a person plans to stay in shoes without removing them for an hour or two, then the product does not need to be used. It is quite potent, and the manufacturer recommends pouring Five Days into shoes if the time spent outside is at least 5 hours. Therefore, this product will appeal to tourists, fishermen, and military personnel. If you regularly treat shoes for a week, then the lasting effect of freshness will remain in them for up to 6 months.
This product is produced in several varieties by the St. Petersburg company Galenopharm: powder for treating shoes, foot cream, and a special deodorizing foot bath. In this case, the powder will cost 120 rubles, and a package of 10 sachets of 25 g each for 10 baths, which relieves feet of unpleasant odor, costs 240 rubles.
Advantages and disadvantages
The recipe for Five Days is well balanced, it disinfects, dries, at the same time refreshes and gives lightness to the gait due to camphor and menthol. A contraindication for use would be the presence of very dry and irritated skin, and in other cases - only individual intolerance. A big advantage is the availability of several dosage forms, convenient for a variety of uses, both at home and in beauty salons. The price category is low, and at the same time the drug, especially applied inside shoes, can act for a long time. That is why this good, high-quality domestic drug for unpleasant foot odor and hyperhidrosis was included in the rating.
Contraindications and side effects
Preparations with formaldehyde should not be used before the age of 14, or by pregnant women. Such remedies are not recommended for those who have kidney problems. You should avoid further application of the product if side effects occur: skin rash, peeling, diarrhea or nausea.
Also, all products aimed at eliminating sweating dry out the skin, so severe dryness and flaking may occur after their use. To eliminate this effect after treatment, you can smear softening and nourishing oils on the skin: flaxseed, castor, bergamot, lavender, etc.
The best deodorants, solutions, creams, gels for foot odor
As you know, a cream differs from a paste, which is essentially an ointment-based medicine, in that it is absorbed into the skin very quickly and does not leave a greasy residue. The cream applied to the feet is intensively absorbed within a few minutes, and you can safely put on your socks. Teymur's paste requires a slightly longer time to absorb, and Lassara's paste takes even longer (due to Vaseline). In the case of deodorant, everything is even simpler. Being a liquid that evaporates rapidly, you can put on your shoes when using deodorants in a minute or even less. The rating for combating foot odor included several domestic and foreign preparations in the form of spray, cream and liquid.
Dry-dry
Rating: 4.9
The Dry-Dry company produces a whole line of various products against unpleasant odor and intense sweating. One of them is a solution packaged in 35 ml bottles. It is produced by the Swedish company Lexima, and this solution is quite expensive: one package has an average retail price of about 800 rubles. This product is also available in spray form.
Why is this drug so expensive? The manufacturer has proven that the active components of this solution do not interfere with the function of the sweat glands, but simply redirect sweat to other places, and it is removed where it can evaporate freely. This action is based on the formation of a special aluminum-protein complex, which creates a functional block for the release of sweat and odor on the surface of the feet. Such a functional “plug” on the feet is absolutely harmless, it is not absorbed into the blood, and allows you to apply this drug only once or twice a week, while freshness and cleanliness are guaranteed every day. The product should be applied to completely dry skin, after which the solution should be allowed to dry.
Advantages and disadvantages
Liquid against sweating and unpleasant odor Dry-dry Classic has interesting properties. So, it should be applied in the evening before bed. After application, feet should not be wet. This is very convenient, since a person getting ready for work in the morning does not always have the opportunity to carefully care for his feet and rub ointment or cream into them. It is also very important that the drug can be applied only once a week. As a result, the price, which seems so high, with such an economical application, becomes quite acceptable. As the practice of cosmetologists shows, one small bottle can last for at least 3 months, and at most for a whole six months. In this case, you can use the product for as long as you like; there are no restrictions on the duration of the course. The only thing to remember is that Dry Dry should not be applied to damaged or irritated skin.
ODOREX FOOT
Rating: 4.8
Odorex foot spray has a unique refreshing and antiseptic effect. These are high-quality medical Bulgarian cosmetics (cosmeceuticals), which contain ingredients such as metphenamine, glycerin, aluminum chloride, ethanol and perfume. Odorex foot is long-lasting and significantly reduces symptoms such as wet feet and foot odor within ten days after just one spray. It has an additional antiseptic effect. Odorex foot is intended only for treating the skin of the feet, and is not used for shoes.
Before using Odorex foot deodorant for the first time, you must thoroughly wash your feet with soap and dry them, and after spraying you do not need to rub in the deodorant. You just need to dry your feet well. This procedure should be done slowly, before going to bed. In the morning, you should rinse your feet with clean water, without soap, and this should be done for 3 days in a row. After this, you can forget about this deodorant for a week or even two. After an average of 10 days have passed, it is recommended to repeat the procedure.
Advantages and disadvantages
The cost of one 50 ml bottle can be considered quite high - on average 900 rubles. But it must be taken into account that it is hypoallergenic; the only contraindication is intolerance to aluminum salts or the presence of damaged skin on the feet. It should be taken into account that after the initial three-time treatment, it is not necessary to repeat the application all three times in a row every day, as the first time, but only once. Therefore, it is quite possible that you will only apply this spray three times a month. Therefore, this package can last for six months: the savings are significant.
Scholl deodorant – antiperspirant for feet
Rating: 4.7
This deodorant is a representative of a high-quality line of English cosmetics produced by Reckitt Benckiser. This deodorant contains the active substance - aluminum chlorohydrate, perfume composition, cyclomethicone, propylene carbonate, and other gaseous and liquid substances under pressure, which are contained in high-quality deodorants.
Taken together, Scholl is able to combat unpleasant odor and excessive sweating, and has a fungicidal effect. It is applied to the skin of the feet daily, and its effect lasts up to 24 hours. As a result, the feeling of freshness of the feet leads to comfort and helps to get rid of the development of fungal diseases. One 150 ml bottle is sold in pharmacies at a retail price of 265 rubles. This drug is convenient and in demand.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantage of this aerosol is its high quality, pleasant smell, ease of use: what could be simpler than applying the product to your feet every day, like any regular antiperspirant deodorant. At the same time, its cost is quite low. But on the other hand, this aerosol does not have the same advantages as more expensive sprays, which can protect for 10 days or even longer after a one-time application.
Formagel (formaldehyde)
Rating: 4.7
Formagel - this name speaks for itself. This is a local remedy for combating unpleasant odor and sweating of feet, the active and only substance of which is formic aldehyde, or formaldehyde (methanal). This substance is actively used in medicine as an antiseptic, is a preservative and sealant of biological tissues. It is thanks to the accumulation of formaldehyde in the blood that a person experiences painful hangover symptoms the morning after a feast.
But in this case, formaldehyde can effectively combat sweating of the skin of the feet, since it simultaneously has an antiseptic effect and inhibits the secretion of sweat glands. The drug is a transparent, colorless gel with a slight characteristic odor of formaldehyde, which, perhaps, cannot be called pleasant. This gel must be applied after water procedures and a shower to areas of the skin with increased sweating, in this case - to the feet and between the toes, but certainly after drying the skin.
The gel is applied for 30-40 minutes, if we are talking about rough skin of the sole and in the area of interdigital folds. After this, the gel is washed off, and after the first application, the effect of reducing sweating and reducing odor lasts, on average, up to 10 days. In case of pronounced unpleasant symptoms of sweating and odor, this treatment can be carried out for 2 or 3 days in a row. One package of gel weighing 15 grams costs an average of 230 rubles, and it is produced by the domestic pharmaceutical company Retinoids.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantage of Formagel is its long-lasting action, which can be compared with the best imported analogues, for example, with Dry-Dry or Odorex aerosols. But at the same time, Formagel must not only be applied to the skin, but also wait 40 minutes and then rinse off, and this is not always convenient. In addition, the gel lacks a perfume composition and smells of formaldehyde, and not everyone will like this smell.
The gel has contraindications. It should not be used if the skin is hypersensitive or if there are inflammatory symptoms; it should not be used for cracked heels. In some cases, it can cause excessive dryness of the skin, which will have to be dealt with in an additional way. The cost of this gel is very high, and it cannot be called justified. After all, formaldehyde is a large-scale product of the chemical industry, and a pharmaceutical factory can purchase raw materials for no more than 20 rubles per kilogram.
Formidron
Rating: 4.6
What happens if you deprive the formagel of the gel base? That's right, you will only get a formaldehyde solution, which is sold in dark glass bottles of 50-100 ml. The result is the drug Formidron. More precisely, not a drug, but simply a chemical product that is produced by the Tver Pharmaceutical Factory at a very affordable price, unlike Formagel. One bottle of Formidron with a volume of 50 ml costs 20 rubles, and one bottle with a volume of 100 ml costs 25 rubles. Perhaps this is the cheapest remedy for foot odor and excessive sweating. Using Formidron is very simple; if you have excessive sweating of your feet, you just need to wipe the soles and spaces between your toes once a day before going to bed.
Advantages and disadvantages
The undoubted advantage of Formidron is its real price, because the pharmaceutical factory does not formulate the composition, but simply dilutes purified formaldehyde and packages it in vials. But at the same time, the formaldehyde solution is certainly harsher. It may cause local reactions - allergic rash, redness, burning or itching, or other hypersensitivity reactions and individual incompatibility. It is contraindicated for dry and damaged skin, inflammatory formations, and cracked heels. Despite all the cheapness, Formidron is still more dangerous than Formagel. Still, this is liquid formaldehyde and it can accidentally splash out and get into the eyes or mucous membranes, and the gel in this sense is, of course, safer.
In conclusion, here are some important tips. To minimize sweating and unpleasant foot odor, you need to wash them twice a day and wipe them dry. It is necessary to remove excess dead skin with pumice stone; it is advisable to have shoes made of natural, easily breathable materials, just like insoles and socks. It is recommended to use deodorant for shoes, pour dry powders into shoes, which were given in the rating (Galmanin, Five days). You should wear clean socks every day.
In the same case, if nothing helps, sweating is extremely profuse and is associated with various diseases, then a radical method of treating hyperhidrosis is an injection of botulinum toxin. It blocks not only neuromuscular transmission, but also stops the action of the sweat glands. But this remedy is radical and is used only for medical reasons.
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