Do your feet still smell after showering or washing?
Mine did too. I know how frustrating this is because you can scrub them with soap all you want but they just don’t seem to get really clean and fresh.
If your feet still smell even after washing it’s probably because the bacteria causing the smell are residing on and in the top skin layers of your feet. Chances are they have taken over your shoes too.
Here’s what you can do about it.
First a bit about the why and how. I always find that when I understand why I have to do something, I’m more inclined to do it and to keep doing it. It just motivates me.
If your feet still stink after washing the approach to cure is twofold:
- reduce sweating
- kill off the bacteria and limit them in their existence by treating your feet as well as your shoes.
The cause of and cure for smelly feet even after washing or showering
Our feet have lots and lots of sweat glands. More than on most other body parts. This has an evolutionary purpose. Because when we started walking upright we had to keep our feet cool and supple.
Another function sweat glands in the hands and feet of mammals is to rub the sweat or scent onto objects in order to mark their territory.
Nowadays, we wear shoes and the need to claim territory has taken other forms (think, grafitti or driving a big car). The sweat glands however, about 3000 per square inch, are still present.
This leads to a sweaty and smelly feet in a lot of people. (Some people, especially teenagers and pregnant women suffer more from sweaty feet because of hormonal changes.)
Since the perspiration is kept inside the shoes and socks (instead of rubbed off against tree bark) bacteria that feed of of the sweat start to thrive. It’s the interaction between those bacteria and the sweat that causes the rotten odor.
Bacteria living on our skin decompose sweat coming from the pores. This process causes the typical smell.
Tip: keep your feet, shoes, and socks dry
When your feet are damp, either because you are sweating or because you haven’t given your shoes the chance to dry up after wearing the bacteria grow.
This is why it’s so important to really dry your feet well after showering or taking a bath.
Even after taking off your shoes the bacteria breed on because they favor a warm, moist and dark environment.
Tip: give your shoes time to air out
That’s why it’s recommended to not wear the same shoes every day. Give them time to air out and limit the bacteria in their growth.
The reason why our feet often stink but our hands are not is because our hands are not enclosed in shoes or socks.
Yet our hands also sweat and have bacteria living on them just like our feet. That’s why it’s so important to let the sweat that your feet produce escape into the air limit odor-causing bacteria feeding on it.
Tip: fight the bacteria that live in your shoes
- Store your shoes in a light place, preferably in the sun or use a UV shoe sanitizer to kill them off.
- Inserting baking soda and placing the shoes (in a plastic bag) in the freezer may also help.
- Another method is treating your shoes with pure alcohol or use an antibacterial shoe spray. Some people use a shoe deodorizer such as 2Toms Stink Free Spray. Do note that in case of serious foot perspiration such a spray alone probably won’t solve your problem.
In case of a serious foot odor problem, I know this from experience, it takes more to combat the foul scent and perspiration.
If your feet still smell after showering there are a few things you do.
How to wash your feet?
Wash them with antibacterial soap. An often recommended bacterial soap to use is Hibiclens Antimicrobial Skin Liquid Soap with antiseptic activity.
I use Betadine solution myself, you know the stuff surgeons use to desinfect their hands.
What’s probably even better is On Your Toes Foot Bactericide Powder
You can also bath your feet in water with a few drops of tea tree oil. Tea tree oil has a strong antiseptic action. Others say they benefit from taking foot baths with Epsom salt. The main thing here is to keep at it.
If you have a serious foot odor problem you will have to make washing with an antibacterial substance and reducing sweat production a habit. Otherwise the problem will persevere.
Remove dead skin cells
The smell causing bacteria such as the Staphylococcus epidermis and corynebacterium feed on dead skin cells. The more dead skin cells on your feet and between your toes, the worse the smell will be.
By taking away their food you can limit their existence. Removing these dead skin cells can be done by using a purnice or file but this is tedious.
Therefore, peels are often used for this purpose. Other benefits of removing excess dead skin cells are better blood circulation and having cold feet less quickly.
The secret to countering sweat production
Use aluminum hydroxychloride to shrink the pores and prevent excessive sweating. (it seems you can also bath your feet in black tea but this is more time consuming, that’s why I prefer to use aluminum hydroxochloride).
This is a substance you can apply on your feet before going to bed and wash it off the next morning. Even after one application you will already notice your feet feel dryer. Because the pores and sweat glands are minimized you will sweat less.
Other things you can do after washing your feet
Other things that help are wearing cotton or wool socks. (70% cotton or higher). Change shoes and socks at least every day but preferably more often. If you can just change socks and shoes daily.
Use scent removing insoles such as Cedar soles. Here’s more about insoles that help reduce smelly feet.
Here’s more about smelly feet cures.
Do your feet still smell after showering or washing?
Share your experiences or ask questions below.