When you take off your shoes or socks, you may be concerned about foot odor. When you visit a friend’s house or go to a Japanese-style pub with a tatami room, you may not be able to fully enjoy your meal because of the foot odor. This article will introduce the root causes of foot odor, countermeasures, and effective items to eliminate the odor.
CONTENTS
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The main cause of foot odor is the growth of bacteria!
Indigenous bacteria exist everywhere on the body, including the face and palms of the hands, but when they multiply, they produce a bad odor. When the indigenous bacteria that naturally lurk on the feet feed on sweat, sebum, dead skin cells, and other substances and multiply, they emit that unpleasant odor.
In particular, the soles of the feet, where sweat glands are concentrated, are said to sweat as much as one and a half cups of sweat per day, and the dead skin cells are thicker than in other parts of the body, making them a treasure house of food for commensal bacteria. In addition, wearing shoes for long periods of time creates a high temperature and humidity, which makes it easy for bacteria, the source of the odor, to multiply.
Fatigue and stress also cause foot odor!
If you are concerned about foot odor no matter how carefully you take care of your feet, fatigue or stress may be the cause. This is called “fatigue odor.” When liver function is impaired due to psychological or physical stress or fatigue, the concentration of ammonia in the blood rises and is released through the skin, resulting in an irritating odor. These are also caused by excessive intake of animal protein, so it is necessary to watch one’s diet as well.
The following are five methods that can be adopted to combat foot odor!
From here, we will introduce effective methods to take care of foot odor. Some of them can be started today, so please check them out.
Measures against foot odor (1) “Keeping feet clean is a must!
It is important to thoroughly remove dead skin cells and dirt to prevent the growth of bacteria, the main cause of foot odor. The skin on feet is thick and hard, so it is a good idea to soak your feet in a bathtub or a tub of hot water to thoroughly soak your feet before washing them. After carefully washing between the feet and under the nails, where dirt tends to accumulate, it is also important to wipe off the water to prevent the growth of bacteria. Since regular washing alone does not remove dead skin cells, it is also recommended to use a file orpumice stone to remove dead skin cells.
Countermeasure for foot odor (2) “The rule of thumb is to let shoes rest after wearing them once!
The soles of the feet sweat about a cup and a half a day, and wearing the same shoes every day creates an environment where bacteria can easily increase due to the lack of moisture removal. Therefore, it is an ironclad rule to let your shoes rest in a well-ventilated place for one to two days after wearing them. Rolling up newspaper and stuffing it inside the shoes is also said to be effective in removing moisture. If you must wear your shoes for two days in a row, you can use a moisture absorber for shoes or a dryer.
Countermeasure for foot odor (3) “Use alum to sterilize and deodorize!
Alum is potassium aluminum sulfate. It is basically used in cooking to remove scum from food and to prevent cooking without cooking, but it is also effective in odor control because of its disinfectant and antiperspirant effects. It is difficult to use alum in its powdered form, so it is recommended to make “alum water” and spray it. Put about 10 g of alum in a plastic bottle with about 300 ml of water, shake well, and when the water becomes clear, the undiluted solution is ready. Dilute it further by 10 times, put it in a spray container, and sprinkle it on clean feet. The undiluted solution lasts about one month, and the diluted alum water lasts about one week, so the cost performance is not bad. Incidentally, alum water is sold without making it yourself, so if this is too much trouble for you, you can buy it.
(4) “Remove dead skin cells with a baking soda footbath! And while you’re at it, you can get smooth skin too.”
Baking soda, which is very useful for cleaning the entire house, is also effective against foot odor. It is very easy to use. Just fill a washbowl with hot water, dissolve 1 to 2 tablespoons of baking soda, and soak your bare feet for 10 to 15 minutes. Not only does it neutralize isovaleric acid, which is the cause of bad odor, but it also removes dead skin cells and leads to an environment where it is difficult for bacteria to breed. In addition, it also makes your skin smooth, so you can kill two birds with one stone. If the foot odor is strong, you can apply baking soda as it is in paste form, but this may cause irritation if the skin is weak. Therefore, it is advisable to increase the amount of baking soda while observing the situation.
Measures to prevent foot odor (5) “Use socks and insoles to prevent the inside of shoes from becoming stuffy!
It is natural for shoes to become damp when worn for long periods of time, but there are ways to reduce this by using socks or insoles. For socks, choose breathable and sweat-absorbent socks such as “five-finger socks,” which are said to be effective in reducing odor, and insoles made of deodorizing and antibacterial materials are recommended. However, if insoles are used, remember that they need to be dried together with the shoes when removing the moisture from the shoes, which requires a little more time and effort.
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