Best athlete’s foot cream: which works fastest and how to use it

Which athlete’s foot cream works best?

Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) is a skin infection caused by fungi that thrive in warm, damp places like sweaty shoes and locker room floors. Over-the-counter antifungal creams clear most cases. They all work, but they differ in how fast:

Bottom line: start with terbinafine or butenafine if you want the shortest course. Choose clotrimazole or miconazole if cost matters or you’re not sure whether it’s fungus or yeast. Reviews of the research have found terbinafine-type creams slightly more reliable at curing athlete’s foot than the older creams, but every product in the table works when it’s used properly and for long enough.

Always read the active ingredient, not just the brand. The same brand name is often used on products with different ingredients and different courses.

What to skip

• Steroid creams on their own, such as hydrocortisone. They calm the itch but can let the fungus spread. Use an antifungal instead.
• Nystatin. It treats yeast, not the fungi that cause athlete’s foot.
• Stopping as soon as it looks better. The fungus is still in the skin for a while after the itching stops.

Cream, spray, gel or powder?

The form matters less than the active ingredient and how long you use it:

• Creams are the best all-round choice, especially for dry, scaly skin on the soles.
• Gels, liquids and sprays dry quickly and are easy to use between the toes or if your feet are sweaty. They work about as well as a cream with the same ingredient.
• Powders and spray powders are best for keeping feet and shoes dry and for preventing athlete’s foot from coming back. Used alone, they’re usually not enough to clear an infection that has already started.

Many people do well with a cream on the skin and a powder in their shoes and socks.

How to use athlete’s foot cream

1. Wash your feet with soap and water and dry them completely, especially between the toes. Use a separate towel for your feet.
2. Apply a thin layer over the rash and about an inch of normal-looking skin around it. For the dry, scaly type on the soles, cover the whole sole.
3. Rub it in gently until it disappears. More cream doesn’t work faster.
4. Wash your hands afterward so you don’t spread the fungus.
5. Put on clean, dry socks. If you also have an itchy groin, put your socks on before your underwear so the fungus doesn’t spread upward.
6. Repeat once or twice a day, as the label says, for the full course, even if your skin looks better sooner.

How long does athlete’s foot take to clear?

With the right cream, itching and burning usually ease within a few days. The skin takes longer: peeling and redness usually settle over 2 to 4 weeks, because the fungus lives in the outer layers of skin, which take weeks to replace.

If you see no improvement at all after 2 weeks of using an antifungal properly, it may not be athlete’s foot, or it may need a prescription treatment. That’s a good time to see a doctor.

Types of athlete’s foot

Not every kind responds equally well to cream:

• Between the toes (interdigital). The most common type: itchy, peeling, white and soggy skin, usually between the fourth and fifth toes. Creams work well.
• Moccasin type. Dry, fine scaling over the sole and sides of the foot, a bit like a moccasin. The skin is thick, so creams may not get deep enough, and a doctor may prescribe antifungal pills.
• Blistering type. Small, itchy blisters, often on the arch. It may need a prescription, especially if blisters break and the skin becomes sore.

Athlete’s foot can itch more at night. Our guide to itchy feet at night covers other causes of itching and quick relief.

Is it athlete’s foot or something else?

Several skin problems look like athlete’s foot but won’t respond to an antifungal:

• Dry skin, which flakes but doesn’t usually cause red, peeling skin between the toes.
• Eczema or a reaction to shoe materials, which is often on the top of the foot where the shoe touches.
• Psoriasis on the feet, which causes thick, well-defined patches with silvery scale, often on both soles.
• Pitted keratolysis, a bacterial infection that makes tiny pits in the soles and a strong smell.

If an antifungal hasn’t helped, a doctor can scrape a little skin and check it for fungus.

Athlete’s foot vs toenail fungus

The same fungi cause both, and they often go together, but they’re treated differently:

Untreated nail fungus can keep re-infecting your skin, so treat both. Our guide to toenail fungus treatment explains the options, and foot soaks can soften and soothe in the meantime, though they don’t cure either infection.

Prescription treatments for athlete’s foot

If over-the-counter creams haven’t worked, or the infection is widespread, blistering or the moccasin type, your doctor may prescribe:

• Stronger antifungal creams, such as econazole, ketoconazole, naftifine, luliconazole or ciclopirox.
• Antifungal pills, such as terbinafine or itraconazole, for a few weeks. These are used for thick or widespread infections and some people need a blood test before or during treatment.
• Antibiotics if bacteria have got into cracked skin.

Do home remedies work for athlete’s foot?

Home remedies are popular, but the evidence is thin:

• Tea tree oil has the most support. One study found a 25 to 50 percent solution helped, but it can cause itching and allergic rashes, and it’s less proven than antifungal creams.
• Vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, garlic and salt soaks have little good evidence. Several can dry out or crack the skin, which lets bacteria in.
• Vicks VapoRub hasn’t been properly tested for athlete’s foot.
• Bleach should never go on your skin.

If you want to try a remedy, use it alongside an antifungal cream, not instead of one, and stop if your skin gets sore.

How to prevent athlete’s foot from coming back

• Dry your feet well after showers, especially between the toes.
• Change your socks every day, or sooner if they get damp. Moisture-wicking socks help if your feet sweat.
• Rotate your shoes so each pair dries out for a day between wears, and use an antifungal powder or spray inside them.
• Wear sandals or shower shoes in locker rooms, gym showers and around pools.
• Wash socks and towels in hot water, and don’t share towels, socks or shoes.
• Treat family members who have it too, and treat any toenail fungus.

When to see a doctor for athlete’s foot

Get seen the same day if:

• the skin around it becomes red, hot and swollen, or red streaks spread up the foot
• there’s pus, or you have a fever
• you have diabetes, neuropathy or poor circulation and notice cracks, blisters or open skin

Book a visit if:

• there’s no improvement after 2 weeks of using an antifungal properly
• it keeps coming back
• it has spread to your toenails, hands or groin
• you have a weakened immune system
• you’re not sure it’s athlete’s foot

If you have diabetes, cracks between the toes can let bacteria in and lead to a serious infection. Don’t treat broken skin on your own; see a podiatrist, and check your feet every day. Learn more about diabetic foot care.

Next step

Start with an over-the-counter terbinafine, butenafine or clotrimazole product, use it for the full course, and keep your feet and shoes dry. If it hasn’t improved in 2 weeks, or your nails are involved, a podiatrist can confirm what it is and prescribe something stronger. Read about nail care at Evolve Health, or find a podiatrist near you and book online.