Stinky feet can never be a good thing. Whether you are out playing your favorite sport or working long hours at your workplace, you may find that your feet odor goes with you back home, which is definitely not a pleasant welcome.
Medically known as bromodosis, smelly feet are caused mainly due to excess sweat and poor personal hygiene. This can affect anyone regardless of the temperature. However, teenagers and pregnant women are more likely to be prone to sweaty feet because of the hormonal changes that occur in their body. Certain infections like Athlete’s foot that go undetected may also cause your feet to emit an unpleasant odor.
But, the good news is you may be able to get rid of this unpleasant odor by wearing socks. Not just any socks; you need to grab a pair of socks that contains copper.
If you thought copper was just a mineral that has been in use for making utensils and ornaments, it’s time to change that thought because copper can do much more. Here’s why copper can help you get rid of that awful, smelly feet you walk with every day.
Benefits Of Copper For Your Body
Copper is required by the body in relatively smaller amounts. However, never underestimate the benefits of the mineral. It is required by the body to strengthen your immune system. It also helps in the formation of collagen – the structural protein found in skin and other connective tissues. It may also act as an antioxidant, fight free radicals, and protect your cells from damage.
Apart from these benefits, copper also possesses antimicrobial properties that make it a perfect metal to kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi that are known to cause infections. Studies have shown how microorganisms can be killed on copper surfaces.1 The killing of microbes using metal surfaces is termed as contact killing. For this reason, copper has been used for surfaces that are frequently touched like door handles, bed rails, and even bathroom fixtures.
Another important benefit of copper is that it can improve your skin. As mentioned earlier, copper aids in the production of collagen which is an important protein that maintains your skin’s elasticity.2 Because of this, it may also be used to heal wounds faster.
You are probably wondering what this has got to do with treating your smelly feet? Well, both these properties of copper – antimicrobial property and the ability to form collagen – are the reasons why your smelly feet may be history.
How You Can Use Copper For Smelly Feet
As mentioned earlier, the ability to heal skin and antimicrobial properties make copper a perfect remedy for getting rid of smelly feet. Today, there are copper oxide infused socks available in the market that may help you with your embarrassing situation. Results of certain studies have shown how copper oxide socks were able to help subjects suffering from Athlete’s foot infection.
82 percent of the participants in the study reported that their skin elasticity improved after using copper oxide containing socks for over five hours every day. 61 percent of the subjects reported that wearing these copper socks helped them get rid of their unpleasant foot odor.3
Although these may be on the expensive side, it is worth a try especially if you are an athlete and your feet spend hours together in your running shoes.
Apart from socks, there are also copper infused insoles that you can purchase for your shoes. These will be in direct contact with your skin and may help reduce the odor due to sweating.
The key to keeping your feet fresh is good personal hygiene. So, here are some tips that you may want to consider following if you are prone to sweaty, smelly feet.
Some Tips To Prevent Smelly Feet
The following are some tips to maintain personal hygiene and prevent your feet from sweating and smelling bad.4
- Do not wear the same pair of shoes consecutively. Make sure you have another pair for the next day so that it gives the used one time to dry out.
- Wash your feet every day and dry them, too. Change your socks, irrespective of the fabric, at least once a day.
- Trim your nails and keep them short to avoid any infection.
- Use a foot file to get rid of hard skin on your feet.
- Wear open-toed sandals during summer so your feet can breathe.
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