Dealing with athlete’s foot can feel like a losing battle, but the best athlete’s foot creams on the market can help you tackle all of the irritating skin condition's most infamous symptoms — from peeling skin to discolored toenails to blisters — all without a prescription from your doctor.
But why should you choose an athlete's foot cream over the dozens of sprays, gels, and powders available today? Well, a cream formula is better for someone with dry skin, whereas a gel or spray might be better for someone with sweaty feet, according to Maral K. Skelsey, the director of the Dermatologic Surgery Center of Washington, in an interview with New York Magazine. So, if you're dealing with pesky athlete's foot, plus cracked, dry, or itchy skin, a cream treatment is the way to go.
Still, some athlete's foot creams are much better than others. First, you'll need to decide exactly what you need from that product. Do you want a cream packed with essential oils and other plant-rich ingredients, or would you prefer creams with stronger antifungal ingredients, like Butenafine Hydrochloride, Terbinafine and Tolnaftate? Do you need a multipurpose athlete’s foot cream that also treats ringworm, jock itch, and psoriasis?
Take a look at the best athlete's foot creams below. All of them are reasonably priced and highly rated on Amazon.
1A Fast-Acting, Over-The-Counter Cream That Even Doctors Prescribe
LamisilAT® Cream for Athlete’s Foot utilizes terbinafine — an ingredient proven to kill the fungus that causes athlete’s foot — to relieve itching, burning, cracking, and scaling symptoms caused by athlete’s foot. It can effectively treat jock itch and ringworm as well, so if you're looking for a multi-purpose fungus-fighting cream, LamisilAT® is a solid pick. In fact, it's the #1 most recommended brand by doctors, according to the brand's website.
This prescription-strength, over-the-counter foot cream works quickly, curing most athlete’s foot within seven days, and prevents recurring athlete’s foot up to three months. Amazon reviewers can't praise it enough, giving the cream a whopping 4.4 star-rating.
What fans are saying: “Several years ago, my athletes foot got so bad that I went to my doctor. He prescribed Lamisil, and it worked. I had tried all the newest best thing and did not get any relief. Occasionally, now, I will get a little flare up and usually one application, at bed time, will take care of it. It's the best stuff I've ever tried."
2Best Athlete’s Foot Treatment For Really Stubborn Cases
If you've been fighting athlete's foot for a while now with no success, Lotrimin Ultra might be the foot cream for you. Its active ingredient is the powerful antifungal agent butenafine hydrochloride, and it's designed to cure a number of fungal infections — from athlete's foot to jock itch to ringworm. The cream goes on easy, absorbs quickly, and works fast. It cures most cases within a week, according to the brand.
What fans are saying: “This works. I have tried everything. Medicated soaps. Powder. Every version of this cream. Apple cider vinegar. Straight bleach. This cleared it up by day five. I work with large groups of children and when one of them has ringworm, we all do. I tried the Lotrimin specifically for ringworm and that did not work either — it has to be the Ultra with butenafine.”
3A Natural, Multi-Purpose Athlete’s Foot Cream
If you're looking for a natural athlete's foot cream, check out Puriya Wonder Balm. Not only is it packed with plant-rich ingredients — like macadamia nut oil, safflower oil, olive oil, and lots of essential oils, like tea tree and eucalyptus — Puriya Wonder Balm is super multi-purpose. This athlete's foot cream is formulated to treat jock itch, ringworm, and other fungal infections — but it can also help treat itchy skin, sunburns, minor burns, insect bites, and cuts.
Even better? Amazon customers say Puriya cleared up their athlete’s foot “in no time," but there's a 180-day money-back guarantee if you're not getting the results you want.
What fans are saying: "Had I known how well this product was going to work, I would have paid $500 for it. I had a terrible case of athlete's foot, and it was growing to other parts of my toes and bottom of my foot. It started about 8 years ago and I've tried many products. I've used only about 60% of this product, applying a little bit once after my morning workout, again before bed, and the athlete's foot is completely gone. No more cuts, red bumps, and peeling skin from all the moisture and scratching over the years. I'm so grateful."
4A Uniquely Formulated Athlete's Foot Cream That Actually Smells Good
Let's face it: A lot of athlete's foot treatments don't smell great, and if you're applying it often enough, that can be a real bummer. That's where Funginix Athlete’s Foot Treatment rises above most of the foot creams on the market. Or, as one Amazon reviewer put it: "I like the smell of the cream (kind of like eucalyptus?) and don't find it to be greasy at all."
Funginix undoubtedly gets its pleasant aroma from using lots of natural ingredients, like lavender oil, rose oil, and aloe. But tolnaftate, an antifungal agent, is the cream's active ingredient. Results are usually seen in less than one week, and according to the Funginix website, regular application should cure most cases of athlete’s foot within in two weeks.
What Fans Are Saying: “I'm through about a half tube, using morning and night. It has made a huge difference with my itchy, peeling feet — they are now smooth and normal looking. Smells amazing, and dries quickly, unlike other products I've tried. I've used products with tonalfate before, and they've never worked, so I was surprised this did the trick — must be the essential oil combo.”
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