Toenail fungus occurs mainly due to a living organism called dermatophyte which starts growing in your toenail. It lives and thrives in places that are damp and dark. Therefore, your toenail becomes a perfect place for the organism to grow. There are multiple, both cheap and expensive, treatment options available for toenail fungus. However, one of the cheapest and the most effective treatment options for toenail fungus would be the listerine mouthwash.

What is listerine?
Before diving any further into the discussion, let’s have a look at the background and history of listerine. It was invented in the year 1879 as a disinfectant and surgical antiseptic by Dr. Joseph Lister. It is used effectively for the treatment of gonorrhea. Listerine is sometimes also used as a floor cleaner. Although it was invented long ago, listerine was not used as a bottle of mouthwash until the 1970s. Presently, many use listerine for toenail fungus treatment as well.

How listerine Works for Toenail Fungus

Listerine uses different antiseptic properties of various alcohols and other substances to treat toenail fungus. It has some incredible ingredients that really make listerine effective. However, the manufacturers of listerine do not market the product as a useful treatment option for fungal infection. Nonetheless, because it has some ingredients that might help to treat toenail fungus, you have all the right to assume the efficacy of Listerine for toenail fungus. Let’s have a look at some of those ingredients.

• Thymol
  It is extracted from the herb called Thyme. Thymol is rich in Vitamin A and C. It is also a good source for calcium and magnesium. It gets absorbed in the skin and plays the role of an anti-inflammatory agent.
• Eucalyptol
  It is an essential oil that is extracted from the eucalyptus leaf. This oil is originated in Australia, and it is used by people all over the world to cure various illnesses that include fungus infections as well.
• Methyl Salicylate
  There are numerous medicinal properties for methyl salicylate. This organic acid is used with many compounds to treat a wide number of diseases. One of the best things about methyl salicylate is the ability to eliminate dead skin cells and grow health cell in replacement.
• Menthol
  The use of menthol for medicinal purposes dates back to the Egyptian civilization. It is extracted from the mint plant. Menthol works as an organic agent with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. That is why it works in a more than sufficient way for fungal infections.

Listerine has all the aforementioned four ingredients which are useful in treating fungal infections. Therefore, it could be assumed that listerine can be used to treat toenail fungus.

Side effects of listerine for the treatment of toenail fungus
One thing you need to keep in mind before creating any doubt about using listerine for toenail fungus is that listerine is absolutely safe to use. If there were any harmful effect, then people wouldn’t have put it in their mouth. However, when you use it to soak your feet, one of the most common side-effects you will get is the skin of your feet turning light green or blue. In order to avoid this complication, it is highly recommended not to soak your feet for too long in the listerine solution. The maximum time you can soak your feet in the listerine solution would be one hour. Also, note that listerine has a certain amount of alcohol which will make your skin dry. But, you need to remember that this drying of your skin is also a part of the healing process that will be going on inside your toenail. Some patients might also experience cracks in their skin which could be painful at times.

Pros and cons of the using listerine
There are many instances where people have found both pros and cons of using listerine for toenail fungus. Those who have tried listerine to treat their toenail fungus have reported that they have found it both advantageous and disadvantageous to be used for the said treatment.

Advantages

• Easily accessible
• It is cheaper than the conventional treatment methods
• It is simple to apply
• It is also quite safe and convenient to use
• There have been multiple reports that prove the efficacy of listerine in treating toenail fungus

Disadvantages

•  Zero scientific evidence for the effectiveness of listerine in treating toenail fungus
• Takes a long time to show results
• Could cause crack and discoloration of the skin of many patients

Although there are some disadvantages, overall, Listerine is quite safe and effective for treating toenail fungus once and for all. However, seeking medical consultation before its usage will be a wise option.