Q. My skin turns to sandpaper in the winter. I get all sorts of cracks, just like a paper cut, and they can be incredibly painful. They are worst on my fingertips, knuckles and thumbs. The heels of my feet also get terribly dry and rough and they frequently crack as well.
I also have athlete’s foot and toenail fungus. My family frequently complains that my foot odor is overwhelming. I suspect that all of this is due to some sort of fungal infection.
A friend told me to urinate on my feet to clear up the fungus. He said that this was an old soldier’s trick dating back decades and that there is something in urine that kills fungus. I find that peeing on my feet is just too gross. What is it in urine that works? Is there anything a little more sanitary I could use on my feet and hands?
A. We too have heard from many readers that urinating on your feet can get rid of foot odor and perhaps even other fungal infections.
Here is just one such story:
Q. A few years back my teenage son suffered terrible foot odor. My husband and I would not let him bring his sneakers into the house, nor would we let him put his dirty socks in the hamper! His worst experience was a high school trip to Europe when he shared a room with two other boys. They made my son keep his sneakers in the closet.
I then read in your column a solution to eliminate foot odor: urinate on your feet in the shower! I mentioned the column to my son and then kept quiet. Within a day, the odor was eliminated. I thought that during the next few years you would mention this remedy again but I haven’t seen it. I think there are many, many high school and college students who might benefit from the suggestion of urinating on your feet in the shower.
A. We first heard about this simple remedy from a great-grandmother, who learned about it from men who served in the Armed Forces during World War II. She maintained that urinating on the feet cured stinky feet. Your story confirms her claim. Urea, an anti-fungal compound in urine, may be part of the reason.
We also heard from one person who had his daughter put her hands in her urine every day for several weeks to clear up a really bad case of eczema. He said that this was the best remedy that she had ever used.
Here is another link to some comments. The magic ingredient in urine is urea. Because it is high in nitrogen, it has been used for years as a fertilizer by farmers. It has many medical uses and is sometimes used in a concentrated form (40%) to dissolve fungus-infected nails instead of removing them surgically.
We can understand your reluctance to urinate on your feet. There is a much more elegant solution for severely dry, cracked skin and rough heels. The makers of Udderly Smooth Udder Cream (Redex Industries sponsors our radio show) have recently brought out a new product, Udderly Smooth Extra Care 20 with 20 percent urea. It was developed for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation because they often suffer from very dry, irritated skin. We think many folks can benefit from the extra urea in this moisturizer because it boosts the moisturizing power. Extra Care 20 can be special-ordered through most pharmacies.
