Tinea

Overview

Garlic-derived ajoene gel is the most studied topical treatment for tinea, with low but promising ratings across three trials. A 1% ajoene gel applied twice daily for one week cured all patients in one study and worked as well as common antifungal creams for athlete's foot and ringworm.

Green tea foot soaks did not help athlete's foot in bedridden older patients but improved overall skin condition in one study. Olive oil has only been tested mixed with honey and beeswax, which helped clear fungal infections over four weeks, though olive oil alone remains untested. See the heatmap and evidence reviews below.

Effect graph

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Relevant supplements

Relevant supplements sorted by DEX Score.


Garlic	★★★★★	Low
Green Tea	★★★★★	Low
Olive Oil	★★★★★	Low

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Studies

Find individual evidence reviews for supplements sorted by DEX Score.

3 supplements for and rated at least stars. All purchase bands. No minimum star filter.

GarlicView supplement →

Reconsider purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeLowEvidenceMediumTrustMedium

Evidence Review

A gel made from a garlic compound called ajoene, used twice daily for a week, is effective for treating fungal infections like athlete’s foot and ringworm.
The 1% ajoene gel cured all patients in a study and worked as well as common antifungal creams.
Even lower strengths also showed good results, making ajoene a natural alternative antifungal treatment.

Browse 3 studies

RCTEfficacy of ajoene in the treatment of tinea pedis: a double-blind and comparative study with terbinafine2000

In 47 soldiers with tinea pedis, 1 week of topical 0.6% or 1% ajoene produced mycologic cure rates comparable to 1% terbinafine in a double-blind trial.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 1 week
Population: Soldiers with tinea pedis

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RCTAjoene in the topical short-term treatment of tinea cruris and tinea corporis in humans. Randomized comparative study with terbinafine1999n=60

In 60 soldiers with tinea corporis or cruris, topical 0.6% ajoene gel for 1 week was as effective and safe as 1% terbinafine cream in a randomized trial.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 1 week
Population: Soldiers with dermatophytosis
Participants: 60

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Clinical trialEfficacy of ajoene, an organosulphur derived from garlic, in the short-term therapy of tinea pedis1996n=34

In 34 tinea pedis patients, 0.4% ajoene cream applied for 7 days achieved complete clinical and mycologic cure in 79%, with all remaining patients cured after 14 days total.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 7 days
Population: Tinea pedis patients
Participants: 34

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Green TeaView supplement →

Reconsider purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeLowEvidenceLowTrustMedium

Evidence Review

In older patients who were bedridden and had memory problems, using a green tea foot soak (0.1% solution) for 15 minutes each day over 12 weeks did not help athlete’s foot but did improve overall skin condition.

Browse 1 study

RCTEffects of a foot bath containing green tea polyphenols on interdigital tinea pedis2013

In 94 elderly patients with interdigital tinea pedis, foot baths with green tea polyphenols over 12 weeks improved affected area and symptoms versus lukewarm water.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 12 weeks
Population: Older adults

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Olive OilView supplement →

Do not purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeLowEvidenceLowTrustVery Low

Evidence Review

Olive oil applied to the skin has only been tested when mixed with other ingredients, so it’s uncertain how well olive oil alone works for tinea corporis, tinea cruris and tinea versicolor.
Early research shows that using a mixture of olive oil, honey, and beeswax three times a day for 4 weeks helps improve and clear this fungal skin infection.
More studies with comparison groups are needed.

Browse 1 study

Open-labelAn alternative treatment for pityriasis versicolor, tinea cruris, tinea corporis and tinea faciei with topical application of honey, olive oil and beeswax mixture: an open pilot study2004n=37

In 37 patients with fungal skin infections, a honey–olive oil–beeswax mixture applied three times daily for up to 4 weeks improved symptoms in 75–86% and achieved mycological cure in 62–75%.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 4 weeks
Population: Patients with pityriasis versicolor
Participants: 37

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Evidence visualised

Same ratings as above, aggregated so you can see coverage and imbalance.

Purchase-guidance distribution

How many supplements fall in each purchase band

Effect-size distribution

How large the reported benefits tend to be

Study distribution across 3 supplements for tinea (5 studies total).
Supplement	DEX	Studies	Share
Garlic	★★★★★48%	3	60%
Green Tea	★★★★★44%	1	20%
Olive Oil	★★★★★36%	1	20%

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Overview

Effect graph

Relevant supplements

Studies

Evidence visualised

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