Natural Fungicides

Fungicides are simply chemicals, organic materials or organisms that either kill, eat or prevent fungus. There are many chemical fungucides availabe for the treatment of nail or toenail fungus, and many include the active ingredients terbinafine hydrochloride, ciclopirox and itraconazole. Some are topical and some are taken orally. Many have side effects and are harmful in large doses.

Many plants have a natural protection to fungus built in to their makeup. By extracting the oils and liquids from these plants, we can also benefit from their natural fungus prevention. Some plants that have natural fungicide properties are:

  • Jojoba - produced from the jojoba seed found in southwest United States and Mexico.

  • Cinnamaldehyde - a major component of the essential oil extracted from cinnamon bark

  • Rosemary Oil - native to the Mediterranean region

  • Neem Oil - extracted from the fruits and seeds of the neem tree of India

  • Tea Tree Oil - the ever popular remedy tea tree oil comes from the leaves of melaleuca, native to Australia

Some of the best anti-fungal remedies that exist are all natural and are based on formulations of the compounds listed above. In many cases, the formulas not only treat the symptoms of nail fungus and prevent fungus spreading, they also help with overall health. They are also much safer than many chemical fungicides developed by pharmaceutical companies. See our home remedies page for even more information.