WHO DO FEET STINK?

Everybody's familiar with stinky feet. Most of us have a friend or relative -- or maybe it's you -- who stink up a room when they kick off their shoes. I’m also sure you wonder at times why the feet tend to smell more than a sweaty palm or some other body parts.

  Well the main cause is foot sweat (also see focal hyperhidrosis). Each of your feet has 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, and 19 muscles -- and as a pair your feet has 250,000 sweat glands that make about one cup (about half a pint) of sweat every day. That means your feet produce more sweat per square inch of skin than any other part of your body. Imagine that!!!!

  Sweat itself is odourless, but it creates a beneficial environment for certain bacteria to grow and produce bad-smelling substances, so it’s bacteria that's the real culprit behind foot odour; well, that and whether or not you wear socks. Socks generally do not cause foot odour on their own, but when worn along with shoes, socks can help to trap the hair on the feet, especially on the toes, may contribute to the odour’s intensity by adding increased surface area in which the bacteria can thrive.

   The quality of foot odour is often reported as a thick, cheese-like smell. Some describe the smell like that of malt vinegar. However, it can also be ammonia-like. Some even say the smell attracts the female Anopheles mosquito, so if you have a friend that always has malaria, smell his/her feet.

Now there are easy steps to EXTINGUISH this horror, simple steps but you must be committed.

1.) Scrub your feet. It sounds obvious, but a quick rub with soapy water in the shower isn't enough. The objective here is to get rid of any bacteria and dead skin cells that bacteria like to feed on. So when you wash your feet, scrub the entire surface of your foot. Don't forget to scrub between your toes too….

2.) Dry your feet. When you dry your feet, dry them completely. Moisture, whether its water or sweat, is what creates a fertile breeding ground for bacteria, Take the time to dry your feet thoroughly and don't neglect the space between your toes.

3.) Use hand sanitizer. It may sound weird, but a good scented (or unscented) hand sanitizer can kill germs on your feet and inhibit bacterial growth.

4.) Wear sandals or open-toed shoes as they let the air flow around your feet, keeping them cool and keeping you from producing as much sweat. When you do sweat, it will evaporate quickly due to air circulation.

5.) Change your socks daily. Socks absorb your sweat when you wear them, and it dries when you take them off. Putting on a dirty pair of socks for a second day in a row is essentially going to reheat that sweat, leading to a foul smell. Change your socks every day, especially if your feet tend to get sweaty.

6.) Rotate your shoes. Let your shoes dry out completely so that bacteria don't set up camp in there. It takes at least 24 hours for a shoe to dry out completely.

7.) Remove your shoes often. Whenever you are able to take a break, remove your shoes. This helps the shoes and your feet stay drier.

If only feet smelled like flowers instead of funk.

  Finally maintaining good foot hygiene is the best way to prevent foot odour as it eliminates odour causing bacteria and removes dead skin cells as well as sebum.

Good luck!!!!