Why do our feet stink?
Our feet stink because of sweat. It isn't exactly the sweat that smells, it is the bacteria that eats some protein in the sweat that makes your feet smell. It's completely normal to have bacteria on the sole of your foot. There are also 250,000 sweat glands in your feet. Your feet usually smell more than your body, because of your socks and shoes. So the sweat can't escape, which causes the foot to smell. When your resting your feet loses 1/2 of a liter of sweat a day!
How does sweat work?
We are sweating constantly. Sweating is the way that your body liberates toxics. Sweat is created by working muscles, but the production of sweat can depend on your emotion, hot temperatures or the stimulation of the nerve. Sweat glands are cells that create a liquid which is mostly water. The liquid escapes the body which creates sweat. Sweat is made of water and salt.
Tips
There are a lot of tricks to stop the smell, but the most common trick is to wash your feet at least 2 times a day especially after sports or any other physical activities. Other tricks are: Soak your socks in a mix of water and salt. Once they're dry, put them on. Change your socks and your shoes a couple of times a day (if the smell is really bad!). Mix 456 mL of alcohol with 36 mL of formaldehyde (a disinfectant that you can buy at your local pharmacy than apply to the foot with a Q-tip, repeat this twice a week for one month. A really cool trick, is to wash your feet in "Colgate" toothpaste, it really works (we've tried)!!! If nothing works for you and your really stuck, ask your doctor or nearest pharmacy for advice.
Our Hygiene
If you stay clean, there's less chance that your feet will smell. First of all your clothes, try not to wear synthetic materials like nylon, polyester, rayon or spandex etc. For shoes try not to wear shoes that are to small for your feet, are closed up, try to wear sandals or opened toed shoes as much as possible. In the morning you can put dry foot powder on your feet or in your shoes, the powder absorbs most of your sweat. And what about socks? Natural materials like cotton and wool absorbs the most sweat and when they are wet, the sweat evaporates more easily.
Picture of a sweat gland:
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