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Over-the-counter recommendations for treating athlete’s foot with effective topical antifungal options. First-line treatments include clotrimazole 1% cream, applied twice daily for 2 weeks, and butenafine 1% cream, used once or twice daily for 1 week. Learn when prescription oral antifungals like terbinafine may be necessary for severe or recurrent cases.
January 9, 2025

Athlete's Foot: Best Over-the-Counter Treatments Doctors Recommend

Evidence-Based Over-The-Counter Guide

William Shen

William Shen

Co-founder & CPO

See all guides. Have more questions?

Topical antifungal treatments are the first-line therapy for mild to moderate cases of athlete’s foot.

First-line recommendations:

  • Clotrimazole: An antifungal cream with broad-spectrum activity against dermatophytes. Apply 1% cream topically twice daily for up to 2 weeks. Lotrimin clotrimazole 1% cream (FDA M005).

  • Butenafine: An allylamine antifungal with high efficacy. Apply 1% cream topically once or twice daily for 1 week. Lotrimin butenafine 1% cream (FDA NDA 21307).

Prescription medications:

For severe or recurrent cases, oral antifungals like terbinafine or itraconazole may be prescribed.

Citations:

Gupta, A. K., & Cooper, E. A. (2008). Update in antifungal therapy of dermatophytosis. Mycopathologia, 166, 353-367.

What OTC evidence is reviewed?

  • For each condition, we performed a literature review to find a recent widely cited expert group guideline published in the leading specialty-specific peer-reviewed journal or top general medical journal.

  • Based on the recommendations in the publication, we identify recommended active ingredients and devices that are available over-the-counter per FDA regulations.

What evidence is prioritized?

Levels of evidence considered:

  • Tier 1 (Safe and Definitely Effective): Professional field consensus or multiple randomized controlled clinical trials showing the same conclusion. Wherever possible, we use Tier 1 evidence for "first-line" recommendations.

  • Tier 2 (Safe and Probably Effective): Individual clinical trials which may be discordant or large-scale observational experience. Tier 2 evidence may inform "first-line", "second-line", or "supplement" recommendations.

  • Tier 3 (Safe and Maybe Effective): Mechanistic plausibility without high-quality clinical evidence of efficacy but high-quality evidence of safety. Tier 3 evidence may inform "second-line" or "supplement" recommendations.

How does MDandMe select recommended products?

  • Based on the top clinical recommendation, we evaluate products containing the recommended active agent with FDA-approved dosage based on price, average customer reviews, how often it is purchased, and how quickly it will ship to home. 

  • We provide public documentation of the active ingredients in our recommendations, using all 32 FDA monographs, Prescription-to-Nonprescription (Rx-to-OTC) Switches, as well as New Drug Application (NDA) approvals.

How does MDandMe select recommended devices?

  • Based on the top clinical recommendation, we evaluate devices that are FDA-cleared or comply with other medical guidelines (if not a FDA-regulated category) by reputability, price, and average customer reviews.

  • We provide public documentation of supporting evidence for each device.  

Where do I view other OTC guides?

Browse topic list here:

  • Acne

  • Acid Reflux

  • Allergies (Nasal)

  • Allergies (Itchy Eyes)

  • Allergic Skin Rash

  • Ankle Sprain

  • Arthritis (Osteoarthritis)

  • Athlete's Foot

  • Back Pain (Lower Back)

  • Bedbugs

  • Birth Control

  • Bloating and Gas

  • Bronchitis

  • Bug and Insect Bites

  • Callus

  • Carpal Tunnel

  • Common Cold

  • Constipation

  • Constipation (Severe)

  • Contact Dermatitis

  • Corns

  • Cough (Chronic Dry Cough)

  • Dandruff

  • Diarrhea

  • Dry Eyes

  • Earwax

  • Eczema

  • GERD

  • Glue Ear

  • Gum Bleeding (Gingivitis)

  • Hair Loss

  • Hay Fever

  • Headache (Tension Headache)

  • Hearing Loss

  • Hemorrhoids

  • High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

  • Hives

  • Insomnia

  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

  • Lice (Head Lice)

  • Migraines

  • Morning Sickness (Pregnancy)

  • Motion Sickness

  • Nailbed Infection (Acute)

  • Nailbed Infection (Chronic)

  • Nasal Allergies

  • Orthostatic Hypotension

  • Period Pain

  • Peripheral Neuropathy

  • Pinworm

  • Post-Nasal Drip

  • POTS

  • Pregnancy

  • Psoriasis

  • Ringworm

  • Sinusitis

  • Skin Tags

  • Sore Throat

  • Swimmer's Ear

  • Tooth Sensitivity

  • Urinary Incontinence

  • Urinary Tract Infections

  • Urticaria

  • Varicose Veins

  • Venous Insufficiency

  • Vertigo (BPPV)

  • Warts

  • Wrist Pain and Tingling

  • Yeast Infection (Vaginal)

You can view all of our published OTC guides here.

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