Foot detox is an alternative health practice aimed at removing harmful toxins from the body. Foot detox recipes are numerous, with common ingredients including baking soda, sea salt, and apple cider vinegar. The process often involves submerging an ionizing device in the water, which is believed to enhance detoxification by generating positive and negative ions. Proponents claim that this practice can alleviate brain fog and balance the body's energy.
A foot detox session usually takes about 30 minutes. During this time, the color of the water can change color. Different hues are thought to indicate the presence of expelled toxins. For example, water that turns brown is said to indicate liver toxins, while black flecks in the water point to heavy metals. None of these claims are backed by scientific evidence.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-486372136-988f2b1c72444cc185668018d210627e.jpg "What Happens to Your Body After a Foot Detox? (1)")
What Is the Theory of Foot Detox?
The theory of foot detoxes is that they can improve overall health and wellness by pulling toxins in the body out through the feet. The feet, proponents say, are key for detoxification because they contain numerous nerve endings.
Ionic foot baths use an ionizing device to create an electrical current in the water. Proponents believe the device generates ions that interact with the body’s energy field. This is thought to relax the nervous system and aid in toxin removal.
During a foot detox, the water in the foot soak will change colors. Whereas the water is usually clear before the foot soak, it can become brown, yellow-green, or flecked with red, black, or other colors by the end of the detox.
Proponents of foot detoxes say that the change in color is caused by toxins pulled from the body and into the water. These colors, they say, reflect the toxins expelled and the organ those toxins are expelled from. It's been said that 70% of the material that appears in the foot bath comes from the body.
What Does a Foot Detox Do for You?
There are many alleged health benefits associated with a foot detox, including:
- Removing toxins
- Reducing swelling
- Improving stress levels and mood
- Weight management
- Aiding in good heart health and blood circulation
- Relieving aches and pains
- Balancing pH levels in the body
- Destroying potentially harmful pathogens and microorganisms
Unfortunately, most reports surrounding the benefits of foot detoxes are anecdotal and not backed by research. One study performed in 2012 found that foot detoxes do not live up to the hype and cannot help remove toxins from the body.
That said, other research surrounding foot baths and massages shows that they could help reduce symptoms of mood disorders such as schizophrenia because of the relaxing effect they have.
What Do the Colors Mean?
Over the course of an ionizing foot bath, the color of the water will change from clear to another color—often brown. Foot detox practictioners claim that the color change is caused by toxins drawn out of the body and into the water.
Practitioners will make various interpretations of the change in water color. Their interpretations often include information about the body area where the toxins came from, and the conditions or symptoms those toxins may be linked to.
For example:
| Water Color | Areas Detoxed | Associated Symptoms |
| Yellow-green | Kidneys, bladder, urinary tract, female prostate area | Gynecological or prostate disorder |
| Orange | Joints, arteries | Arthritis, rheumatism, gout, neuropathy, pleurisy |
| Brown | Liver, lungs, tobacco, cellular debris | Smoking, secondhand smoke, air pollution |
| White cheese-like particles | Yeast, GI tract, vagina | Insomnia, migraine, candida (yeast) infection |
| Dark green to black | Gallbladder, liver | Gallstones, acid reflux, weak immune system, nausea |
| Red flecks | Blood clot material | Arterial blockage, bruising, hypertension, cold hands/feet |
| White foam | Lymphatic system, lymph nodes | Menstrual disorder, tender lymph nodes, skin allergy |
| Black flecks | Heavy metals | Fibromyalgia, brain fog, chronic fatigue, memory problems |
It's important to note that the color changes in the water are not scientifically proven to indicate detoxification. Most of these changes are due to metal electrodes in the ionizing device rusting as the current passes through water.
How Does It Affect the Body?
After a foot detox session, many people claim to feel calm, relaxed, and focused. Some proponents say that the detoxification process fatigues the body and can be initially tiring. Others claim that the foot detox is energizing due to the increase of negative ions in the body.
These reports are largely anecdotal; There's no legitimate reason to believe these symptoms are related to actual detoxification. During the foot detox, your body's liver and kidneys, which are critical components of the body's natural detox system, continue to function as usual.
As far as the science is concerned, it's more likely that any sensations one feels after a foot detox are due to the relaxing nature of the treatment and overall spa experience.
How Often Should You Do a Foot Detox?
There are no limits to how often you can do a foot detox, although it's generally recommended to wait at least one to three days between sessions. Most sessions last 30 to 45 minutes at a time.
Who Should Not Do a Foot Detox?
You should not do a foot detox if you:
- Wear a pacemaker or have any kind of battery-operated or electrical implant
- Are pregnant or nursing
- Are on heartbeat regulating medications
- Are on blood thinners
- Have had an organ transplant
- Are taking a medication that the absence of would lead to psychotic episodes, seizures, or other incapacitating symptoms
- Have open sores on your feet that could be irritated by salt and other foot bath ingredients
Also, you should consult a healthcare provider before doing a foot detox if you:
- Are on blood pressure-regulating medications
- Have low blood sugar
- Are on dialysis
- Take insulin
- Have congestive heart failure
- Have a metal joint implant
Since the effects of foot detoxes are not well established, it's important to check with a healthcare provider to determine if the therapy is safe for you.
Homemade Foot Detox Alternatives
Some of the most commonly used natural foot detox recipes include the following:
- Epsom salt: Soaking your feet in warm water with Epsom salts for 20 to 30 minutes can promote relaxation. While there's no evidence that Epsom salts remove toxins, they may help reduce pain from diabetic neuropathy and fatigue from chemotherapy.
- Apple cider vinegar: To make an apple cider vinegar foot bath, dilute 1 cup of vinegar in warm water and soak your feet for 20 to 30 minutes. While some anecdotal evidence supports its use, research suggests it can irritate the skin and may not provide health benefits.
- Baking soda and sea salt: Mix sea salt and baking soda in a foot bath and soak your feet for up to 30 minutes. Limited research suggests that sea salt baths may help hydrate the skin, improve its barrier function, and reduce inflammation in conditions like atopic dermatitis.
While foot detoxes may not remove toxins from your body, they can be an enjoyable experience that can help soften your feet, be relaxing, and offer relief for certain foot ailments.
They are also generally safe for most people, so even if they don’t do what many claim they do, they could still be an excellent addition to your self-care routine.
Summary
A foot detox bath may sound like a good idea. However, the limited evidence suggests that it does not work in the way that many people claim. Your body has organs and other systems in place to help filter out toxins, and there is currently no evidence to support that they can be pulled from your feet using an ionic foot bath.
Because of that, performing these types of foot baths will not remove toxins. That said, they can provide other benefits, such as relaxation and lower stress levels, enhancing the health and hydration of the skin, and reducing inflammation in people with skin disorders. Foot detoxes generally are safe, although there are some people who should avoid them. Always speak to your healthcare provider before trying anything new.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Advance Detox Center. What do colors in your water mean?.
Kennedy DA, Cooley K, Einarson TR, Seely D. Objective assessment of an ionic footbath (IonCleanse): Testing its ability to remove potentially toxic elements from the body. J Environ Public Health. 2012;2012:258968. doi:10.1155/2012/258968
Kito K, Suzuki K. Research on the Effect of the Foot Bath and Foot Massage on Residual Schizophrenia Patients. Arch Psychiatr Nurs. 2016 Jun;30(3):375-81. doi:10.1016/j.apnu.2016.01.002
Massage Bliss. Detox foot bath questions and answers.
Breiner. Ionic foot bath.
Akyuz Ozdemir F, Can G. The effect of warm salt water foot bath on the management of chemotherapy-induced fatigue. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2021 Jun;52:101954. doi:10.1016/j.ejon.2021.101954
Vakilinia SR, Vaghasloo MA, Aliasl F, Mohammadbeigi A, Bitarafan B, Etripoor G, Asghari M. Evaluation of the efficacy of warm salt water foot-bath on patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy: A randomized clinical trial. Complement Ther Med. 2020 Mar;49:102325. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102325
Luu LA, Flowers RH, Kellams AL, Zeichner S, Preston DC, Zlotoff BJ, Wisniewski JA. Apple cider vinegar soaks [0.5%] as a treatment for atopic dermatitis do not improve skin barrier integrity. Pediatr Dermatol. 2019 Sep;36(5):634-639. doi:10.1111/pde.13888
Proksch E, Nissen HP, Bremgartner M, Urquhart C. Bathing in a magnesium-rich Dead Sea salt solution improves skin barrier function, enhances skin hydration, and reduces inflammation in atopic dry skin. Int J Dermatol. 2005 Feb;44(2):151-7. doi:10.1111/j.1365-4632.2005.02079.x
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/VerywellBioPicAngelicaBottaro-203f7e803ab444b2b5c13b4252d11159.JPG "What Happens to Your Body After a Foot Detox? (2)")
By Angelica Bottaro
Bottaro has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and an Advanced Diploma in Journalism. She is based in Canada.
See Our Editorial Process
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?
