Consumers have to separate functionality from marketing hype in the foods that we choose from the supermarket. Likewise, we need to cut through the toenail fungus remedies that have the most marketing dollars behind their messages to avoid wasting our money or doing more harm than good. One of the names you’ll see popping up a lot is Zeta Clear. In fact, a Google News search pulls up more than 25,000 entries!
Wow, That’s A Lot Of Advertising!
Image Source: Review-Zetaclear.com
According to the official Zeta Clear website, the product “kills nail fungus” and “helps clear yellow keratin debris.” Furthermore, they say their oral spray “gets powerful homeopathic ingredients that fight nail fungus into your bloodstream quickly for fast, effective symptom relief without side effects.”
On top of that, there are hundreds of “independent” review sites dedicated to telling consumers all about the miracle of Zeta Clear — many of them poorly-written and redundant. Consumers are bombarded with a sea of advertising around every turn, which seems to legitimize the claims that the manufacturers make.
Reviewers Lament Zeta Clear On Amazon
There are currently more negative reviews on Amazon than positive ones. Some users complain that the product did not work after a month — which we feel isn’t really a fair criticism because we know that ANY toenail fungus cure takes at least until the nail fully grows out to show dramatic results. Yet, there are plenty of other reviewers who say the product failed to live up to their expectations after six months. By that time, they should have seen fresh, clear nail growth coming in from the nail-bed.
Image Source: Does-Zetaclear-Work.com
A few people say their condition worsened — with the nail going from yellow to brown or black, loosening from the bed, spreading to other toes, or causing irritation to the surrounding skin.
Reviewers complain that, at $149.95 for a six-month supply, it’s a relatively expensive topical product and that the customer service department failed to uphold the money-back guarantee.
Several reviewers echoed the sentiment that the only treatment that really worked was fungal nail laser treatment. One reviewer wrote, “The laser treatment was very expensive. But I am happy to be rid of the fungus.” She also noted that she bought a SteriShoe UV shoe sanitizer to kill the fungus and bacteria, thus preventing a recurrence.
Our Issues With Zeta Clear
1. How do essential oils penetrate the nail plate to reach the infection? This has been the problem with topical solutions in the past, and the reason why podiatrists do not recommend these topical antifungal lacquers, creams and oils.
2. Where are the clinical studies and medical journal articles showing the efficiency?
3. There have been a few studies regarding twice daily applications of tea tree oil being marginally successful at killing toenail fungus, but what good do the other ingredients — vitamin E, jojoba oil, lemongrass, almond oil and clove oil — really do?
Image Source: Askipedia.com
Research Matters In Developing A Cure For Toenail Fungus!
Just because a product is “FDA approved” (for safety) doesn’t mean that it actually works for the intended purpose. Also, just because certain ingredients “have antifungal properties” doesn’t mean they will work. It takes a lot of studies to determine the ideal concentration, dosage, penetration potential, and efficiency. Of course, the problem with conducting research and getting it published in a peer-reviewed medical journal is that it takes time and results — which many manufacturers unfortunately aren’t willing to wait for when they could be selling snake oil to the masses in no time at all.
When we were developing the UV shoe sanitizer these early tests were critical for us. We knew UV light could kill fungus and bacteria, but it took several prototypes to figure out just how to make a safe device that was also effective. It took several tests to determine the length of time for killing the microbes — and besides, we had to make sure the product worked in real world situations, not just some laboratory under ideal circumstances.
We would never suggest that SteriShoe is an alternative to Zeta Clear. Our product does not “cure” toenail fungus. However, SteriShoe does make a great complementary treatment to something like fungal laser treatment or a prescription of oral Lamisil.
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