When applied to your skin, potassium permanganate kills germs by releasing oxygen when it meets compounds in your skin. It also acts as an astringent, which is a drying agent.

Some of the conditions that potassium permanganate can help treat include:

• Infecte
• d eczema. If you have eczema with blisters, potassium permanganate can help to dry them out.
• Open and blistering wounds. Potassium permanganate is used as a wet dressing for wounds on your skin’s surface that are blistered or oozing pus.
• Athlete’s foot and impetigo. Potassium permanganate can help to treat both bacterial and fungal skin infections such as athlete’s foot and impetigo.

Potassium permanganate is a powerful solution that must be diluted before applying it to your skin. If it’s not diluted, it can damage your skin as well as the mucus membranes of your nose, eyes, throat, anus, and genitals.

Avoid using it near your eyes, and make sure you don’t swallow any, even in its diluted form.

For added safety, make sure you wear gloves when you’re preparing a dilution. If you’re using potassium permanganate tablets or crystals, make sure they’re fully dissolved in water before using the solution. Using hot (not boiling) water will help them dissolve.

If it irritates your skin or causes redness, stop using it immediately and contact your doctor.

A 1 in 10,000 dilution of potassium permanganate can be a cheap and effective treatment for infected eczema, impetigo, and other skin ailments. Carefully follow the prescribed dilutions, and consult your doctor if you experience any irritation.