07/09/2011: Denisee from Sacramento, Ca: "dont worry this too will pass.... You will get rid of your impetigo, try the remedies natural posted and also make sure to take those antibiotics... I had a real bad case of it and half my face was swollen and I went to er and got the antibiotics, after many herbal oil treatments were not working, for it was so far advanced... By the second day on antibiotics it was clearing up.... Your will clear up also, , , , , , staphyloccus aureas is always everywhere and on everyones skin everyday , , , just gets infected when we rub on an area or have a cut or someway it gets in...... You too can be cured dont worry...... And dont keep quiting your antibiotics unless you have a real bad side effect or you will have less antibiotics to work on it in case you ever get it again....... if you dont treat it it just grows on."

12/15/2011: Diana from Standish, Michigan replies: "I have to deal with occasional outbreaks. I haven't figured out what triggers the outbreaks. I use tea tree oil & jojoba oil mixed half & half to keep it under control and from spreading. I never cover the sore up. I use a clean tissue if it drains. I wash my hands frequently and put the oil mixture on it every time I think of it. I have used the tea tree oil enough that I can use it full strength and sometimes this keeps it from flaring up, if I catch it in time."

12/29/2012: Podtree Holistics from London, Ontario, Canada replies: "I use Manuka honey straight onto my face as a face wash and then a salve. It kills the bacteria, sloughs off the scabbing naturally without irritaion and provides a barrier from it spreading. You can get varying strengths of Manuka Honey, I use Active 12

Do not try to use regular pasteurized, store-brand honey. It does not contain the antimicrobial properties that Manuka Honey does and will not work. To boot if you have used antibiotic creams they have a side effect of creating a fungal environment when used too long and regular honey not having the properties to kill this will only feed it and make it worse.

At night I use a carrier oil with essential oil blend in it specifically for Impetigo.

Olive Oil
Jojoba Oil (Close to skin sebum)
Buriti (Use 10% max in carrier mix, as it stains)
Rosehip Seed (Antiscarring)

Essential Oils (Add 4-8drops of each to 50ml of oil):

• Lemongrass (Antiviral, Antibacterial, Astringent)
• Tea Tree (Antibacterial, Antifungal)
• Eucalyptus (Antiviral and Antibacterial)
• Lavender (Antiviral and Antibacterial, Soothing)
• Ravensara (Heals Scarring)
• Helychrysum (Heals Scarring)

Carrier oils that are good to use are Organic Cold Pressed (Use one or all together)"

05/17/2013: Pachi from Miami, Fl replies: "My 3 year old has just been diagnosed with impetigo. Although I've been constantly touching the rash and cleaning it and doesn't seem to be contagious at all. He doesn't have blisters either. He just has like 4-5 red little dots on his cheek/chin and now on his knee. The dr prescribed an antibiotic ointment but doesn't seem to work. I don't want to take him back because they keep saying the same thing. Is there any other skin rash similar to impetigo but with these differences? I'll start trying the natural remedies posted here. Thank you."

05/18/2013: Lee from Adelaide replies: "Go to the supermarket or chemist and buy a bottle of phisohex. Use it as a wash to wash the entire body in the shower or bath. It can be drying on the skin so take note. It's not a natural remedy but a dr suggested it when I had impetigo and it dried up all the sores within a week or two. Hope this helps."

[YEA]  01/07/2013: Healthier from Austin, Tx: "I use apple cider vinegar applied directly to the impetigo infected skin and it kills the bacteria. It eventually heals in a few days and the recovery time is so much faster than any prescription I have ever taken for it as well as any other topical treatment. I have also changed my eating habits to eating more vegetarian/vegan options and noticed that I dont have as many yearly flair ups as I used to when I ate meat."

01/25/2013: Samantha from Louisville, Kentucky replies: "How often do u apply it? My son has been dealing with it since football season. He has been on oral and topical antibiotics and it just won't go away. The topical somewhat keeps it under control. But just seems like a never ending battle. He also has eczema on his face so I just don't know if that could be effecting the healing and how do you treat both."

[YEA]  08/12/2012: Herbal from Cedar Rapids, Iowa Usa: "Black Walnut tincture works very quickly for impetigo. I learned this from other herbalists. You can use the green or black hulls, infuse them with alcohol (vodka works well) and then apply twice daily. You can also purchase it in health food stores. It appears impetigo is making the rounds again and very common."

10/23/2012: Tx Mom Of 3 from Fort Worth, Tx United States replies: "Have you tried this before with good results? My four month old has had it for about two weeks, so we're switching methods for recovery!"

[YEA]  11/14/2011: Divinity from Colombus, Georgia: "I'm twenty years old and I have been getting bursts of Impetigo since I was five, I don't get them as often anymore but I do on occassion the fastest way for me to get rid of them was to go swimming for an hour or so in a chlorine pool. The chlorine turns them white and it just falls off after an hour or so. then just keep it clean and bandaged."

11/14/2011: Mike C from Waterford, Ireland replies: "You might let us know where you swim, I wouldnt like to be next into the pool after you!"

01/21/2012: Mountain Mama from Jasper, Alberta Canada replies: "Are you kidding me? This is why all these kids are getting it!! You should be reported!"

02/20/2012: Motherof2 from Happy, Ky replies: "She probably has her own. This isn't the worst thing in public swimming pools. Chlorine kills a lot of it!"

05/10/2012: "That's disgusting! Get some help naturally!"

01/10/2013: Rambogoddam from Los Angeles, Ca replies: "oh please, you aren't going to catch it in a chlorinated pool."

04/04/2013: Xgrioux from Denver, Co replies: "That's how I first caught it 5 years ago! After I went swimming is when it all started! I had no idea what it was for days! Through a pic I sent, My aunt is the first to diagnose it, my uncle who was a doctor thought it was herpes. Then he agreed it to be impetigo. I was relieved at the time because it was only a bacterial infection. However, I don't know if its any better than herpes, it comes back every 3-4 months and I clean it with anti-bacterial soap, put 90% rubbing alcohol on to dry it out, then I put Mupirocin on it, sleep, drink water, wash my hands constantly, don't itch it, have minerals and vitamins all day, (bee pollen is a good source of this). It seems to go away in aprox 3 days. But don't swim in the POOL!!! This is how I caught it!!!!"

04/05/2013: Mmsg from Somewhere, Europe replies: "Xgrioux, as they say: the "terrain" is everything. Why are you "catching" the Moluscum and other might not?"

[YEA]  12/29/2008: Sarah from Monrovia, CA USA: "Coconut oil work wonders for impetigo. My daughter had impetigo. her doctor prescribed iodine and Bactroban cream which worked well. But recently she has break out on the lips inside the mouth. I tried the cream for a few days, but it does not help much because of the saliva. So I tried coconut oil. Wow, it works so fast! I appllied VCO on her lips just like applying lotion before sleep and the next morning the lesion became black and dried up."

07/06/2011: Andrea from Ridgefield, Wa replies: "How old was she when you used it? I have a 5.5 mo old, and he has it all over his ear/cheek. Started last night with the CO and haven't noticed a difference."

01/19/2012: Chema from San Diego, California replies: "Thanks! I went and bought some worked fantastic!"

04/02/2012: Jgs from Indianapolis, In replies: "Maybe a dumb question: but where do you get coconut oil?"

12/13/2012: Jimmie from Ny replies: "Coconut oil can be purchased from a health food store and I have seen it in some markets out west but def. a health food store.... it is used for cooking and what not..."

12/29/2012: Podtree Holistics from London, Ontario, Canada replies: "Make sure its is non RBD (Refined, bleached, deodorized) :) Love Coconut oil!"

[YEA]  09/25/2012: Markell from Provo, Ut: "I used a silver solution gel (ASAP) on my spreading Impetigo. It worked immediately and effectively. I applied it nearly every hour or whenever I thought of it. Essential oils did nothing for the rash. It only took two days for it to dry up."

[BETTER BUT NOT CURED]  03/07/2011: Cameron from Brisbane, Qld, Australia: "My 5 year old daughter started coming out with several large weeping sores, I didn't know what they were so simply reached for the Colliodal Silver just in case they were Bacterial and to stop an infection if it wasn't. It turns out they are probably School Sores as they have spread quickly and look and behave exactly like Ulcerative Impetigo. I covered the sores with a waterproof dressing and soaked the dressing with Colliodal Silver, this killed the Infection in about 2 days without any itching or side effects. We then used Aloe Vera to help the healing process and covered them with dressings or bandaids. Unfortunately my wife left some of these sores uncovered early on which left my little girl able to scratch and spread another few sores around various parts of her body. Expect the whole process to take about a week and the light scarring to fade slowly depending on where the sore was. Because of the infection she has now come down with a Cold or Flu, beware of this also.

We have had a few illnesses in the family but my 2 children have not yet had to visit a Doctor except for a dislocated elbow, even Whooping Cough for them both was uneventful if you can believe that. My first stop is always right here :)

Thankyou Earth Clinic!"

[YEA]  10/04/2012: Annie from London, Uk: "Hi, I would like to tell you that I find that echinacea taken in tablet form, as soon as I feel it starting(often with a chronically itching inside of the nose, similar to the feeling of coming down with a cold), or under the skin swelling, has worked wonders in stopping it in its tracks. Its stopped it actually appearing anywhere. I take up a large dose(6-8 tablets) straightaway. Keep taking it, paying attention to diet, early nights and rest. Echinacea tincture/vodka sterilises the site of it. Make sure you wipe vodka inwards. It works just as well as fucidin. Although, that helps to soften the lesions. I strip off old dead skin, with tweezers, applying more vodka/echinacea tincture. It stings but its works. Lots of sterilising needed throughout the day of skin, hands tweezers etc."

[BETTER BUT NOT CURED]  02/13/2013: Charlotte from Toronto, Canada: "Hi Guys, I am a 25 year old female. I recently came back from a backpacking trip in South East Asia where I believe I somehow contracted Impetigo on my face. At first it was dry, even if I'd lotion repeatedly. Then, it became raised and then eventually started weeping yellow crusts.

Over the next few weeks, in and out of different doctors offices, I tried an anti-biotic course, some cream, and finally Fucidin. Fucidin seemed to work. I also want to note that during the time it flared up, I would avoid make-up. Well, a week or so after it would disappear, it would return again. Slowly. With redness, then warmth, then itch and finally small, barely noticeable 'weeps'. I would go back to using Fucidin but as a female, its difficult, because its extremely shiney, oil-y and embarassing. I also have adult acne, so oil was not helping. I would treat the impetigo, and develop more acne.

After weeks and weeks of this back and forth reccurence, I found this forum which led me to a CURE - Grapefruit Seed Extract. I bought the pills and started taking 2 pills 3 times a day. As soon as I ran out, I wanted to see if it would come back, and it HAS. That is how I know Grapefruit Seed Extract was really working. I have not tried topical, but I will this week. My only question is what makes it flare up? Do you think eating foods with yeast, drinking alcohol, using make-up, make it worse?"

[BETTER BUT NOT CURED]  04/16/2011: Littlegoslings from Philadelphia, Pa replies: "Impetigo on my face has cleaned my clock. It is approx. 6 weeks after the beginning of this ordeal and just now, after a month and a half, I can say with good confidence that I have healed, at least for now. March 2011 was a tough month; it really sucked.

Friday, Feb. 25, 2011 - My 7yr old daughter gets sent home from school with a rash on her body. Her pediatrician was experienced enough to swab for streptococcus aureus even though she didn't have a sore throat.

Weekend - I have sex with my wife before any of us knew anything about the strep. I give her the "oral pleasure". Not saying this was the catalyst, but man I wish I had put 2 and 2 together beforehand.

Monday Feb 28 - I have spots all over my face. Nasty rash, but no sore throat. We're thinking scarlet fever. My daughter's culture comes back positive for strep. Pediatrician puts us all on Cefprozil, a Keflex-type antibiotic.

Day by day, I just got worse and worse. The impetigo raged on without pause. The cefprozil did nothing. Bacitracin did nothing. There was massive swelling and weeping yellow crusty stuff. Almost on a weekly timetable it would clear up to a large degree, not completely, but then it would come right back, and spread more. Up toward my temples, down under my chin, etc. Later I read that bacitracin (Neosporin) is useless – it can't fight this kind of infection and it just helps to spread it around. St. Patrick's Day I was out at a bar and no one looked twice at me. By Sunday I looked so bad I didn't even go to church. Every time I thought I had seen the worst of it and was clearing up, it came back. (My little girl is fine, BTW, neither she nor my wife had to deal with this hell.)

By Monday, March 14th I realized it was coming back just as often as it was healing. I tried H202 mixed 50/50 with water about 2 or 3 times, misting my face after a hot shower with a spray bottle. This is hell on your skin, let me tell you, and it really burns for about a minute. It made me as red as a tomato, literally. But I could feel the peroxide working on the infection. Even so, it cleared up a bit, then came back.

I got a Rx for topical Mupirocin cream and a Rx for a broad spectrum antibiotic about the middle of the week. Since I had been thru a course of Cefprozil, and it did no good, I was very reluctant to take the broad spectrum. I did not take it, even though after it kept flaring up my wife urged me to take the systemic pill.

The Mupirocin topical stuff is strong, and it made me red and swollen, not as painful to apply as the peroxide but I looked like hell. As you can imagine, this was totallly affecting my job, as it is difficult to work like that, seeing customers, etc.

Even with the mupirocin, the impetigo kept coming back.

By March 21st I had seen 2 different doctors and 2 dermatologists. I was diagnosed 100% positive for impetigo and the one doctor here in PA told me she has seen a lot of it recently. But none of them could get a culture to grow. It was just my luck that every time I was in a doctor's office, there was no discharge and I was "better".

Two dermatologists told me STOP USING PEROXIDE, and the one guy said to keep using the mupirocin 5 days after that appointment. I was pretty clear for that appointment (for the 4th or 5th??time!! ) but I couldn't keep up the mupirocin. I had to give it a rest because it was hell on my skin.

I read some very helpful posts on the internet, and started using a neutral face cream (I happened to have Vanicream) mixed with 4 – 6 drops of grapefruit seed extract. It doesn't provoke swelling as much as mupirocin, and after 2 days of GSE both topical and using as a pill, the heat and swelling went down (again). Problem with the GSE and Vanicream is it's ITCHY LIKE YOU CAN'T BELIEVE!!!!! One of the posts here says "Don't touch it" and I can't agree more. Light rubbing of my face brought ANOTHER relapse, even with clean hands. I wash them a lot now that I'm dealing with this horror. Just let it crust over, and touch your face only when you wash it. And know that when you wash your face, it will probably make it start weeping again. I washed my face 3-4 times a day.

Grapefruit Seed Extract with the Vanicream was very hard because it made me want to itch and rub. I tried Aveeno mixed with GSE and it was better, not as itchy.

March 28th, more or less, I believe I started to really heal. My skin was starting to split, with deep red creases by my chin. That's how hard mupirocin, and this disease, is on your skin. I missed about 3 days of work during this whole thing, and that doesn't count the times I had to leave early or come in late after seeing doctors. I also read a PH web page that talked about being alkaline, rather than acid, and how it affects your health, and so I started eating more fruits and veggies (I am mostly vegetarian anyway) and started with a one-a-day potassium/calcium/magnesium supplement. I tested my saliva, I was ph of 7 at that time.

I found pure aloe, already mixed with GSE in a health store. It's very runny in its pure form. Every day I used the aloe w/GSE, plus pure GSE, mixed together, and put on after my morning shower, and in the evening after I washed my face.

So here I am now, April 15, almost seven weeks after my first symptoms. I can detect a slight puffiness at the height of my cheekbones, but you would never notice it. Still a bit red there too, but once again, you can't see it except under very bright light, like a flash photo. I got a week of FL sun, wearing a wide brim hat the WHOLE time, but too afraid to put anything on my face except the aloe and GSE, every day, twice a day. I can rub my face lightly if I have an itch, and it's not there anymore. Not that I will try and provoke it, no way. I am VERY GLAD I made the decision to not take the broad spectrum anti-biotic, but that was my decision and I'm not saying it's right for you. I wanted my own defenses to fight this off, because I have this tendency toward this kind of stuff.

Here's the other complication I didn't even mention – when I was a kid I got poison ivy real bad on my hands and arms. For decades after that, I could scratch my wrists and forearms, seemingly at will, and "bring it back". I read over and over in all the sci and med literature that poison ivy is urushiol, totally topical, and cannot live in your system. I thought I was a living contradiction to this – rubbing would bring about swelling on my forearms, a pimply, rough raised rash, weeping yellow stuff – poison ivy, right? WRONG! I guess that was the strep/staph virus living on my skin, and once in awhile taking hold. Well, on my forearms it was a nuisance, and a curiosity. But on my face, it's a total nightmare.

Still another possibly relevant factoid – for a year, more or less, before this spring 2011 battle with impetigo on my face, I would come out of the shower, sometimes, and notice a single, bright red streak on my cheek. Usually just one side, not always in the same place. Always after using a washcloth that was kept in the shower and not a fresh one. Almost as if I had scraped my cheek along a rough wall in one spot. I believe this nastiness has been trying to break thru on my face for a long time, and either the strep that was in my family, or the up close and personal encounter with my wife brought it on full force. I am going on and on just to give you as much info as I possibly can. This is a serious infection that just DOES NOT want to go away, and I don't think there are that many doctors out there who really understand it. It took a LONG TIME to run its course with me, and I had it in the worst possible place. If you see this coming, my advice to you is use the GSE and a neutral skin moisturizer right away, take the GSE pills, and DON'T RUB it. It's gross, but let it crust. Wash it off, let it crust again. For weeks I was carrying a rag with me to dab my weeping face. Uhhh, so gross. And you have to keep yourself and all those things your skin touches away from everybody else. (Although I don't think it's as contagious after weeks and weeks as people think. Still, you think I'm gonna take a chance with my family?! ???)

So every time I have an itch on my cheek or jaw, I scratch it lightly and stop. I'm still very scared of this nonsense and it will be awhile until the terror fades."

01/24/2012: Skilledlion from Decatur, Ga replies: "i must say that the info that is given here reads like a book for me. i greatly appreciate the in depth month by month info---i am a man of color (afro-amer. , if you like) i thought my impetigo was brought on by a nasty ingrown hair (which i often have).

i've had to have my face lanced before and thought about it this time---however this was my first episode with impetigo. the ingrown hair grew to enormous bump, which was drained instead of being lanced. from there the impetigo has had its way with me. this would be the second occurence within a year.

i have tried everything listed in the previous post--from grapeseed extract to colliod silver, frequent use of tea tree oil/lavender, in addition to tea tree soap as a constant facial wash. i will most def try the coconut oil.

i must certaintly say that having to deal with customers in any environment is most uncomfortable and embarassing --for all of that are out there enduring this nightmare/daymare--- continue to pray to the creator of all things to send a natural cure not a man-made fix.

peace"

03/30/2012: J from Farmington, Nm, Usa replies: "Interesting- I read the reason for not using neosporin is because after prolonged usage, you can develop an allergy to it!

I get occassional impetigo outbreaks on my chin and recently on my cheek. The first time it happened, I assumed it was a zit that got infected.

Because I don't have insurance, I have to treat non-serious health issues at home. The last outbreak was pretty scary as I developed large clear blisters on my cheek which never happened before.

I use a combination of things to treat an impetigo outbreak:

1. I wash the area with a medical grade sterile wash.

2. I then dab some rubbing alcohol, then dress the area with sterile bandages and Neosporin.

3. 2-4 times a day I will soak a paper towel in vinegar and hold it on the infected area up to 20 minutes.

4. 2-4 times a day, I will make a paste of garlic cloves and leave it on the affected area as long as I can stand it.

5. Generally, I keep the area bandaged until it scabs over.

6. If I even suspect I might get an outbreak, I start rubbing a cut garlic clove on the suspicious area and do the vinegar treatment. It saved me from getting an outbreak about 1 month ago.

I will have to try the grapefruit seed extract and colloidal silver sometime. Thanks for the tips."

[YEA]  04/13/2012: Teknut from Seattle, Wa replies: "My Impetigo just kept getting worse and worse, started from my leg ( 2 giant spots ), then up to my arms. I've tried antibiotics nad ointments. It seemed like they would work, but after going through the whole bottle of pills, it was was still apparant the impetigo was running rampant.

I googled ' impetigo remedies ' and it brought me here. Went to Walgreens and bought a $10 GSE bottle that came with 100 pills.

AND OMG AM I HAPPY!!!! The scars are fading, the swelling has gone down, and my skin looks like its clearing up. Its been day #2 of taking 3 pills, twice a day morning and night. Waking up on my 3rd day, and the impetigo is dry and feels like its healing really well.

thank you for this suggestion.

btw, the garlic and olive oil did not work for me. but GSE is amazing."

05/14/2012: Melle from London, Uk replies: "Wow thanks for the advice!!!!! I caught this from a "friend" who I kisssed over the weekend just realised this morning the cut he had was actually impetigo as I woke up to the same on my chin, I rushed out this afternoon to the health food store treating it with a good soaking of water then tea tree followed by Grapefruit seed oil and re applied ever few hrs it's no longer weeping an has almost totally dried up!

thanks you thank you thank you!!! X"

05/15/2012: Quiet from Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Usa replies: "@J from Farmington, Nm, Usa: Regarding touching impetigo with rubbing alcohol--that is something I quickly learned *not* to do. Rubbing alcohol 70% was so irritating to my itchy blisters that they would immediately swell up even higher and itch more ferociously. I think the consequent swelling helped them to spread, not really what I wanted to see happen. I switched to using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) between washing and before applying topical oil treatments. It is much more gentle on your skin and the oxygen is good."

[YEA]  08/09/2012: Pigeongurl from Lowell, Mi replies: "YEA! I believe I've had impetigo before, but thought it to be poison ivy that was randomly spreading. This time, It happened after bathing the dogs. I had what appeared to be tiny flea bites all under my shorts and shirt. By the next morning I had even more and they began to itch relentlessly just like poison ivy! Rubbed hydrocortisone cream on which helped, but they grew bigger, more like a large mosquito bite with a tiny white head.

After a few days they'd calm down, but then new ones popped up. Couldn't figure out why fleas would go after me and no one else in the family, so next conclusion was an allergy to sunscreen. Spots seemed to pop out shortly after being outside in the sun and sweating. Seemed to last longer than at first. Still just mainly on my truck of my body. No face, arms or lower legs.

Then I made the mistake of shaving and trimming up my bikini area. Appearently this spread the impetigo to a very unpleasant region! Again, I had figured it was a simple allergy, nothing spreadable. When it spread down there, it got BAD. Large, blistering, itchy oozing sores that spread VERY quickly. I began to wonder if my husband had cheated on me and somehow given me herpes! But he didn't have any lesions, and only got 3 after intercourse with me (just before the spots popped out everywhere in my lower regions. No doubt this caused it to spread). After running through an entire list of possible STD's, rashes and ailments, I finally found info on impetigo.

By this time it had spread so badly in my "under region" that I could not even pee. Everything was badly swollen and infected. It looked and felt like %%%%! I was in AGONY! Tried cranberry juice to help, drank an entire jug in one day with NO relief!

Before finding this site, here's what I tried on my "bad" spots: hydrocortisone cream -didn't work.

• over the counter menthol and spray anti-itch ointments -- burned VERY badly but numbed the area (didn't cure it)
• Iveyrest Poison Ivy Cream: worked on the not so bad spots, kept it under control and dried lesions, but didn't keep new spots from developing, and hard to keep it dry "down there".
• Triple Anti-Biotic Cream: didn't work.

****Remedies tried from this site and others I tried:

• Vinegar: works well. Saturated a paper towel and held it on my bad spot areas. Burned slightly but vinegar is a natural bacteria killer. Seemed to help keep them from spreading when done twice a day (change underwear too! )
• BATH: added epsom salt (about 1-2 cups) into warm bath with tea tree oil and crushed garlic cloves. Very soothing and a good way to wash gently.
• Hydrogen Peroxide: used as an antiseptic similar to vinegar. Burned less than vinegar, worked to dry spots out after shower/bath. May dry too much and cause scarring though...
• TUMERIC (PILLS): Tumeric added to food at the rate of 1 tsp is harsh to eat. Tumeric pills are MUCH better! Take 3 pills 3 times a day. TUMERIC DID HELP!!! After 24 hrs on it I could pee with NO pain, and the swelling had gone down a lot. However the spots were still spreading and VERY itcy after 4 days of pills (took me FOREVER to locate Grapefruit Seed Extract)
• GRAPEFRUIT SEED EXTRACT: BEST REMEDY! After just 12 hrs on the pills 3 times a day, I notced the spots fading away, and not so much itch. Spots stopped spreading and seem to be finally gone after 1 week of pills!
• OLIVE OIL/GARLIC: For my itchy spots I poured 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil into a small dish and mashed a garlic clove and added it to oil. Used fork to mash it into oil more and release juices. Let sit 1 hr then apply with q-tip or cotton ball to spots. STOPS ITCH, STOPS SPREAD. This was a VERY SOOTHING treatment on my under-regions and despite the oil you didn't notice fealing greasy. Only soothed. Olive oil has healing properties and garlic is a natural sulphuric antibiotic.

BOTTOM LINE: Keep the olive oil/garlic always ready in the bathroom. When a spot pops up apply the mix to it and it will calm down and not spread.

Thank you thank you thank you for this site and ALL the helpful remedies!"

[YEA]  10/08/2009: Adela from Sherman Oaks, Ca, USA replies: "Impetigo developed on my face and I have tried so many medicines/crèmes prescribed by doctors even the newest one known as the altabax but nothing worked for months. Lastly I tried grapefruit seed extract by applying it on my impetigo 4 times a week. For me it started to itch really bad exactly where the impetigo was. It started becoming red and when it became too itchy I took it off. During the other days, I washed the impetigo with hydrogen peroxide. I held the cotton soaked with the hydrogen peroxide on my impetigo until the pimples become white. It will burn if you hold it enough and the pimple will become white but if you do this 2 times a day, eventually it will go away. It took me two weeks to remove the impetigo and I'm so happy I cured myself because it looked terrible. After that your skin can be kind of red but eventually it will heal and it will become a new healthy skin."

[BETTER BUT NOT CURED]  08/21/2012: Kxcakes from Indianapolis, Indiana, Usa : "My experience with Impetigo...

I'm a 44 year old woman. My first encounter with Impetigo was 8 or 9 years ago - it appeared on my legs and it seemed the epicenter of each patch was a tiny wound or injury. I didn't know what it was so I did some research and concluded incorrectly that it was a variety of Psoriasis. For some reason, my online searches didn't come up with Impetigo. Like everyone else, I tried everything I could think of to relieve the horrible itching and eventually noticed that flushing the patches with hot water with a hand-held showerhead offered a numbing effect lasted from several hours to a whole day. Also, it was obvious that the more I scratched, the larger the patches became so I learned to leave the areas alone and to bandage them so my clothes wouldn't aggravate the situation. After a week or two, with regular hot water flushing and just not spreading the patches, the skin healed.

Now for my second encounter with Impetigo. It started a week ago, again in response to a tiny injury. I researched it again and Impetigo jumped right out. Knew I had the right diagnosis this time. The various sites containing information clarified the sequence of events from a few years ago. I learned that the blister fluid is infectious, for example. I also learned that Impetigo is caused by bacteria and that I wasn't dealing with contact dermatitis or anything like that. The hot water flushing offered relief just like before but this time, I added a twist. I reasoned that if hot water helped, perhaps hot air would too. So after I shower, I use a hair dryer on the patches, as hot as I can stand it. Then, I bandage the areas as before.

I'm thrilled to report that the hair dryer has worked wonders. The patches are healing much more quickly. My theory as to why it works is that the heat kills the bacteria. After all, your body elevates its temperature to fight infection so it makes sense to me that topical heat might kill bacteria on or in the skin. The heat from the hair dryer has the same numbing effect so that the patches don't itch for at least half a day.

Tip: be very careful with the hot water and the hot hair. Hold it on the patches only until you just begin to feel a tiny bit burned. Any longer than that, and you will actually be burned. I flick the shower head and the hair dryer back and forth over the patches for a few moments to make sure they are fully heated.

Tip: be very careful as you dry off after a shower. Don't let the towel touch the infected areas. I dab those with a bit of toilet paper which I then flush. It might be easier to dry your body with a small towel which is more controllable than a large floppy bath towel.

As other posters have noted, it seems lotions and ointments only aggravate the skin and don't actually relieve any of the itching and pain. I just cover the areas securely and employ the heat treatment as necessary."

[YEA]  08/24/2012: Kxcakes from Indianapolis, In replies: "I need to clarify something in my post about HEAT. Please understand: my Impetigo is CURED. The heat took care of it super fast - in about 6 days."

[YEA]  11/29/2012: Jessicai from Springfield, Mo replies: "I got caught up in a vicious 9 week battle with impetigo and am just now getting over it. It has finally started to recede after 2 rounds of antibiotics (bactrim and bactroban included), as well as several different bacteria fighting herbs, probiotics and topicals. Everything helped but nothing worked until I started taking grapefruit seed extract internally and topically. For months I have been undergoing laser hair removal treatments. The last round, the technician suggested the heat may kill the bacteria. I was skeptical but she had to hit some of the infected areas anyway and BOOM, within a couple days the infected areas she hit started to finally heal. The one tiny area under my lip that she didn't hit lingered on for an additional 6 weeks until I went back again. I asked her to hit it too. She did, and also mentioned that a lot of younger doctors are starting to recommend lasers like the ones they use for laser hair removal because the heat knocks out the bacterial infections in the skin, several skin layers deep. Anyway, it's been two days and the stubborn bit of it is barely visable. I know GFS extract has been helping a lot too and I will continue to take it for 10 full days just like I would an antibiotic."

[YEA]  02/28/2013: D.l. from Dallas, Texas replies: "I have suffered with impetigo under my nose for several years. It always happens when I have a runny nose. The doctor prescribed Mupirocin which never seemed to help. It would take weeks for it to heal while it went through the red, crusty painful stages. I had an outbreak several days ago and decided if anyone could help it would be Earth Clinic. I have to admit I was skeptical about using the hair dryer but I certainly had nothing to lose. To my surprise and great pleasure, it works! I did use ACV a few times the first day as well as leaving my hair dryer on the counter so everytime I was near the bathroom I gave it a blast of hot air. Yesterday I bought GSE as an added boost. The sores have dried up, it is not red, there was no oozing or crusting. Thank you to everyone who contributes to this wonderful site. This has been a real blessing to me."

11/13/2010: Me from Fremont, Ca: "My four and seven year olds recently got blisters that grew quickly and scarily. I now believe this was impetigo because of its appearance and aggressive progression, but at the time all we could think of is poison oak. We purchased Hylands Homeopathic Poison Ivy / Oak Remedy, a sublingual tablet and followed the directions. Interestingly, it has worked amazingly well! Within maybe two days the sores were visibly smaller and continued to clear until gone.

My friend's son caught it from my son and they went the antibiotic route. Their son's sores returned but with this homeopathic remedy it has not come back for us. The formula on the back is listed as: RHUS TOXICODENDRON 6X, HPUS; CROTON TIGLIUM 6X, HPUS; XEROPHYLLUM 6X, HPUS; IN A BASE OF A LACTOSE USP."

[YEA]  08/10/2007: Elaine from Lubbock, TX: "When I was very young, I had impetigo on half of my head. My mother stumbled onto the simplest remedy after all other traditional medical treatments failed. She would wash the area with plain Ivory soap, and then apply Campho-Phenique. The impetigo healed within days, instead of the weeks that she had used the usual prescribed methods of antibiotics and salves. Years later when I had my own daughter, I was trying the usual modern medicine way, the doctor had prescribed gentian violet (which burns like the dickens) and the condition was just spreading. My mother reminded me of how she helped mine to heal and I promptly did as she had, and I am happy to report that the impetigo that I had battle with my daughter for a couple of weeks, was rapidly healed within 48 hours of starting the soap, water and campho-phenique. Sometimes simplicity is the key."

02/02/2012: Irogbeauty from London, Uk replies: "Thank you for sharing your experience. Please tell me where could I buy the campho-phenique. It is my first time to hear that. Can you please email me: lapitlapit(at)yahoo.co.uk"

[YEA]  03/31/2013: Tonya from Statesville, North Carolina replies: "I'm 42 year old female. In the last 3.5years I've had impetigo every 3-5 months... I went through mupirocin, keflex treatments, but it always comes back. Sometimes, in early stage I can wash it off with antibacterial soap, and that spot will go away. It seemed like a never ending war... Until I got rid off all body washes, bath foams, ets. Now I use ivory bar soap for all my body and life is beautiful. Regret very much that had not try it before. A very simple solution for such drastic skin problem."