Apple Cider Vinegar Remedy for Perioral Dermatitis

I was really excited to try ACV and used organic with "the mother". I used it for a month, diluted 50/50 2-3 times a day. I thought it was making it worse before better.. but in truth it didn't really seem to help. I'm taking ACV tablets now just in case, but as I wasn't seeing any improvements with ACV and feel it became much worse after I started (and settled down when I stopped), it doesn't seem to be for me. Too bad!!! I have recurring PD and am for the first time trying to heal it without using Doxy antibiotics. It's been 2 months.. doesn't seem to be getting better or worse at this stage. Zinc cream possibly is helping (too soon to tell)!

Please see my posting on Violet Extract here: https://www.earthclinic.com/violet-extract-for-perioral-dermatitis.html

Can you please post a link for the violet extract that you used?

Hi Shelby Thank you so much for your kind words. Best of luck for your recovery xx

Hi, I am a bit new to this, have been reading through all the posts from the last couple of years....I'm 51, long past menopause and I have POD, started as a rash in early September, I have never used makeup or chemicals on my skin other then coconut oil for around 8 years. I had started and new shampoo which I now know has SLS and I have begun 2 months of a high quality pro biotic to maybe clear some intermittant bowel problems. My rash is completely around my mouth and nose and my right eye is encircled. Have been clear of all creams now for almost 5 days just using ACV. I'm still inflamed, sore and a little itchy. I also use Kombucha and have done for about 7 years.

For now trying nothing else but am flying home to N.Z in 3 weeks for a major family reunion which I have been looking forward to all year! Sadly not anymore..... :( I am interested to know if many other also have the Herpes virus as I have had most of my adult life...am open to ideas but not really wanting to try the antibiotic route. Cheers

Kombacha tea has fungus in it. Type in kombacha+fungus. What you have could be fungus related.

As far as herpes virus I have found colloidal silver helps, it did me. The secret to using the silver is you take it for up to six months to try and kill most of the virus, but when stressed it can come back, than use the silver topically.

Take 2 tablespoons or more daily for 6 months use topically whenever the itch starts.

Maybe it is the virus you have on your face?

I've been reading the reviews on Perioral Dermatitis and I am just amazed as to the findings that people have experienced using ACV. I've had mine for years and tired of taking antibiotics and using the prescribed cream. It's not working. I am going to start trying the ACV and coconut oil for a moisturizer. I did want to ask if anyone would know, I have now been diagnosed with idiopathic uticaria and I thinking if I drink the ACV as indicated by everyone do you think it may help this as well. I have stopped using a probiotic, but I think it makes sense to start it again. My concern with the ACV is how long do you drink it? Would it be wise to drink it forever or just when my condition flares up? If anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Nelda,

I was just diagnosed with Perioral Dermatitis today. I had this rash for a few weeks around my mouth/nose and thought I could just treat it with eczema cream. Since that didn't work and it only got worse here I am researching alternative remedies. Why, because when I finally went to the doctor what I got was the diagnosis and a prescription for Doxycycline. I don't think antibiotics are the answer (for much of anything of this nature) and from what I have read today I would be right. It might be a short term solution but the condition often returns worse than before. I am also going to discontinue my use of Flonase/Fluticasone which is a nasal steroid for allergies (which I suffer from) and avoid fluoride in any form. I am going to try an ACV, Coconut Oil and Colloidal silver mixture on my rash in the coming weeks. I also ingest ACV & Coconut oil regularly in a elixir designed to prevent colds & flu. Coconut oil is also excellent for use in "Oil Pulling" - google it - to remove toxins from the body. Plus you can fry eggs with it!

I hope this helps and I wish you the best of outcomes with your PD.

Are we supposed to rinse off before applying for the second time?

Hello I am suffering from perioral dermatitis. I have had it for about 10 weeks. Have been to my gp and he gave me rozex which I used for 2 weeks which worked but then came to a standstill. I then read up and found this site and have been using apple cider vinegar for a week which does seem to be working but it is still very red And sore and seems to have spread around my eyes? It's really starting to get me down and I feel very self conscious. I have cancelled a lot of social plans as I'm terribly embarrassed. Please let me know if there's anything else I can do or if I'm just been impatient. Thanks Lizzy

Lizzy, you can dilute the ACV. And you can also put coconut oil.

I just started using ACV last friday for my PD and I have noticed a difference. It doesn't feel prickly or hurt when I touch my face. I do agree it stings, but not for long. I was reading that it's better to dilute it so it doesn't sting as bad. I have been using straight ACV on a cotton ball 3x a day. I think I will start diluting it. From now on I will be using ACV for my PD instead of what my Dr. prescripted.

After trying to apply ACV topically, I started ingesting it instead, as described as a possible cure for acid reflux. And it work! I think that I have finally linked for myself that my POD was related to acid reflux after being perscribed Prilosec and having my face clear up immediately. I added two tablespoons to a tall glass of water each morning and it clears up my POD better than anything else I have tried over the past three years to get rid of it.

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I got perioral dermatitis from using too much hydrocortisone on a rash I had. After 3 months of using elidel, which reacts when drink alcohol and makes me sensitive to sunlight, I discovered apple cider vinegar. I read it first here that people were reporting that their rashes were fading away by applying vinegar directly on their rash. I bought a bottle and used it two times on the first day. My face got completely red and it stung like crazy. I went to sleep, and woke up with a very dry face, but with smaller rashes. I continued using it, this time increasing the dosage, since I started with 1/3 vinegar - 2/3 water, now I'm doing half and half.

Beware that you might think it's not working since your face gets very red when the vinegar is applied, but with patience, and continuous use, the rashes will get smaller and smaller. Sometimes the rash won't get smaller on the first two days, but please persevere, you will most definitely see results.

4 weeks in and so far ACV has been a major factor in helping my POD to get better; read my summary below. The information on this site has been very helpful in terms of various natural treatments for POD & medical treatment that has not been successfull for many people. Now I know going back to the dermatologist will most likely be futile.

I have been suffering from perioral dermatitis for 4 years now, with unsuccessfull topical cream treatment from the dermatologist. I basically gave up and have been "living" with POD and keeping the inflammation down with otc 1% hydrocortisone cream, which I now know is really bad to use. One day I just became so frustrated & depressed that I resolved to continue the quest to find a sucessfull treatment. I have extremely sensitive skin and over the past few years have switched to all organic, natural personal care products with much improvement to my overall skin condition which tends to be very dry.

In additon my 10 yr. Old black labrador developed a horrible dermatitis all over his body... Inflammed, itchy, dry and flaky skin. I tried every medical treatment the Vet recommened from strong steroids to medicated shampoos, but nothing worked. My poor dog was miserable! It wasn't until (through my own research) swiched him to a grain free, organic, raw based diet w/high doses of fish oil supplements that his skin dramatically improved within a matter of weeks. Sorry to digress, but my point is that we are to a huge degree what we eat. That made me think there must be a natural treatment, or multitude of treatments that will work for my POD.

Based on other comments here I started with the ACV (organic, w/"the mother") 2x per day, applied undiluted to a cotton ball then directly onto my face on the POD areas, leaving it on 3-5 min. Then rinsing off with luke warm water (no soap afterwards). I also stopped using oral care products containing flouride and completely stopped using the hydrocort. The first day I applied the ACV to only 1/2 my face to experiment the effectiveness compared to the untreated 1/2. I used a yoghurt mask (plain, organic) on the non ACV side. The ACV burned and made my eyes water, but within 1 hour after rinsing off my skin was smoother and I did use a very small amount of jojoba oil to help with the dryness. The yoghurt mask did not work, it made my skin itchy and break out. So the next day I did the ACV treatment to my entire face. The first few days I noticed a slight improvement to the texture of my skin, which I attributed to the exfoliating effect of the ACV, but I still had overall redness and bumps. I was also taking into acount my skin was in withdrawl from the hydrocortisone. The end of the 1st week was the worst, it seemed my skin became worse and I was so tempted to apply hydrocort. , but I was determined to stick with it at least another week. by the middle of the 2nd week I stopped using the jojoba oil after the ACV as a mosturizer and tried a small amount of my organic body lotion (Alba Botianica - original, uncented). It contains no synthetic humiticants. A few hours later my face felt smooth and the redness slowly disappeared. Now into my 3rd week with the ACV 2x per day, rinse with only water (I use a gentle cream cleanser to wash off my eye make up only) then the Alba Botanica lotion to keep my face moisturized, my skin is starting to look better and 90% better than the first week. I also eliminated flouride containing products, and any make up on face (only eye make up). No lipstik either, I have POD on my lips so I use the ACV on my lips as well then use jojoba oil to moisturize them. I have also been eating at least 18 oz per day which contain various probiotics. I have also been taking fish oil supplements for anti-inflammitory/anitoxidant properties.

Now into my 4th week and the POD is 90% better, but not completely gone. I plan to stick with the regime and add oral probiotic capsules to my diet. I have also tried to cut down on my intake of refined sugars. ACV has helped a lot, but I also think the key to sucessfull POD treatment is a holistic approach (diet & topical treatment), there is not 1 single factor that will cure it. There are just as many things that can make it better, than can make it worse. So far I hope I'm on the right track to keep it getting better.

I dread summer, because most sunscreens make my skin break out, but I will have no choice but to start using some to protect my skin. Right now I'm just trying to let it breath and heal. Hope this helps someone else.

Just updating you all, It's been a few days over two weeks. I adjusted my treatment and cut out the coconut oil as it seems to be causing more breakouts. (I have very sensitive and dry skin naturally.) I tapered down the ACV use to twice a day...Once in the morning and once at bedtime. To promote healing, I have been using BLDG Active skin repair which is a natural skin healing spray and or topical antibiotic gel. Hypochlorous Acid or HOCI helps kill the bacteria and trigger my skin's natural healing process. It seems to be helping a tiny bit but no major improvements as of yet and starting to get really discouraged again. But I have no other options to choose from, so choosing to keep moving forward and trying to trust the process even though it's going at a snail's pace.

Hi Anna

Dr. L. Coldwell is the leading Dr. on Natural ways to heal. He says that any and all skin issues can be resolved by applying Hemp Oil.

Good luck Anna and congratulations with the baby.

Gary

2 years ago, I developed what I thought was seborrheic dermatitis on my face. My whole face became, red, blotchy, scaly and painful. I distinctly remember sitting my desk trying to work, scratching above my eyebrow and a huge chunk of dead skin falling off into my hand. It lasted for over 6 months. First bumps would appear, then they would flatten out, and scale over, eventually they would peel and I would have normal skin for a day or two before it would start again. I was depressed, withdrawn, and did not leave me apartment except to work and buy food/products that I hoped would help my skin. I did try ACV at that time, but I stopped when I didn't see results after a few days. That was probably a mistake, or at that point the infection was too severe.

My Dermatologist put me on Protopic (steroid cream) and antibiotics. I used it for a few months and it my rash disappeared. However, I was doing two other things at the time that I think helped. I was using a face cleanser that contains the same ingredient used to treat scalp dandruff. I also started covering my whole face in Vaseline after reading that it would “starve” the bacteria on oxygen. The first night I put Vaseline on, my face burned which I interpreted as the fungus dying.

I was left with normal skin, with a lot of hyperpigmentation because I had been so rough with trying to get rid of the scales. I think what happened is that the steroid cream kept my symptoms at bay while I continued to use the cleanser, which eventually killed the bacteria. I stopped using protopic after a few months the rash did not come back. Occasionally, I would see a bump or two, apply protopic and it would go away. The hyperpigmentation eventually faded.

In Oct 2017, I decided to go off of my oral contraceptive. In January 2018, I entered into a new relationship and so restarted my birth control. That's when I started getting bumps beside my mouth. Acne cream did not help, neither did the protopic. After some online research I self-diagnosed myself with perioral dermatitis.

From my experience two years ago, I knew how bad this could get. I was terrified and determined not to go back to what had been. My Dermatologist cannot see me until April! After reading all the reports on ACV on EC website, I bought some organic AVC and began to apply it to my face, followed up with calendula cream. I applied it full strength, I was diluting at first, but when done full strength I could see the “fizzing and bubbling” that others have mentioned. The PO active areas on my face would show white bumps. After the areas stopped reacting (2-4 days), I apply a diluted ACV solution to keep it from coming back.

I applied it not just to my mouth, but my forehead, nose and cheeks. I did this because in the past that's where the bumps would occur and fade. Sure enough, there was PO, hiding in this area too. The ACV definitely made my face worse before it got better.

Using it full strength caused some bad drying of my skin. Some patches look like burns. Even with the calendula cream, y skin was tight and I looked tired and wrinkly because of the dry skin. I returned to using Vaseline after the calendula cream. This made my face feel comfortable and normal. The dry skin began to fall off and the skin underneath was smooth.

I started using this treatment 2 weeks ago. The PO is not gone, but is remarkably better. My skin is smooth, not red but a light pink. I am going to continue to use ACV and hopefully can get rid of this for good. I intend to tone with diluted ACV solution morning and night from now on.

Other things I am doing

1. Since I could not get the Born to be Mild cleaner anymore (they don't ship to Canada), I bought a soap on Amazon.ca with the same zinc ingredient. It's not drying on the skin. I wash my face with this before applying AVC

2. I take a probiotic, multivitamin and zinc supplement at night. I will stop the zinc after the PO is gone, because there is such a thing as too much zinc in the system. It can make you sick.

3. I put AVC and turmeric in my green tea every morning. No more than 2 tsp of ACV, usually less

4. I am not going back on oral contraceptives. I am going to speak to my doctor about other options

5. I have been a vegetarian since the age of 10, about 75% of my diet is vegan.

6. I do use makeup to cover the PO when I go out. Probably shouldn't, but I am not as brave as some. Just concealer and foundation. I use Tarte and Bare Minerals.

7. Talked to people about what was happened. When this happened before I just hid at home and cried. This time, I was honest with the people in my life. I told the guy I was seeing about it before he saw me for our next date (he said he didn't notice anything, sweet guy) I told my friends about it and how scared/upset I was. When people ask “how are you?” I am honest and say “I'm having some skin issues actually; I'm pretty self-conscious right now.” The support has been immediate and I don't feel like I am hiding. From a mental health standpoint, it's helped.

I know my use of Vaseline may be controversial to some on this site. Most sites agree that it is not good for PO. But in my experience it has not made my skin worse, and everyone's skin is different.

Good luck everyone!

I've had red bumps around my eyes for about 5 months and recently went to a dermatologist and was diagnosed with periorificial dermatitis. the dermatologist prescribed antibiotics and a topical gel and told me to wear absolutely NO cosmetics, NO moisturizer or cleansers, water only. I used the topical gel for a few days and saw slight improvement with redness but the bumps were still there. I refused to take the antibiotic as I am aware of all the negative side effects to the gut. I looked online for a natural treatment as I do not like using any prescription drugs and found this page.

I started using ACV both internally and on my face and saw immediate results. I'm still not wearing any cosmetics which has been very hard because I'm in the beauty industry, and was wondering if anyone could tell me what they've been doing as far as cosmetics are concerned. Can I wear cosmetics and a moisturizer and do they need to be only natural or can I go back to wearing anything? I also wanted to mention that I have had gut issues for 30 years, leaky gut, candida yeast and have mostly eliminated bread and refined sugars from my diet and have had great improvement with my gut over the last few years since doing this. So I find it very interesting that people have commented on this issue being related to the gut. My doctor told me this condition was caused by cosmetics. I'm still not sure what the cause is, as I'm also going through menopause and was told hormonal changes can also be the cause. I will continue to use the ACV until this is completely gone and I'm thrilled that I found this page so I could use a holistic remedy, so thanks everyone for your stories and suggestions.

I got a strange rash on my face that began as patches around my nostrils and a patch on my chin a few months ago, and was diagnosed by the dermatologist with perioral dermatitis. I was recently diagnosed with asthma and was using a steroidal inhaler to treat it, which can cause POD.

The dermatologist gave me metronidazole and clindamycin phospate lotions, which I used at night and in the morning, respectively. I was RELIGIOUS about applying these lotions, and the rash got the tiniest bit better and then began to get worse.

I was in tears one night and decided to look up other remedies and kept seeing apple cider vinegar as a treatment. After reading the posts on this website I decided to give it a shot. I used the regular ACV in my pantry, one part vinegar to one part water, and dabbed it on with a cotton pad to the affected area. I then waited about 15-20 minutes before washing my face.

It's been two nights of this application and my rash went from angry red, dry, pustules and papules, to a light pink almost smooth area. I was FLOORED. My family can't believe how quickly it worked.

Today I picked up the raw, organic ACV with "the mother" at my local superstore (I was shocked they had it) and some calendula cream from the baby aisle. I did a manuka honey mask today that helped to soothe the dryness.

When you first put this stuff on, it BURNS, and makes the area redder. It'll make the areas with broken skin turn white. Then the area got really dry and began flaking off, and when I put the honey mask on and washed it off, the dead skin came off with it revealing lovely, smooth, pink skin.

I'm 20 years old and this is the first time I've experienced POD, but I'm so glad there's an easy, NATURAL cure. Thanks Earth Clinic!

Here again with updates. After my face cleared in about two weeks with acv, I was super happy. Then I had some minor, minor stress and these really interesting huge red whiteheads came back. They took much longer than normal whiteheads to disappear. They itched when I tried to pop one. Soooooo I realized this may be the PD making a smooth return. I slacked on the vinegar after I thought I was in the clear, but that gave the super-acne a few days to make its appearance and try to stay with me. I kept taking the zinc and biotin that everyone recommended. I continued the apple cider regimen, ingesting about twice each day after i'd cleaned my face with it. Slowly it worked itself away after a week. Stuff I noticed:

For others who say supplements don't work, you have to eat mostly healthy in order to be able to see that. Otherwise of course it won't work. Clean your systems out, because the skin is a reflection of what is in your stomach. If I showed too much attention to my face it was like watching flowers grow. When I cleaned my face too much it would burn and flare up red and itchy, and it would then go away in an hour. Taking biotin and zinc supplements at night instead of in the morning was noticeably much more effective. Ppl hate the smell of acv. Ppl dont care why you need it. Make jokes and stay resilient. Dooooooont argueeeeeeeee
Dooooooont stressssssssss

Good luck. I'm sticking to simple regimens.

I am so relieved to have found this site! I have suffered from PD for almost 5 years! When I first went to the Dermatologist, I was given an anti- fungal cream and told it would take 4 weeks to see results. Ugh! I have a very public job and needed it gon right away. I found a make up that hid it very well... After 4 weeks it was almost gone but tolerable... I have had flare ups off and on ever since. I was even told by one doctor that I was allergic to limes.... The great new is that I have found this site! and thanks to AVC and hydrogen peroxide topical treatments to the affected area, I am PD free as of today!! All that is left is smooth skin... The first 3 days were rough. After the first Apple Cider Vinegar treatment the area stung. I new it was working. After that dried, I used the hydrogen peroxide on cotton balls and applied them for 5 min on the area and it bubbled up.. I was sure this was the cure. I continued this for 4 days. Sure enough after the dried skin sloughed off the area is clear!! Thanks for all who cared to share your success with this remedy!!! I will continue as needed (if needed) :) So very grateful!

Hello,

I have been struggling with the rash for the past two months. At first, I wasn't sure what it was. Being as I am 21 weeks pregnant. I thought it was just relentless pimples. However, it hit its worst about two weeks ago and has taken over my whole chin. So I went to a derm. They of course prescribed anti-biopics but I cannot taken those due to pregnancy. After being diagnosed with POD. I started doing my research after zero help from the derm and found this site. I started my combination treatment of POD right away. Of cutting out gluten, added sugar, dairy. Adding 1 tbps of ACV to smoothies daily, using a half water half ACV mix 3-5 times a day with coconut oil once or twice daily. It's been a little over a week, I felt like I initially saw improvement with some of the bumps pushing out the little white spots right away and then flaking off. However, now it feels like the rash has spread up my face and I'm seeing way more of those white bumps and flaking. But doesn't appear to be much better. Does anyone else have experience with POD and being pregnant? Is that a factor in this and why I am not healing? Am I doomed to have this until birth? Or should I keep going with the ACV treatment?

Not much help. I'm 34 weeks pregnant and have been struggling with this rash under my chin for about 2 months too! I have just started using the ACV and Coconut oil! I can keep you updated! Know you're not alone girl!

Hi Rachel and Anna,

Have you considered your POD might have been triggered by a deficiency of a vitamin or mineral? I had dermatitis around my nose for over 30 years (yes, really did) but it disappeared for good when I started taking 5,000 iu of vitamin D3 for a week. I stopped taking it after that for a while and it did not come back. I still take D3 every so often, but def not daily.

Also tried the ACV and many more remedies and supplements over the years, but they were all just temporary fixes and it came right back.

Hi!

I feel your pain. I had this under my nose when I was pregnant too. I tried a probiotic topical serum by Esmi and it cleared it up in about four days, fully healed up in a week. It might work for you too?
Laurie

I suffer from PD (perorial dermatitis) and over time I realised that its just a natural way of my body telling me that I'm lacking in a healthy balanced and nutritious diet.. the apple cider vinegar (ACV) would sting my skin and when it healed it would dry up my skin. The best way is to drink it is with diluted water daily and immediately change my diet to improve my vitamin intake with fruits and vegetables.

Yes, the 50/50 of ACV and water worked for me as well, and it looks worse before better. Cleared up my rosacea and blemishes beautifully. Just takes patience and coconut oil after.

I am 16 years old and have had Perioral dermatitis off and on (mostly off) for 5 years now. I only get it around my nose and on my chin, and this time it really flared up so I looked for some natural remedies. I started using apple cider vinegar around my nose and my chin and the puss bumps and oiliness has gone away immediately. When I first apply it it stings and my skin gets very red, but the bumps shrink in size every time. The skin is now in the process of flaking off, and this has been working well so far. Hopefully I will be dermatitis free in a couple of days!

Back in September after moving to Indiana from Arizona, I started developing itchy dry patches in the corner of my eyes and eventually around my mouth! It was so annoying and it got so bad I stopped wearing makeup of any kind because it didn't stay on very long anyway and I thought maybe it was from my mascara or something. The weird thing was that when I'd go home for breaks, it cleared up almost completely in a day or so. I had no idea what it was and couldn't find anything to help at least relieve the itch and dryness. Finally after what seems like forever I found out that I had perioral dermatitis that was made worse because as a kid I had eczema as a kid. I started using apple cider vinegar even though I was a bit skeptical, with about a teaspoon of water to dilute it three times a day and used hydrocortisone cream as a moisturizer since I have very sensitive skin and was done spending all this money on organic creams and treatments. After 4 days my skin was back to normal with no trace anything had been wrong! Apple Cider Vinegar is awesome!

So thought I'd share my story seen as reading many posts from others was how I came to "cure" my POD.

So it started about 4 months ago, I thought originally it was windburn as I had gone for a walk on quite a windy day and taken my glasses off so the skin around my eyes (like two days after) looks raw burnt and peeling. I tried just moisterising the area which made it burn and then get worse. Eventually after a few weeks I went to my Doctor who told me I wasnt using the right moisteriser and I should try neutrogina (great advice doc!! ) went to my beatician in the end who gave me a natural skin repair liquid and oil which was great at first but then my skin just started flaring up majorly red, bumpy, itchy, scaly and finally puffy... So at the end of four months of this carry on I was at my wits end, so went to the health shop and picked up some natural dermatitis cream and starting reading up on other peoples experiences. Eventually came across a few sites that mentioned Apple Cider Vinegar (including this one) so thought well I might as well give that a go too. Well you would not believe the effects, for the past week I have used the ACV morning and night, the repair oils around my eyes (I'm not game enough for vinegar round my eyes) and the dermatitis cream during the day to keep my skin from going dry. I also soak my face and neck with a damp cloth and been drinking load of water. In a week my skin has cleaned up so much, its soft, moistened, not red or bumpy. I cannot believe it, I am now cutting back the ACV to a night only and will wait to see how this plays out. But currently very glad that I found this website and heard about ACV. Good luck to all and thanks for sharing your stories :)

Hi all! I wanted to post my experience with this debilitating skin condition called Perioral Dermatitis (it should be called Perennial Dermatitis! ) so that it may help another fellow sufferer out there...

I have had POD on and off for years since I was 19. It tends to occur in Autumn-Winter as the 'dry' version, and I have come to realise that I have had it in the Summer months too, albeit milder and 'greasier' looking, so I just assumed I had the odd acne pimple cropping up. Not so. I am now in my 40s. I firmly believe stress (which I always seem to have) and damp, cold weather play a key role. This makes me think the condition is yeast- or fungal-based. Anyway, as usual, this October I got a few bumps near the lower-right corner of my mouth. I thought nothing of it, that it was just a minor breakout of spots (how do I forget every year?! ). Unfortunately it spread like wildfire this time, faster than I ever recall before, even to the point I spotted one or two tiny pink blisters forming below my eyes, in between and above my eyebrows, and even under my middle jawline! The skin around my eyes felt as tight as a stretched elastic band, which is unusual for a long-term mild acne sufferer with supple skin.

I'll try and keep a long story short: I must have spent around £100-£150 in the last few weeks on either exact or similar products to what others have had success with - you name it - Baby Nappy Rash Cream, Calendula Ointment, Zinc Oxide Ointment, Violet Extract from the USA, Oregano Oil, Comfry Ointment (I figured why not?), Healing Calendula Cream, Calendula Cream, Dermatological Colostrum Cream (getting desperate by now), Manuka Honey, top quality probiotics, Biotin tablets, tubs of organic live greek yoghurt for face masks... You get the picture (and can no doubt relate)! All the while the rash was spreading angrily and forming a flaking, crusting, cracking, burning, itching, bright red, papular, eczematous mess in my entire muzzle area. It was like watching an ever-growing army forming; the small hard papules would group together defiantly, ganging up against whatever I applied to them. Whilst the rash was widely dispersed, the stronghold was evident in my chin crease - it started to hurt on opening my mouth to eat... In a matter of a few weeks I had a full on nose-chin beard of weeping, painful papules and sharp flaky shards of skin that I couldn't resist picking at in the evenings. I looked a mess. A few baking soda washes helped smooth the crusts out a bit, but it became so dry it was nigh impossible to cover up when I ventured out. Any of the above creams I tried out to soothe and moisturise the skin just brought out even more riotous bumps, and they were greasy so my cover-up makeup wouldn't 'sit' properly and broke apart in seconds. I could see shop assistants and passers-by looking at my lower face. Looped scarves became my best friend.

With Christmas looming I was getting desperate. I'm not vain, quite the opposite in fact, and just wanted to look and feel 'nice' over the holidays. I read up on ACV and caved in, vowing it to be the last £10 to spend before succumbing to the dreaded 1-2 month-long antibiotics route that would no doubt open up another can of worms health-wise. I managed to track down a local health food store that sold raw cloudy ACV 'with mother'. It had won a taste award, so I was sold. I absent-mindedly picked up some raw organic honey too (I'd read about its soothing benefits for skin wounds) and ventured over to the natural toiletry products section. I desperately needed to moisturise, but with what?! Then I spied a bottle proclaiming to be the best moisturiser for eczema and psoriasis sufferers. You don't even have to rub it in. Just spray and go. Bonus. POD is so similar to eczema that I shrugged and bought it, what was there to lose (except even more money)?

3 days later my muzzle rash was almost gone! It wasn't instant, I'll be honest and say that after the first use of all 3 new products above my skin flared up a bit. But I stuck with it figuring that if this is a yeast or fungal condition, it's just dying off or not accepting defeat and trying to fight back, briefly. Within 24 hours the angry redness was more of a dark pink, and I only got a few more papules trying to crop up on my chin and in my naso-labial folds. I could feel smooth bump-free areas forming in between. This was encouraging to say the least! I held my breath. Over the next 24 hours the papules didn't burst, weep or burn so much after applying the ACV and the itching bouts were starting to ease off. By the third day, without makeup I still had patchy discolouration where the (now dried-up) plaques and bumps had been, but once covered up, I started to look relatively normal with just a few discernible tiny bumps and dryness left. Now, in the second half of my trial week, with a few days to go until Christmas Day, I expect to be fully healed and skin-content. I must stress that the above healing still occurred despite eating a few sugary Christmas treats and drinking a couple of glasses of red wine at night (yes this previously made my rash flare and spread). So... if you want the details, here's what I did (morning and night):

1. Washed my face gently with raw honey, adding a little baking soda to help remove makeup at night and smooth down any crusts. Rinse well with lukewarm (not hot) water. Pat dry with a clean towel.

2. Soak cotton wool pads in 50:50 ACV/warm tapwater solution and apply and press firmly into the rash areas, sweep the pads over all the clear surrounding skin too, just to prevent the rash trying to crop up elsewhere (I discovered its nasty little migration trick after application #1! )

3. Let skin dry naturally and apply Dermaspray Intensive all over your face (use a spray-soaked cotton wool pad for around the eyes), saturating the rash area in particular. You will be in heaven. The peppermint is so cooling and soothing and you will be able to move your face afterwards - it'll be fully moisturised with no greasiness. In the evenings whilst watching TV, I applied it again within an hour or two if the tightness / dryness returned.

4. Cover rash and any redness with colour-tinted Night Treatment - lightly dust on and buff in a circular motion. I used the 'Medium' tinted version as it was a good match for my normal Winter skin tone. I'll use the 'Tan' one next Summer. This 'makeup that isn't makeup' contains zinc oxide and treats the skin whilst hiding imperfections. It is a gentle and natural solution to covering up the rash, and I highly recommend it for the daytime - nighttime is good if you are shy about baring your skin to your partner or family - you can even sleep with it on!

5. Add a tablespoon of ACV to a small cup of warm kettle water/fruit juice and a teaspoon of raw honey mixed in for flavour. Stir together and drink fast! It will go down a treat this way. Take this before your breakfast and evening meal. Remember to take your probiotics daily too, as instructed on the bottle.

6. Never go back to using products laden with nasty chemicals; stick to the above all year round - natural is best and your skin will thank you for it.

...and that's it! I sincerely hope that this experience goes a long way to helping someone else win the POD war! Merry Christmas! :)

I think the acv is working! I have been using it for 3 days and it is clearing up! The bumps are gone, and the redness area is getting smaller. I also used a yougurt mask last night, it felt so good! I am also on Doxycycline, but I truly believe it is the acv. I am drinking it also 2 tbs in 8 oz of water 2 x's a day. Good idea about the straw and the teeth. My husband bought me the regular acv, not the organic. I am going to the store today to buy the organic. Now I have to battle the dryness. I am afraid to put a moisturizer on it, in case it gets bad again. They say to aviod the moisturizers. I might try the candula cream. Anyone have a treatment I can buy at a big box store? I don't want it to clog my pores. Has anyone heard anything about olive oil and perioral derm? I am so glad I found this site!

At age 52, I had my first "run-in" with perioral dermatitis on 1/1/08. At first I didn't know what it was, but within 3 weeks and some internet searching, I figured it out. I then came across this WONDERFUL website! I found that diluting Apple Cider Vinegar with water (1/2 & 1/2) made it sting less and worked the best. I also bought "Psoriaflora Cream" --a homeopathic cream from your local health store. I put this cream on after the ACV dried. It literally CURED the dermatitis within 2 weeks. I used the ACV morning and night and put the cream on several more times per day. I tapered off using ACV after a week and just used the cream. This is a horrible affliction and I really feel for all of you that have been battling this for years

Hi, I am having dermatitis on my face.im not so sure how similar is it with Perioral Dermatitis. I have started my Apple Cider Vinegar treatment 2 days ago. It seriously stung my face and feel burning sensation. Whenver I applied acv, some tiny white spot (not sure isit the infection or skin) popped up. Do u habe similar experience? Now is my day 3 applying it, my skin still rash & itch feeling that burning senasation. Im not sure is it getting worse or its normal. I seriously dont wish to go back on steroid cream and trying to be determine to continue with acv. Will u be able to share a little bit more on the effects after applying acv? How can I start notice that the dermatitis is curing using acv? And how long does it start taking effects? Hope to have your reply soon though. Many thanks in advance.

Judit, are you diluting the ACV? If you aren't, try half and half with water and see if that feels a little better.

I found that when I applied ACV on patches of POV it would feel like my skin was crawling for a few minutes after. If I apply it to normal skin, that weird feeling doesn't happen.

Judit, dilute it. A lot. But first stop for a few days so your skin can heal.

Don't go back to the steroid cream that will only make it worse. I have white spots every once in a while after applying the ACV, but it goes away after a while and so does the stinging burning sensation. Maybe try diluting it a little more. I just started using this treatment a few days ago and I have seen a difference. ACV works better than what my Dr. prescriped me. Hope this helps.

Do not use steriod creams on perioral dermatitis. It exacerbates the problem!

Thank you. Im on day 2 of ACV - face what did use as a moisturizer? Ive been using coconut oil for awhile beofre the ACV

And plz confirm the ACV makes the appearances much worse before getting better bc it looks really bad!

Hi Shelly

Can I ask if you used anything to help with the tightness are soreness as well? I've been battling with it for 6 months - three steroid creams, all useless - and only just self-diagnosed. Bought calednula and zinc cream and not sure if it's coincidence but the PD has doubled in size and redness so now I'm in a lot of discomfort. I'm using the ACV but it's getting so dry and painful especially under my eyes.