Ringworm
Natural Remedies

Ringworm - Editor's Choice

Over the years, Earth Clinic readers have sent us many reports about their treatments for Ringworm. The editors at Earth Clinic consider the below posts to be some of the most helpful and informative and have named them 'Editor's Choice'. We hope that you will find this useful.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Gus Amongus (Asheville, Nc) on 11/17/2017
★★★★★

ACV is clearing my ringworm, thank heavens. I started putting it on undiluted, using cotton balls, and sometimes soaking a thick doubled piece of toilet paper and placing it over the area for 30 seconds or so. I would both blot the cotton balls on the rash and surrounding areas, and also I would hold the soaked cotton ball on the itchy area for a few seconds until it stung a little. I had a failed attempt with the cream...the ringworm went away almost, but then came back worse even before the cream treatment was over.

Once I started the ACV 3-5 times a day, I could tell right away it was helping. At first, the ACV made the rash start to spread with new dots appearing in the vicinity, which freaked me out, but I just kept going...hitting the new spots hard with the ACV and being vigilant. It took 7 or 8 days to really feel certain I was probably on top of the situation. I cut back to 3 times a day or if I felt an itch, i'd hit it. My skin got fairly irritated and then rough and flaky, but I kept going. After the 10th day I noticed it was hardly ever itching anymore and slowly fading. It's been 12 days now and it's DEFINITELY faded a lot, though still discolored and rough feeling. It took a while, and it's still not gone...but I feel I see light at the end of the tunnel.

I've suffered with ringworm my whole life, fairly chronically the last 6 years when I'm active at all... feet and jockitch. ACV is clearing up my feet also, but my toenails are still a big work in progress. I've gotten 3 "ringworms" on other places (leg, arm, neck) in isolated incidents over the past 4 years...but this recent one on my neck was the worst ever, motivating me to attack it harder. Anyway... just wanted to add another positive review and method for ACV...it is really working, when the cream definitely didn't.


Apple Cider Vinegar and a Penny

Posted by Kraig (Phoenix) on 08/08/2017 12 posts
★★★★★

Soak a penny in apple cider vinegar for at least 30 minutes and place on ringworm. Cover with a cotton ball that has also been dipped in the vinegar and tape. Leave overnight. As a wrestling coach who sees this frequently, I've found this treatment to have the quickest results.


Oregano Oil

Posted by Nubianmama (Md) on 05/12/2016
★★★★★

Just wanted to share with anyone out there struggling with this seriously irritating fungus, ie ringworm. I'm currently battling it. It for some reason has returned on the same finger for the third time. It has come in 14,2 and 2 year intervals. So the first two times I used nystatin that I got from the Dr. This time the nystatin didn't stop it. This time instead of a circle shaped rash I got one dot rash that every time I'd wet my hand, would spread to the skin nearby. I'd get more itchy dots-singular isolated bumps that didn't make a full circle but sometimes a curved trail of contiguous bumps. It felt and acted like ringworm but the ointment didn't seem to knock it back like before.

This time, after much prayer, I turned to essential oils. I used undiluted drops of turmeric essential oil which slowed it down, and lemon essential oil and geranium eo which helped to shrink down the rash, followed by unrefined coconut oil which also helped to keep back new spreading but upon washing my hand or bathing it would spread again. These oils were good but could not totally knock it down. I did all I could to keep it dry and to quickly dry it and reapply the oils but I was losing this battle because it was still spreading a little everyday on my finger.

Then I read about Oil of Oregano's use against ringworm in animals and thought to try it since I always keep a bottle of it in the house. There I found a most powerful tool against this severely irritating foe. Oil of Oregano knocked this fungus out like David did to Goliath. Bam! The first application of the Oil of Oregano caused immediate results! The raised rash deflated, the angry itch died hope was regained. Sure it burned and yeah the cracked skin oozed but the most importantly the beast is either dead or dying. No itch at all now. The skin on my finger was damaged by the ringworm so the color is dark and the surface is rough and flaky. Large dead pieces of skin were able to be removed yeah, it wasn't pretty...but time and the body's natural healing mechanisms will have to be depended on to regain full normalcy of the skin and that is fine by me. I'm patient and very ever so thankful and grateful that I tried the oil of oregano. It is for me a total game changer.

Oregano Oil can be taken internally. I usually take a few drops by mouth with water already in my mouth to avoid the burn from this potent oil. Once I took it by mouth during flu season to avoid sickness and it has kept me well when everyone in the house including my nursing baby was sick a few years ago. Thankfully it even helped the nursing baby to more quickly overcome her cold symptoms and she was most mildly affected than the other children. It's also good for stopping the pain caused by crohn's.

One of my family members took it during a bout with pain caused by an intestinal ulcer and within minutes felt no pain to our great surprise and relief. I suggest keeping this precious oil in your home and looking deeply into how it can help you and those for whom you have influence.


Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Nina (Tennessee) on 08/30/2015
★★★★★

I have had several bouts with ringworm in the last six months. It took a while to figure out what it actually was because at first I thought it was poison ivy. After researching a bit I figured out that it was ringworm.

On this first episode I decided to attack it with tea tree oil. Although I could see that it was helping it was extremely slow and felt like a rather weak approach. Finally it went away after about six weeks of itchy agony. I thought that would be the end of that. Several months passed and I began to itch again in the very same location that I had ringworm before. The spot began to get bigger and then to my horror it moved to a new location. The spots began to grow to the size of a half dollar and were very red and itchy. The tea tree oil was helping at a snail's pace so I decided to look here for ideas.

Many people were suggesting apple cider vinegar with the "mother" for ringworm so since I already had it I decided to give it a try. To my delight the cider began to work immediately!

All I did was apply the vinegar to a tissue and press and hold it to the ringworm area for about five minutes right before I went to bed. There was a slight sting to the area after I removed it but it was minimal. The next morning I would apply it again in the same way. Even after the first 24 hours I could tell a great difference. Much more effective than the tea tree oil. I continued the same routine with noticeable results each day until it was gone in a total of six days.

Wanted to share for those considering it. At this time I want to prevent this from reoccurring again and so I am now looking for clear direction in that area. If anyone has suggestions that would be great.


Rubbing Alcohol

Posted by Lady Mars (Lithia, Fl) on 04/10/2015
★★★★★

Hi, I live in hot and humid Florida so every now and then get a touch of athlete's foot or other form of ringworm. Have tried many things over the years, with aloe vera being one of the best at relieving the itch but so-so at curing it completely. Decided to try rubbing alcohol since that was the highest rated remedy on EC. Just rub it on a couple times a day. Cures the itching quickly and dries it up. Works the best of anything I've ever tried.


Salt

Posted by Hawaiian_nut (Honolulu, Hi, Usa) on 01/15/2012
★★★★★

I had a small outbreak of ringworm after working at a feral cat sanctuary after only 1 day, needless to say that the fungus is highly contagious.. Anyhow, the woman at the sanctuary told me she was applying coconut oil to the cats to treat the ringworm.

When I had it, I started to apply the coconut oil. Next day, it got bigger. Tried it again, and again it got bigger. My sister recommended putting iodine, it didn't make it go away, but also didn't make it get bigger. I started thinking to myself.. ok, fungi like moisture, no wonder the oil is making it spread, the iodine doesn't quite dry it out, so what dries things out...salt!

I took a bottle cap that was roughly the same size as the ringworm, filled it with salt, and put just enough warm water to melt it into a pasty liquid form, I then stuck the whole lid onto the ringworm and let the salt paste soak into it for 5-10 minues (can tape it on so it doesnt move). Then I took it off, let it dry, and reapplied it later, few times a day. The fungus dried up in 2-3 days and was completely gone, though the new skin needed a week or so to heal the pigmentation.


Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Yeshuason (Wasilla, Alaska) on 09/18/2011

Apple Cider Vinegar for Ringworm:

The value of ACV is not so much a direct bath (acid bath) but drinking it. When it is digested it breaks down into a highly alkaline ash that shifts your body Ph to the alkaline side. Fungus is a blood borne issue, if you have ringworm; you have fungus in your blood. This means that even if you clear up a patch of ringworm, you have spores for ringworm throughout your body. This is why ringworm tends to come back.

So, by taking two tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (NOT white vinegar flavored stuff, get the natural kind) stirred into a tall glass of water twice or more a day you shift your body to alkaline. Fungus will stop growing if your Ph goes higher than 6.5. This will not only stop the spread of the fungus, but it will allow your immune system to get the upper hand.

I would take the Apple Cider Vinegar internally, and tea tree or walnut hull juice externally. I would also add coconut oil to the diet to attack the fungus from the inside.

Also cut back on sugar and Do NOT drink soda pop while dealing with this. Soda pop balances your body Ph quite acid, and adds a lot of sugar to feed the fungus at the same time.

Soda pop to fungus is like gasoline to a fire.

Summary: ACV to balance Ph, tea tree or walnut hull juice for localized treatment, coconut oil for internal treatment and Oregano Oil P73 brand (Mediterranean breed) for internal and external treatment.


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Howard (New York, New York) on 10/22/2009
★★★★★

Apple cider viniger certainly works its amazing. my son had ring worm as small as a dime it was confirmed by the doctor who gave us a treatment for it. so we used what they gave us and thought nothing of it i never had ring worm or seen it before. i noticed that after a while it was spreading. so i went back to the doctor who then gave him a topical cream and medicine to take for 6 weeks. he then assured us it will be gone. But after 6 weeks only affected the site in a extremely small way. so i brought him back and they gave us a stronger medicine that they said would not only kill ring worm but kill any eggs laying around. but this too did not do much so i took things into my own hands and decided to find the solution before it took over his whole head and thats when i found your website praise God. i learned about ACV and went immediatlly and purchased it along side vick vapor rub. i read how it took 3 to 5 days some for some people but i took a cotton ball and put ACV on it and rubbed the infected sight and immediatly the sight bump got white and big. i let it dry for 7 min and repeated again and the infected sight started to bleed. i let it dry and repeated 5 times my son was really a trooper i can see that he was in pain but he hung in there. after the 5 time i let it dry and removed any blood from the site i was amazed and awwwwed. His head was back to normal i still cant believe it but there it was i stared at his head for 1 hour not believing what just happened. i spent hundreds at the doctor for garbage and the Organic ACV only cost me $2.50. I will certainly keep treating his head for 5 more days to make sure it will not come back and i am giving him 1 table spoon of organic ACV to drink to kill whatever is in his blood.


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Pedro (Campinas, Brazil) on 11/24/2008
★★★★★

Hi, I don't have any experience and getting rid of ringworms in pets, but I have gotten rid of it on me! I'm assuming ringworm and athletes foot are the same thing (I'm talking about "frieira", in portuguese).

What I did was soak a cottom ball with ACV and place it on the area (with a bandaid if you have to) a couple of times a day for 30 minutes. I did this while on the computer or watching TV. Once done, clean it with H202. Even better if you can leave H2O2 in the area for a while too.

Do this for a few days and the infected skin will peel of. You can stop doing it once everything is good again, but keep an eye on it as it may take a few cycles to get rid of it.

I did it once, and it never came back.

I also take ACV orally, and I think that is key. Skin problems need to be addressed from the inside as well as the outside.


Supplements

Posted by Lance (National City, California) on 10/15/2008
★★★★★

Selenium deficiency and anemia appear to the biggest factor of candida or ringworm. Silver mercury filling can deplete the body of selenium, zinc. This can lead to fungal infections.

Iron folic acid, b12 deficiency lead to anemia that can cause fungal infection.

I took:

  • 200mg selenium 3 times a day
  • zinc 50mg 2 times a day
  • folic acid 3 times a day
  • iron 1 a day
  • b12 3 times a day.

It doesn't take long for it to work.

Too much copper in the body can deplete selenium also causing fungus growth.


Green Walnut Juice

Posted by Mark (Tulsa, OK) on 09/22/2008
★★★★★

When I was a kid and got ringworm my Grandfather told me to go get a green walnut off of the tree that we had in our back yard. He cut the walnut and told me to rub the black juice on the ringworm. I did this one time and the ringworm disappeared and never came back. This is an ancient remedy that originated in the european country of wales and was passed down to my grandfather from his dad. My cat recently acquired ringworm but I no longer live in my childhood home in the country that had the walnut tree out back so I went to the health food store and got some walnut extract which is diluted with 50% alcohol. It is working, after 3 or 4 applications but it's still not as good as the green walnut juice. It cured the ringworm with one application.



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