The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Forgetmenot Blue (Green Bay, Wi, United States) on 06/19/2012
I have been struggling with POD for four years now... But it has gotten progressively worse. I thought it was acne for a long while since it started during my first pregnancy, but once the pustules became unmanageable, I saw the dermatologist and was officially diagnosed with POD.
This summer has been the worst. My POD goes crazy in hot and humid temperatures and the bumps and pustules goes dormant during the colder seasons--leaving just a red patch on my skin and little bumps under the surface. Anyways, after going on four different rounds of antibiotics and two different creams, I felt defeated. Then I found Earth Clinic and began reading everyone's posts and got renewed confidence that I could beat this thing.
This thing (I think) is just a symptom of having systemic yeast overgrowth in my body (or Candida overgrowth). Based on a lot of others' advice on here, I began using organic AVC on my face (not diluted, but I'm thinking about changing that because it gets so red from it) and it helped dry out 75% of the pustules--a huge relief since that was what I was most conscious about. Then I began a Candida-free diet last week and began taking Caprylic Acid (anti-fungal) supplements. I began experiencing stomach flu-like symtoms from the dying yeast (also known as yeast-die-off) so I began backing off on the Caprylic Acid supplements. I don't need more toxins in my body than what's already there!
My face seemed much happier on the Candida-free diet even without the antifungal supplment. Then my daughter had her birthday and I totally messed up my diet. And what do you know? The next day my POD flared back up with a vengance!
That convinced me that my POD is yeast related and the only way to truly fix it is to fix what's going on inside me. I bought some high quality probiotics (billions of those buggers in each pill, not millions) from my health store and a Yeast-Be-Gone supplement that is supposed to eliminate the yeast-die-off symptoms. I have also got back on the Candida diet and have been faithful for four days now and my skin is getting much better. What I think is helping a lot too is I open one of the probiotic pills, I add a little water, and I apply that to my face as a sort of sticky cream. I am also doing some organic greek yogurt masks, which has helped with the redness of my skin.
However, I am starting to lose hope again. The Candida diet is crazy hard to maintain. Today I woke up feeling sick and shaky. This may be a yeast-die-off symptom (again), but still, I can't imagine eating this way for six months.
Today I found a website that sells a probiotic system/supplements that is supposed to rid you of Candida... But here's the catch... It also allows you to eat what you want to eat. AKA--no Candida diet.
The website is: www.candidasupport.org. Has anyone ever used ThreeLac probiotics before and had good results?
Thanks so much! This site has really helped me mentally and physically fight this skin condition!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Michelle (Reading, Pa) on 11/30/2011
Wow, just wow. After reading back posts to 2007, having POD for a week doesn't seem so bad. I feel so awful for all of you having it longer and/or not being able to get rid of it! :( I know the looks from people are awful. I didn't like people staring at me even without this!
Other than being extremely drug sensitive, I've never had any allergies of any kind. I did use a topical steroid on and off for a few months about 7 years ago, but no acne drugs ever, never taken birth control, no sinus problems, haven't had an antibiotic in years, haven't worn makeup in years, haven't used toothpaste in years (but baking soda), no fluoride in the water and yet for some odd reason I woke up one morning last week looking like a clown. So I guess that leaves stress? Which I do have. A lot. My nerves have been shot for years. Anyway, it's all over my cheeks and now creeping on my upper lip and now I have a spot on my nose too (probably payback for joking that all I needed now was a red nose and little car to jump out of... ). I'm on day 2 of the ACV and also alternating honey (which really helped with the itch) and coconut oil for moisture but so far haven't seen much in results, except the additional spot appearing on my nose. I already have done 2 detoxes and a liver detox this year, and have been taking acidolphilus for 8 months now including B, C, A, E, D, Lysine, NAC, krill, chlorella, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and switched to sea salt (due to Fukushima, btw guys, PLEASE look up enenews. com for your health) so I don't understand! ? Maybe it has stopped progression? But like I said, a week and a first time sufferer I don't have much to go on for comparison except my condition isn't nearly as bad as some of the pictures I've seen.
But what has given me some relief is calendula ointment in that it's taken a lot of the redness away and calmed it down some - at least I can move my face somewhat now. I also started taking skullcap per the recommendations of the Native American Medicine Woman I see as she's convinced it's nerves in my case and actually, that did take the jolt out of my system somewhat even after the first pill - apparently it's much used for that and I now see why. So I've decided to keep up the ACV for 2 weeks so I'll see how that goes and continue doing what I've been doing. *crossing fingers* I've also stopped using shampoo until I can find a good one, used olive oil for cleansing over the past week, but now found a good soap SLS-free just in case (but who would want that anyway right? So I'm going to stick with that too. ) It's Yardley's English Lavender.
Hopefully next week I can follow up and say it's all gone. Regardless, I thank Ted and the site and you all for your wonderful help and wish everyone the best of luck too. And again, please become aware of the radiation issues too and what you can do to protect yourselves as there's at least 3 melt-throughs, at least 5 more reactors open fissioning since March, and they are now burning the contamination, so we're all being constantly dosed with these hormone disrupters and will be forever soooo :(
Bless you all!
Michelle
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Amanda (Bloomington) on 04/14/2017
Look up Dermatitis Herpetiformis - If this is what you have you could need to avoid Iodine (buy Iodine free salt, stay away from dairy, and other foods high in Iodine) and avoid Gluten foods and Gluten products (lotions, make-up, shampoo, etc).
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Jay (Toronto, Ont, Canada) on 08/12/2011
To Mmcgraw from Hamilton, Ontario: For starters, you would be much better off using organic virgin coconut oil rather than the olive oil to moisturize. It is very good the skin and hair and is naturally antibiotic and antifungal.
From my experience, this type of skin condition acts like a fungus in the sense that it will withdraw or appear to go somewhat dormant in the area that it is being attacked. It spreads to other parts of the body and returns to the skin once the attack (your ACV treatment) has stopped. You need to attack it vigorously on several fronts if you want to totally eradicate it. This inclued a strong probiotic because the gut is usually the main hiding place. Go to refrigerated section of a good health food store and buy a probiotic with at least 6 different strains of probiotics and follow directions on the package. You need to continue taking these and continue with the ACV for at least a month after you feel the skin condition has been resolved to have some confidence that the problem has been eliminated.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Mmcgraw (Hamilton, Ontario) on 08/12/2011
Thanks very much! I appreciate your advice! I just got back from the health food store and got some probiotics, coconut oil and Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother. I was using heinz and I'm wondering if that affects the results at all? I also picked up a yeast detox called "candigone" Has anyone used this? Would it be a good idea if I tried?
The coconut oil feels great btw!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Loveandbread (Bohemia, Ny, United States) on 08/16/2011
Aloe vera from the plants is best.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Yeisa (Ashford, Al/ us) on 06/26/2012
Apply yougurt on the affected area for 20 -30 minutes and you would see all the flaky skin going away. It will leave your skin smooth. I've tried and it worked wonders, it reduced the flakiness and the redness. This is my second day using yougurt, vinegar, oregano oil and calendula, I am seeing some improvements. I guess I need to be patient.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Amber (Australia ) on 11/05/2015
Maybe try calendula cream? You can buy it from a health food store or a chemist. Try and get a fairly pure one. My skin tolerates that when its very irritated and flaky. Or maybe rub a little Extra Virgin Coconut Oil in to your skin? Look it up on this site and see what people say about using it on skin, but it's great for a whole range of ailments, a bit like the organic ACV (which I swear by for loads of things).
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Kat (Seattle, Wa) on 04/29/2010
★★★★★
I've never had PD and was recently diagnosed with it. My naturopath recommended the apple cider vinegar along with honey, vitamin C and probiotics. She thought yeast might be the culprit based on what my lips looked like. The directions were as follows: splash a little bit of apple cider vinegar on a cotton ball and lightly touch the skin around your lips - once a day. The vinegar will dry out the lips and take away moisture yeast needs to thrive. 10 days should be enough, but everyone is different. Meanwhile, apply honey on the lips for moisture and to prevent cracking once or twice a day. Use a double doze of probiotics during the 10 days, adhere to a well balanced diet and take vitamin C. My naturopath suggested 2000mg a day for me. Overall, my PD took around 3 weeks to clear. The important thing is to watch out for infections from the dried lips and consult a doctor/naturopath if you feel the rash has changed.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Maria (San Francisco, California) on 10/30/2008
★☆☆☆☆
After the dermatitis cleared up the ACV seemed to make it worse. I gave up all the doctor's medication and I also stopped all the self treatment because I was lookin really bad and it hurt by this point. After a lot of thinking I decided to find a really good dermatologist and see what happens. I did find a really well known doctor and the day I saw him I gave him a little resumee of my condition and symptoms for the last 6 yers. After taking a sample to the lab he said that it is actually an ATOPIC DERMATITIS meaning ECZEMA. He also said he found a type of bacteria that usualy lives on the human body anyway but it was more concentrated where my iritation and lesions were. He gave me low dose cortison creams and he said that in order to have a normal life I would have to use this as minimal as I can for a long time. He also said that for some people it goes away on it's own and for others it never cures. So I decided to have a normal life without living in a glass globe. I am better now then I was on the natural self treatment. I even did a liver cleanse and a Candida cleanse but no change. Now I am using the steroids and I have started to use make up again. I feel ok and if I put the creams on when I feel an out break I have no issues. My advice is that you must really find out what kind of condition you relly have without guessing on your own. If none of the natural treatments work do not give up and find a good doctor. I have not heard of people dieing because of some medicated creams. I was more stressed when I was trying to buy all the organic natural miracle cures. I am convinced that the natural plants have many good healthy uses and I am still buying some of them. I still use organic creams and cosmetics. Now that I have my eczema under controll I am not stressed out anymore. I hope my feed back helps. I think this site is extremly helpfull for many people. I will continue reading all the testemonies.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 10/19/2008 489 posts
To Elijah from Bay Shore: Hello Elijah, I just use my apple cider straight from the bottle for problems like this. Just sop a washcloth with it and make sure you get it all over the hand at least 3 or 4 times a day. If you don't notice a difference after a week or so you might add using it after every handwashing, as this washes the vinegar off each time. I would just let that hand air dry instead of wiping dry after applying the apple cider vinegar. You didn't mention whether this is a "weepy" rash or a dry one. If dry, use the vinegar alone. If it is a weepy rash you might want to make a saturated solution of vinegar and epsom salts. Apply this with a cotton ball several times a day and let it dry on the hand. It works well on weepy rashes.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Teresa (London, London) on 09/13/2008
★★★★★
I had to write and leave feedback as another testimonial that ACV is a miracle cure. I have suffered with Dermatitis/ Rosacea (the doctors couldn't decide what it was) on my forehead for 6 years. I used steroid creams for years that controlled it but never cured it but even they stopped having an effect in the last year or so. I saw ACV testemonials on this website so I tried it. Within a day or 2 the ACV I applied had stopped the spots appearing, the the redness and swelling went down. I use it every night and i'm now free of all symptoms - it only took about a week to cure it all together! It's so so frustrating that doctors don't/ can't tell you about these things. Thank you so much to this website - It's changing a lot of people's lives.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by JG (Los Angeles, California) on 07/12/2008
★★★★★
Dermatitis herpetiformis & ACV: i was struck by repeated bouts of what a dermatologist diagnosed as herpes zoster or shingles. went through a valtrex treatments each time the rashes appeared on my arms and legs. slowly emerging and very itchy bumps that would, over two weeks, become clear liquid-filled bumps. i suspected it had to do with infected scratches from dog toenails, as i was working with rescue dogs. lo and behold, it was - and my sister, a doctor across the country, had suspected dermatitis hep the whole time. it was much later that i stumbled upon ACV as an excellent cure that speeds up the cycle of the rash. i soak a gauze square with it and tape it to the affected area changing it in the morning and at night. such a relief to have a non-med cure! also, i have found that if i wash the scratched area immediately with anti-bacterial soap, it can prevent the rashes.:)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Joanna (Colorado Springs, Colorado) on 05/15/2008
★★★★☆
My mom has had a bad rash on her face. Also, her skin is dry (not to the touch), but it is flakey and feels dry to her. At any rate, I found your website, and she tried Apple Cider Vinegar, and it is clearing up the bad rash. We are assuming it is dermatitis. No doctors have called "it" a name, and every cream they had her try just dried her face and more and usually did not clear up the red at all. So, the ACV is clearing up the red rash just fine but is not helping to make the skin less flakey. Every time it feels dry and tight, she is applying moisturizer from a good skin brand. She also does this as normal in the mornings and evenings. Any suggestions to help the dryness? Thank you!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Lynda (Los Angeles, CA) on 12/08/2007
★★★★★
Hi! I have had dermatitis on my arms since I was a child, and have bought those nasty psoriasis/dermatitis tar treatments that smell terrible, are expensive - and don't work!! The label says dermatitis is incurable, and that is FALSE! I tried putting ACV on a cotton ball and applied it to my arms once a day - the dermatitis is gone! It works! Thank you so much.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Kara (Austin, TX) on 01/16/2007
★★★★★
I had a severe case of contact dermatitis from a reaction to a new "anti-aging" cream i bought. The doctors took pictures and said it was one of the worst cases they had seen. They gave me an Rx for prednisone. Thank God I checked this site first. I applied ACV diluted in purified water to my face 3x per day and it completely cleared up within three days!! I cancelled the Rx. I LOVE ACV, and my skin looks better than when I used all of the expensive creams and lotions.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Kimberly (Nova Scotia) on 08/18/2006
★★★★★
I was diagnosed with contact dermatitis on my hands and feet. It was caused from exposing my hands to spray nine without the use of rubber gloves. I have been reading so much about apple cider vinegar and decided to try it. Well, I was also diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and also came the slightly high blood pressure and cholesterol a tad high. I started to take the acv and low and behold, my next bloodwork was the best it has been in 5 yrs. If my next 2 check ups are like this last one I may go off my diabetic and blood pressure pills all together. WOW! Thank you GOD for having the acv at our disposal.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Anonymous (USA)
★★★★★
Because of such a severe case of contact dermatitis from overuse of yeast medicines, I was left unable to walk or sit comfortably, and my skin was too sensitive for any topical medications, and oral cortisone only worked temporarily. My mother suggested using 4 tbs. of white vinegar with some juice to kill the taste. I'm glad to tell you that the vinegar, along with rest, has put me on the road to recovery in only 4 days after battling this illness for 4 months!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Felicia (Cincinnati, Ohio)
★★★★★
I had what I believed to be Poison sumac/ severe contact dermatitis. I soaked my arm in oatmeal bath, then applied ACV with a spray bottle. I did this 3 times a day. It has only been 4 days it is almost gone. My skin began to get very dry & itchy, so the last 2 days I've only applied the ACV once a day. The last time I had this. I had to get a steroid injection & was on oral steroids 3 weeks. It took 3 weeks for the dermatitis to go away. It took 2 months for my skin to return to it's original color. My skin in the healed spots is already my original color.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by C (Johannesburg, Gauteng) on 06/26/2014
Acv for eczema or dermatitis: I am applying a 50/50 concentration of apple cider vinegar and water to eczema on my face and then rinse off after a while. I do this twice a day. I have followed this regime for a week.
My questions are:
1. How long should it take before I see progress?
2. the little bumps are still very itchy and not clearing. Is this normal? Should it not have gotten better by now?
Thanks.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Tony (Church Hill, Tn, Usa) on 06/19/2012
Hello ForgetMeNot Blue! I know what you're going through with candida. I'm now in my 6th week of the candida protocol provided right here at EC. It's a tough health condition to get your grips around. I too am having a hard time with anti-candida diet. I'm finally doing much much better on it now after 6 weeks of treamtent.
However, I'm still experiencing die-off symptoms myself. I've had an overgrowth problem since 1996 myself. I just didn't know until recently after going through numerous problems with my health & even hospitalization.
I don't think Ted or Bill hare at EC support the product ThreeLac. I remember reading a pretty lengthy post from one of them about ThreeLac. I can't seem to find that post though right now. Below is a link to the ThreeLac page here at EC:
https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/candida7.html#threelacHang in there! Do you have a support system at home? I've been so grouchy lately none of family can stand being around me! This is a long & tough battle! Try to stay positive! Use the complete protocol from the link below:
https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/candida.html#bills
Report back to us here again with results! Keep in mind, there are no quick fixes for a candida overgrowth problem. I wish there was myself but there's not! We have to be patient & fight the battle! It's hard but stay focused! We'll see a healthier body & mind once we get across that hump! I've still yet to get across that hump myself! Thanks & God Bless!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Natstar (Pembie Bc) on 06/20/2012
HI POD, Please please please stay in tune with your diet. It's nice that they advertise that you can have your cake and eat it too (lol literally :), but remember, its your body saying 'no I dont like'. Give it time to heal. Sites that say basically 'eat crap and still look like a million bucks' aren't honest. Stay smart;)!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Forgetmenot Blue (Green Bay, Wi, United States) on 06/22/2012
Thanks Tony and Natstar for your responses. Tony, thanks for the links to the other threads. I really hope you feel better soon! Yes, you both are probably right: my body IS trying to tell me something.
It's been a full week since I got back on the Candida free diet for my perioral dermatitis. For two days now the raised rash has been gone and only a couple tiny pustles have appeared during the day which I have removed through the use of _____'s Apple Cider Vinegar/Water mix! My skin is still red and there are definitely underground bumps underneath the skin, but considering that it has been 90 degrees all week and I stay-at-home with my kids in a house without A/C, that is truly amazing!
In addition to my skin getting significantly better, my canker sores are gone and my GI tract has been "normal. " Yes, I think my body likes this diet, even if my sweet tooth (and my husband) don't!
My question is to others who have/are on the Candida diet... when do you start reintroducing stage three foods? And likewise, when do you start reintroducing fruits, milk, and/or products with yeast? I'm assuming it's sort of like dipping your toe into the water with each new food and you wait to see how your body responds, but I thought perhaps there's a good formula to follow.
Thanks so much!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Ally (Dundee, Scotland) on 06/15/2012
I have just been diagnosed with PD. Like others I started getting a few spots last year which quickly spread into really sore angry spots across my chin. I felt so self conscious. Doctor prescribed antibiotics for 2 months but they weren't working quickly enough for me so I went to a herbal chinese doctor who gave me a herbal cream and concotion of herbs to make tea to drink three times a day and herbal tablets. He said I had too much heat in my blood and recommended laying off spicy foods, lamb, etc. This definitely helped and when I finshed the course I only had some flare ups of small spots and redness but.... Problem was I then in my wisdom tackled the break outs by dabbing on a steroid... And well you all the problem with that. So I spent a good time thinking I was clearing it up when I've made it worse. I finally saw a dermatologist last week and I now have antibiotics again for 2 months, and an emulsifying ointment to wash with and use as a moisturiser too. No cosmetics, creams etc. I am also waiting for a further appointment to get patch testing done to establish if it is any of my regular products which are contributing to this. Of course I am now dealing with the big flare up following stopping using steroid, so had a couple of miserable days. The emulsifying ointment really softens the skin though making it feel more comfortable but it's pretty unsightly. I found this site last night so am off out this morning to get vitamins to try, buy non flouride toothpaste and I put ACV on it last night too.
There seems to be mixed comments though on how long the flare up lasts following stopping steroid - any views? Also some people seem to say it stops altogether and for other it comes and goes - can it disappear altogether? Finally I live in the UK but are there any brands of make up without SLS I could try? I know it's maybe vain but I work in a really public facing job and sometimes a bit of cover up just makes you feel better! Thanks
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Bkwrimsan (Lake Forest, Ca) on 01/16/2012
★☆☆☆☆
I tried ACV for dermatitis after a doctor prescribed Desonide with no success. After a couple of weeks, I saw no real results - my skin seemed slightly better on the first day, but even with consistant daily applications I saw no major change. Another doctor has put me on doxycycline, which seems to be working fairly well, but is making my psoriasis flair.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Neels (Charlotte, Nc) on 09/22/2011
Hi all, I have been dealing with PD for 3 months now (Not nearly as long as some of you, I was so sorry to hear that some of you have been dealing for so long. ) My story sounds similar to many of you... Thought it was acne, went to a dermatologist and was perscribed Metronidazole and Protopic. I used both for about a week and didn't see any improvement, however the PD didn't seem to get worse either.
I found this blog and have started to use the ACV (ingesting & topically), yogurt and acidophilus (it's been two days). I have also eliminated products that contain SLS. I would like to say that I think the PD is improving, but that could all just be in my head too.
My question is... How much of the ACV should you drink? How often? How often should you apply the ACV topically? When should you apply the yogurt? Immediately after the ACV? How often? I have stopped using the Metronidazole, was that a good idea? Should I use it again in conjunction with the natural items? Finally... When should I expect to see dramatic results (i. E. Feeling like I can go out in public with out a bunch of red spots all over my face)?
Any advice/suggestions would be a great help! I appreciate what I've read so far and look forward to being PD free soon!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Mmcgraw (Hamilton, Ontario) on 08/11/2011
I think I may have spoken too soon. My face was completely clear of the POD on sunday after a week of using the ACV and now it is back- not as bad but still very red and dry. I started right back up with the ACV but diluted. I stopped using the ACV for maybe 2 days after my skin was normal, do I still need to use it even after my skin is clear? Or has my skin become immune to the vinegar? Has anyone had this happen to them? Also I'm using virgin olive oil after I put on the ACV to moisturize now, I hope this doesn't complicate things anymore.. I was so relieved and happy and now its back again. Ugh!
