Turmeric for Boils: Top Natural Remedy for Fast Healing

Hubby developed a boil on his back. He had never had one in our 20 plus years together. Then very soon he had 5 of them. We're outside in the yard heat sweating a lot and he's very hairy also, which could have brought it on? This just happened this month June 2021. I made a Turmeric paste, dabbed each one, then put a bandaid on all 5 of them. After I pulled them off and he showered when we were done outside-I reapplied new ones. Did this for 1 week. I also wore gloves while doing this.

All the swelling went down and away and healed up nicely.

I've suffered from boils most of my life, since puberty. Always on the bikini line area which as you can image, isn't that much fun growing up and, is extremely painful!

I love being active but find exercise exacerbates the condition due to the sweating and friction...difficult when lowering weight is a suggested treatment!

I've found turmeric to be a lifesaver. I purchased a pot of coconut oil, melted it in the microwave the mixed in lots of turmeric powder so its bright yellow, then leave it to set again. I take this orally a few times a day and it instantly either helps the boils to come to a head and pop or just shrink back down. I also find making gold turmeric milk, with added cinnamon, star anise and cardamon a really palatable way to eat more - lovely at bedtime.

I do find that the boils are recurring though, which I'm finding hard to control. I'm looking to start a strick juice/smoothy raw food plan for a few weeks to see if that helps, coupled with daily ACV and turmeric, but I wondered if anyone else had any advice.

I did worry I could have hidradenitis suppurativa as I've had this condition since puberty, but the characteristics of the boils and flair ups don't quite seem right. Still, I don't think diet alterations would be a bad thing...sure my waistline would agree!

Love this website. Always my first resource when I suffer from any ailments.

Steve, the turmeric paste will pull the infection, and also allow the healing. My son had major swelling with large visible infection, I allowed the doctor to open it, disallowed his damaging antibiotics, took my boy home and applied a messy paste of turmeric and castor oil. Wrapped in gauze and changed every 24 hours. After 2 changes the pus had been completely drawn out, and also no pain from the first application. I didn't put honey until all the pus had come out, and I mixed that with the turmeric and castor. Also internally he took 2 Olive leaf capsules every 4 hours as non gut harming antibiotics. In your wife's case I do think she needs something internally, that's why the various infections keep recurring. You could also use turmeric internally, recent suggestions indicate it should be taken with hot water. Best to you

My wife has a very stubborn abscess/boil that has been opened up by the doctor two times but it won't heal!! Tried manuka on it and now it's draining again but not healing...I am trying turmeric on it with the concoction the site suggests..coconut oil, black pepper etc. I will see if it works but this stubborn one won't heal... Do you have any suggestions? She has been on multiple antibiotics and doxy helped it but as soon as her period comes, it flares up again! Also has major yeast infections from it!!Any suggestions??? Need help.

I contracted my first furuncle ever after shaving with a razor that was a bit dull. For two weeks, I didn't know what it was, as I had two other ingrown hairs that I'd been able to free with Prid drawing salve. This, though, was not an ingrown hair, but was an infected hair follicle. I made it worse by scrubbing it in the shower. Now four follicles were infected, and I developed a lump under all four follicles... it was now a carbuncle/boil. Ouch!

A friend told me about turmeric and whole milk paste, applied topically. The paste “ripened” the two smaller infected follicles using this remedy. I then switched to a paste of turmeric and colloidal silver, and they burst and drained into the paste/plaster completely. Barely any marks left to worry over. Then for nearly four more weeks, nothing would help the other two more seriously infected follicles “ripen”. Not with hot Epsom's salt soaks, turmeric plasters, or zinc oxide cream, although I think those things helped keep them from growing out of control.

Finally, I popped in here and learned I could take turmeric internally in material amounts for this problem. I read every single review, which filled me hope and determination. I wanted this painful ordeal sorted! So, I prepared turmeric tea, using 1tsp of turmeric from my spice cabinet. I repeated the tea halfway through the day, and then I made a drink with whole organic milk, dash of cinnamon, 1 tsp of maple syrup, 1tsp of turmeric, and a dash of pepper at bedtime. I also wore a paste of turmeric mixed with a vitamin E capsule (can penetrate all 7 layers of skin), all day and night, on the carbuncle/boil. When I woke up, both infected pores were completely “ripe”. Yay! I wanted to continue the turmeric tea and golden milk concoction, but I actually felt too sensitive throughout my digestive system from drinking so much of it the day before. I have a very sensitive tummy in general. I decided to apply a thick layer of zinc oxide cream over the “ripe” heads all day and night. The next morning... they both had popped and were draining into the gauze dressing I had loosely applied over the area. Thank goodness! I then sat on the toilet and spayed my entire lap with colloidal silver, then I cleaned up the two wounds, and surrounding area, with rubbing alcohol soaked toilet paper, and flushed it all away. Next, I showered, resprayed the wounds and some gauze with colloidal silver, and applied the gauze between my clothing and the wound. I resprayed throughout the day, and once the area was thoroughly calm and pain-free, and both wounds were successfully making healthy scabs, I applied some vitamin E. This strong remedy could upset your tummy, but it works a charm on blind-ended, intractable boils.

In the future, I would do a reduced dose for myself and do it much earlier in the process. But... I will never touch that area with a razor again for the rest of my, hopefully, carbuncle-free life!

Love you so much, Earth Clinic! 💜💜💜 Thanks to all turmeric review contributors!

Coconut oil and turmeric paste for painful boils.

Hi all, mum called to say she had another large painful boil, it was on her buttock making movement difficult. I asked her how did you get rid of the last boil, only about three weeks earlier (groin). She replied oh you told me to put the coconut oil and turmeric and in the morning all the gunk had come out. I should do it again. Ok mum, also, if you take a tsp every day you will stop getting the boils.

Castor Bean Oil.

Moonlight58, your posts are from long ago but I had to comment:

1. You are hilarious!

2. A pinch of good salt (Celtic, Himalayan) with each glass of water might help the water get into the cells and hydrate better.

Had a boil that wouldn't go away (in the groin area, no less) and, having read about remedies on here, just smeared some turmeric and coconut together on a bandaid. Changed it out a few days later, and it is almost completely healed. Amazing!!!!

Anon, thanks for your input. I shall try it out. You're right. I have digestion problem where I bloat frequently.

Cj, you might like to try using liquid digestive bitters, taken at least once per day on the tongue, preferably before your big meal, to help you digest your foods more thoroughly. If you forget to take before your meal go ahead and take it during meal, after, or even at bedtime. Boils and cysts point to a gut issue, so work on improving your gut health and hopefully your skin issues will soon disappear.

40 years old male, Asian, 165 cm, 57 kg

I usually have a boil every few months on my buttock. Many people from this site say turmeric works for their boils. Thus, I try and it works in a sense that it develops less often now. I take 2 capsules x 750 mg daily. It comes with black pepper for better absorption.

Hi, I suffer from HS and have been taking Turmeric and black pepper tablets. I'm taking 1 a day... how many were you taking and are you still? Thanks x

I'm currently battling a large, golf ball size boil in my breast region. Unfortunately this is a recurring issue. I kept reading about turmeric and even tried it once but didn't see much change in terms of bringing the boil to a head.

Thanks to this site I learned that turmeric is fat activated and black pepper helps adsorption. So I tried again. My issue was too far gone so I couldn't just take the turmeric pills. I took a two prong approach by creating a turmeric paste with turmeric, butter or coconut oil, black pepper, salt, and water. It made a nice paste that I covered the boil with, covered with a bandage and left it over night. In the meantime, I made Chai green tea with turmeric, black pepper, burdock root, lemon and manuka honey. I drank this tea 2 to 4 times a day. It took 3 nights for the boil to burst but once it did a lot of infection came out. I also added turmeric capsules to my regimen at 2 capsules with every meal.

I'm so happy turmeric is something I can use to keep this issue in check. My ultimate goal is to live a cleaner lifestyle which includes turmeric capsules as a preventative measure.

First sign of boil take Turmeric internally. I use high quality trusted brand capsules. I will take 2 with every meal. Minimum. Did I say MINIMUM...??? YEAH MINIMUM... If boil proves stubborn you may wish to apply externally. I empty half a capsule and mix it with a tiny amount of Coconut Oil or Butter (Turmeric is "fat activated") make a paste and apply directly to boil. It will stain your skin but that will only last a few days. Cover with a bandage... or your clothing will be stained. You may experience some burning sensations. That's OK will only last 10-15 minutes. That's a sign that the battle is on and the Turmeric is ripping into the infection. For me, signs of victory will be seen in 24 hours. Continue for another day or two.

Boils are usually as sign that you are run down or stressed. Get some rest, clean up your diet. Try ( easier said than done) not to stress out. Stress does terrible things to our internal balance. Peace Out.

It's just like when you take acne medicine. It's getting all the inflammation out of your body and it has to get worse before gets better.

Yeah, I know it's been a long time since this person's negative comment. But here goes.

First off, I noted she was taking the kids size portion 1/4 tsp.

And how about doing it topically? What about trying Mellycat of (Dallas, Tx) info...

She said...

"Then I made a paste of sweet almond oil, turmeric and 3 drops of tea tree oil and applied it to the boil and the surrounding area and covered it with gauze and taped it in place. Within, I kid you not, 10 minutes, the swelling and hardness had gone down." Or try something similar that others have used.

Maybe you should have mentioned your issue a lot sooner and then someone could have given you some ideas. Guy, 1 year later seems a little late in the game, don't you think.

I figure, and maybe I'm wrong, but it almost 300 people have had good results from it, well, maybe you might be doing something wrong.

Myself, I can't believe how fast the staph boils on my arm healed up.

I did the 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tbs coconut oil 3x a day. Man, nothing was working before, just getting worse.

Janelle, I'm not saying this just to hack on you. I'm sure you were doing the best you could under your circumstance.

Normally, when something is not working for me and it's helping a lot of others I figure I need to start asking or doing something different. There's always an answer out there.

Janelle, I sure hope you finally did find a good answer.

Sincerely, MarkC

Turmeric is an Indian spice...the ground root of the turmeric plant. You can find it in any grocery store like Safeway or Trader Joe's, but I'd recommend buying it from your local Indian grocery store, if you have one close by. Much much cheaper. You can get about 150gms for $1-2 here, instead of paying $6-8 at Safeway etc.

(I know this answer is really late but I thought this info might help someone else).

When you're either using Turmeric internally or as a paste externally, so you have to be ready for the drainage ahead of.time be covering the area with gauze ahead of time. Turmeric is a boil killer and is very powerful, so a boil needs to be well covered to stop the spread from the drainage.

Not incorrect??? Sorry...not finishing prescription antibiotics has contributed to creating super-resistant strains of bacteria. (Scientifically proven)

I would rather try natural home remedies first for myself and family, and almost always find resolve. However, I also would like to rely on antibiotic treatments if myself or my loved ones critically need them, so please don't contribute to untreatable super strains of bacteria, by not finishing a prescription. We are all better off if you never start taking the drug, rather than take some.

Dear Amber,

I give my children turmeric.

For small children, ages 2 - 6, I give 1/4 teaspoon, 2-3 times a day. For ages 6-12, I give about 1/2 teaspoon 2-3 times a day. For 12 and over, I use an adult dose of 1 teaspoon 3 times a day. Turmeric should be taken with plenty of water. Some say it can cause constipation, but we have not seen that happen. But maybe it is because we use plenty of water.

I mix turmeric with yogurt, applesauce or honey to give it to children.

You could also spray the boils with colloidal silver.

I have used a mixture of the following on skin infections several times a day:

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

5 drops tea tree essential oil

5 drops of Frankincense essential oil

Even just the coconut oil may be enough.

I hope your children feel better soon!

~Mama to Many~

My son and daughter recently broke out with a boil. Can you give turmeric to a child? If so, how much? My daughters has nearly healed with antibiotics, but my son's is very painful. My daughter's was diagnosed as MRSA, so the dr assumed my sons was the same and treated it with stronger antibiotics. His culture is not back yet. I want to do what ever I can to help him, it is really bothering him. Thanks.

Dear Sandy,

People turn to turmeric after trying other remedies and find that it works. I don't think it is too late.

But I am concerned that he has been in a bed for a week - you mean from the boils? I would watch for red streaks from the boils or fever and also give lots of Vitamin C. Has he seen a health care provider?

~Mama to Many~

I'm off to get turmeric for my boyfriend who's had a big boil on his abdomen, and in bed since Monday. Does it matter that he's had this thing for a week already? Will it still work?

You are a lifesaver! I have been suffering from abscesses for a few years. They would grow and then rupture on their own, and then the process would repeat. One time I drained it myself using a needle and finger pressure because I was tired of the pain. Mind you the boils were not situated in a very sensitive place of my body and were rather small therefore the pain might be incomparable to yours, though it was still excruciatingly painful.

I am going to try drinking turmeric in hot milk. I think that it is 1) better soluble in fats and 2) taster a lot better in milk. You can also use other spices (cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, cardamom) in pinch quantities for a better taste and digestion.

I normally put 1 cup milk, 1 cup water, turmeric and other spices in the pot and bring it to boil. Then I reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, letting the milk absorb the spices and the water to boil off.

I never thought I would be on here writing a post about Turmeric because I was so skeptical but here I am. I got my first abscess probably about two years ago in the groin area (for anyone who suffers I feel your pain! ) I went straight away to my doctor's office to have it drained and honestly it was harmless, I don't remember being in all that much pain after I was numbed. Fast forward to about a month ago and I get a bump in the same area I had my first abscess but didn't think much of it because it had been so long ago. I was supposed to be taking a weekend trip to San Diego but I had no insurance at the time and this thing on my groin was growing and fast...I had no choice but to go to my local urgent care and paid around $175 to have it lanced and drained. This was THE most painful experience of my life, mind you I have had a collapsed lung and was hospitalized for 10 days, I would have rather gone through that again. The doctor on duty at the urgent care was actually wonderful talking me through the pain; I was by myself and did not expect this procedure to be this painful because of my last one but it was horrid. She had to give me two shots for the numbing because it had grown so much and then had break up the pus pocket that was connecting the two. Sorry for the description but long story short I wasn't able to go on my trip because I was still in pain from the packing. This healed up and about two weeks ago I started to feel the same area flare up, NO, I have another trip planned this time to Disneyland and if I have this it would make it physically impossible to walk the parks for three days. I had read about turmeric when I got the abscess prior but I really did not think it would work. I did have insurance now but a trip to urgent care would still be $100 and if I went to my doctor I would have to hope they were able to take me in before this thing got worse. I went to my local grocery store, Fry's, and found McCormick Ground Turmeric for less than 6 dollars and went home and began to drink it. I tried water and hated it, if you like tea try black breakfast tea, honey and about a teaspoon of turmeric powder but I would only suggest drinking that once or twice a day even as a tea drinker it became way too much hot liquids three times a day. I also bought yogurt and just had a spoonful with the powder and even though the taste wasn't great it was over in one spoonful three times a day and it's getting to the boil right away. I was in literal disbelief how quickly this began working, I even took pictures of my boil at the time just to make sure I wasn't going crazy and I would say within the first 24 hours the inflammation went down and five days later I was off to the Happiest Place on Earth. I got Turmeric pills at Walgreens for around $12.00 before my trip just because it was more convenient for my trip. I took one 450 mg morning and night during my trip and even with 10+ hours of walking in Disneyland it never flared up again. I had to come on here and write about my experience because if I can save anyone money and more importantly a traumatic experience of it being drained I am more than happy to. Turmeric will now be a staple in my household!!

A question about turmeric. With hundreds of positive reviews, I tried turmeric both orally and topically to treat a very painful bump/boil. The next day the boil opened and lots of pus and blood came out. This originated expansion, and I got two other boils side by side overnight. So painful! My question is, why for some was there a cure in a day or three, and I got an infection which worsened? My experience shows a plus side and a negative one. The plus side is that indeed, turmeric works very fast to make boils open. It increases body heat and ability to expel toxins. The other thing is, when this happens, what can we do to stop the pus/bacteria that comes from spreading? I cleaned and drained as well as I could but it did not stop this.

Now I am better. A doctor had to open the three boils and clean the area. And I made dietary changes (no sugar or fast carbs plus I take some vitamins) Any comments or answers to my doubts are very appreciated!

Hi,

After almost 2 months of what my doctor diagnosed as herpes- and herpes zoster ( a form of shingles virus) and have been deeply embarrassed- in severe pain and not able to work; as I am a makeup artist and am a representation Of beauty.

Turns out MRSA the eye boils- the face oozing, large PAINFUL BOILS!! On face- one on butt OMG.

I have been chugging turmeric 2( tablespoons and an 8oz glass of water)) and made a paste of warm coconut oil- one tablespoon coarse sea salt- lotsa pepper coarse( as well ) a hint of squeezed lemon and stir in 2 tbsp of Turmeric.

It seriously works!!!

"I continue to take the antibiotics because you need to finish them" Ummm....that's incorrect.

Midwives with the Ayurvedic background are using turmeric big time to prepare for the birth and afterwards. That is, in India. Namaste, Om

Dear Jo,

According to the National Institute for Heath, turmeric is considered safe for pregnancy in the amounts you would use in food. In some countries, turmeric is used regularly and often everyday in food.

However it's effect has not been studied on pregnant women, so no one can say, "for sure". I checked several sources and could not find turmeric on a "list of herbs to avoid in pregnancy." Some herbs have estrogenic properties or purgative properties. These herbs are always on such lists. Turmeric is not estrogenic or purgative.

Turmeric is a blood purifier and therefore good at detoxifying. For that reason, I would personally not want to use large amounts of it in pregnancy. Pregnant and nursing moms need to be careful about detoxifying their bodies since toxins would come out in the milk of a nursing mom, and would likely also cross the placenta.

Our bodies are detoxifying regularly through sweating and elimination, so some detoxification is normal, but you wouldn't want to go out of your way to cause extra detoxification during times of pregnancy and nursing.

If I were dealing with a health problem in pregnancy and was having to decide between a strong anti-biotic and turmeric (say for MRSA), I would chose turmeric, and use the smallest amount needed to deal with the problem.

Because turmeric may be a natural blood thinner, I would avoid it in the last month of pregnancy, except in amounts normally used in food.

I hope that will help you to make a good decision!

~Mama to Many~

Hi, is tumeric safe to take during pregnancy??

First I want to say I consult with earth clinic whenever I have a health concern. Doctors are a 'no resort' for me.

To heal a stubborn boil in a place where 'the sun don't shine', I read the posts on earth clinic to read what people were using. I devised my own recipe based on common use. It made my boil disappear in a few days. Here it is... 1 teaspoon turmeric, ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, half mug milk, half mug warm water. Stir well until coconut oil has melted and drink once a day until healed.

I hope other readers find my cure helpful. Good luck. Never give up hope.

This absolutely works! I have tried many remedies from this lovely site and I get results all of the time. I had a very painful boil that was about the size of a quarter for 2 days. I made a paste of turmeric that I had in my spice rack and a few drops of water. I applied this paste directly to the boil and covered it with a band-aid. I kid you not, I had no pain in 3 minutes, and within 15 minutes, the boil opened and drained! I cleaned it up, re-applied more paste and the next morning it was completely flat and painless. Of course everybody is different, but this is an inexpensive remedy worth trying before putting lab made medicines into your temple.

Did you apply it topically or put a tablespoon in hot water and drink it like tea? And how long before your saddle sores healed?

When detoxing, avoid all sugars, bread, pasta, potatoes, etc. Replace with honey and Stevia, a natural tree product, if necessary.

Stick to mostly, if not all, organic vegetables, raw and cooked. Vegetable soup is great in the crock pot because you can keep it on low all day, eat as much as you want and even drink the broth.

After a week, you can eat a potato and meat (6-10 ozs) with a meal. In the second week, you can add a fruit daily. I prefer eating fruit in the morning, to help pass my stool, and I feel better for the rest of my day.

Always drink plenty of water. Warm water first thing in the morning helps to hydrate your whole body (including your organs) to help them work at their best. Drinking water before bed helps reduce heart attacks. I drink a glass about 2 hours before bedtime so I can urinate before going to bed.

With regards to boils and recurring skin infections. Check your urine for sugar. As this tends to be a problem in Type 2 Diabetes. It can go unnoticed, without symptoms for years.

The problem causes a Syndrome, High sugar, leading to High blood pressure, and the sugar causes the immune system to go on strike, and not be able to handle "Staphylococcus Arius" the main cause of boils, while the sugar levels remain high. In the western world it has reached epidemic proportions. Once the sugar has dropped the boils disappear.

Turmeric seems to bring on an intense draining of the boil, without any other intervention other than keeping it clean and patching with absorbent tissue. Definitely recommended.

This was a number of years ago now (i just realized that I have used many remedies from this site- always turn to it first- but never posted any of my results), I was in the last month of my pregnancy and I became afflicted with 2 boils, one beside the other, grew to about the size of golf balls; located right in the crease of my groin. It was sooooo painful I could barely walk and cried often (I'm not much of a crier, but I was so frustrated too). I didn't want to take antibiotics b/c of the baby, but I had to do something..... so I went to the Dr.and they prescribed a week of antibiotics which didn't even phase the boils. Then they say my only option is to lance them. I'm weeks away from giving birth! I do not want open wounds there while I'm trying to push a child out of me!!! Omg, this was a nightmare!

I turned to Earthclinic (which I should've followed my instincts and done it first! ) for a natural and safe for the baby remedy. Turmeric was it. Read a lot of positive reviews so I decided to try it. I couldn't handle taking it in warm water like suggested and found another person had buried it in a spoonful of yogurt. Tried that and down the hatch it went, painlessly. And within 15 - 20 minutes I got the tingle inside the boils. They started to drain almost immediately. I kept taking the turmeric about 3x daily. The boils continued to drain for 4 days, with such relief!!!! I never forced anything, just let it do its own thing and they were gone within a week, with barely even a red mark to show for it. Natural, cheap, effective, safe home remedy with no side effects or scarring!!!! It was amazing! I have used it a couple of times since as well, actually as soon as I feel a little bump that might turn into a boil, I use the turmeric and it goes away before it gets to a point of having to drain. I LOVE Earthclinic, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

I'm grateful for your encouragement. Have had a blasted small boil on the upper right corner of shoulder front. Then, tried several $$$ remedies that have done very little.

Today made a paste of turmeric, pepper and extra virgin coconut oil and put on it. Then drank a warm cup of water with 1 tsp. of turmeric and dash of pepper. (Oh, forgot to say, developed a 'rash' all over my body that was driving me crazy! And, after reading all the stuff on this have concluded there must be an internal infection (staph in all probability, had been in contact with a hospital and very ill person previous)so decided to 'cleanse' with that also.

Thanks again for the encouragement. Donna

Don't worry about turmeric staining your teeth! I actually read somewhere where someone said they loved the clean feeling of turmeric-brushed teeth, so I tried it! It did NOT stain my teeth, and they felt amazingly clean. I think it's somewhat abrasive, which makes them feel very polished. Turmeric DOES stain my fingernails, but within a few days, that disappears. But, it does NOT do that to teeth!!!!!