Apple Cider Vinegar Remedy for Perioral Dermatitis

I was diagnosed with perioral dermatitis about 9 months ago but I have had the condition for quite a bit longer. I don't remember when it first appeared because I have sensitive pale skin which is prone to break-outs so I assumed what I had was irritated skin. I also had a couple of bouts with sinus infections and took antibiotics for those. On me, perioral dermatitis looks like a red irritated ring of skin around my mouth. I moiturized and tried to calm the skin to no avail before finally admitting to myself that I needed to seek professional help.

My dermatologist recognized it right away and prescribed Oracea (antibiotic) and Elydel cream (non-steroid cream). I took Oracea for two months and the redness went away but my skin began to look dry and aged. I stopped taking Oracea and before long the redness was back and I began to break out. I also noticed my blemishes took a very long time to heal and the skin around my mouth was raw and peeling. To cover up when I did go out I relied on BB cream but it caused me to peel even more. Sometimes my faced peeled several times a day. Not wanting to go back to anti-booties

I began o search for answers when stumbled on to this site. I read accounts for hours and decided to try applying organic apple cider vinegar diluted 50% with sterilized water. I was nervous because the thought of applying something acidic to my raw irritated skin seemed so counter-intuitive but the accounts of all the people who found relief gave me the courage to try. It did sting. I applied it with a cotton pad twice a day and rinsed it off after a few minutes each time. I also consumed the apple cider vinegar in a homemade vinaigrette with extra virgin olive oil and honey on my salads.

Each day I was 50% better than the day before. After a couple of days, the vinegar solution no longer stings when applied. I also relied on an oil-less face oil called squalane during the day and an omega-3 repair oil for face at night to create a protective healing barrier. I stopped using BB creams with sunscreen and switched to mineral make-up to cover redness and blemishes. I cleansed my skin with a face wash that gently exfoliated sensitive skin before using the vinegar solution. Two weeks later, My skin is not completely clear yet but it continues to improve. My on-line research got me to thinking that when this condition appears, it is likely a signal from our bodies to address systemic inflammation. My plan includes consuming more raw fruits and vegetables that are alkalizing for the body (just like apple cider vinegar is! ) and also to consume more probiotics. These posts got me to focus on improving my overall health and my skin is healing because of these small healthful changes. I vowed to return and write a post so that I might contribute my experience and try to help others like the posts I read here helped me.

Thank you so much for the combined wisdom in all your messages re this nasty and persistant condition.

It's been with me for over a year and I cannot wait to try the ACV today - as soon as my little homeopathic shop in the high street opens this morning.

The rash started appearing over a year ago at a time I was under a lot of stress (and still am) and has not cleared after regular use of prescription cream.

Worringly, also a few month after the rash appeared I developed some pain (discomfort) in my lymph nodes (no swelling)which may not be connected with the skin condition but seems to be more prominent when the area around my mouth is particularly itchy (rash rather than blisters)

I had lots of tests re. Lymph nodes and nothing has been detected and the GP said not to worry about it but of course I do. Thankfully there are lots of people who have the same lymph node condition - and many of them had it linked to food alergies.

A bout of shingles at a point of acute stress (berievement) this summer seems to have helped with the lymph nodes to some extent but it hasn't cleared it. I hoped that the cause of the rash had something to do with the underlying immunity issues to do with the shingles but when the shingles cleared up (with help of antibiotics) the twinges of pain in the lymph nodes returned - thought not in the same intensity - but always manifest themselves when the rash is worse. Is it possible that my body is trying to fight the dermatitis?

As someone who always enjoyed a really clear and blemish free skin (but v. Dry) - I am in my late 50s - I am just so frustrated and do feel for all you ladies who'd been struggling with this condition for years. I've always used face creams for dry skin - was never loyal to a particular brand and never paid more than ?10 - as long as the cream contained sufficient combination of moisture and.... Well grease. Last year when the symptoms started, in desperation I returned to the cream of my Mum's era the good old Nivea which I used as a child - as it's quite mild. With a layer of vaseline around the affected area it seems to soothe the skin for a while but the itchy, red rash always returns after a few days.

Hope the Apple Cider Vinegar does the trick and I also intend to search for an organic cream for dry skin! I will let you know how I get on.

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 :)

Update: On the fifth day, I felt that the remaining 20% of the POD wasn't shifting and I even had one or two rebellious papules return, (evil stuff). So, undeterred, I popped over to a well-known herbal remedy store here in the UK and got them to make me up a 150ml bottle of pure calendula and myrrh tinctures (100ml:50ml ratio respectively). Having approx 50% of my wonderful intensive dermaspray left, I simply filled the remainder of the bottle with the tincture mix and shook it all up together - I now had a non-greasy base for the tincture which meant the alcohol wouldn't be an issue - it was time to kick this stuff into touch!

The good news is that it's worked an absolute treat! On the same day I also took 5ml of the tincture internally with water 3 x day before meals (as instructed), mixing in 10 drops of bitter Berberis tincture for good measure (I didn't add this to the spray though). All the tinctures are highly antifungal and antinflammatory, and just 12 hours later the last of my POD has died down dramatically so now I have only dark pink-coloured patches and 2 small drying plaques left to heal. I now feel that I want to recommend trying the tinctures and dermaspray over and above any other treatment if your POD is stubborn or recurs - I have tried everything - trust me! Good luck everyone!

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 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!

I suffered from POD for about 2 years and this is what I did to get rid of it: Stopped using Cetaphil cleanser and anything with sodium laurel sulfate in it, I used the apple cider vinegar and saw immediate results, did it for a month before I stopped. I also started using ____'s "Nourish All in One Facial Cleanser, and the Oil Free Moisturizer". Works great and keeps my skin clear and soft! The antibiotic treatment never worked for me. Good luck, dont give up!

I have had perioral dermatitis for nearly 5 months now. At first it started out as a little red patch under my nose and another red patch on my chin. At first I just thought it was dry skin and used rosehip oil and moisturisers on it but it didnt go away. I then saw the doctor and he said it was dermatitis and gave me a steroid cream that I used for roughly 3 weeks, with no results.

I then stopped using the cream and my skin completley flared up and spread to larger patches on both sides of my nose and chin. When I went back to my usual doctor she prescribed me with a weeks worth of cilex (oral antibiotic). It did help slightly, my PD wasnt as red but it didnt completley get rid of it. I went back a week later and she gave me another weeks worth. This did not get rid of it either, although it didnt make it worse thankgod. At the same time I was on the cilex I was using apple cider vinegar and calendula cream. The calendula cream must be doing something to stop the dryness and redness but the ACV hasnt helped at all. When I first read about ACV and how well it has worked for other people with PD I was so relieved because I thought it would work on me too, but unfortunately it didnt! I applied it topically and took it with water everyday.

Anyway, when I finished the second week of cilex, I went to another doctor and explained what I had taken, she prescribed me with rozex gel which is commonly used for rosacea. I am not sure why this was given to me given that my PD was not mild. I explained to her that I had read that it wasnt good to take topical gels but she said this had an antibiotic in it. I thought that it was ok, so gave it a go. I have been on the rozex for just over a week and have noticed that the redness is fading but I am now getting heaps of little pimples ALL OVER my face. I think the dermatitis is now spreading under my eyes. I have made an appointment with a Dermatologist and I am hoping that he prescribes me with either tetracycline or doxyclycline because nothing else is working and it is really effecting my self confidence. I cant even go with out wearing makeup in front of my good friends!

I will be sure to update everyone on how my dermi appointment went, fingers crossed I will be rid of PD in no time!

Also, I have stopped using all products that contain SLS and I now use a herbal toothpaste. I am not sure if it is helping but better to be safe then sorry.

Sheena

I have dealt with PD since I was in the 6th grade. I am now 33 years old. It has come and gone numerous times over these years. I can go years without it breaking out eventhough my skin around my nose is always a slight pinky color. In 2011, I had it 2x and I finally had enough. I refused to take the steriods, antibiotics and topicals this time. It got worse than ever. I tried a natural doctor who did a Natural Reflex Test on me which is basically a muscle reflex test. He said I was allergic to soy and oats. Cutting out soy from my diet was nearly impossible but I did see a vast improvement. But I came to a stand still where it wasnt cleared completely, just managable and not as embarrassing.

Finally, I went to an allergist and had a blood test. The natural doctor was right, I was allergic to soy but also many many other foods. The test says I am allergic to 28 of the 96 foods that I was tested for. It makes me wonder how many other things not listed that I am allergic to. I am mostly allergic to dairy, gluten, eggs, safflower and brewers/bakers yeast. Oats came back as negative as an allergin. The allergist said he is 100% sure the food allergy is causing the outbreak of PD. He also said different allergies cause different people to have PD. So each of us probably have PD for different reasons. I researched foods that promote liver function because I would think that my liver needs to be cleaned out after having a backup of these allergins. I have a juicer and I make beet juice mixed with oranges and other fruit. I notice a big difference when I drink it daily and when I slack off. The bright red and flakes disappear within a few days. I havent gotten rid of it completely but I feel like I finally found the root of the problem which is hopefully the end to this battle!

I tried everything, from coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, antibiotics to candex to try and get rid of my perioral dermatitis. I spent hundreds of dollars trying to figure out a natural way to get rid of this awful stuff! I rarely tried one thing at a time because you start getting desperate and begin using several different treatments at once, thereby not really knowing what is working and what isn't. So I stopped doing anything. I bought Nutragena T-Gel with zinc, California Baby calendula body wash/cream and washed my hair with the Nutragena, and used the california baby products on my face. Within two days my perioral dermatitis was lightening and going away. I thought it was crazy that I had spent all this money on stuff only to find out that it's a kind of dandruff on your face. I don't have dandruff in my hair so I never used dandruff shampoo. I did use a little shampoo on my face the first couple days to really wash it good with zinc.

Get some head and shoulders or Nutragena t-gel and use it, I have never had it disappear so quickly! I'm sure it will reappear if I stop using it!! Simple relief!!

My first post here - hope this goes ok. It would seem that I've had PD for quite some time, like years and no doctor was able to tell me what it was! I've had several severe breakouts of it and went to my doctor each time but he wasn't able to help. I've seen dermatologists and skin specialists too - and finally I started researching and realised it was dermatitis! And yes I've had sinus problems all along too! I even once asked my doctor if I needed to have surgery on my sinuses! I take Iodine but if I run out or forget to take it I seem to get bad flare-ups of dermatitis and my sinuses get worse.

I've used ACV in the past internally and externally and I will just remind people that find that it burns or gives them a rash or the like that you do need to dilute it!

One of the biggest problems I've had for years is washing my face! It would leave my face a red, painful, irritated, peeling and burning mess! The water here in Melbourne is heavily chlorinated and fluoridated (thank-you water company that must be in cahoots with the dermatologists! ) and it drives my skin insane! I've had some success putting a water filter on my bathroom basin and only washing my face with that. But my body is driven crazy with itching from showering in the stuff!

I suffered with POD after using topical steroids on my face for several months to keep outbreaks at bay, unfortunately it became ineffective and once I discontinued the topical steroids on my face it went into a full angry rage of POD in a couple of days. I came across this website which saved me, I was so depressed as it contiuned to get worse each day, so severe that it had me in tears, I was even to embarrassed to allow my loved ones to see my face. Eating and talking was difficult, as the corners of my mouth were split which prevented me from opening my mouth very wide.

I began with the ACV diluted on a cotton ball twice a day, it initially burned and I had a tremendous amount of redness , but the burning subsided after a few days, I also followed up with tea tree oil at night, it didn't heal overnight or in a few days for me, it was several weeks before it cleared, which seemed like a lifetime, but don't give up and be consistent. I also gave up fluoride toothpaste which helped. I haven't had an outbreak in 6 months. I hope this works for someone else. Good luck because I know how devastating it is.

Just wanted to say how thankful I am for the internet. Struggled with the disease for about 3 months now and never went to the Doctor's but this article in addition to others has blessed my situation tremendously. All that were suggested worked in just a day. Not completely healed but a dramatic difference than yesterday. Trader Joes had all the items many had suggested in addition to their all natural facial cleanser and lotion. I'm back!!!

Well my MIRACLE arrived! I really don't even want to celebrate too early. But I washed my face following my new DErmatologist instructions with Betadine diluted and Peroxide and then metrogel on top. I slept all night and woke up with my skin ALL DRY and peeling, all the yucky gunk washed of this morning. I have NEW clear skin, very red and tender but looks so much better.

Now in retrospect I think the Vinegar DID WORK. Maybe for my very sensitive skin I went to aggressive and should have started with very diluted but anyway, now that it is all peeled I think it did work. The metrogel will keep it clean I hope but I will keep the washes with ACV too, just diluted. And I am also drinking very diluted ACV twice a day. PRetty much eating only fruits and yogurts and yesterday I had a bite of grilled chicken. Drinking loooots of water too.

Yesterday I was near a nervous breakdown and today I couldn't believe it.

The one thing I also did was listen to my relaxing tapes 2-3 times telling myself that my skin would clear soon, and trying to relax a lot. Maybe all together worked.

So hey if you feel like POD is hell, and you are miserable, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Just be VERY patient for me the ACV process took 2 weeks to the big peel today. I do have lots of redness but looks soooo much better.

THANK YOU ALL!!!! HEALTHY VIBES YOUR WAY EVERYBODY! I think I learned a lot from here, really, thank you!

A word of caution.

When you apply the vinegar, you may want to do a test patch, and start only with diluted.

It turns out, because I didn't diluted initially I did have some skin breakage and that triggered an infection. It inflames the skin more. So probably seeing how many people have good results it helps as long as you don't make it bleed or, in sensitive skins, like mine, you have to be very, very careful and dilute it or may not even work. I don't know anymore.

My new dermatologist is a clinical dermatologist (not cosmetic one, gosh how much I hate my old one now.... ) and he says I have Perioral Dermatitis but in one spot it got infected with staph so I really have to be very careful with hygiene and I am on oral and topical antibiotics. If I thought that PoD was bad enough ....

So just as a word of caution, what might work for many might not work for all, be careful, do a patch test, and start maybe diluted.

I will keep you posted. Pretty depressed right now, but have to keep my "chin up" for my family. I wish I could hide for 3 weeks. That's how long this nasty thing can take to clear up.... Omgosh.... I am ready to get a facial mask and go around with it, seriously... Has anybody tried that? it would avoid the stares , maybe not... AAAAAHHH HELP! I need a miracle!

My mom had those little red mini blisters in between her fingers. Which now I am wondering if it is related to my POD and we have a genetic predisposition?? Anyway, for her the way it always cleared was putting fresh lemon juice, she would just rub the lemon on it for a few minutes, and in a few days it would disappear. For her the cause it was clearly the contact with water, too much moisture. So try to stay dry, as much as possible, of course you still need to wash hands ;) and squeeze the lemon on it. Which has me thinking maybe the lemon would work for the face too.... Thank you, by trying to answer your question I might have found a milder solution as the Vinegar irritates my skin too much :)

I would like to add that I am also taking:

- Probiotics with an empty stomach and plenty of water

- Biotin and Vit C, Vit D

- No wine, no spicy food, lots of veggies and fruits, I just don't like greassy food.

The white pustules went away with the last wash with 50/50 vinegar but it really looks like one giant wound, all red, terrible... Omg HELP! I pray people don't look at my face and hide as much as I can but I really can't!! Gosh! What to do? I have an appointment with a new dermatologist tomorrow. I can't stomach seeing the one that caused me all this misery ever again :(

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND SORRY YOU HAD TO ENDURE THIS AS WELL. But like hubby says, no worries, you will be OK, it might take some time but at least is not dangerous.... Right, I should keep things into perspective, but it is in the middle of my face! People are going to think I have crazy acne and I went on a scratching spree or something, I never touch my face, barely dry it with a clean towel each time. Ack.... Help help help

I am at my wits end.

This started 1 year ago when 2 little red bumps showed up in my face. I went to the dermatologist and I was prescribed Desonide for 3 weeks, and I was told to change my moisturizer. To repeat if it did come back. I did that, it went away but kept coming back. NOT knowing I was putting steroids on my face I kept reapplying the Desonide as instructed.... Maybe for about 3 or 4 times total. Well, I finally googled what I had and realized it is Perioral Dermatitis and the desonide IS THE CULPRIT and not the help. So I stop it 1 week ago, and.... It is been down hill since then.. OMG I am miserable. I was able to hide it with natural makeup or nothing the first few days, now my face is a big giant red mess. One side under my mouth and a bit around my nostrils. The ACV seems like it is irratiting it more. I did buy the one Organic with the Mother. I do put the yogurt mask. I do drink a cup with 1 little lid of vinegar with water. And I have been taking oral antibiotics now for 4 days with no improvement....

This morning I woke up with tons of white little bumps, so the pustules have pus now... Beautiful sight in my face... PLEASE HELP! What am I missing? Why is it soooo red? It looks like a wound not just red little bumps. Did I make it worse by putting the vinegar? Looks like it. Please help!

I am 32 and have never had perioral dermatitis until 2 months ago.

I went to two dermatologists. The first presribed clindamycin (sp?) topical antibacterial and a topical steriod. The second told me the steroid was the worst idea EVER and to immediately stop using it, but to continue the antibacterial! I also had a random and unrelated rash on my upper chest and the dermatologist told me to soak a washcloth in 1 part distilled white vinegar to 10 parts water and let it sit on my chest for about 10 minutes to clear that one up.

The rash on my chest went away immediately, but my face was getting worse and spreading. I decided that since my face rash wasn't going away, what could it possibly hurt to try the vinegar trick?

I dipped a cotton ball in the 1:10 solution and wiped my PD gently with it. Let it dry for about 10 minutes, then rinsed my face (cleanser for the rest of my face, just the water for around my nose). I then used mosturizer on my face except for on my rash. (Cetaphil facewash and moisturizer)

The next morning I was ASTONISHED at how much the bumpiness had gone down. Did the same thing in the a.m and p.m. for 2 days and had about 60% improvement. Even the redness went down! My friends noticed an immediate difference.

I have read much about Apple Cider Vinegar, but I just used plain old distilled vinegar.

don't use cotton when applying avc to the face. Use your fingers only.

Help! I found this site a few days ago and immediately went to Whole Foods for ACV with the mother. I have been applying it with a cotton ball twice a day as well as using a yogurt mask. I am on day 4 of this and my face is still REALLY red. The PD seems to be drying out a little, but it's not going away. It still really hurts and I haven't left the house in 4 days because it is so embarrassing.

Can anyone tell me how long it may be before I see any kind of results? Is there anything that I can do to lessen the redness? I have to go back to the office tomorrow and I'm so mortified I just want to cry. *sigh*

Thank you to all who posted here about the use of ACV in clearing up perioral dermatitis.

Like several others, I was using corticosteroid cream to treat my perioral dermatitis, and it was working fine. But, every time I stopped using it, the rash-stache came back. Horrible!

When I learned that my treatment was probably also the biggest reason I had the problem in the first place, I stopped using the cream, cold turkey. (I have read other places that you should taper down, and that might have been less difficult. ) The rash-stache went berserk; it was red and bumpy and so so soooo itchy.

The first time I tried the ACV I was mesmerized by its effect. It actually kind of fizzed and bubbled on the rash spots. I don't know what this means, but I think it's a chemical reaction between whatever causes the rash-stache (yeast?) and the acid of the vinegar. It burns, it hurts. But it *works*.

I overused the ACV treatment, I think, because I felt so sure it was working. My rach-stache changed from being a red itchy bumpy thing to being a sore, crusty, dry thing. It still looked horrible but it was drying out, not itching, and feeling better.

A few days later the crust began to peel. And wonder of wonders, healthy skin underneath, no rash.

I'm so happy!

I am going to keep an eye on it to see if rash-stache shows signs of returning. If it does, I will use diluted vinegar 50/50 instead of straight out of the bottle. And I will resist the temptation to treat myself ten times in a day! But now that I know ACV works, I'm so relieved that I won't be spending my life with rash-stache.

Thanks to everyone who posted!

I totally want to know just what those docs are thinking when they tell you that you have this or that, or worse.. When they tell you that they don't have a clue as to what it can be but here, take all these meds and creams and good luck with all that! I'm 26 years old and just discovered that I have PD or eczema. It started around my mouth about a year ago and I just thought that I had chapped skin or something. After a week it got worse and even though I was applying every type of chapped skin cream, lotion, and stick, nothing would work. I spend at least 3 months straight looking like a clown because right around my mouth I would break out in this big red ring. It was only and always on the sides of my mouth, never above or below which I always thought was odd. It looked decent in the mornings but would always break out quite soon after waking up. I finally made an appointment with a Derm and he told me that he thought it was PD but wasn't sure because it also looked like 5 other things... I decided to google them all as well as signs and symptoms. I finally settled on PD because it was an undeniable match. The creams would work temporarily but about a week after stopping (because the redness would go away) it would come back with a vengence.

I've given up hope with the creams so back to google I went and found myself on this forum. I was sooo happy to read about Candida being a huge problem and stress causer for this type of skin issue because when I called down to my local vitamin shoppe I was told that they sell products that attack the candida and it clears your skin and also lessens fatigue (something also caused by an abundance of candida). I also read that other things that bring on a flair are alcohol, bread, sugar, processed foods, grapes, tomatoes, etc.. Basically anything spicy, acidy, or anything else above that feeds candida. I'm also going to look into this ACV (apple cider vinegar). I rarely ever ate yogurts before but I've been eating them for the last 4 days, maybe twice a day, and I've noticed a dramatic difference in the redness and swelling/irritation/itching. Its not completely clear yet but it is a far cry from inflamed and spreading out of control! I already eat very healthy and am in the best shape of my life but that isn't good enough to fight this PD badass... Time to get inventive because I refuse to hide in my own house due to something I could be preventing by just taking on an even more natural and healthy lifestyle via switching up my diet. It sucks that I have to give up everything I love to eat and drink but it sucks even more looking like I have some kind of contagious disease (yeah, most people see just that).

Aloe vera is also a good sunscreen.

I've read that coconut oil is a mild and effective sunscreen. read up on it.

My dermatologist had prescribed me topical steroids (vanos) about 4 months ago for small red bumps. It seemed like a miracle drug, my bumps quickly cleared but when I stopped using the cream, they would reappear. Eventually, the steroid cream couldn't stop it... The rash worsened. I went back to the doctor and she diagnosed me with POD. I stopped using the steroids... Which made me look like I had terrible burns around my mouth and nose. It was awful. My skin was bumpy with pustules and very red. Make up couldn't cover it.

(I was also recently diagnosed with celiac disease which means I have a gluten allergy. My digestive tract has been damaged and is in repair. I believe the POD is related.)

So, my dermatologist gave me sumaxin face wash and an anti-bacterial gel to use 2x/day. It itched and burned the first week, but I stuck with it. I cut out cinnamon and floride in my toothpaste. I try to drink bottled water. I don't wash my face with hot water, only lukewarm.

The rash is SLOWLY going away. I've been on treatment for 4 weeks. It is still a little dry and I use Cera ve moisturizer AM and PM to help.

Also-A great MAKE-UP that won't irritate the POD is Jane Iredale. She has a website.

Hope this helps! It is difficult to live with these diseases, but stay hopeful and try not to stress about it. YOU are not alone!!!

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.

After reading all of the suggestions for using apple cider vinegar on your dermatitis I decided to give it a try. I did not drink the ACV, but rather just used the solution of half ACV and half water and with a cotton ball swabbed it on the area affected (the skin on either side of my nose) two times a day - morning and night. After letting it air dry, I put a moisturizer protectant over it - Cetaphil - which has no dyes perfumes to irritate further. Within two days I saw a huge improvement and I am sure in a couple more days it wil be completely gone. I am so glad I found this website!

ACV is amazing, one use topically and I can already notice the difference in my perioral dermatitis, I've been the doctors 3 times for it and I was not responding to the minocyclin and being told the same thing again and again. Thank god for this site. Definitely use acv! Definitely.

It might have been Vitamin E oil that caused the redness. I had a contact allergic reaction from Vitamin E oil, so be careful about using this... or better yet, don't use it at all.

I tried the treatment you suggested, but it was far from being real sticky. How much of each ingredient are you using when making this home remedy? Thanks.

Hi Lynn, Try adding lots of Vitamin C to your diet. Vitamin C encourages Collagen production which is great for your skin/face. Also, try taking Lysine as well. There is a theory that the increased redness in your skin is due to a different underlying condition; in this case your vein walls aren't very strong. I've heard of some women who have minimized the redness in their skin, and reduced symptoms of rosacea by adding about 5000-8000 mg of Vitamin C and 1500 or 2000 mg of Lysine (spread out throughout the day). It will take a few weeks to see results, but well worth it. Good luck!

Your story is so similar to mine that I had to write to you. In November, I dabbed some tone corrector/dark spot remover while I was at a friends house and went out for the night. Big mistake! The next day I woke up with little red dots on the spots where I applied the cream. I thought I was breaking out b/c my skin is so sensitive and so I made a note to myself never to use that cream again. The dots stay on my face for 2 weeks. I go in to get my eyebrows waxed and my esthetician asks me what's going on with my skin. I told her I'm breaking out and she tells me that it doesn't look like a normal breakout but rather an allergic reaction to something. She tells me to use some cortizone cream and take some benadryl. I do that for 2 nights and by the third day my skin is 100% improved. My skin stays normal/great for one week. Then all of a sudden out of the blue on a Monday my face swells up with red, itchy pimple-like bumps all over. It was 10x worse than it was after the initial application of the tone corrector.

I made an appt with a dermatologist and he said I have Rosacea. He tried to prescribe an antiobiotic and steroid cream but I refused to take it. I went home and cried. I was devastated by the diagnosis. I know that sounds like an exaggeration but I was full fledged depressed by the news. I felt hideous. After feeling sorry for myself for a good 2 days, I turned to earthclinic to see if ACV could help me. For 2 weeks I've been dabbing ACV on my face followed up by coconut oil (I'm also ingesting it 2x a day). Gradually, my face started to look better. The redness lightened and the bumps began to go away. I still have some bumps but it's nothing compared to how bad it was.

I saw a different dermatologist today for a second opinion. She diagnosed me with Perioral Dermatitis, prescribed me one month of antibiotics and a prescription cream. I don't want to get the prescription filled. I'm going to continue with the ACV and get one more opinion before I resort to any kind of rx. Good luck to you and give an update on your status when you get a chance.

First of all - thanks for the great site which has literally saved me after months of hell with perioral dermatitis. My doctor started me on a steroid creme, which as many people here pointed out started off helping but then stopped working and it got worse and worse and spread up to round my nose too. I had had some limited success treating flare ups with tea tree oil, but no sooner would one bit dry out than the flare up would move a little and break out again.

Last week on Monday - 8 days ago - I started the apple cider vinegar treatment. I have to say it stung like hell, my face felt tight the whole time and the flare up given the steroid withdrawal was horrendous. I drank it too. I started rubbing natural yogurt into the inflamed area at night which helped a little. I then started making a mask to apply twice a day last weekend which has really helped and I wanted to share. The ingredients are natural greek yogurt, organic honey and lots of turmeric. I put it on after the apple cider vinegar every evening and morning and leave for 20 mins till it has dried out. It is very sticky and I then rub it off gently with my fingers which I think has helped to remove gently all the dead skin that has got left behind, then rinse with warm water. I read that turmeric not only is very antibacterial, but is also a strong anti inflammatory, and for me it has worked just like that. At night I have rubbed a little st johns wort oil into the red areas which seems to have also helped.

In addition to this I have been taking probiotics, and a antioxidant supplement as well as the usual zinc and vitamin b and the like (although I have taken many of these for some time now). I really believe that there has been a strong bacterial infection deep in the skin and the mixture of the Apple Cider Vinegar and the tea tree oil and the turmeric has helped to kill it off. I cant believe how much better my skin looks. It is still not 100% scar free, but I have not had any new outbreaks and it is all drying up and flaking off revealing new healthuy skin underneath. Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who posted their hints and tips on here. Without you all I would still be stuck in po hell - while I can now see a return to the clear skin I always had before...

Hello all. At 28, I have recently been diagnosed with perioral dermititis. I believe I had my original flare up about 1 months ago. Foolishly, I borrowed some steroid cream from my sister and applied it to the area around my mouth/chin. Like many others, the POD went into overdrive as soon as I stopped using the topical steroid. After a little research on the net, I was confident I had POD. I went to see my derm, and sadly he confirmed my suspicion. He prescribed me an oral steroid (doxy) and to my horror gave me some more steroid cream! I have been taking the antibiotic for 4 days now but I will not use the cream. I'm committed to weathering the storm and not falling into the steroid trap! I do not consider myself to be particularly vain, but the POD has really knocked down my confidence and self esteem. What made matters worse was that there is so little definitive information about treating POD. I really started to panic reading that many traditional med. sites offer months of antibiotic courses with no promise of success. I have to admit, I started to feel a little depressed. I feel embarrassed explaining my desire to "lay low" until the rash has improved, because as my boyfriend said "it's not like you lost a limb or something. "

I am seeing a tiny bit of improvement after 4 days, but I'm not sure how to explain this. I have already switched over to a natural tea tree "soap-less" cleanser (no sulfates). My sulfate free natural shampoo/cond. is on its way. I have switched to a natural fluoride free toothpaste. I'm so grateful to have found this thread! I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with taking the supplement MSM? It was recommended to me at my local health food store. After some research on MSM, it seems to be a relevant thing to try as far as helping to create better conditions for healthy skin. Any thoughts or experience with MSM would be greatly appreciated.

Today I started the Apple Cider vinegar regimen. I mixed 2 tablespoons in a glass of water and chugged it down. Then I dabbed a cotton ball with ACV on the effected area. Call me crazy.... But within an hour I have noticed that the tightness and itching have become less intense. I am going to stick to it and continue to take my course of antibiotics. I am keeping my fingers crossed! I will post updates as to my progress. One other question... Can any of the ladies out there make a recommendation to me for makeup (once the flare up dies down a bit). I was already using the very popular brand mineral powder, but I have read that bismuth oxychloride, talc, phthalates, nano-particles, and perfumes can really irritate folks like us. I have found an alternative powder, but any recommendations for a concealer/foundation etc. Many thanks and lots of positive vibes for all the POD sufferers out there.

Hello there, I'm back! I just had to come back and say I was wrong about that soap (although I do still like it for my body). In the middle of the week, I had applied cortisone to an itchy bug bite on my leg and my daughters from camping, and I had touched my face. Once the cortisone effect wore off, oh my I had a massive breakout. I went back to ACV, but it still wasn't helping that much. I decided to try Ted's suggestion. I bought a jar of boric acid and had peroxide on hand. I mixed maybe 1 TSP, with 1TBSP peroxide with 8 oz of water. I apply this twice a day. If it is feeling too dry I also apply Aloe Vera straight from the plant, this feels lovely. I started this last Monday and it was absolutely amazing. The best part was the itch going away. I still have a few bumps, but overall this was the most effective thing thus far. It is still returning my skin looks like 90% better. Thanks Ted! I will continue to try the other things to see if I can get rid of it all together.

I was cripple with dermatitis for 20 years. I was desperate. And had to quit gymnasiums because when I sweat the make up was gone and I felt people staring at me, I hate it! One very concern lady told me to look for help if I was being hit by my husband. After many doctors and creams, I found a yahoo group that was using ethyl alcohol, ACV, and aloe vera. I was so bless that I have aloe vera in my backyard, ethyl alcohol is easy to get in the drugstore and ACV was in my kitchen (without the mother). I started the treatment washing my face then clean it again with ethyl alcohol and then the ACV without the mother, the one for salads, the brown one. It was painnnnnnnnnfullll!!!!! But I was desperate. I finish covering my face with the natural aloe vera gel from my backyard. In one week I saw the results, impressive, Finally my face can be free of the sones, cortisones addiction. I have find something that worked! I did stop when I got cured for the same reason that you: The smell. Dermatitis come back and the treatment again. Now I decided not to stop because is working wonderful in my face, I guess the aloe vera gel locks the moisture in. I wake up with a beautiful complexion. I do not wash it in the morning I make up over it. Maybe I should to prevent other from smelling my face. I have suffer so much of this dermatitis that I don't care about the ACV smelling face.

Recently I found this site and people where using ACV for weight loss, I immediately went on my quest to find the "mother". I am having three tablespoons a day mix with orange juice and V8, before eating. I will post results when I am sure it worked for me. I don't dare to doubt ACV it has been a lifesaver for me.

OK I said I would post back so I am. It has been 2 weeks since I quit Coritsone and other Dr. Creams. I was using the ACV a few times a day, diltued by 1/2, applied topically. It didn't seem to be doing much, and honestly I couldn't stand the smell anymore on my face, and it didn't seem to be doing anything. My sister in law who is a pediatric nurse suggested I try Cetaphil soap and lotion, said it is amazing on the kids "dermatitis". About a week ago I bought a bar of "anti-bacterial" Cetaphil soap. I started using it 2X a day. My rash seemed to dry up quite a bit, and if I put lotion on, it seemed to want to break out again. I let it get totally dry and flaky. Now 1 week later, I seem to have made a breakthrough! I don't know if it just took this long for my skin to break its addiction to hydrocotisone, but this soap sure seemed to help. Patience, I guess, for your skin to calm down. My face is now soft and 98% cleared up.

Hello,
I have had this my whole life and didn't know what it was. I finally went to dermatologist, who told me is was the P-O Dermatitis, and I needed long term antibiotics. I thought it was great to have diagnosis! But since then, I have done maybe 6 courses of tetracylcine over the past 3 years. I just finished one this spring and my skin is WORSE THAN EVER. Watch out for the antibiotics!!! Also all the prescription creams such as Pramsone DON'T WORK. It has spread now all over my cheeks up to my eyes, and down my chin and chest. My skin seems to be addicted to the cortisone, and it is not working anymore either. Yesterday I had a huge breakout, scrubbed it with alcohol and slathered with cortisone. It still itched. I am feeling I can't stand it anymore and decided to google a natural remedy (I had amazing results for one for a common "female" infection). I went and washed the cortisone off, applied ACV with a wet cottonball- splash of ACV. It looks better already. I applied again this morn, it burned a ton last night but not so much this morn. I am going to start eating the yogurt/probiotics too. I know from past experience this can only be helpful for so many things. I'll post back with hopefully my long term success! Like my husband says, makes you wonder what these Dr.s really throw at you without really understanding the problem.

I have had what seems to be perioral dermatitis for nearly 20 years, have tried all sorts to manage this but for the past week have used acv in water...very quickly cleared up and very very grateful to this site. It gradually started to reappear when I went a day without sipping the acv and am anxious about taking this long term but so pleased that I seem to be heading in right direction :-)

Apple Cider Vinegar & Perioral Dermatitis

What a great site! About 4 weeks ago I started getting a rash around my mouth. Was diagnosed with Perioral Dermatitis. Dr. gave me some Metronidazole cream to put on it and at first seemed really to help. Then it came back. So, she decided I needed something stronger and put me on Doxycycline Hyclate pills. They seem to help dry it up but, still have much redness and some dry bumps. I understand that this is an antibiotic and therefore am taking acidophilus also. You all need to understand that we all have and need good bacteria in our system for it to function properly. When you take an Anti-biotic it kills both the bad and the good bacteria in our bodies. You need to replenish the good or you will eventually have many problems including yeast infection or candida. Yogurt has acidophilus or pro-botic in it.

If Perioral Dermatitis is caused by or encourged by yeast infection than it makes sense that Apple Cider Vinegar works to help it. That is an old and correct remedy to kill Yeast infection. I just put some on the rash with a cottonball that was first wetted with water. After only 20 minutes it seems less red and just a stinging at first. Hopefully this is the answer

Also, WATCH WHAT YOU EAT! Before researching what flares it up - I went to a friend's house had a couple of glasses of wine and some chips and Salsa. Wow - 3 hours later my dermatitis has flared up like wild fire. I understand Caffine or any other spicy food will flare it up also. Anything that dialates the blood vessels.
I will post later and let you know if the Apple Cider Vinegar worked or not.

If ACV is too strong for you, you may want to dilute it with water (50/50).

Borax/Water -I make a mixture of borax and tap water in the palm of my hand to wash my face with every morning. My face feels clean and no drying.

I suffer from this perioral dermatitis and I agree that using yogurt both topically and eating it works well, but I also think acv works amazingly well! if you dilute it with water it doesn't burn.

I used apple cider vinegar to cure my perioral dermatitis. I self diagnosed online after getting the rash for the first time a few months ago. I tried a few different things - getting rid of soaps, lotions, and using a yogurt mask since I read the rash may be caused by a yeast overgrowth. Yogurt worked a little bit, but didn't cure it. After reading about the apple cider vinegar review, I decided to try it. I just bought a small bottle at the grocery store. I splash a little onto a cotton ball and apply it around my mouth twice a day after washing my face - in the morning and before I go to sleep. It definitely stings and the rash turns bright red for a while, but after a few days of this I definitely noticed a difference. It's been about a week and you can hardly notice the rash now. I'm going to continue doing this for at least another week to be sure the rash has completely gone away. At the same time, I've also been only washing my face with warm water, and using a very light, basic lotion. As for other side effects, when I first started using the vinegar, it really dried out the rash and my skin was especially flakey, but I just rubbed a mild antibiotic petroleum salve on it for the first few days while my skin got used to it. I would definitely recommend this cure, it's inexpensive, easy, and you'll see results almost immediately.

To Susan from NY- I suffer from POD and from sinus problems so I was very interested to hear that their may be a link between the two problems. I am going to try the ACV on my face first and then see if I can bear to drink it and see if it helps with the sinus problems too.

I also had this bumpy type of eczema when I was younger - after I had been on the contraceptive pill for 10 years and came off it. At the time, I used the homeopathic remedy Rhus tox, but that was for about a year before the eczema went. Now, looking back and having learned much more about nutrition, I realise that the remedy at the time did noting but the eczema can sometimes be caused by an estrogen imbalance. I would suggest some of you explore that idea a little further ... Much later, I discovered that I had low stomach acid which meant that for years (30), I had not been digesting my food properly (specifically fats - hormones are made of fats) and so my body struggled to balance. Many other problems arose too but that's another area. Hope this helps with your research.

Perioral Dermatitis -- I feel so fortunate to have found this site, its wonderful to see people so selflessly helping each other. I self diagnosed myself with PD after surfing the net for pictures, going to a derm wasn't an option because they're so unreliable in this part of the world. Little, unsightly bumps appeared about 7-8 months ago around my mouth and I made the fatal mistake of using cortisone steroid ointment, which as I now understand could actually cause PD.The bumps cleared up for a while and came back with a vengeance a few weeks ago around exam time. Under loads of pressure, the little bumps just flared up, spread to my cheeks and forehead. Reading through the symptoms of the rash I find that mine are nither red, flaky or itchy, quite the contrary their moist and applying ACV doesn't burn at all, which I'm concerned about. I'm assuming its organic coz the ingredients are apples and water only, but there's definitely no trace of the 'mother', in it. (Its really difficult to find anything organic in my city) I've been using it for about ten days, and the PD doesn't seem to be drying up :(, I was really looking forward to having it disappear as miraculously as all the testimonials claim. I also drink 1 tbsp in a glass of water twice a day. I'm using nothing on my face not even soap, just washing with plain water as many times as possible. I used a yogurt mask once, but it seemed to worsen the situation. I live in an extremely hot, dry climate and this summer was particularly harsh. Today my baby brother said it looked like chicken skin which just killed me coz he's right.. I'm hideous! I haven't left my home in ages (I'm on a 2 month vacation, Thank God!) I'm desperate for it to clear up before the next semester of college in about a month.

I'd be so grateful if anyone could suggest additional remedial measures I could take or changes in my diet, we do consume alot of spices and I've never had a flawless skin, but never a condition of this severity, otherwise I'm quite a healthy 24 yr old.

I got PD from accutane as well a few years ago and everything the dermatologist has given me never worked. Apple Cider Vinegar is the ONLY thing that works! I hope we can all find more cures in the future:)

Thank you everyone for your comments. I have now had to stop using ACV. I am not sure it is related but I broke out in a rash on my neck, chest, eye lids and inside of arms. It is extremly itchy and bright red. I stopped using ACV to see if it will go away. So far it hasn't though and it has been 1 1/2 weeks. Also I have switched to a non-fluoride toothpaste and we have a reverse osmosis water filtration system.