The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Infared, 125 Watt Clear Lightbulb
Posted by Bev (Elroy, WI) on 09/05/2007
★★★★★
to respond to the woman with the terrible boils. I suffer from horrific cystic acne. I discovered that if I eliminate all forms of hidden MSG [do an internet search to find all that it is in] that my skin is perfectly clear. I am so sensitive that I cannot even touch anything with citric acid or natural flavor which is a form of hidden MSG and is in most shampoos, liquid hand soap, prepared foods, pop etc. I convinced my husband to eliminate all hidden MSG and his headaches, ezcema and skin rash went away. Now when he has any exposure the itchy, weepy skin rash comes back and today it is back with a vengence. He had mustard on Sunday and it flared. By Monday evening it was drying up and he licked the spoon of the ice cream he served our children and during the night it erupted so bad he could hardly sleep.
A good rememdy for all these skin things is a 125 watt clear infrared bulb. Not only will this clear up the skin but is great for any aches and it healed my son of acute asthma. Asthma requires a one hour treatment 1-2 times daily or more. The more you use it the quicker it heals. The only draw back is having to stay stationary so long. My husband hasn't had time to sit under it the past two days so he is still in bad shape. He started on the vinegar and honey last night to see if a change in body pH will help.
Watkins Salve
Posted by johndoe (Fairfield, Ia) on 08/31/2007
★★★★★
I have had boils appear months apart and very often at times. I use Watkins salve and they go away or come to a head in a day or so. Some times over night. Apply Watkins salve to the boil and also apply some to a band-aid and cover boil with band-aid. Works every time for me.
Laundry Soap and Sugar
Posted by Sherry (Rock Rapids, Iowa) on 08/04/2008
EC: Lots of grocery stores still carry FELS-NAPTHA too.
Laundry Soap and Sugar
Posted by Irene (Dewey, AZ) on 05/17/2009
Iv lived in many States and never found a Grocery store that did not sell "yellow soap" its just smaller than every thing else. its usually on the top shelf in the detergent area near the stain removers wrapped individually in white like regular soap and says PHELS-NAPTHA. I hope this helps you find it.
Laundry Soap and Sugar
Posted by Kay (Destin, Fl) on 03/06/2012
FelzNaptha soap is always available at Walmart in the LARGE BAR, quite cheap; in the laundry aisle.
Laundry Soap and Sugar
Posted by Lesley (Ca) on 01/14/2017
Amazon and EBay are also great places to find those type products. I've bought Naptha there before
Epsom Salt
Posted by Alib (Swansea, Wales, Uk) on 12/04/2010
A boil can also be the body's way of trying to get toxins out. Changing the diet to remove much of the sugars and processed foods and drinks can also help to prevent the boils forming in the first place. There are lots of people who have posted on here that removing the junk, sugars and refined carbs has made a big difference.
Epsom Salt
Posted by Merryanne (Orange City, Florida, Usa) on 12/06/2010 113 posts
I do agree with the advice of clearing out the junk form Your diet. All refined processed food with and without any SOY in them, soy is a VERY major health problem, worse than sugar I think. But not consuming processed food is extremely important if you already have boils on your body. If they are there you may need to do an immediate diet change for your health. To eliminate chemicals and preservatives you must cook all food fresh, and try to eat grass fed beef and free range eggs, that is a beginning.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Leah (Albion, IN) on 05/16/2007
★★★★★
We wash our hands and the site of the boil. We use Hydrogen Peroxide to clean it and then With a steriled needle we break the head of the boil and drain it. we use the peroxide and it helps bubble the pus out. Its very painful. Afterward we put triple antibotic and a bandaid and it heals within days. if you catch it and drain in sooner than later it wont get so large. its very painful but you feel an instant relief after its drained.
Dietary Recommendations
Posted by Eileen (Northwest US) on 04/08/2007
★★★★★
I've experienced extremely painful boils/ acne-like, very hard but with no pus starting about 2 yrs ago. I am of average weight and have a healthy diet. I spent many, many months trying to pinpoint the source, doing lots of research. I did finally go to an allopathic nurse pracitioner who said it was impetigo (because they use yes/no answers on a computerized diagnosis program. WRONG! I believe that it's dermatitis herpetiformus, but I didn't want to go through a biopsy to confirm it. It only occurs when gluten is consumed (which is in just about everything packaged). It is exacerbated by hormonal cycles and low thyroid. I think that perimenopause has thrown off my hormone balance and has led to gluten intolerance. Here's what helps: stop consuming all grains and follow a diet for candida/yeast. This takes a long time, and it was really hard to do, but it is the only real solution I've found. (After finally healing and staying off flour for a year and a half, I had one slice of pizza, and it's deja-vu all over again). Topically, use niacinamide gel (Metazine from Life Link) very frequently (really helps reduce inflammation), salicylic acid gel, and yes, I use cortisone too. I think the niacinamide works best. Vit E is ok if not sourced from wheat. Taking massive supplements hasn't helped (like high doses of A, D, E, selenium, zinc, even up to 400mg CoQ10 -no response. I do use curcumin, wobenzym, niacinimide, colloidal silver. Thyroid supplementation has been a significant help. I have used real low doses of doxycycline for a very limited time and it did seem to help a bit but I stopped due to a reaction beginning. I used activated charcoal and it's possible that considering the link between wheat sensitivity, leaky gut or IgA deficiency, and the breakout a few days later, that it's the charcoal's work not the doxycycline that really helped at that time. Of course, maybe it's really from chemtrail fallout. Who knows? Whatever it is, it is HELL and the Metazine works wonders. Good luck.
Turmeric Recipes
Posted by Debby (Oak Ridge, Texas) on 01/17/2016
Turmeric has a nasty taste, and putting it in chocolate milk doesn't help, I've been taking it for about 2 years now. But the ones I take is at Walmart don't know how pure it is though. I drink soy milk for hormone imbalance too. And I still get them recently allot on face but I think these are carbuncles....nothing is working but I think I wasn't taking enough turmeric I was taking 2 and got a turmeric more powerful supposedly and the bottle said 1 a day so I did. Started get these on my face, so I went back to 2 a day still getting them. I read that raisins everyday will keep them away so I'm trying that too. Been putting up with them for 6 years now after my period stopped, I went thru menopause early then allot of women. But ever since then I've been having them big ones at first not so big ones and none for a while. But now it's allot on my face and had 2 small one on my side.......I have tried allot of stuff seems to get rid of them.....I've been drinking soy milk for 4 years now........I take multi-vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin C, turmeric & nothing keeps them gone.....ARG.......
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Shelby (Newburgh, Indiana) on 06/22/2010
For those of you with boils or infections in difficult places such as mine, which is in the corner of my right eye and so difficult to treat with stronger methods, pouring tea tree oil (for example) into a bath and then holding your breath and submerging your face is the best method I have found for getting the stronger remedies onto the area without it getting into your eyes. If you wear contacts, I suggest you take them out before the bath. Keep a towel handy to wipe your face off after.
Colloidal Silver
Posted by Roger (Rushford, MN) on 03/16/2007
★★★★★
colloidial silver cured my boils drink 5 to 6oz a day and rub it on topical.
Garlic Capsules and Eucalyptus Oil
Posted by Corrine (Los Angeles) on 02/22/2007
★★★★★
One drop of Eucalyptus oil mixed with one opened Kyolic garlic capsule. After I applied this topically to my boil within 3 minutes my boil drained. I applied another application 3 hours later just to be sure it was completely drained and the boil was gone. Normally it takes twenty-five days for my boils to surface and drain, but because I have had them off and on for a year now I had to find something to make them stop as soon as I noticed them forming. I have been taking Keflex from the doctor and it did nothing. My boils kept coming back and in the same places and were very painful each time. I am so grateful to alternative methods.
Raisins
Posted by Tina (Sylvania, Ohio,usa) on 04/06/2011
★☆☆☆☆
I was eating raisins when boils started to appear, so raisins do not prevent boils.
Campho-Phenique
Posted by Wanda (Jackson, Mo) on 08/12/2012
Campho worked for me.... Did the job in less than 6 hours!
Acidophilus
Posted by Betty (Fort Worth , Texas) on 11/23/2009
Dear Christy and Carroll,
I read both of your posts and I was wondering, what form of Acidophilus are you taking?? Is it a pill form, drops, yogurt? I would really like to know so I can start ASAP.
Thanks,
Betty
Acidophilus
Posted by Kay (Destin, Fl) on 02/18/2012
In general, for long-term efficacy oral ProBiotics should (ideally) be taken in "Pearl Form" which is specifically designed for sustained release throughout the guts entire cycle, (i. E. Effective into the small intestine; and not affected by digestive processesses, stomach acids, etc). They are more expensive, but a much better bang for your buck if you are treating serious or long-term issues.
Distilled Vinegar and Colloidal Silver
Posted by Augustine (MA) on 09/02/2006
★★★★★
I tried the turmeric for four days, hoping for a miracle, and my boil began to rapidly enlarge. Since one of your readers had mentioned that, like anything in life, sometimes it will get worse before better I did stick with it as long as I could. Finally I was in a desperate situation. The boil was huge and very painful. On another site I read about soaking approx. 5 layers of paper bag, cut to the correct size for your boil, in distilled vinegar and covering the boil overnight. Long strips of medical tape should be used so the wet paper will stick. The next morning there was a small scab at the top so I took a shower to moisten it, lifted the top of the scalp and the whole boil drained. It did feel better, but of course the lump was still close to the same size and very tender. From there I made sure to keep the area very clean and I bought colloidal silver and Curad silver bandages. (For those who don't know of the healing powers of silver, you should do some research.) I put 1 drop of silver under my tongue 3x p/day and one on the boil 5x the first day and kept it covered at all times with the silver bandage. By that evening the boil was 1/4 of its size, and the next morning it was gone. The skin is still slightly damaged, but the silver is supposed to prevent scarring as well. (It has prevented scarring on patients with 3rd degree burns.) The best part is that all of the pain disappeared with the first silver drop.
Sugar Soaked in Kerosene
Posted by Jack (Toledo, OH) on 07/23/2006
★★★★★
When I was about 5 or 6 yrs old, I acquired "VERY LARGE BOILS ON MY LEGS( NEARLY THE SIZE OF A SILVER DOLLAR), in the state of W.Va. they were referred to as "CARBUCKLES", they have not only a large scab, but they have long "CORES" as well which can leave a large cavitation in your skin, when pulled out ! It was usually done by"LANCING THE BOIL"removing the scab then pulling the core out,"HURTS LIKE HELL"! My Grandmother couldn't bring herself to causing me a lot of pain, so she called me into the kitchen one day, I remember having 5 or 6 on my legs, she took one of the old style tablespoons (to me it looked like a huge "coal shovel") heaping with sugar, soaked in in Kerosene from her kerosene lamp, grabbed my nose to make me open wide and made me swallow every bit of !! THEY FELL OFF IN A COUPLE OF DAYS, AND HAD "NO CORE". Every time I read the name or word "BOILS" I REMEMBER!! IT LEFT A LASTING IMPRESSION... LOLOLOLO
Drawing Salve
Posted by Gladyola (Toronto, On) on 05/31/2011
what is itchimol, another name that we can find it in canada?
The Bottle Method
Posted by Vanessa (Missoula, Montana, USA) on 12/01/2008
★★★★★
Hello - This method did not leave scars for me, but I was also left scar free after lancing! I might just have tough skin... Take Care - Vanessa
The Bottle Method
Posted by Kim C. (Los Angeles, Ca) on 06/17/2011
★★★★★
I performed the hot bottle method a few hours ago and I am screaming, "Yes!!! " It worked. I bought a a soda in a glass bottle, poured out the drink, rinsed and dried the bottle, put a small amount of H2O in a sauce pan, placed the bottle in the water, let it come to a boil, grabbed the bottle with a pot holder with the open end up, then I put the open end over the boil. I was a little suction but I let it stay until the bottle cooled. Massive Pus Was Drained! Now I'm at ease.
Drawing Salve
Posted by Ashley Rae (Kansas City, Missouri) on 01/09/2010
Did the ointment leave a scar? I have heard that drawing salves can cause scarring?
Tomato
Posted by Rick (Birmingham) on 03/30/2006
★★★★★
I had been suffering with a boil for about 3 days when I stumbled on this site. Well I tried the tomato paste last night and not only did it relieve the pain, it also brought it to a head. Today I'm feeling 1000% better.
Oatmeal
Posted by Joy (Lakeview, Michigan) on 06/10/2009
When I was a young child my mother did something similar, but she had her's in bag like she bought it at a store. Could you tell me the amount of the ingredients used in your remedy, because I forgot how much you use. Thank You.
Tomato
Posted by Kelli (Michigan) on 02/23/2006
★★★★★
A while back my boyfriend had a boil behind his ear. A friend of mine had sent me an email with natural remedies for all kinds of things. On the email was a cure for boils, and it was tomato paste. I went to the store and bought some. He rubbed it on his boil and left it overnight, the next morning the boil had decreased in size, he continued to do this for a couple of days and it was soon gone.
Dietary Recommendations
Posted by Lisa Marie (Morrisville, PA) on 02/15/2006
★★★★★
I tried a lot of 70% alcohol, neosporin, and hot water packs. I occasionally take a one a day. Out of all of this I usually resort to going to the doctors and getting the prescription drug SPECTRACEF cefditoren pivoxil 200mg tablets, and take them twice a day. After about a week it kinda clears it up. The only thing that really cleared up the boils were the SPECTRACEF. All the other items were just methods of keeping the infection down and helping with the pain. Without the prescription I usually just resort to popping them with my hands, alcohol, and alot of band aids. But one thing that I notice is that when I squeeze and the blood comes out, there's somewhat of an oily substance in my blood. Kind of like when you cook a pot of soup and you can see little oil drops floating on the surface. This made me think that maybe I was consuming too much oil in my diet, so I cut out a considerable amount of oil and fried products out of my daily meals. I did notice that the number of boils went down after trying that. Now at this point I'm leaning towards trying aloe vera juice daily along with the reduced oil/fat diet. I've heard that aloe vera juice is good for cleansing the blood. I'll be sure to keep you posted on the results.
Baking Soda
Posted by Morley (Flanders, Nj) on 01/06/2010
Do you think mixing salt water and baking soda would be even better? Just a thought because of the bacon post...
Baking Soda
Posted by Debbie (Melbourne, Australia) on 06/11/2011
Instead of using bleach to clean counter tops and toilets you would be better off to use something natural like white vinegar or even 100% eucalyptus oil (diluted in water).
Garlic
Posted by Britt (San Augustine, Texas) on 04/04/2012
★★★★★
Try putting about 5 or 6 cloves of garlic in a bathtub of warm water and soaking for an hour or two. Do this everynight for about a week, you will see a difference after the first night. IT IS AMAZING!!
Misdiagnosis Alert!
Posted by Susan (USA)
From the feedback we have been receiving at Earth Clinic, it seems that many people (including doctors) are misdiagnosing their boils/staph infections/MRSA for spider bites, so please be very careful! If you don't remember being bitten by a spider (a rare occurrence), it's probably a boil or possibly a staph infection.
Misdiagnosis Alert!
Posted by Busycagal (Los Angeles, CA, USA) on 04/25/2011
My daughter was "diagnosed" with multiple spider bites, then allergic reaction to the venom, then skin Staph infection all with many month long antibiotic treatment that cured nothing, but kept the amount of boils somewhat less. After greatly suffering for 1-1/2 years, insisted on an infectious disease doctor and got the nasal cream. Went away in two days! However, a year later she was "diagnosed" with Crohn's disease with an unidentified bacteria in the stool and results not typical for IBD. History of chronic ear itching and flaking since also. Could this all be MRSA colonizing in the intestines and ear canal? I think so.
MRSA Survey Results
Posted by Susan (USA)
View the Compiled Survey Results from
4,979 participants. This document was compiled on 6/3/2008.
View the text comments from our survey
These are the thousands of comments that people entered into the comments boxes on the survey. Only a few of them are included in the compiled survey results document above. Unfortunately, it takes more than 10 minutes (with DSL) for the Text Comments to load because of so much data compiling at once.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Khadijahsfarmer (Pennsylvania ) on 06/12/2018
★★★☆☆
Boils to lance or not to lance
In the name of God. By God's will this finds you and your family in a way that is best in pleasing God. Good day earthclinic. Well after reading some shares here it made me think we'll I was told you should be happy when getting a boil cause it releases toxins from your body so I have went to emergency room and gotten them lanced or let them come to a head with a golden seal tea bag for heat so now I have read you should prevent them from coming to a head ok I will try turmeric I have been taking it for circulation, varicose veins and blood clots I had gotten side tracked. Thanks and I did put the Neosporin after reading it here. I have gotten boils 2 or 3 under both arms after putting on deodorant now I use Tom's natural I tried baking soda ended up back in emergency room someone made me some with baking soda diluted with Amber powder, it works for me. I have been told I have a low immune system, by God's will he grant a cure I have been reading here and will continue.
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Pinac (Toronto, On) on 06/03/2016
★★★★★
For boils: I had Tea Tree oil on hand and I gave it a go and wow did it work. It pulled everything. So disgusting but I've been using it as a topical treatment now for 3 days twice a day and I can move without pain and the boil has decreased to a dime size. So happy I had this.
