Home Remedies for Boils: What Works and What to Avoid

Garlic

Posted by Leslie (Pascagoula, MS) on 04/02/2008
★★★★★

It seems that ever since hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast we have been battling more and more cases of boils. I have found that GARLIC helps get rid of boils. At any stage in the cycle of the boils if you get the 1000 mg GARLIC capsules and squeeze the gel onto the boil it will get it to come to a head and drain or the boil will disappear completely.It generally takes a few days but it does work to eleviate the swelling and pain and its effective in healing the boils. Its safe for children.At the first signs of even a bump take one gel capsule and sqeeze the gel onto the bump then rub it in aftewards throw away the used capsule and wash your hands. Repeat this at least three times daily until the boil is gone.

Ph Balancing and Clay Poultice for Boils

Posted by Liz (Scranton, PA) on 06/17/2009

Tina, I am so sorry not to have answered you, but I have not checked back to this section of Earth Clinic for a while. In answer to anyone who might be reading about the clay/silver poultice: I wore the thick poultice from the time I came home, through the night, until I showered. During the day at work, I smeared the silver clay thinly over the area and covered it with gause. I would then wrap my hand with a clean, flesh toned, ace elastic bandage. I wore a long sleeve cotton shirt to cover most of the dressing. On the weekends, I wore the poultice day and night. As the boil improved, a large bandaid did the trick. Of note: The boil has never come back (well over a year now). There is absolutely no way to tell where it once was. Liz

Bacon and Onion

Posted by Sarah (Fort Worth, Texas) on 01/25/2008 5 posts
★★★★★

Bacon and onion. Cut a slice of onion and seer in a hot skillet till almost' transparent, one side. Remove and set aside. Cut a square piece off of a slice of bacon and put in the still warm pan for only a few seconds on both sides. Take the middle rings out of the onion large enough for the boil you are trying to cover, put the bacon closet to your skin with the seared side of the onion behind the bacon piece, wrap with gauze and leave on for as long as you can (hours). Repeat several times till the boil starts to drain or the plug comes out. Works very well.

Drawing Salve

Posted by L (USA) on 01/04/2008
0 out of 5 stars

Hi Ted- I've been reading on earth clinic about the boils and I took the survey. Here's the deal- about three weeks ago I took my board exam for nursing- i was really stressed and it rained the same day. About a week later I got 2 bumps on my forehead that took turns going up and down, but remained there. Then last week i got 3 more, 2 about an inch below my eyes on each side of my nose, one on my chin. I avoid sugar and anything white, I immediately started turmeric,mag and zinc. I went to my acupuncturist. She gave me herbs for my liver. The boils started growing and got soo painful and hideous. So i put the black drawing salve on them on the 31st. I kept them covered until last night. My head was pounding and i began to have flu-like symptoms-fever,bodyaches, extreme headache. I could feel it drawing up all the toxins. But now it looks like i have thes big craters on my face. Did it eat away alll of my skin. The skin doesnt feel raw, its covered with a brownish grayish crust. The instructions say to put rubbing alcohol on the spots till the crust comes out.. but then i got worried about scarring so i just applied some rosehip seed oil. but i notice the edges around the crater are a little pink so now im concerned with infection. should i cont with alcohol or tea tree or what? i am scared now. Thank you soo much Ted. sincerely L."

Turmeric, Tea Tree Oil

Posted by Brad (Atlanta, GA) on 12/12/2007
★★★★★

I have had a boil break-out' regularly for the past few years, usually about once a year. They seem to be getting more frequent and progressively worse each time. This last time I started with one itchy red bump and it turned into about 12 all over my buttocks and legs within 3 weeks. I tried the turmeric (which I had never tried before) after about 2 weeks because they got so bad, and it helped SOME, but not a lot, I was still getting new ones. It was painful to sit down, to walk, to do anything really. I decided to try "the Holy Grail" from Sean and it really seemed to work.

I was taking 4 caps of the Turmeric 3 times a day. It did seem to slow the intensity of the boils but I didn't get the type of relief that others seemed to get. When I started taking the supplements Sean recommended along with the Hibeclens and the tea-tree oil it stopped dead in its tracks. Here's what I did:
Coninued with the turmeric as I was taking, took the other supplements once a day, and used antibacterial soap to clean my whole body twice a day. Then in the shower or bath I thoroughly washed anywhere boils usually came up with the Hibeclens. Then after I bathed I put some tea-tree oil in the palm of my hand and also put that anywhere I was susceptible to the boils. And I started with the q-tip of KY and tea tree oil in my nostrils twice a day. This combination immediately started healing the boils I had and since I've started the regimen I have not had any new ones.

A couple things:

I think the Hibeclens is very important to use to aid in the appearance of new boils, but it doesnt necessarily help in the healing of the old ones.It keeps the ones you have from spreading though because it puts a protective antifungal type layer on your skin that repels the bacteria and for hours and keeps you from getting new ones. Hibeclens can be bought at most pharmacies just ask the pharmacist where it is. It's kind of expensive but SO worth it.

When I started on Sean's regimen, I also cut out virtually all of the processed sugar and white flour from my diet. This was VERY hard for me, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make to get rid of the boils. This site has taught me how important this is. The sugar freezes your bodies ability to fight off the infection for up to four hours after you eat it. So in that time the boil is free to manifest itself and get worse and grow new ones with no fighting response from your body until the sugar works its way out of your system. The turmeric purifies your blood, but the sugar and white flour puts the toxins right back in. So you're fighting an uphill battle . If you want to keep boils under control you HAVE to cut down on your sugar and white flour intake.

Do not ever ever touch a boil with your bare hands and do not ever ever ever try to squeeze it. You can put hot compresses on it all you want, and if it pops under the heat thats fine, but the oils on your hands and skin will IMMEDIATELY make a boil worse if you touch it. And I've also found, especially with the boils I have had on my butt, that any pressure on them makes them fester and grow into the skin instead of outwardly. The lesson here is to keep the pressure off the boil as much as possible. If you have them on your butt use a hemmorhoid pillow or some type of cushion that keeps the pressure off the boil. Especially when you drive. I personally don't like to use band-aids or bandages on them because I feel everytime I do it just creates pressure by being covered and makes them worse and more painful. Of course several places on this site it discusses how important it is to keep them covered especially when they burst or drain - so use your own judgement here.

Also advil helps considerably with the pain.

I hope this helps some people.

Watch Your Sugar Intake!

Posted by Sage (DETROIT, Michigan) on 09/06/2007
★★★★★

re: Turmeric works but not with a lot of Sugar consumption. Thanks to this site,' Turmeric has helped alleviate my boil problems in the past. However after a recurrence last month, I was reminded that sugar does inhibit the immune system. I ate some cotton candy (Straight spun sugar), and four boils popped up in the groin area two days later. I have already cut out pop/soda drinks which helps. Again I was reminded that plenty of water, fresh fruits, and veggies help keep the boils away. I know now that I am asking for problems when I consume too much sugar (also candy) and baked sweets. I hope that this helps others and I am very thankful for this site.

Watch Your Sugar Intake!

Posted by Sage (Detroit, Michigan) on 06/20/2008

I have also discovered Black seed oil recently and use it when I have a major boil outbreak. I mixed a tsp of Black Seed Oil with 1/2 cup of plain unsweetened yogurt, 1 tsp of Turmeric, and 1 crushed clove of garlic. I also drink Burdock/Goldenseal/Echinacea Teas to help boost my immune system.

Oregano Oil

Posted by DeAnn (Lubbock, TX) on 07/04/2007
★★★★★

I considered myself a healthy 54 until december of 06, when I got a cut on my figure that woudl not heal. After finally healing I got the first of three boils on the buttock area. Two of which had to be lanced in the hospital. of course the Dr. prescribed cipro, lixapro, etc, you name it. When the third one appeared I used oil of oregano on a round band aid for a week change it often and it went away. I am currently taking oil of oregano in pill form everyday and drinking green tea and doing the apple cider vinegar with water and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. I have been boil free. I should also mention that when I had to have the first boil lanced, the Dr. mention I was the third person that day that he had done the same procedure.

Grapefruit Seed Extract

Posted by Kathy (Mitchell, NE) on 04/27/2007
★★★★★

Please try grapefruit seed extract. use in your juice internally. Use it in your dishwater for washing dishes and in your cleaning bucket for cleaning. Any questions please feel free to email me.

Iodine

Posted by Frances (Gainesville, FL) on 04/25/2007
★★★★★

I got my first boil ever recently. At first I had no idea what it was, but it rapidly increased in size and pain, began to itch around the edges and turned very red. My mother (a nurse) told me it was a boil on Sunday and to "leave it alone" (I have a bad habit of picking at wounds, etc.). Through the night, this became one of the most painful things I had ever experienced. The next day, Monday, everything I did was a royal pain - getting in and out of my car, sitting down in a chair, even walking - because the boil was on my lower back, just above my rear-end and a few inches to the right of my spine. I knew I had to do something or I would lose my mind, so I started researching remedies, and I came across your site. Monday night, I went home, took a long, hot, epsom salt bath/soak, and then swabbed the entire area with iodine. The next morning, I cleaned the area, then swabbed it with more iodine. This seemed to reduce the pain slightly and the itching more. Partway through the day, it started getting a little more sensitive, so I figured I'd try it again. I went to the bathroom at work and cleaned it up and put some more iodine on it, making sure to spend a good deal of time just resting the iodine swab on the scabbed area of the boil. Through the rest of the day, the pain did not seem to diminish, so I had decided to try baking soda when I got home. However, before my mom left for work, I asked her if she would please remove the bandage I had put on and check to see if it looked any better. Taking off the bandage was very painful, and I was afraid that it was no better at all. However, I was plesantly surprised to find out that the reason it was painful was because it was DRAINING. Yes, less than 24 hours after starting the iodine, after just 3 treatments, the draining started. It was great. We cleaned it well with some peroxide and put some neosporin on it, then some gause to help soak up the pus. After a while, I did another epsom salt bath/soak and took a shower, where I washed it well with a tea tree oil / aloe vera body wash. Out of the shower, I again cleansed it with peroxide, then put on some more neosporin, one of those non-stick pads, and a bandage to catch the ooze. Hopefully it will all drain out today or tomorrow so that it will just be a distant memory by this weekend. :) Thanks for all of your help!

P.S. I was thinking of trying an oatmeal-and-baking soda combo tonight to see if that makes a core come out.

Silica

Posted by Tamy (Anaheim, CA) on 04/23/2007
★★★★★

hello everyone, i was doing some research on skin boils and came across a site that listed different types of skin boils and what supplements to take for them. if you have recurring boils you might want to try taking silica or silicea goes by two different names but is the same thing. had a recurring boil for over a year that just would not go completely away, have tried numerous remedies, hardly any worked except for the vinegar directly on the boil, but that was temporary i was looking for something to stop it from coming back. surely enough i came across that website and i tried the silica and the boil is almost gone it's been only two weeks and i feel better, bought silica at my local health food store, i was at my wits end with this boil thing, but the silica seems to help like no other. the antibiotics didn't help of course, this just may be it. just thought i'd post it hopefully it will help someone else.

Tea Tree Oil

Posted by Cindy (Payson, AZ) on 03/16/2007
★★★★★

The best cure for any type of infection even moles/skin ticks/ infected staph or other boils that I've tried is TEA TREE OIL. I learned this in India when I traveled there. I had some serious infections that not even antibotics would cure but applying Tea Tree Oil over a few days did the trick. Also pouring proxide as a wash many times a day then treating with Tea Tree Oil does the trick!

Garlic

Posted by Darren (Fukuoka, Japan) on 03/12/2009
★★★★★

To Steven from Los Angeles, Barbara from Las Vegas, Nevada.

I am forever in your debt, thank you very very much for your post.

I moved to Japan 5 years ago and since then have been suffering the daily horrors of boils - mostly around my chin.

I tried your tips, both the oil from a crushed garlic clove, which neutralised the pain and over night a sliced clove applied to the boils.

Truly magical. I cant believe how quickly it works. It stings a little when you apply it, but if you can just grit your teeth and remember that the pain comes from the cleansing.

I've tried almost everything else; baking soda that cleansed the boil, but didn't seem to speed up the healing process greatly - an improvement but not much.

From my experience Garlic Oil and Cloves worked best for me.

Thanks again <3

Vitamin D

Posted by Julian (Bathurst , NSW Australia) on 03/16/2007
★★★★★

A common factor for most of the boil sufferers is the time of year, late winter when Vit D reserves are at their lowest. Vit D is a necessary part of the immune system. The Vit D Council (Google it) gives free information on doses and some amazing facts on its effectiveness for many ailments. I have used Colorless Iodine for unbroken skin pimples or puncture wounds for years and never get infections, Betadine for scrapes and scratches.Castor oil for sun blemishes, age spots and sun cancers. I work outside, get plenty of those. Used to get boils before I found Colorless Iodine, its getting hard to find (not much profit?) but some chemists will make it up.

Ozonated Olive Oil

Posted by James (Vancouver, BC) on 02/28/2007
★★★★★

The best thing for a boil that I found was Ozonated Olive Oil, wow this stuff works great! It takes about a week of applying the stuff twice a day, and relief is almost instant, try it for your self, the best, and is vey good for you. James...

Neem Oil

Posted by Mary (Phoenix, AZ) on 02/27/2007
★★★★★

There are two more treatments i have heard used in india for bacterial infections:

1.neem juice. neem or other name is margosa it seems to be king of herbs.

2.holy basil. its called tulsi in india. somewaht related to basil herb in US. but i dont know if the basil herb available in US has same medicinal properties. they both smell similar but they appear different.

Figs

Posted by Sheryl (Newton, KS) on 01/24/2007
★★★★★

I recently have battled with boils. My mother told me about boils mentioned in the bible and how God told someone to treat boils with Fig. I have been eating Fig and taking the seeds out and putting the skin of the Fig under a bandaid. It seemed to work for me so far. They aren't totally gone, but they don't seem to be so bad. I also wipe the area with Wet Wipes. Have been taking Echinacea, Zinc, Vitamin C.with Ester. The highest dose possible. And also putting Hibiclense on and letting it stay on my skin for 15 min. before taking a shower. I am allergic to some of the antibiotics given to me and the others didn't work. Like I said so far this works better than anything else I've tried. Hope this helps. Going to try turmeric along with everything else. SS

Figs

Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 06/07/2009 489 posts

Hello Teresa,

Have you ever entertained the possibility that all that make-up you are tossing away may be triggering the acne and boils you are troubled with? The best way to find out is to stop using all cosmetics, probably should leave off all soaps, cleansers, lotions and creams also for a couple of weeks. Good old ACV would be a good cleanser and maybe you might want to try a homemade facial mask or scrub like oatmeal,egg & honey or any similar one you can find on line.

Salt

Posted by Carol (Dora, MS) on 01/11/2007
★★★★★

Husband got what looked like a pimple on his neck. By the next night it had gotten worrisome big. Went to your web site and found the sea salt cure. We dampened a wash cloth, poured some sea salt on it, and he held it on the boil for twenty minutes. It went down in just twenty minutes! We taped a cotton ball soaked in castor oil and dipped in the salt for three nights, and the thing is gone. Thank you so much Carol Ann