Dissolving Cysts Naturally: an Effective and Holistic Guide

I had a sebaceous cyst that had never gone away from several years ago. It suddenly got red, painful and the size of a pecan. I put one application of bacitracin ointment til I could search earth clinic for recommendations. I used a heat sauna, then applied tincture of iodine to entire area at bedtime. The next morning, it was 60% smaller, less painful and red. Thank you Earth Clinic. I just knew I was going to be on antibiotics and need to have it lanced. Will see what happens and supplement with oral iodine.

Hello Robin,

There are several websites that sell this salve: Etsy, Zenith Herbal.com, Herbs From The Labyrinth.com, Amazon.com, bloodroot salves.com, wiseways.com, bestonearthproducts.com, cancer salves.com and others.

If it were me, I would find a holistic practitioner with experience using bloodroot salve because some of these mixtures really may not be a safe option due to the location on the upper neck. Often, the affected area is much deeper and extensive than it appears and, extreme pain, a large crater and severe scarring can result, which eventually fills in.

The book "Cancer Salves: A Botanical Approach to Treatment", by Ingrid Naiman, is an excellent reference when choosing which type of salve to use since there are so many that work well. You could consult with her. Most anti-cancer salves are also anti parasitic.

Based on the limited description and assuming it is a type of parasite, many have had success trying one of the following ideas listed below which generally have broad spectrum anti parasitic and antimicrobial effects. However, when you mention "cyst", is this fluid filled, discolored, or deep? How long has it been there? Has a doctor diagnosed it? A more complete description and history and possible ID (Ectoparasite? Helminth? Other?) would be helpful to determine the best approach. If this is not parasitic or if you have doubts, try the more gentle approaches first (e.g., clays, oils) to tease out a possible ID &/or infection dimensions.

1. Salt Packs (Salt & Turpentine Pack or Stupe, Simple Saline Pack)

A. Heat salt in a pan, pile it in a multi-layered cheesecloth and secure end. Apply 10 drops or more of 100% gum turpentine essential oil to the hot cloth and/or to the skin. Apply hot pack to skin 30 - 60 minutes daily. Can do two 30 minute sessions. Debris is often drawn out, remove this. To minimize pain, one can first apply diatomaceous earth and/or Ivermectin cream 3% to the area, wait a while, then remove. Repeat the entire process until nothing else is drawn out. Some repeat this process daily, every other day, 2-3 times a week, as needed depending on the results. Persistence works. One can add other essential oils such as Frankincense (to minimize inflammation and kill parasites), clove (to minimize pain and kill eggs) and others. Most often, dark debris or a scab(s) emerges and this must be removed at some point so that the remaining underlying infection is drawn out.

Most of the time, these infections are quite deep and take time, you slowly remove them layer by layer to minimize trauma to the site.

B. An alternative is a Salt Turpentine Stupe: soak a washcloth or hand towel in very hot, highly concentrated, salt water. Add turpentine to the affected skin and/or to the cloth and apply to affected area until cooled, repeat 2-3 times until a full 30 minutes is achieved. Do this process twice daily, every other day or as needed. Cover stupe with plastic & towels to maintain the heat longer.

C. Or, simply use a washcloth or hand towel dipped in hot concentrated saline solution and apply a full 30 minutes, twice daily, retaining the heat by covering the towel with plastic and towels.

2. Earthclinic's BCC Baking Soda Remedy

Mix baking soda, apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar, and coconut oil into a paste. Or, simply mix baking soda & coconut oil. Optional: can add essential oils to this. Apply a generous amount and cover for hours to days, or as needed. Remove debris. Repeat until nothing emerges. Some have used various borax mixtures with good results. It appears these pastes work due to osmosis, suffocation, and various antimicrobial effects (anti fungal, antibacterial, antiviral).

3. Essential Oils

There are many that work well, a few are described below. Before using, first dilute the essential oils by adding 75-90% carrier oil to test your skin's reaction. Make sure to rub the oils onto clean/dry skin and rub it in very well extending beyond the affected area by 1-2 inches. Optional: can cover area with non-stick bandage or plastic. Depending on the response, you can repeat the applications once or twice daily every day, every other day, or as needed.

Note: if incorporating Peppermint, always add this oil last to any mixture or if layering. Peppermint “drives” the other oils deeper into the tissues.

* Oregano oil followed by the carrier organic olive oil. Apply 1-2x/day. Or, dilute oregano oil with olive oil, 1:1 or as needed. Can add more olive oil to the skin if it burns too much. For some conditions, having the oils as concentrated as you can tolerate is important. This oil is not for the “faint of heart” since it is burning and is generally used for more difficult or resistant issues. For example, areas in Brazil use it for cutaneous leishmaniasis and apply the oil neat 4 or more times daily until completely resolved.

I used this simple approach on an area on my forearm and was quite amazed at what emerged. I applied the oils 1-2x/day or at bedtime, every day. And, I used two species of oregano - O. vulgare and mediterranean oregano oil (optional). I applied the oils neat then rubbed in organic olive oil on top. As needed, I skipped a day or two or I covered the area with a non-stick pad. Sometimes, I would layer peppermint or frankincense oil on top for pain relief. A friend used this approach & cleared a spot on her lower back after 2+ months of consistent daily use - all sorts of “debris” emerged.

* Purification Blend (citronella java, lavandin, lemongrass citratus, myrtle, rosemary, tea tree) followed by Frankincense oil followed by oregano oil. Use a carrier oil to dilute as needed. Apply twice daily. A family member had success with this mixture on a hand-sized lump on the upper back/lower neck base areas. Pimple-like bumps emerged and dried up. Eventually, the lump & bumps disappeared after daily applications for 2+ months.

* Mix of Four: frankincense carterii, myrrh molmol, lemongrass citratus, yang ylang and carrier oil (olive oil, raw shea butter, black cumin seed, neem oil, and/or emu oil). Apply twice daily or more often. Clears MANY difficult skin issues including parasitic.

* CA Roller: fill roller bottle 2/3 full with Frankincense carterii essential oil and the remainder with 99% DMSO and black cumin seed oil. Apply twice daily. Many add Myrrh molmol. Can add other anti-cancer or anti-parasitic oils (clove, lemongrass, etc...).

Or, use (2 parts) Aloe Vera + (6 parts) Frankincense essential oil + (4 parts orange oil) + (2 parts) Black Cumin Seed oil or Emu Oil.

* Earthclinic remedy for a skin lump - castor oil + oregano oil + 99% DMSO (which is similar to turpentine) + clove oil. Every ingredient is anti parasitic in some way. Be certain to use high quality castor oil.

Other essential oils: eucalyptus (kills various parasites & ectoparasites), peppermint (kills larvae and mites, anti inflammatory), orange (anti-cancer, insecticidal, anti biofilm), copaiba (anti parasitic, anti inflammatory), lavender, german chamomile (anti parasitic), tagetes (anti larval), davana (anti parasitic), vetiver, garlic (antiparastiic & ectoparasitic), etc ....

4. Sulfur Pine Salve (SPS) or Pine Resin/Tar Salves

SPS typically consist of 75% sulfur, pine oil (turpentine or other pine oil) and vaseline (or raw shea butter, coconut oil, etc...). Apply liberally, cover area 3 days making sure it does not dry out. Rinse off and remove any debris. Repeat the process until no more infection is drawn out. An old traditional commercial brand called NuStock has been used for a long time, there are other brands.

An alternative to the sulfur/pine salve is Pine Tar and/or Pine Resin salves applied in the same manner. Often, anti parasitic essential oils or extracts are added to these resinous salves.

5. Cashew Oil or salves (anti parasitic & ectoparasitic) - research oil as to how to best use.

6. Andiroba Oil (anti parasitic & ectoparasitic) - research oil as how to best use.

7. Dragon's Blood Resin (salve or tincture)

8. EmuaidMax - very effective for many skin conditions - must rub in VERY well several times daily or more depending on the issue. Great for ectoparasitic infections (e.g., mites), fungal/yeast infections, bacterial infections, viral infections, scabies, burns, wounds, viral infections, ect...

9. Drawing clays (e.g., bentonite, French green clay, etc..) mix with distilled water and add frankincense &/or rose essential oil. Keep moist/warm with plastic and additional towels for as long as possible (e.g., 1 hour) then allow it to dry and rinse. Apply 1-2X/day or overnight. Can also use Diatomaceous Earth in this manner, it is a drawing and desiccant agent. You can leave the DE on the skin 24/7 so it continues to work.

NOTE: most of these remedies work well when quality product is used. For example, there are many adulterated or synthetic essential oils on the market so do your research.

NOTE: if secondary infections or severe inflammation develops (fungal, bacterial, viral, ….) you can spray HOCL (hypochlorous acid) on the area. It is a potent antimicrobial, looks and feels like water, completely non-toxic, and is a potent analgesic and anti inflammatory. It also accelerates healing, stops bleeding and is therapeutic in itself. Many hospitals and clinics are now using this in too many ways to list. I use BrioTech.com.

Wishing you speedy success in finding a solution! Sherri

Robin.…I have had several cysts and removed all of them with topical iodine. Just yesterday, I wasn't having any movement with the iodine (2x a day) on a cyst near my chin, so I put a drop of DMSO and a drop of 5% Lugol's Iodine every time I thought about it…maybe 5 x. Today it is scabbed over and much smaller. I will continue doing the iodine and DMSO a couple more days and it should be gone. Dr David Brownstein said that ALL CYSTS are caused by low iodine.

Hi Lynn,

Where do you get the bloodroot paste? I'm dealing with a cyst on my neck that I believe is caused by some kind of parasites. Anyway, would appreciate the info. I'm in the US by the way and wonder where to buy this product. Do you think it would be safe to use on the front of the neck just under my left jawline where the parotid gland sits? Sounds like it has a weird process for working out what's in the cyst and dissolving it, but I'm willing to try.

Thank you, Robin

I had a ganglion surgically removed in 1968. Very painful. Came back a month later. Went to another doctor who removed it with a needle 10.00 and 5 minutes, it was gone. Never came back.

Lou, try applying coconut oil.

Hi there, I tried garlic crushed over a little cyst in my cheekbone, as it was suggested here. I placed it with a gauze as a paste and on top of the cyst. It started burning a lot by I kept it overnight and slept with it. I woke up in the morning and it left me a terrible burn mark that was dark and somehow purplish. The cyst was a little flatter but I am left with this mark🙁 do you have any suggestion what to do for the mark and burning sensation also continues the day after. Please help. I do not want a scar or a mark forever. It is on my face under the eye 🙁

Going on 6 months now GMO free only eat whole foods that are organic, my itching skin went away, I lost 25 lbs I feel 20 years younger, all the pesticides in our food is making us sick. I had back aches all the time with these 2 cyst in my lower back, back pain is gone and the cyst is way smaller, started on Diatomaceous Earth to see if it would help and so far I see that it is making my real thick and ugly toenails shrink back to normal. You need to get off white sugar and white flour they are fulled with pesticides only eat sugar cane sugar which is found mostly in organic foods. 80% of the food in the grocery store is poison to our body, but look for the Non gmo list on the internet and start getting your health back.

Thank you, that is interesting. I have a small cyst in one nostril and another small one in the corner of upper eyelid. It doesn't bother me, and it is barely noticeable. Looking at all the remedies, there is nothing that would be suitable for the eye. I much prefer to improve diet, or address deficiencies, so this looks as though it's the ticket! I'm off grains, gluten sensitivity is a problem and sometimes cross reactivity with non gluten grains. Easier to go without, rather than have dermatitis outbreaks.

I have been reading with interest about Lugols Iodine 7.5mg iodine +11.25mg potassium for Cysts.

My question is can I use White iodine 17.85mg iodine per drop with the same results?

Both are 15% max strength?

Thank you so much for keeping us posted with the updates, so happy to know that you healed yourself!

Pilar cysts (trichilemmal cysts) treatment.

1 tsp of milk thistle powder once a day.

It takes about 1 month for cysts to disappear and hair to start to regrow

I have had thyroid cysts for years. One had grown bigger and bigger. I did Lugol's one drop in cup of water once a week. Believe it or not it has shrunk half the size my endocrinologist says.

Another update: It has been a year and there is no visible sign of the 8mm sebaceous cyst on my neck. I do from time to time feel a small bump and I squeeze it and the white fluid sometimes comes out. It is largely gone but I get the feeling it is something I will have to deal with two or three times a year. And I will do it with kelp supplements for a week and some iodine put on the spot. All-in-all, I am very happy with this remedy as I avoided surgery and saved myself $500.

update - January 2022

The cyst is really all but completely gone. I forgot all about it and then noticed a small bump a week ago. I squeezed and have been taking kelp again almost daily. I am also putting iodine on it. Hopefully this is the last of it.

I take kelp every day in supplement form.

Recently did a detox per Dr. Hulda Clark protocol and developed a cyst on my back. I was surprised. Never had a cyst in my life until the detox. I used 10% Iodine solution 5-6 times per day on it. The cyst is now flat after 2 1/2 weeks and not inflamed with infection/bacteria/whatever was in it. I am still using the iodine on it. It takes a bit to get rid of it.

Dr David Brownstein said that ALL cysts are caused by iodine deficiency! That is why the kelp worked. All glands need iodine, including the prostate!

I used Kelp tablets a few times a week and had my 8mm sebaceous cyst go away in about two months. It was ultrasounded and measured and I was scheduled to have it removed. I am very happy with this treatment.

Dr. David Brownstein of Bloomfield Michigan said that ALL CYSTS are caused by low iodine. I had a ganglion cyst on my finger for several years that would get very sore and large. I had three on my knee cap and had breast cysts. Surgery was the only option I covered each cyst area with the iodine tincture from the drug store and in about three days they were gone! I then started supplementing with Lugols 5% iodine at 2 drops a day. No more cysts. Dr. Brownstein gives the iodine loading test to check iodine levels. He says 90% of patients are deficient! Dr. Brownstein says the prostate, being a gland, is affected by iodine too!

All of my sebaceous cysts (diagnosed via ultrasound as 8 mm in size) seems to be completely gone. I am cautiously optimistic that it is gone for good, but I will keep an eye on it for a few weeks. I am not doing the iodine on it since it is no longer there. It has taken about 6 weeks of nearly daily application to the cyst. At times, the cyst would burst but generally, it seemed to shrink.

I would clean it with antiseptic and cover it when it burst. I also found that the skin on the cyst seemed to be rougher at times, and then would peel off with time. The iodine would irritate my skin, mostly making it red and when it got to be too much I would stop for a day or two. Also applying the iodine would at times make it itchy or cause it to sting and then at other times, would have no effect at all. I am going to keep taking the Kelp tablets for another two weeks (one tablet every three days). I used Nature's Way 600 mg of Kelp for this.

I applied iodine tincture to my 8 mm complicated sebaceous cyst daily and that, with a kelp tablet every three days, shrunk it considerably. It is now barely there, and I will continue to put iodine on it nightly for two weeks after it is all gone. I used a q-tip and painted the bump with iodine. I found after about two weeks, part of it popped and I cleaned and applied iodine then. It has been about a month now and it seems to have shrunk more than anything, to a flattened barely there cyst. I will keep applying the iodine and taking the kelp tablets for a few more weeks.

Hi Maria,

I'm using coconut oil every night on my cyst and it has gotten flatter with a crust spot on top. Was it hard to get the crusty part off? Did you use anything different for that? Did your hair grow back after the cyst and crust were gone?

I am so anxious about this and praying mine continues to get flatter and flatter. Obviously it's a slow process since it took yours 12 weeks. Just need encouragement!!

Thank you,
Gerri

I can't help but wonder if the MRSA had nothing to do with the cyst, but everything to do with the ER itself. I have been in many doctors' offices, ERs, hospitals, that are not all that clean, and staph is very prevalent. That's probably how you got MRSA..... Just saying.

Over the counter (OTC) iodine tincture used for scrapes, etc.

What kind of iodine did you use?

painting iodine tincture on the skin - 24 hour check. My patch disappeared completely in less than 6 hours

Just noticed the date of your post. Hope all went well these last four years. I am going to try the garlic on the Baker's cyst behind my knee.

I've got large, 2" fatty (Baker's) cyst behind my knee. I think, maybe, that this thread applies, because I did the skin test - painting iodine tincture on the skin - 24 hour check. My patch disappeared completely in less than 6 hours. We'll see. Just got my Lugol's in the mail yesterday, and took first dose this morning. Don't remember how long it takes to see a difference in my energy levels.

Oh my goodness! Four years until you can see a doctor? Take care of yourself.

I wonder about the lysine because that fights viruses and arginine fights infections. I am not an expert but just a thought.

If it is definitely a cyst, paint it with iodine…Drug store kind is fine. Do it for several days and it will be gone! Dr David Brownstein says that all cysts are caused by low iodine.

Success with a jaw infection from a root canal that led to a broken tooth, using infrared heat lamp. It was mentioned somewhere, maybe here, how it breaks through a surface membrane the infection hides behind. I used this one with timer for 15 min session, much improved overnight, gone after the next day. About $60 from Walmart online, worth it considering the alternatives.

Beurer Infrared Light Therapy, IL50 | Heating Lamp, Red Light Heat Device (Portable), Near IR Cold Laser

I had a full 1cm fatty cyst on my knee. One day I just noticed it so I was pretty surprised. I've had it for about 3 mos. After reading a review for garlic on here, I wanted to try it. I smashed a garlic in a press. I took a piece that was still left in the press, the smashed part and taped it to my cyst with a bandaid. I did not cover the whole cyst but close.

After 15 mins I noticed it was burning so I left it on for about 1 hr and a half. It was reddened when I took it off. The next day I had a burn mark where the garlic was and the cyst was flattened where the mark was. So awesome. I taped a tiny piece of garlic with scotch tape for a couple hrs to a part that was still left but I didn't feel it burning.

Anyway I went to work. This morning it is almost completely flat. I will probably let it go a couple of days before I decide if I need another treatment. I am completely thrilled! That didn't cost a thing. My initial treatment was 4 days ago so I still have the burn mark and expect that to take a while to go away (like any burn mark) but totally worth it!

My husband had a cyst on his back. It was red, painful, and hadn't erupted yet. Saw family doctor who referred us to a specialist. With COVID and Surgery pending, I was concerned. ( He has COPD).

I soaked some sterile cotton pads in ACV with the Mother. Placed it on his back and covered it with Plastic Wrap. Taped it in place. I did this twice a day until the cyst began oozing. Then it required more changes. A week plus later all evidence of cyst had disappeared. He was healed without surgery or scarring. I canceled his day surgery. I was asked and the appointment clerk was amazed.

I read that cysts and tumors can be caused by low potassium levels.

Coconut Oil for a Sebaceous Cyst

I dissolved a large sebaceous cyst on my scalp successfully by rubbing in some virgin coconut oil every night and pressing as I did so. I

had this idea from reading about the dissolving of acne in "Coconut Cures" by Bruce Fife N.D. 12 weeks later, it was reduced to a large flat dark scab which could be picked off leaving behind a teeny hole.

Norwegian Kelp will make almost all cysts disappear in a short period of time. I first heard it from a woman that had breast cysts being drained often. A nurse told her her mother cured them taking kelp. I had a cyst on my shoulder 5x7 cm. I had tried edible clay and then castor oil but it continued to grow. I started taking Now Brand Kelp and by the time I was finished the second bottle it was completely gone.

Take 2 caplets twice a day.

I had a sebaceous cyst in my groin area for years that was pretty small, not really visible, but if you felt around for it, was always there. I had one bout with a cyst in this spot as a teen; it appeared suddenly, got quite big within a few days, and drained on its own. Painful but over with quickly and no recurrence until I was in my 30s. This time it was a bit bigger but never irritated and sadly never threatening to burst or progress at all. So I finally decided to see if I could make it go.

I started with castor oil, which did seem to shrink it a little, but after several days seemed to stop having any further effect. I next tried ichthammol salve, which smelled god-awful to me, but if it made this thing come to a head and be over with, was worth enduring for a few weeks. After several days of keeping it coated, not much was happening so I started taking warm epsom salt baths while continuing with the ichthammol.This did make it slowly start to grow in size, soften up, get irritated, and kind of come to a head. It was not totally effective though. I think the warm baths may have had as much to do with it progressing as the ichthammol, not sure.

But regardless, although this protocol did bring it to a head (I could see a white dot forming) when I went to express it, maybe only a third of the material (white stuff) came out. Huge disappointment. I considered going back to the ichthammol again, but I was starting to suspect that a true boil might be better treated with that stuff. My cyst was perhaps too old and dry to be coaxed out.

I decided to totally switch to another remedy I'd seen hinted at: Lugol's iodine. I've had really good success with other ailments by increasing iodine in my diet (eating dulse flakes) in the last few years, and I know I've been deficient of this essential element in the past. I'd also read that mixing Lugol's with DMSO (50/50) would do a better job of getting it to absorb at the site. I had both ingredients on hand though I'd never used the DMSO before.

Mixed up a few ounces in a small glass container and applied it twice a day for about a week. (I used Crow's 5% iodine and pharmaceutical grade DMSO--both purchased on Amazon.) Right away I could feel something happening, a tingling. Within a day or two, the cyst, which as I mentioned had become larger and inflamed and only partially drained, was much smaller and starting to dry up. It was probably less than ten days before it was entirely healed over.

What really surprised me was that it was completely flat at that point--no sign of a bump--for the first time in maybe ten years. It's now been about three weeks. I stopped applying the iodine/DMSO once it was healed and flat and it so far has not come back at all. If it does, I won't be going back to the ichthammol again. I'll just try the iodine/DMSO.

One tip: I used a Q-tip to apply the solution directly on the cyst and would "paint" it thoroughly for about a minute to get as much of the stuff to absorb as possible. Because of where this thing was, I didn't bother to try to get a band-aid to stay in place and just used panty liners to keep my underwear clean. Once absorbed it didn't seem to be very wet or getting all over the place, so this was more of a precaution than a necessity, but keep in mind iodine does stain clothing. Also, iodine will spread all the way up the Q-tip, which seems to waste it. I wanted to saturate just the end, so I eventually figured out that dropping oil (I used castor oil) onto the part of the cotton about halfway down from the very tip would block the iodine solution from "running, " if that makes sense.

Definitely try this if you have a stubborn old sebaceous cyst. Hopefully you can avoid the attempts to poke at it and get it to come to a head--it really is possible to get even an old cyst to absorb and clear out with your body's help if you use iodine. Good luck!

My experience: For cyst on back of neck, applied organic tea tree oil to location with a Q-tip, a few times per week and cyst is shrinking, almost flat now - Amazingly after 30 years!!!!

Kelp supplies iodine which someone above mentioned, could be caused by iodine deficiencies

Approximately how much kelp did you take?

I had a large cyst come up on my shoulder in a year it had grown to 5 by 7 centimeters. I tried the Red Desert Clay and later the Castor Oil treatments with no success. Then a friend told me that his wife had a problem with breast cysts that the doctor kept draining. When she was in for a mammogram she discussed it with the nurse. The nurse said my mother used to drain them by taking Kelp. She now takes Norweign Kelp and has not had a cyst since. My friend had one on his leg and kelp took it away. I took it and my cyst is now gone completely in about 3 months.