Dermatitis Treatment and Natural Remedies

Hello, I've had p/o dermatitis for about five years now, the only thing other than prescription that has worked for me is fresh squeezed lemon juice, it takes just as long as the prescription "ery" pads but works just the same. I use it twice a day all over my face w/ a cotton ball and have been free of my dermatitis and eczema for over a year.

Thank you so much for this post. I have perioral dermatitis but didn't know the name for it until I went to the dermatologist 3 weeks ago. She gave me Metrogel samples to try, and said if I didn't see any improvement in 4 weeks, I should come back and she would put me on an oral antibiotic. I saw no improvement. I think it actually got worse with the Metrogel. Three days ago I started looking on-line for some answers. I have been using the ACV, yogurt and Acidophilus for the past 2 days and have seen an amazing improvement. Needless to say, I will not be going back to the dermatologist for the antibiotic.

I have had PD for over 10 years now. The only prescription medicine that ever worked for me was the minocylline. It completely took it off. However, it will return and it is pretty expensive and most insurance companies have a hard time approving it for patients. Everything else that I have been told - stay away from fatty foods, flouride, sls products - has not worked at all and ACV w/green tea only slightly minimized it but caused itching. I have it pretty severe and I am really frustrated with it. I look at this site every so often and I finally took the advice of the gentleman who recommended acidophilus. He, however, removed flouride and sls products - I did not. I have maintained the same diet and I quickly felt results with the acidophilus pill.

However, I also suffer from occasional alopecia so I picked up a bottle of Biotin. I take one of each daily around noon as I also suffer from hypothyroidism and you cant really mix the medication for that with anything else for about 4 hours or so to be safe it doesnt stop the synthroid from working. I never write on these websites but this time I had to tell anyone who will listen and who suffers from PD that with me taking one pill of each acidophilus and biotin daily I must tell you that my PD has drastically been reduced. The biotin has also improved my facial skin that I dont need makeup anymore. I totally love my skin now and I am not embarrased anymore. I hated living my life with redness around my nose and mouth and noticed that it would worsen when I ovulated and the week before my menstrual cycle. (I know too much information but I think it is important to know because these are the times the flare ups would occur the worse and I have never read where anyone ever mentioned that. ) I have pink now... Pink - slight pink and hope that as I continue taking the vitamins it will slowly go away. Now, I must admit one thing, I dont know if it is the acidophilus or the biotin that is working these wonders but I did read the following on webmd for biotin deficiency symptoms:

"Symptoms of deficiency include thinning of the hair (often with loss of hair color), and red scaly rash around the eyes, nose, and mouth."

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-313-BIOTIN.aspx?activeIngredientId=313&activeIngredientName=BIOTIN&source=2&tabno=2

Does this sound familiar to anyone????? Isnt if amazing that after all the dermatologists we have visited, nobody has mentioned a possible biotin deficiency???? I have seen 3 different dermatologists and they all seem to blame it on the flouride and sls but will not confirm. Yet we trust them and do whatever it is they tell us to do. Flouride free toothpaste is not too cheap and sls free products arent either, yet we do it because nobody but us understands what it is like to live with this horrible redness in our face! Gosh it makes me so mad that all it took was some simple vitamins to rid myself of this PD that was harming my self esteem and ruining my pictures because of the redness. It only gets worse in extreme hot and cold weather too! If you suffer from PD and have tried everything like I have and have had no success, please give the acidophillus and biotin a shot. It cant hurt. I bought them right off the target pharmacy dept.... And to the people who recommended Acidophilus - THANK YOU.

Hi Liz, I know that this is long after you posted asking about coconut oil, biotin and your prescription meds. My daughter was diagnosed with eczema several years ago. We found through trial and error that using coconut oil right after a bath or shower helps tremendously. Towel off gently and when your skin is still damp apply the oil and let your skin absorb it. This oil can also be taken internally and helps immensely by moisturizing from the inside out, even helps with the creaks and dry skin that comes with getting older. I hope that by this time you have found help for the dermatitis. My son is currently dealing with a pretty severe case of that and I am trying to find answers for him. Wish me luck..

Hello, just wanted to drop this off. I had Contact Dermatitis over 3 months last year, supposedly from powerwashing a house down and the remnants from using oxy clean baked on my arms and caused me great ail.

However, I saw the culprit pop up 3 days after being in a tanning bed that was not clean, I should have cleaned that bed myself. I went to the doctor's twice the first time and of course I used the steroids which only caused my sugar to rise and a yeast infection accompanied that. Then he said it was time for a dermatologist, I decided it was time for a cure, no more doctors for this nonsense.

Here is what I did, yes I tried the virgin coconut oil, it helps but very short lived to stop itching and hives. The derm covered my arms, portions of my back, hips stomach under breast, inner thighs and ankles I was miserable. Nothing could touch me, it made it worse and I mean nothing.

I was beside myself and decided to smother myself in Desitin maximum strength paste, the gooey stuff. I did this for two weeks straight day and night and it cured me, thats right, it dried up this crap and it disappeared. I hesitated using it because.. Well it stinks and it makes you white. I persisted even though I was miserable 4 to 5 days into using this stuff, after all I did not care I was going to keep using this stuff just because I could. Not really knowing the outcome but wow, it started to stop itching, then it slowly formed scales and then.. Yes and then, it was gone. Please be advised, smother yourself in this stuff, keep it up, it will work, screw the dermatologist, they will keep you coming forever. I made a choice I wasnt paying for a derm, I have diabetes and endo and regular doctor is enough to pay out, that alone is a killer. So no derm and the Desitin works, please be advised, it does work. Janet

So here's my story. I got a pimple in the corner of my mouth so I used my topical clindamycin solution on it. A week or so later I developed a dry patch of skin, it didn't itch or hurt, just was very flaky. That lasted for a couple of months despite using aquaphor on it several times a day. 6 months later I was developing little fluid filled bumps that would break open and then leave a yellow/orange crust on my skin. The area expanded and then a little further out I got a very dry patch of skin, this time no flaking. I started using hydrocortisone on the area with the bumps and it would keep it under control but it never completely went away. After dealing with this for a year and a half, I finally got in to see a dermatologist who diagnosed perioral dermatitis. He put me on clindamycin solution, oral erythromycin (3 week course). I was pregnant at the time so I could not use the Protopic (tacrolimus) ointment he wanted to prescribe. After 4 months of using the clindamycin twice a day the symptoms were gone and I just needed to put a little aquaphor on the corner near my mouth and was able to stop the clindamycin. About 3 months after delivering my baby, the bumps started coming back in the same spot. I started using the clindamycin again but it seemed to get worse and even started spreading around the bottom of my lip to the other corner. I went back in to see the dermatologist who thought it was contact dermatitis this time. He recommended topical steroids, oral antibiotics, and topical tacrolimus. I was still breastfeeding so these medications were scary to me and I didn't .

So here's what I did. I switched toothpastes to a non-fluoridated one. I bought the organic Apple Cider vinegar (my local grocery chain had it - Meijer - for like $4). I tried drinking 1 oz (shot glass) straight but it was so acidic it hurt my teeth (I have severe tooth sensitivity). Even watered down I couldn't take it. So then I put it directly on the affected skin and all around my mouth. It burned like crazy but did seem to take away the bumps, however I still had very noticeable redness and dry flakiness. I put yogurt on the skin after the acv. I started taking acidophilus supplements as well. After a week of doing this, I stopped the yogurt. I then started putting a diaper rash cream on the area (MotherLove diaper rash and nipple cream - $9.00 online but costs $9. 00 for shipping. I got it for $12.00 from my local lactation consultant). It started to get significantly better, almost looking normal. However, after a few weeks it was still red and my lips started to become very flaky. I almost resorted to giving up breastfeeding to take the recommended medications because I have to work and it was so embarassing. Then I started putting the Apple Cider Vinegar on my face again but this time also dabbing it on my lips and the mucosa just inside my lips (pull the bottom lip down to expose the inside and swab Apple Cider Vinegar there and on the inside of the top lip). I use Vannicream moisturizer on my skin and vaseline (dermatologist said not to use aquaphor because it has lanolin and it can be irritating) on my lips and MY SYMPTOMS ARE COMPLETELY RESOLVED. No bumps, no redness, no dry flakiness.

My heart goes out to you, this is an extremely irritating and embarassing condition. Hope this helps.

First off, metal fillings give off an electrical charge that affects your brain, and your body, simple physics. The story of the famous actor basically every time he tried to sleep he would instantly get a migraine, and doctor did not know why. He finally asked his fans and one suggested metal filling. His biological dentist said, that when he laid down to sleep it was like a "lightening bolt going through his head, " All the metal was removed and the migraines stopped.

Metals are reactive and porcelain is not, I consider the hygienist opinion invalid.

Wow, Violet..... wondering where you are getting your facts. Ever read what Hulda Clark says about pets and parasites? Are you aware that Demodex Mites cause mange in animals and get into your nose hair roots and are almost impossible to cure? A dog's tongue contains E-coli and is the greatest cause of human stomach ulcers. Ever watch what spot your dogs licks when his buddy comes up? Do you know why all dogs have to be wormed every so often? Ted and many others have posted all this on this site. Read more.

Actually demodex mites are human mites that we give to our dogs. Your vet will not advise you correctly on this anyhow because they do not recognise that we are passing them back and forth with our dogs. I do have an old vetrenairian book from the 1950s that discusses demodex as a human ailment passed to dogs. If you are worried about mites, use D.E. powder.

It is not E coli that causes ulcers, rather it is H. pylori.

Ok. After 20 years of dealing with dyshdriotic eczema, allergic dermatitis, contact dermatitis... essentially every skin malady recognized under the sun... I think I can provide some help. While steroidal creams such as diflorasone diacetate provide relief, they do not cure or prevent. The problem is organic. Here is the cocktail that I have found keeps me quasi-remissive with the least amount of side-effects: 1200mg of Lecithin, 50mg of zinc, 400 I.U. of vitamin E and 500mg L-Lysine once daily after a meal. For some reason, the anti-hystaminic effects of loratadine are more effective for skin disorders than other common OTC anti-histamines. I suggest one 10 mg loratadine once to twice a week to give the skin a "calm-down" period. Works for me...and I cook for a living.

First I want to thank all people who post on this site. A community of people sharing remedies for healing outside of the Big Pharma profit paradigm is a beautiful thing.

I read so many interesting regimens for curing dermatitis but I was wondering why mine had come back in the first place. I have not had it at all for 9 months and all of a sudden it's back on my face.

After doing my detective work I have realized there is one factor which makes all the difference for me. 9 months ago I moved close to the ocean. The only time I have left my home area in those 9 months was to work in Puerto Rico for the summer (and I was in the ocean all the time there). Only now that am I away from the ocean (Toronto) has my dermatitis returned. I am a regular ocean man. I am in it every other day now that I live close by and now that I look back on it, since my reconnection to the sea water, I have not had ANY dandruff of facial Dermatitis. Until Now, having been away from the ocean the last 2.5 weeks I have a flare up again.

So, for anyone suffering from Dtitis who lives near the ocean, now's a good time to take up surfing.

All my best, Eion

My little girl was diagnosed with atopic dermatitis on her face at one month old (like many babies have early on). The doctor suggested a high-quality cream containing essential oil of Rosa rubiginosa (Sweet briar or Eglantine Rose). I applied it a few times a day and it cleared up within days. Many people who suffer from this condition I've talked to have not known about this cure, so I thought to share.

Worked Temporarily

I have tried dandruff shampoo and apple cider vinegar. After using each a couple times, the dermatitis would flake and seem to clear up with no more bumps present; however, it has returned both times after it had appeared to be gone.

Lily, how did it turn out for you?

I have an ongoing problem with contact dermatitis for a number of years now. When prescribed medicine doesn't work, the best remedy for relieving my eczema symptoms so far would be:

1. Use pH balanced products for washing.

i.e. shampoo, body wash, household cleaning agents and such.

- try organic soaps or castille soaps. these are made of chemical free, all natural ingredients.

2. Avoid using products with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate which can cause skin irritation.

- check product contents on the label before you buy soaps, shampoos, detergents, etc.

3. Avoid washing the affected area too often.

- washing too often will cause your skin to lose its natural moisture. Dry skin will crack easily and can become sore and itchy. so, seriously reduce the frequency of washing your affected skin.

- I have tried using rubber and latex (surgical type) gloves, but it made my skin worse. It might had something to do with the layer of powder lined inside the gloves which irritates my skin.

4. Keep your skin moisturized at all times.

- I use pH5 Handcreme by Eucerin which contains enzymes that help to repair dry and damaged skin cells.

5. Higher amount of non-acidic Vitamin C.

- a daily intake of high strength 1000mg tabs of acid free vitamin C . Any brand is fine, as long as the base ingredient is CALCIUM ASCORBATE and not Ascorbic Acid.

- this has helped my skin to recover very quickly from cracks and flare ups before they could get any worse.

That's about it. Hope you'll find this information useful.

my first outbreak of pd was 6 years ago, on the sides of my nose. at that time, i had no idea what it was. it took 3 months to go away, with no treatment. now, after finally being diagnosed by a dermatolist a month ago, i know that i have pd.

when my most recent outbreak occurred, i began reading your blogs on this forum. i have to say it was quite discouraging.... the remedies would work for some and not for others..... i spent all my free time reading and researching different possible causes of pd. the one that made the most sense to me, was the link between pd and overgrowth of candida in the body. (since my pd felt itchy and raw like a yeast infection). i began to cut out all sugar from my diet. all dairy.... all breads.... all sweet fruits. basically i eat chicken breast, fish, nuts and veggies. nothing fried. then i started taking a probiotic.... (get a high quality one that contains acydophilus. ) i also started taking biotin everyday.

i tried some of the recommendations on here, like acv. the only thing that did for me was irritate and burn my skin. took it a week to start looking somewhat normal color again. so personally, i wouldn't recommend doing that one.

i kept reading and researching and found a blog from a guy who suffered from pd. he said the only thing that cleared his pd up was an antifungal lotion. i was willing to try anything at this point, as i was almost three weeks into the outbreak! and miserable!!! i went to the drug store and bought some lamisil and began applying it twice a day... liberally. i've been using it now for about 5 days. my pd is almost completely gone! maybe it's the anitfungal lotion.... maybe the diet finally started working.... maybe it's the supplements.... or maybe i just landed on the miracle combination!

for those of you who suffer with pd, i'm so sorry that anyone has to go through this. it's such a stubborn unresponsive condition. but my pd definitely responded in a very positive way to this treatment:

candida free diet

probiotics

biotin

antifungal lotion

hope this helps someone! stay positive! :)

This has always been my standby for quick relief of contact dermatitis, especially those lttle bumps on the face: Using a mortar and pestle, grind plain old fashioned oats to a fine powder; Mix with enough very warm filterd water to form a paste and apply gently to damp skin that has been washed in a mild fragrance -free cleanser. (Apply after rinsing). Let dry for about a half an hour. Rinse with tepid then cool water and pat dry. Use a mild moisturizer only around eyes and lip balm. At bedtime, rinse with warm then cool water and apply light, fragrance-free moisturizer. Never use a facecloth and soap on face or dry with a towel that has had fabric softener added. Good luck.

I had clear skin most of my life except for the occassional pimple. Three years ago, while in my mid forties, I started to have acne on my chin. I went to the dermatologist and was diagnosed with perioral dermatitis. I thought maybe it was do to hormonal changes given my age. The dermatologist wanted to put me on antibiotics for an extended period of time in hopes that it would work. I didn't want to take drugs so I decided to try and find a natural treatment on my own--without luck. Then I heard a radio show called, "The Soap Dish"--the host is Deana Kelly, owner of the Naples Soap Co. She said that her establishment sold a natural Sea Salt soap that cleared up skin problems including acne. I tried it, not expecting too much since I'd tried many different things. To my surprise, after three weeks, it cleared up my chin. At first I was using on my entire face, including problem area (chin). I did notice that it was drying out the area around my eyes making me look older, so just now use it on my oily areas (t-zone, forehead, chin).

Also, Deana has made it very affordable. Please let me know if it helps you. I would happy to know that this info helped even just one other person suffering with this problem.

First I would like to thank everyone for sharing what has worked for them. This has been a nightmare! But I think I have found a routine that works for me and hopefully will work for you. Every morning I take probiotics and ACV capsules. (I tried drinking it but couldn't do it again) At night I take more of the same as well as green tea vitamins. I changed my shampoo to non sulfate. I also changed my toothpaste to non flouride and only drink bottled water. Before I go to bed I put organic plain yogurt on, and keep it on all night. This combinbation has worked well for me and I hope it works for you.

It's me again... 7 or so months later and still no PD! Try the prosacea stuff! The active ingredient is sulfur.

Dear Earth Clinic & Contributors - I wanted to let you know how grateful I am to have found the info on this site. I have had perfect skin my whole life and am 37 years old. Last fall, I tried a "biological peel" that I purchased at a high end store for a large price. Within two days of use, my skin started breaking out. I thought, "oh maybe my skin is 'purging' itself of impurities" so I kept using it a couple times a week. That was a huge mistake. By a month I had broken out very badly. I stopped using the product, but my face did not stop breaking out. I tried a few OTC products including the cardinal sin of cortisone cream (DON'T EVER DO THIS) and finally ended up in the dermatologist's office with a diagnosis of POD. He gave me a topical product…Protopic - that didn't seem to help and had scary side effects/warnings. I stopped using it because I had to take an antibiotic for a sinus infection - the meds seemed to start an even worse flare up.

That same week (about 3 months into POD), I started following the instructions on this site. I washed my face with warm water and no soap. I used a washcloth to apply the apple cider vinegar undiluted (Heinz) and then rubbed in vitamin E oil from Golden Way (d-alpha tocopherol acetate - the real, not synthetic E). I also took Nature's Way Primadophilus culture caplets one or two a day and mid way into the two weeks since I started, I added TriMedica Facial Redness Cleanser. My POD is about 90% cleared up. I'm going to continue doing this and hope for a full recovery in another week or so. It took a full week or more before I saw significant improvement, so keep the faith, people. Also, use a nubby towel to gently rub in the vinegar - not to the point of exfoliation, but get it in there working. Thank you Earth Clinic readers for your wonderful tips. I am so happy that my skin is almost back!

Try apple cider vinegar on your face. Also see if you can drink it as well.

I am soooo happy I took the time to browse your site a week ago for some ideas to help clear my skin up. About 9 months ago I got small rashy pimples around my mouth. I've been lucky to have always had near to perfect skin. I could see myself that they weren't spots and more rashy type of pimples. It didn't shift for a number of weeks, so I paid a visit to a dermatologist. She recommended a cream called diprogenta and antibiotics and advise I try changing to non-flouride toothpaste (diprogenta- steriod type cream - but sure I didn't realise it was steriod cream at all at the time, and wasn't aware it can thin the skin out and cause a heap of further problems down the line). The rash cleared up, but I could only keep it at bay by topping up with steriod cream every day.

A few months later I tried a Different dermatologist. She recommended cold turkey from the steriod cream and prescribed antibiotics. A week later I returned and as she could see the rash was getting no better, did some scrapings and flippantly decided that it was a fungal rash. She didn't really seem used to dealing with celtic skin and I wasn't convinced But took the fungal meds she Prescribed. She prescribed a fungal Cream also (which later I found had some steriod in it) - and low and behold the rash disappears, but once again to keep the rash at bay I had to keep topping up with the cream daily! Problem not solved.

Last week I decided I'd try cold turkey and take a more natural route to solve my now 9month skin prob. I booked a few days at the beach, thinking that the saltwater and fresh air will be good for my skin. I checked this site out to see if there are any natural supplements / topical stuff that were recommended. I hit the health store and stocked up on apple cider vinegar (to drink and apply topically), epsom salts (to gently exfoliate skin), probiotic supplements (to cure from inside out), ethyl alcohol (to apply topically), virgin coconut oil with ginger extract (to apply topically), tea tree oil cream moisturisor (to moisturise). In addition to that I ate quite healthy food during the week - fruit smoothie in the morning with poached egg on toast. homemade soup with crackers and homemade hummus for lunch, homemade lasagne and salad for dinners.

day 1-2 of cold -turkey the rash was ablazing! Stung like hell to apply the apple cider vinegar and ethyl alcohol but calming after a few mins.

day3-4 of cold-turkey, much the same but the rash was no longer spreading and appeared to have peaked. Rash was getting quite crackly at this point so before applying makeup I found dipping my face in a bowl of warm water with epsom salts and left to air dry left a v. Fine coating of salt on the skin, which strangly worked v. Well as a base for applying some concealor over the rash. there was no hope in hell I was going to go into work without concealing the rash and thankfully it didn't backfire! An amazing concealor/fopundation I used was by roche possay - AMAZING stuff!

Day 6 - skin 80% back to normal and with a touch on concealor you couldn't see any rash.

Day 8 - skin is 97% back to normal!

in 4 days time I'm hitting the beach, for what I though would be a weekend of laying low and letting my rashy skin get some air and sea water. Turns out my skin is already cured so instead I'll be flashing my new amazing skin!

I'm not sure what caused the initial rash, but it was after a few weeks in the tropical sun. I suspect old suncream may be the root of the problems - or alternatively flouride toothpaste. I've since switched to a non-flouride toothpaste from the health shop, just incase it is the root cause. I'm going to continue with my epsom salt face soaks and use it as an exfoliator mixed with my usual cleanser and will use the apple cider vinegar as a toner at night, and continue to drink it during the day, as my skin is Glowing from it at the moment! The great bonus about the apple cider vinegar is that it's also a natural appetite supressant. Not that I'm trying to diet, but I've noticed over the past week that I've no interest in junk food or over-indulging! thanks to everyone who contributed on your site with all their great ideas - you really have saved my skin!!

Hello. I developed Contact Dermatitis from one of the two things, power washing a house down and the cleaning agent running down my arms and drying, and or from a tanning bed. My guess is the latter, it happened 24 hours later and I dont mean tanning bed bumps.

The doctor medicated me with Steroids, most of the derm left but then came back immedietly and twice as bad. Did a second treatment, again the same results. His next cure was a Professional and I have him, a endo bill and I dont need some sappy Dermatologist eating up my income for something he can only treat and not cure. That I can do at home which is why I am here.

What worked for me. Desitin, a diaper rash cream. Its not cured, I still have the derm but..its almost gone, 7 days now. I smothered myself with it on all areas of red itchy bumps that spread all over my stomach and under arms, arms and patches on legs.

I did consume the ACV for 3 days 8 ounces and 1/4 cup of vinegar, it was too hard on my stomach. I knocked it down to once a day. When I took the Steroids they knocked my diabetic immune system right out bringing on a horrible yeast infection. I read that yeast will cause the derm to spread even more in your body. In this my help was aided from the ACV. However, pleast note, it was the cream that worked.

I am still using it, you must refrain from itching at all times, this too makes a huge difference. Make sure to get a bar of soap with no ingredients in it from the Health Store, something very mild with no harsh chemicals what-so-ever and use it only. This too will aid in the cure.

Now, 7 days later, bumps under arm and under breast are completely gone, just left overs on my arms, little tiny bumps everywhere but barely noticeable, still itcy, dont touch them.

Let me tell you this has been going on for two months now. The coconut oil will stop the itching completely, at least for two hours or so or fresh out of the shower, it will not make the bumps disappear as the cream did.

You may or may not have patches left, its like after what I went through, big deal, I will use this stuff forever, no it doesnt smell good, I may not be completely healed but boy oh boy what a huge difference.

No Dermatologist will tell you this, they cant make money that way.

I still have patches, and yes its itchy, but I will continue to use the cream. Smother yourself, dont itch it, use the no ingredients soap, watch them disappear in 7 days as this is what the cream says to do, use 7 days, but I will continue to do it. I suppose you can use Balmex too. I believe both contain oxide and it smothers the derm by doing so it does not spread and the weak enviroment dies out from it. Its not the cure but one major difference that will change your life. No more tanning beds for me.

By the way, make sure not to get hair spray on it, and or windex, any cleaning product, the slightest invasion to the arm will cause it to start itching like crazy, rinse it off immedietly and re-apply the cream, I do this about twice a day. Trust me, its a miracle worker, you must be diligent and patient in these mattes and be consistent witl applying this daily or you will see no results.

Best of luck to you all.

I kept reading things on this website and then I saw the reference to cinnamon. I regularly eat saigon cinnamon with no issues but got a new type of cinnamon and that's when I got my serious breakout. It was when I saw this post that it hit me. Usually, if I break out or have a reaction it's due to something new or different in my diet. Thank you! Itchy eyes are gone.

To treat, I combined coconut oil, tea tree oil (5 drops per tsp or so of coconut oil) and a bit of neosporin. I also took coconut oil melted in water. It worked!

Magnesium/ Calcium supplements! I had terrible dermatitus and a dermatologist suggested I switch to a fluoride free toothpaste. (I also tried just about everything listed on this site) I started doing my research and eliminating anything with fluoride from my diet. I was horrified to learn that it is EVERYWHERE! Not to mention most cities add it to their water systems. I then read somewhere that magnesium/ calcium supplements can keep fluoride from absorbing into your cells. I started taking a Calcium, Magnesium and Zinc supplement everyday and my dermatitus cleared up completely in a few days.

If I miss a day or two of taking the supplement I notice it start to flare up again. Do your research on fluoride, it may not be the cause for everyone, but it's worth a try!

I have had subhorreic dermatitis for about a year on the back of my head and around the top of my left ear. I have used a couple different prescriptions that made the itching bareable and kept the oozing to a minimum (sorry that's gross, I know). A friend told me about GSE so I figured I'd give it a try on this as well as some atopic dermatitis on my legs. It did wonders for my head and helped my legs some too (though I didn't stick with it and it flared up again, time to get back to it I suppose). I also experienced the stinging/burning but I've found that dilluting a bit more can make a world of difference. I read that it's very powerful in small amounts so it doesn't need to be extremely concentrated to work. I just rinse my hands with water then put a few drops of GSE on my hands and rub them together. Then I just rub my damp hands over my legs or head. You can also put a dilluted solution in a spray bottle (worked nicely for my head). I'd recommend playing around with the concentration that feels good as you don't want to irritate the skin more than it is already. If it burns, water it down a bit (I've read you can diluted it in olive or coconut oil too but haven't tried that). If you don't feel anything, maybe add a couple more drops? I personally like to feel a little tingle but no burn. Good luck!