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.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by D (Lisbon, Iowa, USA) on 03/04/2009
★★★★★
If you have a diagnosis of SD you will know that there are many sites that say it is caused by Pitisporum Ovale, they are incorrect. SD is caused by Malassezia Globosa. My eight year old had it all over his face and it was spreading rapidly, the doctor gave us a prescription for Eldel, which has a black box warning and was $40+ even with insurance. It surpresses the immune system and I would not use it on my child who is a cancer survivor. My poor son could not tolerate any of the antifungals I put on his face, his skin was extremely sensitive and everything was painful. I finally hit upon non-pasturized honey, it works. Cleanse the area with hydrogen peroxide, put honey on all the areas. I put it on him right after school and then re-applied at bedtime. I also read a study that zinc pyrithione kills Malassezia Globosa, so I also purchased a 1% zinc pyrithione spray called "Z Care" by supplement spot.com on the net. It took forever for them to ship it, but it works. Once you know the exact cause, you have a better chance of fighting what ever it it is. My son could not tolerate head and shoulders on his face whatsover, but the "Z care" spray doesn't burn as long as you wait 10 min after you wash your face. Results with the honey alone were visibile in a day or two, but it is slow going until every little flaky area is gone. It took about 2 months to completely heal him. A note of caution, if the SD is all around the nose area, consider applying the honey and the zinc pyrithione carefully to the inner rims of of the nostrils. I just use a q-tip to appply anything to his face anyway. Don't spray the spray near your face, spray the Q-tip first. The SD was so bad that he also developed a secondary staph infection on the side of his mouth. The honey healed it, and knocked the infection right out. He has a small pink area of scar tissue, where the staph infection was, but I am hopeful this will fade with time.
Read the study: http://www.pgbeautyscience.com/defining-issues.html
Good Luck!
Borage Oil
Posted by Sandy (Tampa, FL) on 02/10/2009
★★★★★
Borage/flaxseed oil for Contact Dermatitis: I started taking flaxseed oil and in time realized that my dermatitis started to get better. At the time I also had bought a lotion with borage oil that said it was good for skin conditions. I looked up borage oil and found out that it has GLA and omegas which are good for inflammation and works against dermatitis, eczema etc. I realized that taking borage oil internally and putting on the lotion would probably be even better. I started doing this about a month and a half ago and my hands haven't looked this good in years. I think I've finally found a cure that works for me and I hope it works for you. I just take the pill once a day and put on the lotion as needed throughout the day. On the side--I realized that the reason for my dermatitis was harsh soaps so I have also started using Castille soap to wash my hands. It doesn't dry them out like other soaps do. I hope this helps someone out there. I had tried ACV/coconut oil and such before but while it did provide some relief it did not completely heal me as borage oil has.
Ingredients to Avoid
Posted by Cherry (Mission Viejo) on 11/15/2021
★★★★★
My son has a chronic runny nose as well, however if he avoids dairy it clears up. He cuts back on processed carbs as well and it helps. He was cutting weight for wrestling when we noticed the improvement:)
Coal Tar
Posted by Julie (Bendigo, Victoria Australia) on 11/27/2008
★★★★★
When I was in my teens I suffered terribly from dermatitis on my hands, mainly my palms, nothing would cure it, my life was disrupted by my problem. I went to many GPs with no results. Then a pharmacist gave me a mixture of coal tar ointment, told me to apply it at night and wrap my hands in clear platic wrap every night, for, I cant remember how long, a week maybe, it smells very strong, but I perservered. After applying this treatment, I have never suffered from dermatitis on my hands again, I am now in my fifties. Hope this may help someone.
Antiseptic Handwash
Posted by Violet (St. Pete, Fl) on 09/21/2009
Hi Robert Henry, I got that info from my vet. I sleep with my dogs all the time and after reading M's post I called my vet to inquire about the mites. That is what she told me.
I was not aware that demodex gets into human hair roots but I am well aware of all your other comments (worms, e-coli, where dogs lick).
I am on this site all the time but I have just recently started posting, in fact that was only the 2nd time I have posted here and from the tone of your reply obviously I have upset you. Sorry :-(
As for reading more, I am a very prolific reader but I have by no means read everything on this site yet... I'm working on it ;-)
I am always interested in hearing what others have to say, and I am more than interested in learning as much as I can about natural cures. Now I'm off to read the demodex posts.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Adria (Kennesaw, GA) on 05/30/2008
★★★★★
I have been taking coconut oil capsules (2000 mg twice daily) for 3 weeks today. It has completely cured the psoriasis I have had on my elbows for over 25 years now. I'll have to get back with you to let you know what else it has helped me with. But, so far, I LOVE IT!
Diaper Rash Ointment
Posted by Laura (Chicago, IL) on 05/30/2008
★★★★★
Hello everybody, I had a dermatitis on my neck and one thing that really helped was A + D ointment, the kind you use for diaper rush. I remember it was the best remedy for my kids when they were babies, so I tried it , and I felt the irritation, burning and swelling going down right away. You can buy it anywhere the diaper rash stuff is sold.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by JEROLYN (Lebanon, TN) on 12/05/2007
★★★★★
I am 43yo and have suffered for 20 YEARS with this dermatitis curse! Like all the others, the prescription meds were but a band-aid to a much larger problem. I was elated to find this page. In the past the only treatment the doctors and I could manage was phototherapy, but just another band-aid. I have tried the ACV which initially worked then, to no avail. Probiotics produced no change. My sort is very stubborn! SO... I tried peroxide alone b/c that was all I had here at the house. It works very well for me but I am going to add Borax to the mix as I still get some minor flair ups. THANKS to you all! At least I have some hope of help other than producing further wrinkling to my already aging skin!
Coconut Oil
Posted by Jill (MH, usa) on 07/04/2007
★★★★★
I have been taking coconut oil soft gels for 2 months now. It has tremendously took my dermatitis away. I have suffered from dermatitis for 5 years now. Used tons of creams and ointments. Yet still never got full relief. Since taking the pills I have been irritation free. I feel as good as before I developed it. It to me its just amazing.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Janet (Morayfield, Queensland) on 05/19/2007
★★★★★
I have suffered from skin ailments all my life. I had heard about coconut oil but it seemed too simple an idea to really work, and I had tried every remedy, scientific and natural, under the sun and nothing ever worked. So after reading all the latest hype about coconut oil I decided "why not?' Well, sometimes I wish wasn't such a sceptic and then I might have tried it years ago. How it works I don't know but after less than a week of applying it twice a day my rash had cleared up, the redness and itching was gone, and has stayed gone despite the fact that I have stopped using my usual prescription anti-inflammatory cream. The kind I use is the extra virgin pure coconut oil made without chemical processes. I'm now taking it orally too.
Vinegar and Olive Oil
Posted by Tom (Sunnyvale, CA) on 05/09/2007
★★★★★
vinegar and olive oil Ailment: psoriasis
When I was in elementary school, I had psoriasis on my elbows and knees, and all over the side of my face! It got behind my ears so bad I used to dream that my ears were falling off.
None of the doctor's remedies helped. Then my parents found this old home-remedy book from around the 1700s. It had what I call the salad dressing cure.
You soak the affected skin with vinegar for a few minutes, then you cover it with warmed olive oil (make sure it isn't too hot).
It got so I hated vinegar for years because of the smell (I think Apple Cider Vinegar would have been much more bearable), but it worked! The psoriasis went completely away, and I no longer felt like a freak at school.
Every few years I'll get a tiny patch on my knee or elbow. If it bothers me I'll use the treatment and it will go away.
Decolorized Iodine
Posted by Sharon (Boston) on 09/29/2006
★★★★★
Please delete my previous email from January and put this one in its place. This is the most successful remedy combination I have experimented with for dermatitis!
I have had an itchy dermatitis on and off around my nose for about 10 years. It was triggered after working in an office in Los Angeles for a man who smoked all day long (illegally of course, but he was a top entertainment executive so no one complained at that point in time). After years of smoking, the cigarette smoke was embedded in his furniture-- that's a horrendous smell to someone whose never smoked. Plus, think of all those microbes! At any rate, it took about 3 years to clear and then came back every time I would get around old, furniture embedded cigarette smoke. Psychological response? Maybe! At any rate, it came back again this summer after a few month respite.
But this time, I am happy to report that after years of playing around with every prescription and supplement under the sun, I think I have finally hit upon a dermatitis cure! It will only cost about $5... $.79 for the decolorized iodine, and $4 for a bottle of vitamin E oil. Here is my cure:
Using decolorized iodine for the face, take a q-tip and dab the dermatitis with iodine. If this is not on your face, you can use regular iodine. But it will stain you orange for a few hours.
If your dermatitis is on sensitive skin around your nose, like me, it will burn like crazy when you apply the iodine. Don't inhale the fumes while it is drying (takes about 10 seconds to dry). After it dries, apply some natural vitamin e oil. I open a large capsule and use that for several days before it runs out. Your skin will redden from the iodine and dry out, but the vitamin e will heal it and keep it from flaking. Keep this area moist with vitamin e oil all day and night if possible.
Do the topical iodine for 2 days, 3x a day. After the 2nd day, cut the iodine back to 1x a day. However, you will still want to keep the vitamin e oil on all day. After 3 days of 1x daily application of iodine, cut the iodine back to every other day. Continue every other day for 10 days (or less). Keep up the vitamin e oil every day until the dermatitis has disappear completely.
Let me tell you, the iodine and vitamin 3 oil starts to work on clearing up the dermatitis in about 24 hours! Initially the skin will look red and inflamed, but don't worry... the vitamin e speeds up the healing process.
I hope everyone with dermatitis (even perioral dermatitis) will try this cure. My particular form of dermatitis is one of the trickiest to heal so I am thrilled to maybe have a cure! I will let you know in the future how long this holds before I have to do the iodine again. Hopefully, never! Thanks,
Ingredients to Avoid
Posted by Lisa (Austin, TX) on 07/31/2006
★★★★★
I had a bad case around my nose but did not want antibiotics again. I switched to a SLS-free toothpaste. I also did an internal cleanse (Cleansesmart)and added a probiotic (Jarro-Dophilus). Within 4 days it is gone!
Hydrogen Peroxide and Moisturizer
Posted by Michael (California) on 02/02/2016
★★★★★
Tried everything to get rid of the t-zone redness and dryness, but nothing helped until I found something that worked for me.
Wipe the affected area with plain 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution. Let dry for a few seconds, then apply moisturizing lotion with aloe once day. Took only a few days to clear up.
Aloe and Ice Packs
Posted by Juliebeth (Littleton, Colorado) on 10/22/2014
★★★★★
Started experiencing dermatitis (and maybe it's also heat rash) about 6 weeks ago. Just discovered this website and have started following some of the advice (ACV, Biotin). At night when the itching gets bad I discovered two things that help. 1) Sensitive Skin Aloe Vera, and 2) Ice Packs. Just wrapped them in a towel and laid them on the itching area. This gives great relief.
Berloque Dermatitis
Posted by Elaine (Thailand) on 09/16/2014
A couple of weeks ago my 11 year old daughter showed me a red patch on her thigh just above the knee. It was about 1.5 inches big and a very pale red color. I didn't think anything of it as it was not sore and the skin had not been grazed or broken, because we live in a tropical climate with lots of biting insects I wondered if she had been bitten, then 4 days ago we noticed that it had changed in color to a dark red/ brown color, we also saw small spot like patches on her lower arm and 2 fingers. I took her to our local hospital and the doctor immediately said it was Berloque Dermatitis and has prescribed Elomet cream which contains a steroid. He asked if she'd used bergamot oil or anything containing it, I've looked at the products in her bathroom and can't see anything that would contain it, except she has a facial wash made from natural products from a local supplier here which I suppose could contain bergamot, but she has only used it on her face, not her leg where the largest ""bruise"" is.
I wondered if anyone has experience of berloque and what causes it and help me treat it and speed up the healing time.
Thanks
Berloque Dermatitis
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 09/16/2014
Dear Elaine,
If I were dealing with this with one of my children, I would try extra virgin coconut oil topically a couple of times a day.
I would also try turmeric, internally as it is so helpful for skin problems. For an 11 year old I would try 1/2 teaspoon twice a day. It can be taken in capsules (2 would be about 1/2 teaspoon) or mixed in some yogurt, milk or applesauce. A bit of black pepper with it will help it to work even better.
Please let us know how it goes!
~Mama to Many~
Berloque Dermatitis
Posted by Elaine (Thailand) on 09/18/2014
Dear Mama to Many:
Thank you, I will try with your recommendations today and let you know our results, I would never have thought of using the Coconut Oil, but that must be better than a steroid cream. Thanks.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Yogurt
Posted by Deborah (Cork, Ireland) on 07/11/2014
★★★★★
Hi there, I suffered from very mild dermatitis a couple of years ago, but then it got worse until I had a terrible outbreak, did the usual thing and visited the dermatologist , did the antibiotics and steroid cream for about 2 months. all was well until finished the cream , a week later I got out of bed looked in the mirror and was horrified, my skin on my face was swollen , itchy , the corners of my mouth and eyes cracked, I was in a terrible condition. So I found this site, yahoo!!, tried the suggestions of firstly making a face mask of natural organic yougurt mixed with organic honey, oh the relief!! Then I dabbed my face with diluted apple cider vinegar with the Mother, it stung but I was desperate. I started to drink the ACV daily and continued to use the face mask twice daily, by the following week my face was completely clear, it was amazing.I've never had an outbreak since thanks to drinking the ACV daily, I've not looked back since.
