Natural Remedies for Dermatitis: Soothing & Healing Solutions

Natural Makeup

Posted by Shahin25 (Chicago, Illinois, Usa ) on 08/04/2011

Any makeup suggestions for PD? My friends have suggested Lush products any suggestions?

Natural Makeup

Posted by Alicia (Marshall, Tx) on 09/08/2011

Arbonne products are great. They have hair and skin care for face and body. Also makeup. All natural, botanical based.

Natural Makeup

Posted by Jo Ann (Usa) on 10/16/2016

I have contact dermatitis, I'm allergic to fragrance and fragrance mix.. cinnamon, citrus vanilla, cloves..propolis and tea tree oil.latex..

Avoid Moisturizers

Posted by Laurenmichele1 (Carlsbad, Ca) on 08/02/2011
★★★★★

I wanted to let you know that I tried a long list of remedies for my PD including ACV, yogurt, violet extract, diaper rash cream.. Ugh! Anyway, what ended up working, finally, was stopping all moisturizers! I would simply wash my face with a mild soap from Trader Joe's that has tea tree oil (might have helped) and then use NOTHING! I continued to take a probiotic, but it cleared up within a week or two. I battled it for years!! Good luck to you!

Apple Cider Vinegar, Eczema Cream

Posted by Earthgirl (Brisbane, Qld, Australia) on 07/06/2011
★★★★☆

I have suffered with dermatitis in various places on an off for years. It seems to be more common in the cooler months for me. Currently I have an outbreak on my lower abdomen. I am using ACV dabbed on to the area, followed by Eczema & Psoriasis Cream by Moogoo (all natural ingredients). The cream feels soothing & cool, and keeps the skin from drying out. It has only been a couple of days but it's definitely improving.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Yogurt

Posted by Sunnymummy (Seattle, Wa) on 06/24/2011
★★★★★

My daughter had a bad case of PD about a year ago. I think hers was brought on by stress because it was right around the same time she broke her toe (she was 6). So I looked on this site desperate for answers after

1. Our idiot doctor told us to use hydrocortisone cream which instantly made it 100% WORSE and

2. A dermatologist told me that the only cure is steriods which I did not want to put on my 6 year old. So I started first with the ACV. I put undiluted ACV on a paper towel and held it on the effected area for a few seconds and then would remove it and blow on the skin because it would burn quite badly. My daughter was a trooper and although she would cry when it was time to do it she would let me do it anyway. So I would use the ACV 2X daily and it dried the pustules within a few hours.

However the dryness and redness got worse so I added the yogurt. I bought plain yogurt and put it on her face 2X daily for one day and although it gave her relief and was soothing it made the rash worse again. So I stopped the yogurt and added the diaper rash cream. I used the Butt Paste on her face 4X a day or more and still used the ACV on her 2x a day and after a few weeks it was totally gone!!! I was amazed, as was she, and I am SOOO glad I came here where all three remedies were suggested.

Thank you SO much! We have also used ACV to treat my other daughters horrible athletes foot, the bananas for warts remedy, and this one and so far nothing but wonderful results! Thank you EARTHCLINIC!

Apple Cider Vinegar, Yogurt

Posted by Dennin (Hemet, Ca.) on 06/24/2011

I relieved my skin of perioral dermatitis by washing my skin with baking soda. I have coped with this fungal based dermatitis several times over the years, the ONLY thing that completely cleared it and kept my skin glowing is the baking soda. In fact I no longer use anything on my skin to wash but baking soda. I brush my teeth with it also, no more costly bar soaps or toothpaste, yeah!

Acidophilus, Biotin

Posted by Liz (Elmwood Park, Il) on 07/14/2011

Thanks for your post! I was told I have PD due to an ointment with steroid I was using for over a year. A Dr had prescribed it to me so it kinda makes me mad that I would be going through this now, but anyway... After reading all these posts I went ahead and got some of the organic plain yogurt, acidophilus and coconut oil (moisturizer instead of my MaryKay). The yogurt feels so good I don't even want to rinse it off!! Lol The acidophilus works great, taken that before so I was ok with taking it again. I'm currently on Oracea 40mg which I started today after an awful few weeks with the 100mg. I'm using Metrogel (nights) and Protopic (mornings). I switched my toothpaste, shampoo and stopped wearing makeup. Dermatologist told me to no longer use anything to wash my face, only water. WHY AM I STILL MISERABLE?!!

Questions:

WASHING: I would think that not using anything to wash would leave all the dirt on my face. ??

COCONUT OIL: Have you ever tried the coconut oil to moisturize? I laid off of it from my face because I thought it was making me break out more but I may use it again because my skin is so dry. I do use it on my body, hands, feet and it's wonderful! Not greasy at all and my skin feels & looks great.... Except for my face!!!

BIOTIN: Can I take the biotin supplement with the Oracea? How much are you taking? I have "Hair, Skin & Nails" supplement. Can I just use that?

PROTOPIC & METROGEL: Have you or anyone else used the Protopic and Metrogel. Just curious to hear how they worked for other people.

Thanks for your help. Feeling overwhelmed with it today. Thanks for "listening"

Liz

Acidophilus, Biotin

Posted by Sara (Charleston, Sc, Usa) on 07/17/2011

I'm sorry to hear that you're still having problems. I am too. :( From what I understand, it is the sodium lauryl sulfate in cleansers (soaps, face washes, dishwashing liquids, shampoo, etc. ) that are contributing to the PD. I recently switched all of my cleansers to SLS free (which is not easy to do, there's sulfates in everything! ) along with my toothpaste that is also fluoride free. You should also switch to fluoride free water since most tap water has added fluoride. I am taking acidophilus and biotin supplements. I also use the yogurt mask and am eating yogurt all day pretty much. I stocked up on Good Belly from Whole Foods to add even more probiotics to my system.

I was on antibiotics a lot growing up and have been fighting this for years. Only in the past few months has it gotten this bad. It started spiraling out of control when I was prescribed Metrogel. 3 or 4 days of that and it seemed that I had really made it angry. It has been getting worse ever since then.

I hope you are feeling a little better. I understand feeling overwhelmed... I haven't left my house in 4 days. Good luck.

Acidophilus, Biotin

Posted by Marie (Indianapolis, In) on 07/19/2011

Liz, So sorry for your suffering. I have had PD for over 2 yrs now. For about 8 months in the beginning it was unbearably hideous. I was unbearably hideous. PD felt like it was ruining my life. My partner and my best friend both have perfect skin. I felt alone. It was truly agonizing. Multiple trips to the Dr. and Dermatologist led me to use a series of different products.

I tried Metrogel, Tretinoin Gel, Clindamycin, and prescription strength cortizone cream. I couldn't tell you which was the worst, but none seemed to have any effect at all. Quite honestly they all made it worse. The "it gets worse before it gets better" rule does not work out when you work with the public. I also took antibiotics which just got my hopes up because it would go away then come back about a week or so after I was done taking them. Not to mention leave me with infections in other sensitive parts of my body(if you catch my drift. ) So next I tried the natural route. AV, Tea tree oil, coconut oil, Tamanu oil, Neem extract (I'm sure I am missing a couple in there somewhere)

Then I discovered a life saver (for me) "Nixoderm". This was the first thing that had any real lasting effect. Just put it on the effected area and slept in it over night. Burned like H*LL almost to the point that I was about to wash it off then the sensation goes away. I woke up the next morning in amazement over my face because at least 50% of it was gone. It is super cheap. I bought it online & it lasts forever. Nixoderm did not cure me completely, but it makes my PD managable and at the time I was desperate for anything just to lessen it.

I also found a product from a place near my hometown called "Skinmagic" It contains Burdock root, gotu kola leaf & echinacea root. Also very inexpensive. The web address is www.herbsfromearthmagic.info. I use this ointment twice a day in combination with the occasional use of the Nixoderm if I have a bad flare up. I do sometimes use the yogurt mask but aside from just feeling good on my skin I never really noticed a difference in the PD. I will soon be trying the acidophilus and biotin, as I am on the eternal quest for a natural cure that will CURE, as my PD fluctuates from 75-80% better for most of the time. I try to maintain a healthy diet as well. Little sugar, rarely eating anything fried, lots of water etc.

This is what helped me. Hang in there.

Marie

Acidophilus, Biotin

Posted by Diane (Ottumwa, Ia) on 08/12/2011

Re: Biotin. Thank you Lisa from Miami. Nutritional deficiencies are one of the causes to suspect in any kind of rash. Biotin deficiencies develop easily and the symptoms will look exactly like PD. If your rash is non-itchy, try Biotin. I realized that I had been really good about taking my B-complex for the past couple of months, and when the rash first started, I doubled up on my B-complex, of of course made the Biotin deficiency worse and escalated the rash. Even my very good B-complex doesn't have proportionately enough biotin in it, and since the B vitamins are used in specific proportions, I was actually draining myself of biotin every time I took my B-complex.

Acidophilus, Biotin

Posted by L.b. (Lexington, Ohio/usa) on 12/15/2011

I just wanted to responed to the person who is only using water to wash and still has trouble. I did all those things you did also and would still have trouble in patches on my face. From reading this site it has really helped. I take a good brand of vitamin b complex it helps and so does the acidophilus, but when I washed my face with manuca honey only and tried the vinegar rinse it burn to much. So I deluted the vinegar to 50/50 with water and still to much. I came up with an idea to try because I was wondering if the tap water was maybe some of my problem? I put 1 cup of distilled water in an empty bottle, 1 tsp of manuka honey, 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar with the mother. I shake it up and at morning and night I use a cotton ball to wash my face with it. Afterwards I put a small amount of Grapeseed oil on my face. It really has made a huge difference. I use the grapeseed oil on my arms when they flare up and it helps them very much too. I hope this will help someone else.

Flaxseed

Posted by Ruthie (Madison, Wisconsin) on 05/25/2011
★★★★★

Flaxseed ground, seems to be an effective treatment to help with the PO dermititis symptoms. I use 1Tbps in a cup of plain yogurt (no added sugar) each morning and evening. High fiber, so drink plenty of water! The oil is an "inner" moisturizer, so I don't put other lotions or aloe on. I also take 1 floragen (acidophilus) in Am and Pm.

General Feedback

Posted by Kirsten (Denver, Co, Usa) on 05/02/2011

I just developed PD in March, and I am certainly not ready to deal with this the rest of my life! I visited a natural health food store today where we asked the manager what she would recommend. She suggested taking something with hydrochloric acid, Vitamin B, and evening primrose oil. My parents have mass amount of fish oil, which is very similar to the primrose oil. We purchased a bottle of Vitamin B, and I am going to test this combination of remedies for a week. After reading many of the posts from others, if it does not start to clear up, I will be purchasing a remedy with hydrochloric acid and will perhaps start using ACV and a yogurt mask. I will respond in a week and let you know how well the fish oil and Vitamin B worked. :)

Apple Cider Vinegar, Sea Salt

Posted by Sheila (San Diego, Ca, Usa) on 05/02/2011
★★★☆☆

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I was using ACV when I contracted contact dermatitis. The ACV dilution w/water helped soothe my skin rash, BUT I'm not sure if helped or maybe made my other symptoms worse since I could have too much potassium, or be salt deficient. It's been over a week now, and I'm not completely over the contact dermatitis. My extremely dry skin is almost gone, but the rash seems to have spread. I'm stopping consumption of diluted ACV, and will now consume the sea salt flush after reading a snippet of "The Water Cure" on allergies.

I started developing hives and painful swelling around both my eyes just a few minutes ago, so based on what I learned from here and the water cure about sea salt's benefits, I drank 1/2 tsp of sea salt in 1/2 cup of warm water, chased it down with 12 ozs of filtered water, and my eyes feel SO MUCH better and the swelling around them is almost gone.

My guess now is I'm abundant in potassium (ACV), and now need the sodium to cure the rash, swelling and any hives that develop.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Sea Salt

Posted by Sheila (San Diego, Ca, Usa) on 05/04/2011

Update: I definitely need to get some tests done!

I used the saltwater flush a few more times and the angioedema around my eyes was worse. Someone on another messageboard I'm on wrote to keep flushing although it was counterintuitive. Well, I didn't continue it since my eyes started to swell more and I didn't want to land myself in Urgent Care with anaphylactic shock. Ugh.

I gotta stop going back and forth, and just stick to what I know now for this bout of dermatitis: diluted ACV topically to alleviate the itchiness and dry skin caused by Benadryl; consume nettle tincture in water for itchiness; Benadryl to alleviate the swelling and the itchiness, primarily at bedtime; exercise to increase adrenaline; green tea in moderation to reduce the swelling; drink plenty of filtered water to hydrate, flush and balance. Doing the above has brought me closer to normal.

Face Products

Posted by Nf (Corvallis, Or) on 04/28/2011

I wrote here that I was trying the apple-cider approach, and then the peroxide and borax. Nothing was really working. I was hoping it was, was hopeful, reported it here. These had been the worst outbreaks I've ever had in my life. Itchy, oozing small "blisters", all the similar descriptions. Etc.. On a whim, I tried my son's Proactive products. I was desperate. Just the cleanser and the lotion- steps 1 and 3, the peroixide or whatever it is immediately stopped the itching. The sores dried up completely.

My skin has not been this clear in 25 years. Occasionally I may have a small blister flare up, I just wash or just use the lotion it goes away overnight. It is absolutely AMAZING. I had to come back and tell you all, it has been almost a year and I never thought I would be free of it.

Grapefruit Seed Extract

Posted by Lauren (Glenside, Pennsylvania) on 04/20/2011
★★★★★

About 8-10 drops of grapefruit seed extrack in a glass of water 2 times a day and my PD was gone in 2 days. To keep the dry skin from cracking I put a small amount of calendual on. But that was it. 2 days and I am back to normal! Just dont pick or scratch your face too much.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Bunnylebowski (Seward, Ne) on 03/12/2011
★★★★☆

First off, let me say that what I suffer from does not really appear as the bumpy, acne-like rash around but not directly touching the mouth like classic PD. Mine is just inflamed, red patches that border and even sometimes involve the lips. At one point a doctor diagnosed me with PD, but I am not sure if this is what I actually have.

The first time this flared up, over 5 years ago, I got rid of it with vaseline, as it was just above my top lip. The second time, I let it get way out of hand by hiding it with makeup and putting on perfume-y lotions and even using exfoliating facial scrubs. Yikes. I looked like a leper! It spread to under one eye and a patch on my forehead. The doctor didn't diagnose it but prescribed me a strong topical steroid. Of course, it went away but soon I noticed I needed to keep using it to keep the rash at bay. I went on using it for about 8 months. Then the rash flared up again. I finally broke down and put hydrocortisone on it, as I had done some reasearch by that point and knew steroid creams were just a vicious cycle. Well, I started that around October. A doctor gave me some Tetracycline, but it didn't really help at all. In May, I moved into a new apartment (not sure if there was a correlation, or maybe the weather?) and the patches gradually became smaller. By July I had actually managed to wean myself off the cream.

Fast forward a year and a half, and all of a sudden I woke up one morning with my top lip inflamed and the area above it as well. I thought I was done with pd, so I was pissed! This actually happened after I had been drinking ACV for a month or so for other reasons, (which seems opposite what many people on here are saying) but I'm not sure if it's related. I had also been brushing my teeth with baking soda which leads me to believe I may be allergic to it. Regardless, I wanted it gone and did not want to go the hydrocortisone route again just because I happened to get lucky last time.

Topical ACV and Grapefruit seed extract just made it much redder and worse. I bought some cardiospermum cream from a health food store because it said it was an alternative to hydrocortisone. It seemed to sooth the redness, but didn't diminish it. I started using Peelu toothpaste (no Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Fluoride) also. I then bought some zinc diaper rash cream. It definitely hid the redness, but didn't really take it away. I also got some calendula cream which helped the redness and chapping directly on my lip, and was very soothing.

Finally, I bought some rosacea gel called Prosacea from Walgreens. I put in on clean skin before bed, topped it off with some Calendula cream, and a little of the diaper rash cream. I woke up and it was much less red! I am hoping this continues. I have gone awhile with no hydrocortisone and it seems the worst is over. It is barely noticeable today. I will update if anything changes.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Diamond (Salisbury, Mass.) on 03/13/2011

Sometimes illnesses and diseases including pimples etc. do not always come from the outside, it too needs healing from the inside out, it also could have some thing to do with your diet. We are what we eat...... We become what we think.
good luck

Diaper Rash Ointment

Posted by Sasha (Seattle, Wa) on 05/04/2012
★★★★★

I had small bumps on my face and I'm not sure what caused it. Anyhow I was going to go to the store to buy the diaper rash oinment, I looked up the active ingredient in the diaper rash ointment which is no other than Zinc oxide, which I always have on had for summer sun put some on my face and it works!

Diaper Rash Ointment

Posted by Linda (Fl) on 10/29/2015
★★★★★

I was prescribed Mometasone Furoate Cream .1% for a mild case of perioral dermatitus which came and went for 2 months before I went to dermatologist. Used the cream for 4 weeks as directed but the red bumps returned with 2 days. Continued use of cream once a day for another couple of weeks but upon slowing application rash always returned. Stopped cold turkey after I found this site and a closed Facebook group and decided on using non-rx products. My face broke out horribly from stopping steroid cream. Red blisters on sides of chin. Found relief using Butt paste 40% zinc oxide by night and California baby calendula cream by day. No makeup! It's been 3 weeks post steroid and I still have red and flaking spots but the blisters are gone. Please don't use steroid cream. PD can be managed naturally, I am confident of that now.

Diaper Rash Ointment

Posted by Jrheats (Nebraska) on 03/17/2016

How is your dermatitis now?

Apple Cider Vinegar, Sulphur Clay Mask

Posted by Elizabeth (Nashville, Tn) on 01/17/2011
★★★★★

I've had an outbreak of dermatits on my face, on either side of my nose and underneath my nose. I remembered I used ACV and bentonite clay for a rash I got from a swimming pool and it cleared it up in a matter of days, so I thought I would apply the same principles to my face. This is what I did:

Wash face every AM and PM with gentle soap. Used cottonball to apply H2O all over face and let sit for about a minute. Then applied ACV, full strength, with cottonball over the H2O. Let air dry and put on lotion and mineral makeup For the day ( I have a customer service job). At night I would apply the H20 and ACV, Let it dry and apply a sulfur/bentonite clay mask to only the affected areas and leave on while I slept.

I started this 5 days ago and I'm about 85% clear. Not to mention the ACV/H2O has exfoliated really well so I have smooth skin.

Hope this helps someone!

Things to Avoid

Posted by Tracy (Fort Worth, Texas) on 12/19/2010

I have found that the beeswax is a problem for my perioral dermatitis. My lips would swell and become even more dry and sore after using it.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Shary (Centennial, Co) on 11/20/2010

After struggling with itchy, occasionally rashy skin on my torso for several years, and after much trial and error and being unable to find the cause, I recently realized that the itchiness is usually near the seams of my clothing. I had been taking krill oil, which helped some but not enough and is expensive. I have since discovered that wearing as many garments inside-out as I can, so the seams aren't next to my skin, has really helped. I may be allergic to the thread, which is probably made in Asia these days and treated with God knows what.

The other thing is probiotics. I have begun to take it daily. A lack of beneficial bacteria in the gut can cause a variety of problems, including allergies, bleeding gums, GI tract problems, etc. (Check online for more info on probiotics. ) Ask your pharmacist to recommend a good one. It is available without a prescription. Take it as directed for 4 to 6 months to see if it helps.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Damian (Kampala, Uganda) on 05/19/2014

I have eczema and it develops from my buttocks downwards to my legs. It usually comes and goes but this time it won't go, can some one please help me what remedy or medicine I can use to stop this? I'm having sleepless nights. Thank you.

Ingredients to Avoid

Posted by Cindy (New York, Ny) on 11/08/2010

I stopped washing my face with tap water and my dermatitis and acne have disappeared. I have been using vitamin E face wipes and burt's bees toner to clean my face. Then I applied balmex to my dermatitis now it is gone. I am pretty sure it is the chlorine and fluoride in the tap water that aggravated my condition. I just purchased a shower filter too, hopefully it will help as well.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Yogurt

Posted by Heather (Sarasota, Fl) on 06/15/2010
★★★☆☆

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I have been using Apple Cider Vinegar for my PD for about four days now. The PD was bad because I had been using a steroid cream to treat it as I thought it was just a rash problem and not PD.

I have been using an organic, raw ACV twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed. I have also used a plain, organic yogurt mask twice in the past four days. I have switched to a fluoride-free toothpaste and only use a gentle face cleanser. I have continued to use mineral makeup. I live in Florida so avoiding the humidity and sunshine isn't really an option for me.

Although it seems to be getting better (the pimple-looking spots have slightly diminished and the rash is not so red) one patch on my chin is severely scaley and dry.

How do I treat the dry, flaky part of my PD without bringing on the yucky whitehead looking parts? It seems to be needing a moisturizer, but what should I use?!

Please help! This is incredibly embarrassing and being a bartender with a rash on my face makes me so self-conscious. I wish I could just hide until this gets better. Thank you!

Apple Cider Vinegar, Yogurt

Posted by Heather (Naples, Fl) on 10/04/2010

Have you tried Calendula cream? It did wonders for my PD. I use an organic brand.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Yogurt

Posted by Joann (New York) on 12/10/2015

Extra Virgin coconut oil

Magnesium Chloride

Posted by Katrina (Newcastle Upon Tyne, Uk) on 08/14/2012

I am very grateful to everyone who has previously posted on this website. I have been suffering from mild perioral dermatitis intermittently for the past year and have blamed many things from antibiotics to having my top lip waxed.

As a kinesiologist who couldn't cure herself I was getting very frustrated having tried many remedies. As I already had magnesium chloride oil in the house so decided to give it a try, that was on Sunday, I have wiped it over my top lip night and morning since then (it is Tuesday morning now) and it has made a dramatic difference.

It stings like mad at first then calms down which is when I apply my moisturiser. Concealer works very well I have found.

Thank you for all of the helpful information! :-)