Seborrheic Dermatitis
Natural Remedies

Effective Natural Remedies for Seborrheic Dermatitis Relief

| Modified on Aug 31, 2024
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Cw (Southwest Missouri) on 06/30/2015
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Amazing results.

I found this website on June 23, just 1 week ago. The same day I started regiment of 2 tablespoons of organic ACV with "The Mother", 1 teaspoon of raw un filtered honey and 8-10 oz of water 3 times a day and once a day rubbing straight ACV right on my problem areas, mostly on my face and in my ears. The results are increarable, in just 3 days my SD that I have been dealing with for 8 years is completely gone!

If anyone is sitting on the fence, please do not wait any longer, start using this today and get your life back.

Thank you all very much!

Borax
Posted by caliguy (los angeles) on 02/16/2021
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I dealt with seborrheic dermatitis for about 10 years. It began with flaky scalp and led to a more flushed face, dry skin around nose, larger pores, and red skin or flakes in facial hair and chest hair. I kept symptoms at bay by trying tea tree oil, hydrocortisone cream, head and shoulders, and lately ACV.

The real cure came recently and made a drastic improvement. I boiled 2 cups of water, 4tspn Borax, 2 tspn baking soda, and 1tspn honey. I let it come to room temp and poured in an empty shampoo bottle. Take a shower, give the bottle a good shake, pour some of the watery solution on your hair, and massage scalp with your fingers. I wash the rest of my body while it soaks for around 10min, also cleaning my face, neck, and chest with it. It won't sud up in your hair, but might feel a bit slimy while wet. Finally, rinse it out. I choose to use ACV afterwards as a conditioner.

It leaves my scalp feeling totally refreshed. No signs of flakes, skin has returned to normal color, and pores are shrinking. I end by using a face moisturizer (I like Aveda for sensitive skin).

That's it! I hope this helps anyone else who might have symptoms like I used to.

Lugol's Iodine
Posted by Sarah (Chicago, Il) on 01/19/2016

2 year Update on lugol's iodine for seborrheic dermatitis - success!

I am sorry it took me so long to update my post on using lugol's iodine for seb dermatitis. I don't know why I could find my post before today!

After applying the lugol's daily for approximately 7 days, and then every 3-4 days after that for another 2 weeks, I am pleased to say that the seb derm on my face never returned. I can confidently say that lugol's was a COMPLETE CURE for me.

I hope this helps many others who struggle with this condition.


Look for What Is Causing the Imbalance
Posted by Tom (Sarasota , USA FL) on 06/30/2007
★★★★★

I keep reading how everyone is looking for a cure to their ailment, Seborec Dermatitis, Dandruff etc .. Your never going to find the cure using creams , lotions or even vinigar ! All your doing is covering a symptom of some other problem within the body. The reason these symptoms mainfest is due to some sort of imbalance. Your body is designed to heal and protect itself. Stress is one problem that manifests in our skin, food are another. Try diet restriction and meditation. Bring peace into your life and watch out for certain foods. Dairy , Milk and Cream specifically, Beer Caffeine.. these all can cause severe skin reactions.. Meditate for 20 minutes asking the question.. " what will fix this ?" listen cloase and you will get an answer.. Good luck .. and Trust Me.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Lavanya (India) on 08/25/2016
★★★★★

I am from India and was prescribed typical creams by dermatologists for SD as mentioned by few of you here. The problem was so bad I had flakes in my chin, around the nose, between my eyebrows and ear lobe. The itchiness was so bad and redness all over. These creams gave me only temporary relief as they were steroids and I started having side effects like facial hair.

I was so worried since I have already changed around 8 dermatologists in last 3 years. I stumbled upon this website and wanted to use Braggs, However one of the online store said it will take 8 days for the delivery, I was so restless that I couldn't wait for 8 days so I bought "Amercian Gargen" ACV from the local super market. Its been a week that I am using diluted solution (1 ACV:1 boiled and cooled water)for application on the skin with cotton ball and drink about 10 ml with warm water as soon as I wake up. First day I had the redness and burning sensation, However it reduced after 3-4 days of application. Its now reduced more than 75% on my face. Though I dont see any flakes in the scalp, I still apply it like I apply oil and wash it with shampoo after 30 min which gives a nice shine. I would suggest not to use Almond/Coconut oil on the face since it increased flakes for me.

I also realized dryness increased when I tried a brand of foundation cream on the face, So I stopped using that as well.

ACV is a great solution to SD without any side effects. Good Luck!


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Liz (Chicago, Il) on 01/19/2016

I don't suggest apple cider vinegar for Seb Derm. It will only help temporarily. I tried it over the years for my seb derm on my face, both internally and externally.

Try 3% lugol's iodine applied topically for a week. I have written about this on Earth Clinic previously. I will try to find my post.

My seb derm has not returned 2 years after trying lugol's iodine.


Borax
Posted by Tx Kel (Frisco, Tx, USA) on 04/27/2013
★★★★★

Years ago a cosmetologist told me I had Seborrheic dermatitis, because my skin produced too much oil. This causes enlarged pores, red face, clogged pores, and basically you look like you don't wash your face very often. Other than drugs I was told to deal with it. So I have, until now...

I tried Mule Borax for my hair because I wanted to put fewer chemicals on my body and I heard great reviews. It's odd and tough to get used to and I'm not sure I like it. But that's another post. As a side effect it ran over my face in the shower. A few days later I noticed my face was different. It wasn't as red, it was less oily, and my pores were not clogged. Thrilled beyond imagination I did it for a few more days to make sure. Yes it really works!!!! My pores are shrinking!!!

Recipe

  • pour Borax in a container, about 1/4 cup
  • add hot water and stir to dissolve ( ignore the crystals that don't dissolve)
  • ( my container is 8 cups because I'm using it on my hair)
  • pour on face and scrub hand over face
  • repeat about 3 times
  • rinse
  • Try in shower every day for a week, then see if your face is different
(FYI the concentration is different for everyone. It depends upon your water. We have fairly hard water. Basically if the water feels soft you probably have added enough. If you feel oily after you shower then use more next time)

I'm sure there is a reason why this works, but I don't care. I'm just so excited!!!! It's the best $2 I've ever spent!! Thanks Earth Clinic!!!


D3
Posted by Deirdre (CT) on 01/24/2021
★★★★★

Hi, I had mild seb derm on my face (around my nose) for 3 decades. What permanently got rid of it was vitamin d3 supplements. Condition 100% disappeared after taking 10,000 d3 for a few days and has never returned.

P.S. Also tried the borax remedy, topical and internally, but it only helped temporarily.


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by David (San Diego) on 10/08/2016
★★★★★

I've had sebohorreic dermatitis/little acne off and on for years now on my face. I tried literally everything to varying degrees of success, but it would always come back. I've been using ACV for about 2 months now on my face and it has completely cleared up my face. It was something that always made me insecure and I'm so thrilled to have it removed from my life. If you're suffering from it, give it a try.

Baking Soda and Water
Posted by Sharon (Houston, Tx) on 02/20/2012
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I have had a severe case of Seborrheic Dermatitis for which I have been given steroid shots and topical steroid lotions. I have tried everything from Tea Tree Oil to ACV and everything in between. I would get some relief and then wham it was right back. After doing tons of reading I began to feel like this could be caused by the ph of body being to acidic. I drink a lot of diet coke and have a high carb diet. So I decided to try one of Teds alkalizing remedies. Baking soda and water and YUP you guessed it. IT'S GONE! After 3 days my scalp is almost back to normal and the itching is gone. I know that it is not posted as a remedy for SD but all I can say is it worked for me.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by James (Charlotte, North Carolina) on 02/11/2009
★★★★★

ok...i just like most people was skeptical about this when i googled seboretic dermatitis and found this website with all these comments. I will tell you exactly my story and if you are stubborn enough not to try it, then your head doesn't hurt like mine did. i would have tried anything. after 2 years of flakes, itching, some oozing when i scratched too hard, not wearing black clothes, and 4 trips to very good doctors, I simply got lucky and found this site. I went to Home Economist here in charlotte and bought a bottle of raw Apple Cider Vinegar($5) and I already had a bottle of normal 3% Hydrogen peroxide. I mixed them together with some water (i used a majority of ACV since mine was fairly severe) in a large glass. i leaned over the sink, and used my hands to apply generously to the hot spots on my scalp. it took 5-10 minutes and basically my entire scalp was totally wet after i finished. get this straight - IT IS GOING TO BURN - and that is how i immediately knew it was working. i went and watched tv for an hour to let it work, then took a shower and did not use any shampoo or anything. just water. it washed it out, but you are still going to smell the vinegar. so apply the ACV/peroxide at night so you can shower before bed, then just shower in the morning before work. RESULTS: i repeated the same process 2 nights in a row and my head is absolutely back to normal, which i had forgotten how great that feels. very few flakes at all, and only very random itching, not enough to even bother you. bottom line, your an idiot if you dont at least try this, i feel stupid and pissed i lived with such pain and embrassment for 2 years and the solution was 5 bucks and a website. good luck.


Milk of Magnesia
Posted by Diane S (Old Bridge, Nj) on 04/03/2017
★★★★★

We have tried so many things to deal with seborrheic dermatitis on my nephew's head, from shampoos to lotions or natural treatments, nothing worked well. Then it seemed to have spread to his face. It was hot, felt like it was burning, red, flaky and he had yellow crusts. Certain food/drinks made it worse (caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods, etc.) It was horrible. We tried plain milk of magnesia, and it cleared totally. I took a few days. The redness went away immediately. We applied the milk of magnesia to his face and a few spots on his head. We let it dry for an hour and washed it off with warm water. He did this every day for three days and it was totally gone. A week later, one or two spots came back, and he applied it again. It has been over a month and his face and head are normal. We are thrilled. He uses glycerin soap once a day to wash his face. We are grateful for Ted's insight.


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Roger (Ga) on 08/21/2017

How did you apply it 1. On face 2. Scalp how long did it take to work??? I'm desperate for a cure.


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Thushara Tom (Nj) on 06/09/2015
★★★★★

I am 37 yr old female using cortisone creams from 15 yr old on my scalp and face and underarms for SD. Indian and US doctors recommended the same kind of medications for me.

After reading this article, I tried organic ACV for last 5 days and the results are great. My face, behind my ear, underarms are showing much improvement.also my scalp is getting much better and I am keep using it.

I suggest this to all who have SD which is a mental nuisance to all.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Missm (Ny) on 07/12/2020

How I cleared my scalp issues. I also tried borax etc, various shampoos, apple cider vinegar and was not able to complete get rid of my scalp issues plus the high ph did a number on my hair.

I first used 15 per cent lugols iodine on my scalp spots. Not recommended with those with short hair where you can see your scalp as lugols stained dark brown (you can apply vitamin c diluted to remove stain though it may alter the efficacy of the iodine). The iodine dried spots up and flaked off. I did this for two weeks. You can tell where you have problem areas as the iodine hurts on application, but this is far better than the itching, pain and flakes.


You might try this alternate solution that I now use.

PetMd benzoyl Peroxide Shampoo benzoyl peroxide 3 percent, sulfur 2 percent, salicylic 2 percent. This shampoo is non scented, and goes deep into hair follicles and scalp. I add a dropper full of lugols in the bottle and peppermint and tea tree oil. This works better than any other shampoo or zole formula including derm suggestions and medications. The shampoo is a very good formula.

Now the key here on top of the above which eradication a years worth of horrible scalp issues is cleaning up your diet.

I am a big coffee drinker and was using full fat heavy cream, as I was doing a keto diet. Big discovery, I removed dairy, and potatoes and this sped up and cleared any flares! So now instead of dairy in coffee I use coconut milk, and fries it zucchini fries, or sweet potatoes. Totally worth giving up these foods to not have misery!

Doctors will not tell you about lugols iodine because it's cheap and not big pharma, but there are many studies online about its value. Iodine was a very common cure for years but got pushed aside by big pharma.

Scalp issues can be caused by yeast, mites, bacteria this formula above can treat most.

If you are going to get serious with new regimen, you need to wash all your bedding in hot water, detergent and borax, then dry everything on high heat. Change your pillow cases as often as you can. You may have a mite issue. And again examine your diet. Are you eating lots of dairy, or grain products, nightshades. Start eliminating the foods you eat the most often during the day!


Lugol's Iodine
Posted by Sarah (Chicago, Il) on 02/15/2014
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I had seb derm on my face for years and it finally was cured after I started lugol's iodine applied topically. Another poster on Earth Clinic wrote about it curing his eczema and so I tried it after I read his post. After 2 days, it started to clear!

At first I diluted 3% lugol's iodine 50/50 with water and applied it with a q-tip. I held the q-tip on the spot for 60 seconds. It burned like the dickens, but it was worth it! After the second day, I held undiluted lugol's to the spots with a q-tip. After 7 days it was gone and I applied it every few days, thinking it would come back if I didn't. It never did and I stopped the lugol's application altogether.

Dairy and especially cheese is a huge trigger for my seb derm.

Please try lugol's if you have sebhorreic dermatitis. It has been a miracle cure for this impossible condition!

Avoid Sodium Laurel Sulfate
Posted by Pat (Philadelphia, Pa) on 03/16/2012
★★★★★

After 15 years of struggling with seborrheic dermatitis of the face and scalp I am finally free of this horrible condition. For me it wasn't a deficiency but something I was allergic too which caused my body to react and therefore create this condition. Everyone is different but if you are still struggling with this condition and cannot find out why here is my feedback. I used and tried everything under the sun and the sun (uvb therapy). Vinegar, which was a big help for awhile but not a cure all, all types of cream, soaps, shampoos, vitamins, mineral, amino acids, immune boosters, immune suppressants etc. All of this adding stuff here and there but did not think to take a look at stuff I use everyday. Sulfates are my biggest enemy, especially sodium laurel sulfate. This is my cause of seborrheic dermatitis. It was in the shampoo I was using for 10 years and I quit using it and my scalp got was free of flakes but my face was not and I could not figure out why.

So fast forward 5 years later I went back to using a shampoo with SLS and bam it was back on my scalp worse than ever and my face got alot worse. So I switched my shampoo back to an all natural and my scalp cleared but my face remained a red flaky mess. So one day I checked every product that I used and the SLS was in the last place I could imagine... In my toothpaste!!! I felt so dumb that I had never seen that before.

So I switched to an all natural toothpaste that is SLS free and viola... Face is as clear as ever. I guess it was circulating through my gumline making my face breakout. Ok that was the silver bullet. But you must repair the skin barrier that had been damaged by this chemical. I found a product called _____ cleanser and moisturizer that is SLS free and this repaired my skin. I do not use it anymore simply because I do not need too. *I am not trying to sell anything on here just trying to help someone if possible. Just avoid all SLS which is in 99% of products out there. Peace out. Pat

Sea Salt
Posted by Valentine (Portland, Or) on 03/21/2016
★★★★★

I had seborrheic dermatitis on my chin and around my nose. I tried to clear it up with coconut oil but that ended up spreading it around my eyes. Raw apple cider vinegar diluted with water helped some, but I had to keep applying it daily.

Sea salt diluted with water cleared my SD up almost immediately and the effect has been lasting. I either add a half teaspoon to a pint of warm water and splash it on my fave or I put some onto my fingertips and gently rub it on my face while showering.

Since SD is related to oil glands, it makes sense that oil made it worse and salt cleared it up.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Rudi (Propect Park, NJ) on 02/13/2006
★★★★★

I have suffered from dandruff, then later to become, Seborrheic Dermatitis since I was 15 years old! I've used ALL, every single kind of dandruff shampoo known to the human consumer, and all of them only were able to treat or control my problem but only temporarily. Eventually, my scalp grew accustom to the "shampoo of the month" I was using, then I would begin to develop those ever so common flaky scales on my scalp, which forced me to look for yet another new dandruff shampoo. I'm now 35, and I'm now using Selsun Blue's new seborrheic dermatitis formula which seemed to control my SD, but just like the great many of them, after a couple of years using it, I already began noticing that my scalp was once again flaking. Many dermatologists told me to change my diet, to alternate shampoos, to use cortizone creams, that it's stress related and to "relax", and NONE of those suggestions worked!

A month ago, I browsed online and found a website claiming of a cure to SB..., Apple Cider Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide! It states to mix 1 part ACV, 1 part Hydrogen Peroxide, and 10 parts water. Simply soak your head with the solution for 2 to 3 minutes (I did it for 5 minutes), then wash/shampoo your hair as usual. I AM NOT LYING TO YOU, this ACTUALLY WORKED! It's been over 2 month now, and I have NOT seen any signs of flaking whatsoever! NONE! Furthermore, with my condition, if I didn't wash my hair every day, by the second day, I would already have flakes, and, if by some unusual circumstance I could not wash my hair a third day, I would have so much visible flaking and itching, that it would actually be to the point of embarrasment. (No weekend camping trips for me.) However, to test to see if this really worked, I purposely did not wash my hair for 3 days! And still NO FLAKES, GONE! What I did was wrap an old towel all around my head, making sure to cover all my hair lines, and I slowly poured the mixture slowly over my covered head, letting the towel soak it in, but not to the point of it dripping everywhere. I just used the wet towel to rub all around my scalp mainly in my problem areas, for a good 5 minutes. I then showered and washed my hair as usual, and VIOLA, this God forsaken problem is gone! After all these years, completely GONE! Don't get me wrong I'm still being a little skeptical, but still have no flakes! Of course, I'm still using my same shampoo, but once it's finished, the real test will be to use something like Johnson's Baby Shampoo. I'll keep you posted if something happens. Good Luck!



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