Effective Natural Remedies for Seborrheic Dermatitis Relief

I have been suffering from s/d for atleast 10 years. i started to see a doctor for it about 7 years ago. i have tried every cream and pill and shampoo they perscribed me and it will work for about a month and then come back. i had s/d real bad to the point where when i went to the barber shop , i will be very embarrassed by the time i was ready to leave from the mountain of flakes that would fall from my scalp. on monday 11/28/05 i logged on to this website and read some stories then i went to the store and purchased some a/c vinegar for $1.00 and some peroxide for $.88 and used it right away. today is friday and i took my shower and used my mixture like i have now for a week and i am happy to say that not one flake fell from my scalp when i brushed my hair!!!! i have spent hundreds of dollars on perscriptions and they were all garbage, i go to my local supermarket and spend 2 bucks and i get results in a week. i plan on using the mixture for one more week then once a month after that. i hope i have finally beat this thing. i also plan on telling my rich dermatologist how 2 bucks cured me. thank you for the info.

Lime + Himalayan Salt for Seborrheic Dermatitis

Drink a glass of water with a whole (or half) lime + teaspoon of Himalayan salt every morning on an empty stomach.

Background:

I had severe SD on my face and chest. I was very discouraged when ACV didn't work for me as it has worked for so many others. I was able to combat my SD originally through an incredibly strict diet (no wheat, sugar, dairy etc.). Over time I relaxed my diet and started to notice the symptoms returning. At the recommendation of a friend I started doing lime + Himalayan salt mixed in the mornings and it's been a game changer. I'm no longer on a restrictive diet but am symptom free with the addition of lime+salt.

Hope this can help someone out there - good luck!

I created an account just to post about my treatment of Seb Derm with Apple Cider Vinegar.

Bit of background, early 20's male with Seb Derm originally in one eye brow as flaky skin (i didn't know what it was) but it ultimately spread to either side of my nose, forehead, and parts of beard.

Tried many things; at first it was emoillients (moisturising to the extreme), then I self prescribed Ketoconazole (Nizoral cream). The initial treatment stopped the flaking, but was 5% still red and not very pleasant to apply twice daily. The cream then (after 1 year) appeared to stop being as effectively recently.

Then I tried ACV - applied nothing else but Bragg directly to the skin and drank it twice a day minimum. With nothing else - this started to work after about a week and the results were fantastic.

Unfortunately I ran out of the stuff for about 4 days, and the redness has returned slightly but so far so good - very impressed!

I'm grateful you posted this one, for as good as ACV is, the mixture of borax, baking soda and honey in the proportions above have been terrific. I used it as a facewash in the shower

Seborrhiac dermatitis-

my dermatitis started during June 2020 when I split from my partner, had a big bullying session going on at work and with Covid was in the midst of impending redundancy. It started around my eyes as a slight rash of which I sparingly used my partners hydrocortisone cream which did help. 5 months on I had lost my job and with a big mortgage etc etc and still no job in sight my S dermatitis had got to the stage where it is red raw and all bubbly and looked awful.

After loads of reading I began to realise it was connected to Candida which I suffer with and also wondered if like years ago it could be coming from fungus from my hair. I started reading that a dandruff shampoo with ketoconazole (Nizoral) or a good quality dandruff shampoo with this ingredient in would applied on the condition and slightly lathered and left on overnight would be effective. I can say after trying absolutely loads of natural creams and spending loads of money this was effective and can't begin to describe what a huge difference this made in my confidence levels. Please if any of you have suffered with dermatitis or Eczema on the eyes this is worth giving a try.

Good luck 😉

I have had seb dermatitis (aka dandruff) near my nose for over 40 years. Looks like I have a cold all the time because of the redness around my nose! Have tried many supplements and topical treatments over the years from docs and herbalists, but none have helped.

Without meaning to, I finally cleared it up using Vitamin D3 serum drops. I bought D3 because I wasn't getting enough sun and started taking about 3-5 drops a day. Each drop is 1,000 iu. Within a day, my skin cleared up. This is not a cure. If I stop taking the drops, I start to get those small bumps and redness again after about 48 hours. But it doesn't take much D3 to keep it under control.

So much better than the steroid prescription cream.

When I was a teenager I use to get this rash on my face the doctor would give me a cream and after a while it went away. Now at 44 yrs old it came back! Its really stubborn this time. I went to the dermatologist and he said it was Seborrheic Dermatitis. Yes, he prescribe a shampoo and some antibiotics. I ended up in the ER with hives. I was allergic to the antibiotics . The shampoo made my scalp worse. I have tried just about everything, I had some relief with neem oil but the smell! Wow it made me sick! The apple cider helped my scalp but burned my face. I read up on iodine and decided to try it both orally and topically what do you know its drying up the rash on my face. I didn't try the iodine on my scalp but my scalp seems better.

I hope this helps someone. I know how frustrating and embarrassing this condition is.

I have suffered from seborrheic dermatitis or rosacea (doctors couldn't decide). I never did take any prescription drugs for this, I try and "heal thy self" and have heard horror stories of steroids, etc. I tried changing soap, changing diet thinking it was a food allergy with no relief. So I started tracing the issue. This started a year ago after a bad sinus infection. I was out on antibiotics for 10 days. As soon as I came off the ATB, the skin issue started. Not sure of the relation to the ATB. I had redness and extreme dryness on bridge of nose, creases on nose and a spot on my eyebrow. Many lotions just made it worse, no matter how "pure" they were. So I found this site. I have read many, many posts regarding my condition and tried many remedies that worked for others. But I found information that seemed to trace this down to the trigger and find a remedy that works. ACV topically was very very aggravating, it made the redness and soreness BAD for days and dryed the skin a ton more than it already was. Honey didn't do anything, even unpasturized. I tried Z cure mentioned on here and it did help redness but still left the skin very dry. Washing my face with dandruff shampoo that contains zinc helped about 70%. I tried supplements and 50mg of zinc and 400mg of magnesium did help a great deal and I still take them along with B, D, C vitamins. But the thing that was the treasure find for me was posts that mentioned fluoride and Grapefruit Seed Extract. I was drinking a TON of water (tap) thinking that water is good for the skin. It's loaded with fluoride. I ALSO was on anti-depressants for years which contains fluorine. I switched to bottled water that doesn't have fluoride (there are only two brands that can claim this - filters do nothing). I also weaned off the anti-depressants and detoxed myself. But the real cure for me was the grapefruit seed extract. I mixed 10 drops with 1 tbsp of water and applied it with a cotton ball, left it on and let air dry and WOW! it is gone. I mean it was gone hours after the first application. Redness, dryness, flaking - GONE! So I am not sure which one did it (GSE or no fluoride or both) but I am continuing this path. I have been doing this for one month now. I apply GSE mixture once a day after showering. I use pure shea butter or pure castor oil as a nighttime moisturizer and I am symptom-free. My skin is back to normal 100%. Thanks to this site and the person who posted about Fluoride and the person who posted in great detail about GSE. I still drink 1 tbsp of ACV with 8oz of juice each day along with a kefir probiotic drink before bed just as an added benefit. I had h1n1 back in October and I truly feel this got me through it to boost immunity along with keeping my lungs strong with exercise. It's bad stuff, even with my so-called "mild" case. Thanks Earth Clinic!

I had the same experience with coconut oil, and actually all oils because they feed the yeast, but I recently had a breakthrough. I've been using straight caprylic acid, isolated from coconut oil. The yeast can't eat it because it's too acidic. It restores the skin's acid mantle. I use it instead of soap. Soap of any kind will make things worse because it strips your skin's natural defenses and the yeast prefer the alkaline environment. Caprylic acid is much more cleansing and less irritating. I use it to remove makeup, shave, and even wash my hair instead of shampoo and conditioner, rubbing it directly into my scalp. It will leave your hair soft, frizz-free, and strangely not oily. Any other oils I've put in my hair have bogged it down and made it impossible to dry, causing humidity that only made the problem worse. I've tried everything else and it wasn't until I ditched the soap and adopted nothing but caprylic acid that I was able to sleep without itching. Seriously. I tried apple cider vinegar, baking soda, witch hazel, calendula, dead sea salt, various clays, manuka honey, tea tree oil, oregano oil, olive leaf, various herbal tinctures (NEVER put an alcohol tincture on it. The yeast will start furiously feeding on the alcohol and you will have the worst flare up of your life! ), a paleo diet, a candida diet, an autoimmune diet, various top shelf probiotics, etc. You name it; I tried it. I was desperate to avoid corticosteroids, but I was forced to resort to them when I was losing sleep to itching. I would get really strung out. Nothing has worked like caprylic acid.

seborrheic dermatitis: I wrote to this website some months ago when I was desperately searching for a cure to my disgusting seborrheic dermatitis. ACV has been wonderful for me. I like to make a combination of 50% organic ACV, 45% hydrogen peroxide from the drugstore, 4% filtered water, and 1% tea tree oil. I use it as a rinse in the shower, leaving it on for about 5-10 minutes before I wash it out with all natural Jojoba Farms Natural Shampoo/conditioner. I wash my hair daily, if not every day, every other day. I find that washing my hair on a daily basis keeps the flakes away. I actually purchased a shower head water filter from a brand called Sprite, and I believe this has contributed a lot to my skins clearing up. There is a lot of chlorine in tap water and this is very bad for your skin, it's drying and unhealthy. i recommend these things for everyone. GOOD LUCK.

I previously wrote EC about D3 for seb derm around my nose and in the creases of my mouth.

I wanted to update that YES, it is in fact a cure and not just a temporary fix! As a test I stopped taking the D3 after two steady weeks on it and nothing has reappeared on my face. I was taking between 2,000-6,000 drops of d3 serum a day. Very exciting.

I have had the condition for most of my life! So I guess it took me two weeks to get my vitamin d levels restored and now that I have done that, my body just needs a bit here and there. Hope this helps someone else suffering from this condition.

Watermark (Buffalo, NY): Where are the probiotic wipes you used available? Thanks. Larry

hi, I just started with this.. so I drink mix of ACV with water 2 teaspoons with 250ml warm water + a teaspoon of honey... morning on my empty stomach and then 2x more, noon and before I go to bed. each time, before I put honey in it I just tap a few drops of the mixture on my problem areas (on my face around my mouth and nose), leaving it for a few min and then put an almond oil ... hope it helps

Was wondering what kind of shampoo you use afterwards?

Hi, I'm a 38 yr old male with fair skin. For the last 12 years I have suffered with skin problems on my face, specifically on my nose and cheeks, sometimes on my forhead.

I remember travelling to work one day on the tube and feeling incredibly hot on my face, when I got to work I had what I can only describe as rashes in these areas. I did nothing (typical man!) for some weeks until I started to not only have these rashes but also severe scaling on the sides of my nose, almost scab like. I went to see my GP who said it was a type of sweat rash and perscribed daktacort cream. This story has probably been told a thousand times on here - the treatment worked initially, but if I stopped using it the rash would appear, then it started to appear even when I did use it, so I started using it all the time - my skin became completely addicted to the stuff. After 4 or five years of use my skin in these area looked pigmented, I developed capillaries all over my nose and the skin was constantly greasy, even within minutes of using a mild cleanser.I had also developed an itchy/flaky scalp (which I'd had as a teenager but had cleared up and been fine for years just using Head & Shoulders).

I went to see a dematologist a couple of years ago because I was at my wits end. He said that I had Seb Derm, got me off the daktacort but pescribed me protopic, which has kept, to a large extent the inflammation under control, but did nothing for the itching or pigmentation (why would it?) and the condition of my skin gradually deterioted.Washing the face with anti dadruff shampoos was a disaster, the skin would become 'angry' and very dry - I tried everything and anything to no avail

Last year (on another site) I came across the suggestion of AVC for use on the scalp to clear Seb Derm. It worked. After washing with a mild baby shampoo I let the hair dry and then sprayed on undiluted AVC and left. I did this for a week and the problem completely cleared. I now use it for 'maintenance' just once or twice a week. So I thought, well, if it works on my scalp why not try it on my face? Unfortunately I didn't have the same response. my skin actually became red in these areas over a period of time, I developed spots on my forehead and small boils along my cheek bones. After 6 weeks I stopped using the AVC on my face and resigned myself to lifelong use of protopic, skin irritation and embarssment. For the last 3 years, unless there's been no avoiding it I have completely avoided social interaction outside of work and had completely reached rock bottom.I stopped exercising because it just irritated the condition even more. My confidence was shot to pieces.

I came across this website last week. Apart from the skin in the centre of my face, I had also developed marks on my cheeks(which after another visit to my GP I was advised was eczema. I wasn't looking after myself, I just didn't care anymore. I've become the biggest sceptic on earth, but I read Ted's postings with interest regarding the use of baking soda (both internally and extrnally).

So here's what Ive done......For the last seven days I have been wasing my face with a mild solution of baking soda (two teaspoons in a litre of water). I have then applied a mixture of tea tree oil and lavender to my nose and cheeks, then an hour of so later covered with aloe vera. I have taken twice a day a half teaspoon of baking soda with two teaspoons of AVC in a glass of water.In addition I have taken (once a day) magnesium, cod liver oil, evening primrose oil and selenium. I have also had no alcohol, fried or sweet foods. I did use to eat alot of fruit (and I mean alot), but have also had no fruit, but plenty of vegetables.

The result? My skin has completely cleared and I mean completely. What I didn't mention was that I have spent nearly 2000 on laser treatment to clear the capillaries to little effect, those that were treated soon came back. Within two days of this treatment the capillaries had gone, had all the itching. My energy levels are also up (no doubt partly psychological). I don't know if changes to diet can have an effect in such a short space of time but I do know that my condition is linked to food and drink and how I feel, but had simply lost the will to try and put all the pieces together.

I am sorry that this is such a long post, but I wanted to let people know my story in case there are others in the same position or about to go down the same route with cortisone use. Please, please dont! I could write about the medical treatment that I have had, but I am trying to look forward and not back - anyway, the failings of western medicine have been written about more eloquently on here by other people). Everyone is different and what has worked for me may not be right for others, but I hope this helps someone.

I am holding my breath at the moment to see if this is going to work long term but right know I feel like I have got my life back and am having to pinch myself. Most importantly I wanted from the bottom of my heart to thank everyone else on here who have posted about Seb Derm with their advice, but especially to Ted - words canot express how grateful I am.

It's actually MCT oil you need on it, specifically a C8 rated MCT Oil.

Andrea C xxx

Update to my first post about using grapefruit seed extract for dermatitis around my nose... After the 5th day of taking drops of GSE internally and it getting 50% better, but not more than that, I decided to start applying GSE to directly to the dermatitis. I put a drop of GSE on my palm and then touched the drop with my index finger and rubbed it in thoroughly to the dermatis, which wrapped around the underside of my nose and partially up the sides. Instant warming sensation. I kept the GSE on as long as possible, which frankly wasn't very long: 5-10 minutes max. I did this application once a day. It's intense, I must warn you. After a few minutes the dermatitis started to itch and burn. Quite torturous. When I couldn't take it any more I rinsed the GSE off with warm water and finished with cold water. I then applied pure shea butter. The itch then continues for about 20 minutes.

It's now day 5 (and I kept the GSE on for an hour, no problem) and my dermatitis is gone around my nose. The redness has slowly receded and this morning when I woke up the area was almost completely healed... the constant redness is gone! You'd think with a remedy so powerful that it would make the skin look worse, but it fact the opposite has occured. It gets red right after application, then heals over night.

Finally! After 10 years of non-stop, itchy, red, flaking skin!! I also know from experience that I will need to continue this remedy for at least another few weeks or it may come back. But hopefully I can eliminate it permanantly. I am thinking now that this condition may very well be caused by mites. So doing a yeast cleanse is important, but you also need to kill the mites on the skin with something powerful. I recommend that people try using grapefruit seed extract for scalp infections, seb derm, mite infestations. It might also work for rosacea, eczema and psoriasis.

Finally, I want to thank Marea soooo much for her thorough posting about Grapefruit Seed Extract on the melasma page. That's what got me to try the remedy out in the first place. Yea, Marea!

What happened was I had dandruff bad and found that I had dermititis so the doctor that said that I had it said that it was caused by hormones. I didn't believe her so i tried everything -- a pokeroot concoction to meds. I did not like the meds I was on, so I soon found out that SD was caused by a fungus infection so I found a shampoo that had not long chemical names and put half a 4 oz bottle of dmso in it. Within a week it was gone and has been for almost 5 months. dmso will pull anything into your skin so no long named chemicals.

Hello,

I have something that won't exactly cure seborrheic dermatitis (bc there is no permanent cure), but it will help keep it in check. I have it too but I started taking fish oil supplements and it helped a TON. It takes about 3-4 weeks for full effect but you definitely see improvement after a week or so. It doesn't get rid of the flakes that comes from the dryness but in my case it reduced the rash/inflammation by 80-90%. So to get rid of the dry skin I just use some A&D ointment or I suppose an extremely mild hypoallergenic facial lotion would be ok but my skin is too sensitive for that so I use the a&d ointment... just make sure the grease is gone after you apply it. I've had it for a long time and this is the only thing that has helped me. It's a much healthier and effective way to deal with this problem than anything else I've tried.

I used apple cider vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. I figured out an easier way than drenching my whole head in the liquid. I put the mix it in a squirt bottle filling about 1/5 hydrogen peroxide and the rest with the apple cider vinegar. You just hold the tip close to your head and squirt your scalp. Massage in and leave on for about 10 minutes. Then shampoo as usual. I have done this three times. The first time I had more flakes than ever before! I thought maybe that means it is working, so I did it again. The second time nearly all of the flakes were gone. After the third time I couldnt find a flake. My scalp looks so great! It is so nice to know that I am not putting some expensive toxic medication on my skin. Thank you everyone for your posts and for those who haven't tried it or didn't think it worked; do it at least 3 times before giving up. It works!

Just want to update from my above post, I've been watching a lot of videos on skin conditions and many Holistic Doctors saying many skin conditions are autoimmune related. So I've been on a Gluten Free (no wheat, barley, rye, etc) diet for a couple weeks now and it seems to have cured my dandruff / sebbhoreic derm problems - I dont even need to use the above shampoos anymore. So very important to eat organic, and gluten free if you have Sebbhoreic Derm. or if you have eczema or psoriasis. now reversing the autoimmune disease I feel is the next part, I have ordered Colostrum, Glycine & N-Acetyl Cysteine. Colostrum will hopefully help repair my body while the GlyNAC should detox me from glyphosate.

This may help shed some light on why ACV needs to be organic (seems people have experimented with both organic and non on this site) to properly heal Seb Derm. I actually just learned this the other day... it really made sense to me. I thought eating organic was just about avoiding all the chemicals/pesticides sprayed on foods - and that is part of it, of course - but it's also that fruits/vegetables grown organically, in an environment without pesticides, must produce their own defense system against fungus, bacteria, "pests". You then ingest this immune boosting, parasite fighting mechanism when you eat organic. Or in this case, place it on a skin infection. WOW. Maybe this is common knowledge to some on this site but I don't think that point is communicated enough. Organic ACV probably has better properties to fight whatever is the root cause of SD.

I've had SD for decades btw and very excited to try something new. But while understanding the organic part, I don't get why ACV would work to treat Seb Derm in the first place. I totally agree with the poster who questioned why vinegar would work on what is considered a yeast infection??? I also went on the anti candida diet to try and help my skin and it definitely recommended avoiding vinegar because it "feeds yeast".

Just a thought... why not throw it out there given traditional medicine can't seem to figure any of this out: maybe it's not actually a yeast based infection? Or are there different "strains" of yeast, just like there are different strains of bacteria? And just like probiotics replace "bad" bacteria in the gut with "good" bacteria... could ACV be replacing or fighting off "bad" or inflammatory yeast strain with a "good" strain? Just thinking outloud...

I had itchy, flaky, scaly eyebrows. I also had this condition above my eyebrows too. I found a natural cure. I tried several things, nothing worked. I read in Chinese Medicine they use egg oil. I could not find a source for it. So, I decided to cracked open an organic egg and rubbed the egg whites on my eyebrows area and let it dry and just put a towel on my pillow and just go to sleep dried on my eyebrows then I would wash it off in the shower in the morning I did this every day for week I was cured. But to be on the safe side I decided to do it for little over two weeks.

My son has had SD on his scalp for many years. He has tried all the shampoos and lotions, etc., recommended from various web sites and nothing worked. It spread to his entire face, and he looked like he had a really bad sunburn with flakes. He switched to unscented glycerin soap and his head and face has healed. Simply amazing : )