Shannon (Stillwater, OK) on 04/21/2008
I found a post somewhere about using tea tree oil. I had an old jar of Desert Essence Tea Tree ointment, so I began using it. I have used it for 4 days now, keeping the area covered constantly with the ointment, and the dermatitis is almost gone! It looks as good as it did when I was on minocycline. I think the probiotics and evening primrose capsules that I am taking may be helping too, but the tea tree oil was my "magic bullet." I have noticed that when I drink alcohol, the area becomes more inflamed. I'm not sure if this is due to dehydration, or the destruction of healthy bacteria in the intestinal tract.
I want to mention too that I have been under a great amount of stress, trying to finish grad school,and the dermatitis appeared during this time. I really believe stress and unhealthy eating habits/drinking alcohol contributed to the problem.
I hope this helps someone else out there. I love this website!
Replied By Pik (Singapore) on 02/17/2010
Replied By Taylor (Nashville, Tennessee) on 04/18/2011
A co-worker suggested I try tea tree oil as her daughter suffered from POD too. Four days later, my POD is about 85% gone!!!! No new bumps have formed since using the tea tree oil.
Since tea tree oil is VERY potent, it is recommended to dilute the oil. I diluted it with water by moistening a cotton pad with water, squeezing out the excess, placing about 2-3 drops of oil on the pad, and then adding a few more drops of water. I then pressed the pad on my affected areas 2-3 times a day. It started drying up immediately!
I even used a drop of straight tea tree oil on a huge pimple that I got (due to the stress of the POD), and the bump completely vanished within 12 hours!
I am now convinced that some of the best remedies are all natural!