Effective Natural Remedies for Seborrheic Dermatitis Relief

I am writing because i would like to try the apple cider vinegar approach for my seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp, but I am living temporarily in Seoul, Korea, and here they only have "brown rice vinegar". Can this be used as an adequate substitute for apple cider vinegar? Your help would be much appreciated.

Ken, apple cider vinegar is sold in South Korea. If you are inclined, even organic apple cider vinegar can be found in the basement department grocery shops and health food shops.

Dear Susan. I think ACV does work, but you must use it at least 3 months and you should be patient.

Apple cider vinegar or any vinegar must be mixed with some water in order to make it alkaline and effective. Otherwise it will remain acidic and won't do much good.

Holly,

Adding water doesn't make it alkaline, it just dilutes it. It will still be acidic. You dilute it to avoid skin irritation and possible hair damage.

This is Merryanne in FL, I am not sure what the answer is, if you try something for several days, and you have no good results, then that is not the answer, so try some thing else,,sometimes a combination of items helps bring results,,why not put hydrogen peroxide on dry hair and wrap in a towel for 15 min then rinse with water, then rinse with acv, wrap again in towel and wait 10 min, then shampoo and no cream rinse,, wait an hour let hair dry in the air,,,check results,,,if no good may be try treating for fungus,,try iodine clear,,,keep searching,, Merryanne

hi all! can apple cider vinegar be left on indefinitely? i have a weave in that's not due to be taken out for another 4 weeks or so. is it safe to spray on the acv and forget about it? thanks in advance

I'm not sure if all cases of S/D start out like mine, but I remember feeling something pimple-like on my head when I was in middle school or or 9th grade. I scratched it off and didn't think anything of it. It came back, I scratched it. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. When I gave myself the usual buzzcut a few weeks later I noticed the hair in that spot had grouped together and at the base of that grouping their was a red skin lesion. I, to this day, nearly 5 or 6 years later, haven't told either of my parents and if/when I cut my hair short where my scalp is visible (at this point, and for the last couple of years, there are many, many lesions on my head) I'll wear a hat until my hair grows out and covers up the red, flaky scales. I even had hair down to my shoulders at one point because I was so afraid of cutting my hair short like I like it.

I tried T/Gel shampoos or whatever they are called. Some with Salasylic acid (sp?) and others with coal tar. Neither helped much, if it all. I'm contemplating trying Selsun Blue and/or Head and Shoulders, but I'm guessing they won't help either. My case is pretty severe, though I've been too scared to ever see a doctor about it.

I came on this site, and others, and apparently ACV is helping lots of people. Though I'm confused, do you drink the ACV (which I have no probably doing...I drank a shot of malt vinegar no problem just for laughs one time) or do you apply to the spots on your head that are red from S/D? Also, those claiming ACV works...is it simply ridding your head of dandruff and flakes? Or does it alleviate the reddening too? I am more concerned with having a scalp that is 100% the color of my skin rather than some flaking (which I don't notice when I cut hair short, but I don't because my scalp has lots of red patches).

I'll be trying the 1 part ACV to 1 part water mixture tomorrow regardless of how it affects the redness part of my S/D.

Looking forward to a response...

Thank you.

To Mr. B. from Binghamton U.S.A. reference seb. derm. use a selenium based shampoo like s/blue can be slightly smelly. Just as good with no smell is a ketaconazole based shampoo; ask your pharmacist if you can't locate it for ketaconazole based anti-dandruff shampoo will clear after two uses then maintain once every six weeks.

Hi, I rinse with regular vinegar and water 50/50 and leave it on. By the time I dry my hair the smell is gone.

Hello Christine and everyone else, So I have a question.... I have had a bad scalp for so long and a Doc said it was SD like so many other stories on here. I have tried literally everything under the son from shampoos to liquids etc. After reading this site I went out and bought ACV and a bottle to use to pour on the scalp. I mixed half ACV and half water and also added 2 drops of Peppermint Oil that I read about it's benefits in another site for the scalp and hair growth. I got in the shower and applied the mixture which actually felt good on my scalp! As I was allowing it to soak in as directed, the fumes from the ACV began to almost choke me! I could not breath and began to cough a lot, I opened the bathroom door to get more ventilation which seemed to help. I wanted to see if anyone else had this problem? Also, after my hair dried my sclap seemed to be peeling off very badly like the condition worsened. I want to give it a shot and try again as that maybe my scalp needed another treatment. What do you guys think? Thanks, Courtney

Courtney, don't use the peppermint oil. While it feels good it can cause burning and peeling of the skin and in some cases light sensitivity. Peppermint oil is very strong and needs to be used sparingly.

Courtney, I wanted to tell you what helped me with Seborheic Dermatitis... I lived with it for 15 years and just dealt with it or got used to it... I tried all the special medical shampoos like T Gel etc., I also tried a healthy dieting with low carbs, I tried ACV, I tried taking Neem, Garlic and nothing got rid of it...

Then when I was 25 I decided to do a CRASH DIET to lose some weight fast! I read about Beyonce's Lemonade Diet, "The Master Cleanse" and I decided to do it for 11 days... After the cleanse, I did lose weight mostly water weight which I gained back about six months later. But the greatest thing about it was my Seb Dermatitis disappeared and hasn't returned as of yet... Master Cleanse is not the best weight loss method, but it definitely clears out some toxins that could be causing rashes... Hope this helps anyone!

One more thing, I recently noticed my hair very dry... I read that you are not supposed to shampoo everyday because the shampoo will dry your hair and your scalp. Well, I tried to shampoo every other day but my hair just looked to oily and gross. So I decided to put about a half cup of melted coconut oil in my shampoo bottle. It has helped alot making my hair less dry and frizzy and with it being mixed with the shampoo, it doesn't make your hair look oily. Another thing that helps with dry hair is Shampooing every other day and on alternate days, only using Conditioner to wash your hair. The conditioner has fragrance and will mask the smelly, oily scent of your hair. I know it sounds gross, but my hair looks better, feels softer and styles better when I don't overuse shampoo and when I add a little coconut oil...

Courtney, I wanted to tell you what helped me with Seborheic Dermatitis... I lived with it for 15 years and just dealt with it or got used to it... I tried all the special medical shampoos like T Gel etc. , I also tried a healthy dieting with low carbs, I tried ACV, I tried taking Neem, Garlic and nothing got rid of it...

Then when I was 25 I decided to do a CRASH DIET to lose some weight fast! I read about the Master Cleanse and I decided to do it for 11 days... After the cleanse, I did lose weight mostly water weight which I gained back about six months later. But the greatest thing about it was my Seb Dermatitis disappeared and hasn't returned as of yet... Master Cleanse is not the best weight loss method, but it definitely clears out some toxins that could be causing rashes... Hope this helps anyone!

One more thing, I recently noticed my hair very dry... I read that you are not supposed to shampoo everyday because the shampoo will dry your hair and your scalp. Well, I tried to shampoo every other day but my hair just looked to oily and gross. So I decided to put about a half cup of melted coconut oil in my shampoo bottle. It has helped alot making my hair less dry and frizzy and with it being mixed with the shampoo, it doesn't make your hair look oily. Another thing that helps with dry hair is Shampooing every other day and on alternate days, only using Conditioner to wash your hair. The conditioner has fragrance and will mask the smelly, oily scent of your hair. I know it sounds gross, but my hair looks better, feels softer and styles better when I don't overuse shampoo and when I add a little coconut oil...

I agree about taking ACV and the side effects it can have on your taste buds and stomach. But here is a tip a friend told me about... mix 4 ounces of warm water with one tablespoon of ACV and one tablespoon of honey mix well a drink in two quick swallows.This is still a little shock on your taste buds, have a full glass of cool fresh water ready. Drink this mixture three times a day. I must admit it took me about three weeks to get use to this but you do and the MANY health benifits of ACV and the honey are well worth it!!

Hello! I've just started using ACV and I feel heartburn. Makes your body loose bone density? I'm right now starting my menopause and I'll appreciate your info. What do you think about ingesting H2O2? Thanks a lot. Alicia

I just wanted to relpy to Alicia from Madrid: ACV actually helps your bones to retain density. It has nutrients that bones need to keep strong and healthy.

This reply is for Kungfuchic from Thidobaux, LA. Thanks so much for your interest and hope everything is the best in your life.

I'm concerned by the question from Alicia from Madrid, Spain. She wondered about ingesting H2O2. I hope she has not done so. H2O2 is highly toxic when taken internally. It is a naturally occurring substance and is produced by many organisms to destroy other one-celled organisms. It damages cells and kills them. This is why it works for killing bacteria and fungi on the skin. Please Do Not take it internally!

Eve

For those who said that taking a shot of Apple Cider Vinegar was too harsh - a simple remedy for that awful taste, I've found, is to mix it with a glass of orange juice. It just makes the OJ a bit tangy. I would, however, recommend brushing your teeth immediately afterward. The combined acidity of the ACV and the OJ could be pretty bad for your teeth. Realistically, it's probably a good idea to brush your teeth after consuming ACV in any manner.

To Ana from Philadelphia who said:

"Realistically, it's probably a good idea to brush your teeth after consuming ACV in any manner."

Ana, you're correct and incorrect. Leaving the acid of orange juice and Apple Cider Vinegar on your teeth isn't good, but brushing your teeth while you have those acids on the teeth is hard on the enamel. Dentists recommend you rinse your mouth several times but don't brush teeth right after drinking acidic drinks.. wait until later.

I have used apple cider vinegars for years-not faithfully but continue to fall back on its healing abilities.Not only do I use it on myself but on my 2 Saint Bernards-thats right.The ACV I use is ___ ACV which is 100% organic. It is a little more expensive but I feel that the strength of this surpasses the basic store bought acv.

I take mine with orange juice, it helps cut the bitterness of this acv and seems to be somewhat potent and expedient in its healing properties.It works on my 2 dogs due to the fact that it has helped greatly in the curing or reliefing of its so called allergies.

I have not had any dandruff or scallyness for as far back as I can remember which seems to be forever.Give it a try with orange juice.Good luck and stay healthy. Larryc

Hi Larry, I am curious as to how you give the vinegar to your dogs. Right now I am treating my dog with a systemic yeast problem. I have switched my dog to a raw food diet which is helping and the vet (a holistic guy) has given me some probiotics to put in her food.

Janice -I know it's been awhile since you asked about the way to give your dogs the ACV. I add a couple of drops to my yorkies water (She's only 7 lbs) Adjust according to the size to your dogs.

I would not give more than 1 tsp. per day in their water bowl.

*****Side Note:******
I don't recommend giving them tap water.
Those water windmills are great, they filter out ALOT of chemicals. Another tip, I read that tap water isn't good for house plants, and what a difference when I started using the windmill water.
????WOW what is our city putting in our tap.????

***********Another side note:**********
If your dogs have allergies,
ACV is great for that, plus I add 2 drops of NEEM leaf oil. (also found at your health food store)

I hope this helps and you continue to use this website. I have been telling EVERYONE, even my Dr. about EarthClinic.com Very helpful. Thank you for all the wonderful information that your website provides.

KJustice (and mommy's baby- The yorkie)

I have had seborric dermatitis for years, and I was recommended to start using an alcohol free argan oil on my scalp. It HAS TO BE ALCOHOL FREE ARGAN OIL, because the alcohol will make your condition worse. Tried a bunch of brands, and the best and most natural one is the Somaluxe Argan Oil. I use it three times a week, and I barely get an itchy scalp anymore. Its 100% the way to go for seborric dermatitis.

Savannah - do you relax your hair? I would like to try it but it would to good to know how ACV reacts with relaxer first.

Dandruff, ACV, and relaxing hair: I've used it in the past and my hair is relaxed. It worked pretty well. You may have to keep at it for couple of days to get rid of it. I would put it on my scalp w/ a dropper and massage it in. Then put a plastic cap and sleep with it on. In the morning wash it out or rinse. Blow dry or air dry. However, I would do this a least 3 days before you actual relaxer because washing irritates the scalp.

I am also African American with the same issue. I am willing to try anything. I wanted to get braids just so I can apply the ACV to my scalp directly. This is a horrible condition, but I hope the ACV will work. I am taking it to my hair styist tomorrow to give it a try.

you may try to do full strength, also, try to add about 10 drops or so of tea tree oil. diluting it didn't work well for me either so i did the full strength and it worked better.

It should be Apple cider Vinegar "with the mother". Regular ACV will not work.

Good luck with the apple cider vinegar, but I had a similar problem which I thought was from a cheap costume ring I had been wearing. I broke out in a horrible itchy red rash with bloody bumpy blisters. Of course I had removed the ring immediately when the itching began (who wouldn't?) but instead of disappearing as it had in the past, this time it just kept getting worse and worse and my finger swelled up so badly I could not close my hand. I tried some aloe vera which was soothing but didn't seem to do much else. Finally in desperation I bought something called tea tree oil which i had heard was a good remedy for burns and other irritations. Whaddya know---my rash started clearing up immediately---the skin dried out quite a bit but I relieved that with ordinary cortisone cream. The infection and swelling went away in a few days. The stuff is not exactly cheap ($12.50) but not that expensive considering the rapid result.

Hi I just bought all this ingredients - apple cider vinegar and baking soda and excited to begin. I m using Head and Shoulders and its working well but am getting worried as my hair is always falling. This was the same when i was using Selsun which also worked well with me. SO im giving this a try and crossing my fingers that it will work as well as everyone here. Will keep all of you posted.

If you color your hair at home or in the salon don't use Hydrogen Peroxide in any strength. If you get it on your hair even from using it on your face and get a perm or relaxer you hair will melt. Vinegar is an acid.

Apple Cider Vinegar has cured my dermatitis/ sebhorea by 95%. I posted in Sept., 08 about cider vinegar alleviating my dermatitis on scalp and face.

Now in December, 08 I have dermatitis of scalp alleviated by 95%. That on my face is somewhat different. After a month or so, I began to get rapidly cyling minor patches on my face even though I am applying to face every day--several times. The patches would generally show up as dry rough spots which would flake if you gently scratched them. I would remove flakes then apply vinegar, which would show red and generally alleviate in 2-3 days. Now I seem to have fewer patches lasting shorter time and healing faster. I wish it would go away completely, but this is so much better than before. I just hope it doesn't stop working at some point.

I haven't been using the organic raw vinegar because it wasnpt available for some time, and have only been applying the regular cider vinegar to skin. I got a bottle of raw vinegar two days ago and have started to take a couple of tablespoons in V-8 juice and hope this helps and maybe will also reduce appetite as it did before. The V-8 is a very good vehicle as it just seems to be more tangy with vinegar. I just couldn't take vinegar in water and not at all unpalatable. I don't know if using raw organic vinegar has any virtue at all. I am sort of conditioned to thinkl that it should because it is, well, ORGANIC. The Del Monte Cider Vinegar seems to work as well on my face and scalp as the raw. Perhaps just plain white vinegar would do the job. Really,I imagine the acetic acid is the active ingredient. Has anyone out there tried white vinegar?

I know of two fellows who work in stores I frequent who have bad dermatitis of face and scalp. I really want to tell them about this, but haven't had the nerve to do it. I guess I will screw up the courage and tell them as I wish that if anybody who had seen me knew about this that they would have told me and spared me years of embarassment, frustration, and misery.

This is my third posting about using apple cider vinegar since September, 08. Pretty right off the bat my dermatitis got 95% better. Then I went through around 3 months where patches cylced in and out on my face and scalp, but continuing to diminish. Now, I would have to say that my improvement has reached 98%. It's not perfect, but very, very good. I am so grateful for the people who run this site as well as for the fine people who contribute. This is an extremely well vetted site, with intelligent and respectful input. None of the hysterical, profane, tell-you-a-miracle-for-a-fee shysterism. Thank you again. This is internet as it is supposed to be.

FYI, I use ZNP Bar (zinc pyrithione soap bar) from Steiffel Laboratories as shampoo and face cleanser. It does a really good job of loosening and removing patches of dry skin. I then apply apple cider vinegar generously to my scalp and then blow-dry my hair. I follow this with facial application of vinegar. I quit using organic vinegar because it was just hard to get and have been using regular good quality Del Monte Apple Cider Vinegar. It seems to work at least as good as the raw organic vinegar, if not better, plus it doesn't have the raw ingredients which seem to smell more and coat my hair with gunk. My hair is silky and shiny, looks healthy, which is all to the better. A lot of gain for little cost and effort.

I think I would avoid using store brands of cider vinegar because they say that they are made of "distilled vinegar with cider flavoring"--which seems to indicate to me that it is not actually Apple Cider Vinegar per se. There is not much of a difference in price for name brand which state "contains apple cider vinegar." The raw organic vinegar costs considerably more, although nothing compared to the various and sundry bogus salves, unguents, lotions, and cortisone, steroids which I used in the past. I would not be surprised to find out that it is the acetic acid in the vinegar which is the helpful element, and not the apple cider, but I haven't been brave enough to switch to white vinegar yet. If anyone has, I would be pleased to hear about it. Thank you.