The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Olive Oil and Garlic
Posted by Ivy (San Gabriel, Ca) on 09/29/2011
★★★★★
I got impetigo for about a week. I had no idea how itchy it was going to be. Researching online for alternative cures, I found that using virgin olive oil with freshley chopped garlic did the trick. I first used a pad of witch hazel to clean the area. Then I applied the olive oil and chopped garlic with a cotton swab on affected area. If it was really itchy, I would also add hydrocortisone cream only if needed. If it was a bit itchy, I would only pinch myself on nonaffected area to take the itch away. I hope that it will work for all you impetigo sufferers.
Oregano Oil, Coconut Oil
Posted by Rebecca (Texas) on 05/26/2013
★★★★★
I had a case of mild impetigo that started on the left side of my nose. It went away after 10 days of antibiotics, only to come back on my left cheek then to my right cheek. I first tried raw honey and tea tree oil. It seemed to help but I was worried since its such an aggressive infection. Currently I'm on my 3rd round of antibiotics. It sort of seems like it was just slowing the spread, not fixing the problem. I started using 3-4 drops of oregano oil in a tsp of raw organic coconut oil on the weeping sores and the healing skin. Immediate results. Do it! Oregano oil and coconut oil will forever be in my house.
Replied by Andrea
(Perth, Australia)
06/13/2023
★★★★★
Over the Counter
Posted by Marlene (Morgan Hill, Ca) on 08/06/2012
★★★★★
I just bought Campho-Phenique Drying Gel for my imetigo, as suggested by another blogger. What a relief! Initially it burned a little but w/i minutes I had relief from the pain and itch and it does appear to be drying the lesions already. The mupirocin was buring and causing incessant itching! I've only had impetigo one other time, 4 yrs. Ago, and I suffered for almost 3 mos. I am also cleaning my lesion and the rest of my face with a chlorohexadine wash. Will keep you posted.
Over the Counter
Posted by David (Mcallen, Tx) on 05/29/2012
★★★★★
Hello everone, my name is David and I get impetigo break outs every since I can remeber being a kid. When I was younger I tried every type of option. I am 32 years old now and for me the simplest solution worked for me and which I still use today.
Go to your local drug store and get yourself some Campho-Phenique cold sore treatment with DRYING ACTION. It is important to get this exact one. Not the liquid one because we don't want to wet different areas. Its a thick gel type. What you do is get a q tip and dap only the effected area. The sooner the better. This dries quick and will crest kind of a scab over the blister. Let it sit and dap some more in a few hours. The first day of treating empetigo is very important. You do not want to break the skin of the sales because that's how it spreads, that why you do not use the liquid form, you will get horrible results. This gel neutralizes it and it is very important that you do not touch the soares for 24 hrs. You can gently dap more gel with a tooth tip as much as needed. One major mistake people make is that they take a shower, that is just feeding the problem. We want the sores to stay shut dry and never leak out. It is important for the sore to keeps its scab for as long as possible.
Day two you will see that soar looks to be tamed and is seems to be drying off, at the end of day 2 take a shower and the scam will easily fall off, the more time in the shower the scam slowly breaks down. It most like will bleed a little but this is the time to go for the kill. Get a fresh a tip and apply only on effected areas. It will most likely burn but its with the results. 1 hour later apply a little more and if their is no sting, you basically killed it..
Day 3 just leave a thin layer of medication one time and let the afternoon dry it out. You can follow that same procedure for day 4. That's it it will be dead and it will heal in time. If you're pro like me I catch them at a really early stage that you can't even tell. I catch them when they are still ingrown and by the time it surfaces 3 days later, it's already dead and healed itself in a short period. Things not to do, never lubricate these sores, never cover these sores and use a gel substance. When I was in high school I would cut the top of the sores with a razor blade, bleed it out and then apply rubbing alcohol on it, it stung but killed the damn things instantly. Campho Phenique is a more civilized major. Follow those rules and you'll be ok...
Povidone-Iodine Ointment
Posted by Janie K (S Dak) on 03/14/2017 3 posts
★★★★★
I had a skin infection (had for 3 weeks, thought to be impetigo) - wouldn't heal with antibiotic ointment. So I got some betadine ointment. And it is working great. 72 hours in and it's mostly dried out.
Replied by
Janie K (S Dak)
03/17/2017
3 posts
Sea Salt, Green Clay
Posted by Denisee (Sacramento, , Ca) on 07/09/2011
★★★★☆
For impetigo of the hands and fingers... I used coarse sea salt and green clay from the health food store. I then scrubbed my hands and fingers with it, , , I was surprised it didnt burn, , , then I rinsed it off and I immediately noticed all the itching was gone and the bright red bumps turned pink and white.... I slept well finally all the nite without the constant itch I had before... Im continuing to take the bactrim ds also cause I have a boil on my body elsewhere, , , , , , dont let too many horror stories scare you off.. From bactrim it may be the one antibiotic that will work for you, , , , . The key with bactrim is to drink alot of water to avoid too many side effects... Take yogurt also to replenish natural bacteria in intestines.
Silver Gel
Posted by Markell (Provo, Ut) on 09/25/2012
★★★★★
I used a silver solution gel (ASAP) on my spreading Impetigo. It worked immediately and effectively. I applied it nearly every hour or whenever I thought of it. Essential oils did nothing for the rash. It only took two days for it to dry up.
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Kyle (Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada) on 07/10/2012
★★★★★
I'm 22 years old and have been getting impetigo for as long as I can remember. Tried lots of things to kill it in the past and so far tea tree oil works best but number one thing is don't scratch or it spreads big time and fast.
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Diana (Standish, Michigan) on 12/15/2011
★★★★★
I have to deal with occasional outbreaks of impetigo. I haven't figured out what triggers the outbreaks. I use tea tree oil & jojoba oil mixed half & half to keep it under control and from spreading. I never cover the sore up. I use a clean tissue if it drains. I wash my hands frequently and put the oil mixture on it every time I think of it. I have used the tea tree oil enough that I can use it full strength and sometimes this keeps it from flaring up, if I catch it in time.
