Top Natural Cures for Ringworm: Quick & Easy Remedies

DMSO, Oregano Oil

Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn.) on 06/08/2016
★★★★★

HI U GOOD FOLKS DOIN,,,,,,,,,,, my Tractor Driver has been hanging around me too long. She's getting bettern me at solving problems. She had a ringworm on her ankle and treated it with both walnut tincture and tee tree oil with little success. She read on EC to use oregano.... only she added DMSO and all went into a dropper bottle. She cured her problem PDQ. A week or so ago, I also got a ringworm on my foot and being a good husband followed her lead. Now my ringworm is almost dried up.

Working at the farm in the dew and heat, we stay wet from head to toe and working with mushroom compost doesn't help. Anyways, I think DMSO enhances the properties of essential oils, etc. Her next project is to use Frankincense and DMSO to address a skin tag that her bra is keeping irritated. Her Dermatologist said to leave it alone. That does not make sense. I had her read the archives on EC about this and turned her loose. We'll see what she comes up with.

====ORH=====

Aloe Vera

Posted by Victor (Australia) on 09/06/2014
★★★★★

I started with a small circle on my right groin about 3 months months ago. I used virtually all OTC antifungals, none worked at all, which was very strange as previous experiences with fungus lasted 2 weeks at most and didn't have any problem clearing, they were a matter of put on the cream and forget, pretty much. This time it's been different from the start. One night, about 2 weeks ago, I even applied ACV like mad, till it bled, only to see a large rash on my corresponding thigh the morning afterwards; I reckon spores were released in huge amounts and all went to what was closest to them. Slowly but steadily that creepy thing is spreading on my two thighs and about 2 days ago on my left forearm. Now I've very very concerned, I don't want to have ringworm on my torso, face, etc. I've also tried several home remedies such as coconut oil (seemed to work but it's way too oily), Absorbing Jr Extra Strength (didn't work at all), Vicks Vaporub (same, didn't work), soaps with tea tree oil (apart from the nice smell, nothing), antidandruff shampoo (nothing either).

What does seem to work for me is Aloe Vera. After only 2 days on my forearm and that thing seems completely controlled, if not gone already. After the first application it stopped spreading; I reckon in the same way as clear nail polish seems to work, Aloe Vera suffocates ringworm and eventually kills it. Caveat: the infection on my forearm was very very recent, I've also applied generous amounts of AV to my groins and legs but probably because it's quite worse there it's taking way longer to see results.

Something very important to take into account is that ringworm may seem and act different depending on the part of the body affected. On my forearm I mostly saw circular shapes with borders of slightly darker, reddish skin, whereas on my thighs and groins it's slightly thickened skin in circular shapes, sometimes with several pustules (which I am yet to see on my forearm).

Aloe Vera

Posted by Mama To Many (Tn) on 10/17/2017

4 Tablespoons carrier oil (olive, castor, coconut or a combination)
1 teaspoon tea tree oil
1 teaspoon lavender oil

~Mama to Many~

Tinea Capitis

Posted by Tg (Central Florida) on 04/26/2016

Try shampooing an anti-fungal soap with essential oils.I would use it every day it is very gentle and do a whole body wash. Leave it on your scalp and body for 5 minutes each use for max benefit before rinsing.

Rinse you hair with 1 part apple cider vinegar to 3 parts water.

If your hair comes out anything less than fabulous this is because you have been using shampoos or treatments or coloring with sulfates. It is important to eliminate those. I never put anything on my skin that I couldn't eat.

It may take a half dozen washes but once the sulfates are out you will be thrilled.

When not fighting fungus I use organic castle soap. You will love the ACV rinse so alkalizing and healthy!! Consider switching to henna for color but know you can''t switch back again to commercial coloring.

I am in my late 50s and without sulfates and with henna my hair is thicker and more lustrous than when I was in my 20s!!!

Borax

Posted by Angelina (Moncton, N.b., Canada) on 01/10/2011
★★★★★

I was never officially diagnosed by a doctor with ringworm but I deduced on my own from checking my symptoms online and with friends. I had red itchy rounds blotches on my chest and arms. At first I used ACV and tea tree oil. That stableized things and kept it from spreading but it didn't seem to clear it up. Finally it was suggested to me to scrub with borax and a clean face cloth. Apparently the fungus likes to live underneath dry skin, and so scrubbing away the dead skin would take away the fungus' shelter. I saw results in a day and was so relieved. I continued this for a good few weeks although it was pretty much gone in a week. I just wanted to make sure it wouldn't return. Borax is mild anyway. Always make sure the cloth you are using is clean to prevent putting the fungus back on your skin.

Green Walnut Juice

Posted by Mark (Tulsa, OK) on 09/22/2008
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

When I was a kid and got ringworm my Grandfather told me to go get a green walnut off of the tree that we had in our back yard. He cut the walnut and told me to rub the black juice on the ringworm. I did this one time and the ringworm disappeared and never came back. This is an ancient remedy that originated in the european country of wales and was passed down to my grandfather from his dad. My cat recently acquired ringworm but I no longer live in my childhood home in the country that had the walnut tree out back so I went to the health food store and got some walnut extract which is diluted with 50% alcohol. It is working, after 3 or 4 applications but it's still not as good as the green walnut juice. It cured the ringworm with one application.

Menthol and Wormwood Oil

Posted by Elaine (Lubbock, TX) on 08/10/2007
★★★★★

I have used Absorbine Jr.for years to kill ringworms. Usually only one application does the trick. I think the longest time frame that it has ever taken to get rid of a ringworm has been about 24 hours. This remedy was passed to me by my mother who used it for years on the cat and me. When the cat would get a ringworm, if he saw the bottle of Absorbine Jr. coming, oh my stars and garters, the kitty cat rodeo was on. But to no avail my mother would win, the cat would get treated, and the ringworm would die.

Oregano Oil

Posted by Holy Grail (Nashville Tn) on 01/01/2023
★★★★★

Oregano Oil is the holy grail for ringworm!

I didn't know what it was, a spot appeared on my leg after a pedicure, it spread and it clicked that it was ringworm. I tried apple cider vinegar, bleach, tea tree oil, Lotrimin, miconazole, pure acetone, absorbine plus, a fungal wash from Walmart, borax, and then Oregano oil. I took 60mg capsules orally three times a day and then used it topically three times a day. The oil I purchased was from GNC and it already had a carrier oil in it. I can't tell you how glad I was to find a cure. I will never go back for a pedicure ever again.

Fig Tree Sap

Posted by Allison (Houston, Texas) on 11/21/2021
★☆☆☆☆

Please DO NOT use fig sap! It is a strong proteolytic enzyme that will eat up the flesh. I had tried this on a ringworm on my belly after the vinegar didn't work. The fig sap just ate up the flesh and made it raw and extremely painful but did nothing to get rid the ringworm. Just like the other person said from 2010, it's like a chemical burn, so DON'T try it on yourself or your pets!

Apple Cider Vinegar, Turmeric

Posted by Sabrina N. (Roswell, Ga) on 03/21/2018
★★★★★

ACV and turmeric cured my ringworm

After using Lotrimin for ringworm for 2 weeks, I was desperate to try something else as it wasn't working. I came here and saw to use ACV. It was dried up within a day. It was still visible, but it was obvious it was on its way out. It continued to dry and disappear from that point on. I mixed it with turmeric to make a paste. Covered it with a bandaid for one hour. That was it. I didn't have to treat it again.

Apple Cider Vinegar, MMS

Posted by Kk (Los Angeles) on 10/02/2017
★★★★★

Ringworm: ACV has also worked well for me in combination with MMS foot baths. I had it on my feet. Use 20 drops MMS to 20 drops citric acid, wait until it mixes properly (dark brown) and then add it to a bowl you can soak your foot in, once a day for 10-15 minutes. Try to get the water hot, without burning yourself of course. If you have it on your body you can also take a bath (use 30 drops instead). Or you can apply it as a spray (use 10 drops in 1/2 cup water). For very severe cases where nothing seems to be working MMS might just come in very handy. It's very affordable.

ALWAYS use MMS diluted with water, never by itself.

Sunlight

Posted by Jen (Wilmington, De) on 08/03/2017
★★★★★

I read somewhere that ringworm thrives in dark damp places. I put direct sunlight on it...all that was needed was maybe 2-3 mins of direct sunlight over several days. The sooner you do it the quicker it'll heal. The cream really wasn't quick enough at all.

Magnesium Oil

Posted by Dave Of Canada (Victoria, Bc) on 07/05/2016 15 posts
★★★★★

I want to report a method I used that worked on ringworm - magnesium 'oil' - which is actually magnesium chloride salt in water- or brine - but they call it oil because magnesium chloride attracts water so strongly that it never evaporates as you rub it into the skin, so it feels like oil. I have apple cider vinegar, but didn't find this site until later, so I didn't know about it. I had that magnesium oil (not the expensive one) and it cleared it up after one or two applications. (I didn't pay attention) I just used like 5-6 sprays of the stuff, enough to coat the chest. I wish I had payed more attention, as it was so easy and quick!

Dietary Changes

Posted by Cured (Missouri ) on 07/05/2016
★★★★★

I suffered for 2 full years with ringworm infections and I tried many of the remedies on this site and found some temporary relief from itching but they never went really away. I hope I can help someone. What gave me full relief and healing was this:

- Quit having regular sugar, replaced with stevia in my drinks and meals

- Diminish intake of flour

- Bought me a good fruit extractor (Nutribullet) and had about 16 ozs of vegetable juice twice a day morning and before going to bed. (carrots, whole lime/lemon, celery, ginger, water) . I did try it sometimes with beets and spinach but they had those ingredients for the most part.

- For the itching I used " Blue Star " ointment.

After about 2-3 weeks I started seeing great results until they completely dissapeared.

For maintenance I kept the juices only once a day, every night right before going to bed.

Oregano Oil

Posted by Jnell (Lumby, Bc, Canada) on 11/23/2015
★★★★★

My family has effectively killed a ringworm "outbreak" in our home in just a few days by applying oil of oregano topically as well as ingesting it 3 times per day. Apply with a cotton ball to the affected area, and ingest three to four drops at a time mixed in a little water or juice.

Black Walnut Tincture

Posted by Lisa (Pa) on 10/20/2015
★★★★★

I have had a bad issue with ringworm on the inside of my middle finger. Swollen, dark red, itchy. I applied ACV as I'd seen on some sites. That pulled the toxins out, but it became furiously puffed up afterward, blistered and then a hard crust formed. I could tell the skin was trying to heal. I thought it was done.

A couple of days later, I had a tiny cut on my face between my eye and nose. The fungus spread to my face, then the inside crook of my arm, then the back of my neck. All these were exposed areas, so I started covering the rest of my body with clothes and socks to protect it.

I didn't try ACV again, because it brought the skin to pustules and I read that once they burst, it spreads like wildfire. I think that's what happened to me. So I figured the slow and patient approach best.

I'm a big proponent of natural remedies, and made myself a balm of coconut oil/olive oil/vit e oil/tea tree oil/lavender essential oil. This was soothing, took the itch away for a period of time, but did not stop the spreading (or subsequent reinfections of the same site).

I am currently on the anti-fungal meds from the doc (works ever so slowly and doesn't seem to get rid of it quickly) and tried the steroid cream he gave. Package said to use that for 7 days only so I've stopped that, but that's not enough time to heal this issue.

I turned to online remedies. I tried Blue Star ointment. That seemed to help for a day, but after that it burned my skin and gave me welts, and I couldn't use it anymore.

What does work for me is:

* Selsun Blue shampoo with the scrubbing beads. Great for the lower scalp and back of the neck. Takes away the itching for some time, and is relieving. You can put it on the other sides too but don't scrub too much, since the beads cut the skin (my right hand is super dry due to this shampoo).

* Lamasil. This took away the itching all day for me, and calmed the areas. It doesn't seem to be killing the fungus though. 1x a day after shower.

* Black Walnut tincture. Day one of this and a lot of the redness was gone. Today is day three and I can see my skin color through the ringworm. I can still see redness under the skin so it's still there, but seems to be slowly fading. 3x a day, or dab on if there are small areas that itch/sting after application.

*Dr. Bronner's castille soap with tea tree oil - I use this to cleanse the site between applications. Foam it up and rinse in cool water. I use it at least 3-4 times a day, even on my face. Pat dry with clean towel, and let area completely air dry for a bit. The apply your black walnut tincture.

Internally, I saw a site that said to drink ACV (1.5 tsp to half glass water). So I'm having that daily, along with a teaspoon of Carlson's cod liver oil (the lemon-flavored one).

I also don't let clothing touch the sites (crook of my arm - roll up sleeve or wear really short sleeve shirt that doesn't touch the site) because clothing seems to irritate it, help it to spread and keep in the moisture. I have been sleeping on the couch with towels laid out under me. I sleep on my back with the crook of the arm facing up, so that the air can get to the site. If I bend my arm, within minutes moisture and warmth builds up, and the site reddens and stings. Wash all towels and clothes daily with plenty of vinegar in the rinse.

I'm definitely not scared/panic-y anymore. I was extremely concerned about it spreading more, or me having it forever. I'm not going to say that it isn't going to happen, but at least I feel a little more at ease, seeing it slowly get better daily.

If you have it bad, I think you have to be patient with the remedy that seems to calmly heal this issue. I don't see how these folks can put something on and in two days it's totally gone. Maybe that works for someone who recognizes it when they get it, and they catch it small. However, for those of us who have had it longer, or have larger areas, patience and diligence seem to be key. It seems that different things work for different folks, so try and find what works for you.

I've also seen that gentian violet works well and quickly. I've not been able to find that yet, but if this continues on me. I'll have to order it and try it.

I hope this helps someone. Thanks to everyone who have shared their stories and methods here.

Bleach

Posted by Dawn (Las Vegas, NV ) on 07/21/2015
★☆☆☆☆

I've been using the bleach treatment and it has given me two more new spots. I'm at a loss here and itching terribly as I cant afford a Dr.much less any med can anyone help with a new suggestion.