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.
Bleach Bath
Posted by Ron (Manila, Philippines) on 10/15/2014
★★★★★
I had ringworm on and off for over 40 years. When it started it would appear once or twice a year. As I got older it got worse. In a hot and humid climate, I was getting it every couple of weeks. I found a liquid fungicide that would knock it out pretty well and I tried many home remedies but it always came back. Then around a year ago I heard how a bleach bath would cure 'old timers' disease. So I added 2 cups of ordinary liquid bleach to a hot bath and gave it a try. Don't know if it did anything for the old timer coz I just realized that I haven't had any ringworm now for over a year. I'm surprised no one has tried this before. I think it is a good cure for ringworm.
Aloe Vera
Posted by Al Hudson (Homestead, Fl.) on 08/10/2015
Hi Flagg, Love those old ones that work!! Thanks for the tip. A word of caution for all, grandpa's Black powder could be quite different than gunpowder today...here is a quote from "Gunpowder as a War Remedy" by John H. Clark, 1915..."
The Gunpowder with which we are concerned is the traditional Black Gunpowder, whose three cardinal constituents are sulphur, carbon, and nitre or saltpetre.
Modern smokeless gunpowder is of a different composition.
As sulphur, carbon, and saltpetre are three potent medicines well known to pharmacy and physic, it is not surprising that a combination of the three should also be a medicine of great potency.
There is a certain piquancy in the fact that gunpowder is a remedy for the accidents of warfare ; but some instinct put into the minds of our soldiers of long ago that gunpowder could cure as well as kill.
The Indians of North America and Canada have found in it a remedy for snake-bites.
The shepherds of East Anglia, as already mentioned, use it extensively in treating their flocks and themselves for wounds and blood-poisoning of many kinds, and for protecting themselves against wound infection." ...............As my Great Grandfather might have said...keep you powder dry...till you mix it with the Petrolatum! ( old timer's name for Vaseline) :)
Menthol and Wormwood Oil
Posted by Candy (Fort Madison, Iowa) on 03/04/2013
was wondering why I don't see any more posts about using absorbine jr. for ringworm.
EC: Hi Candy, Yes we've moved all of those posts to a MENTHOL AND WORMWOOD OIL heading. We love how well this ringworm treatment seems to work, but EC would like to focus on the natural ingredients rather than the specific brand!
Iodine
Posted by Lindsey (Montoursville, Pa) on 02/12/2013
★★★★★
I had a spreading ringworm rash that lasted for 6 months--between Oct. 2011 and April 2012. During that time, I tried lotions from the doctor, Diflucan, Absorbine Jr., garlic, apple cider vinegar, and a very low-sugar diet. Nothing worked!
I was really frustrated, but then I found this website and decided to try iodine. I started applying iodine once a day to the ringworm patches, and within 2 weeks, all of my spots were gone. A few came back, but the iodine quickly knocked them out again. I haven't had any troubles with ringworm for the past 8+ months!
Thanks everyone for suggesting cures for ringworm. I knew I needed to come back and add my story once I was sure the ringworm was gone for good!
Menthol and Wormwood Oil
Posted by Su (Shreveport, Louisiana) on 09/25/2012
★★★★★
Hi- I have to share this -because my ringworm was horrible! For over 6 months I thought I had eczema on my knee and little finger. I bought every over the counter treatment for eczema. It kept getting worse! It was weepy & creepy & UGLY
I have no insurance - so no Doctor... I figured why spend $$$$ to cure what is probably a simple problem.. After the months rolled by I was scared and it was worse- the patch on my little finger now wrapped around it and was near the nail.. The patch on the side of my knee was about the size of a tangerine... I actually thought about going to a Doc. But instead I went and asked a pharmacist.. "it's an ugly fungus" buy Lamisil isle 24.. I bought it and NOTHING!!! After a week I was panicking!
Desperate I found this website- I used a combination of Absorbine Jr and Tinactin DRY jock itch spray (friend suggestion). I was helping with a construction job this summer so between the sweat, dirt, and sawdust I always stayed wet- so wrapping my finger was out of the question. And my skin just hurt.
I began to treat myself 2 to 4 times a day--I really enjoyed the Absorbine Jr burn- I pressed cotton balls of it on my ringworm. (I did not contaminate the bottle)- I would let it dry and spray on a thick cool layer of Tinactin- at night I would use fresh guaze... so my bed would not be contaminated, and washed my sheets every other day.
It is about 6 weeks since I began and I have a tiny patch on the web between my fingers- My leg is discolored where it was but no longer burns...
I have gone through 3 bottles of Absorbine and 2 Tinactin. I am going to continue it for at least another bottle and can of each.... Because I never want to go through that again! Thanks!
Menthol and Wormwood Oil
Posted by Pj (Pasco, Wa) on 08/31/2012
★★★★★
One vicious ringworm infection, three months & three trips to the doctor, including one emergency room visit; a near break-up from my fiance because I was convinced his dirty bathroom gave me the fungus to begin with so I gave him a serious dressing-down. Two-thousand-dollars worth of useless doctors & their useless medicine and the infection was spreading to over one-third of my body. It was a gram positive Ringworm fungal infection that simply wouldn't die. ALL forms of treatment, including tea-tree, bleach, alcohol, OTC creams, cortisone and a host of prescriptions did not work. And to think the ringworm started as little dime-sized circles! I was ready to dip my body in nuclear acid if it would help. Then one day, I was crying about it and skulking around on the web for natural solutions. God smiled on me that day. I stumbled across Earth Clinic and the Absorbine cure. Of course I ran out an bought some right away. It burned like a #@! And I thought the pain would kill me. But low and behold... Within 4 hours... Yes... 4 hours... The angry red infection subsided at least 50%. The next day, it was even better. This is day 2 and ALL of the infection is responding nicely. It is putting up a fight, but it's losing. OMG!! Thanks to everyone who posted the Absorbine cure info!!! Words can't express how grateful I am. When I see clear skin, I shall weep with joy!! (p. S. My fiance and I made up. And he cleans his bathroom much better now)
Menthol and Wormwood Oil
Posted by Tina (Utica, Ny) on 05/14/2012
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
DO NOT rub absorbane jr over large amounts of your body! A teenage died from doing that! Your skin absorbs it and you overdose and DIE!!!! Look up info on it for yourself.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Copper Penny
Posted by Gardengirl (Gallatin, Tn) on 03/17/2012
★★★★★
I just wanted to share my cure for ringworms. Years back, I got a ringworm on the top of my hand and went to the doctor and got a lot of medicine. After about 2 more weeks, medicine wasn't helping, called my mother and she told me to take a penny and put it in Apple Cider Vinegar for about 1 day then put it on my hand about 2or3min. Put it back in Apple Cider Vinegar and repeat. I did that 4 times a day and the 3 day it was gone. I really think the vinegar releases the copper in the penny. Guess you need to use a old penny so you will get enough copper. Try it, it works!!!
Salt
Posted by Hawaiian_nut (Honolulu, Hi, Usa) on 01/15/2012
★★★★★
I had a small outbreak of ringworm after working at a feral cat sanctuary after only 1 day, needless to say that the fungus is highly contagious.. Anyhow, the woman at the sanctuary told me she was applying coconut oil to the cats to treat the ringworm.
When I had it, I started to apply the coconut oil. Next day, it got bigger. Tried it again, and again it got bigger. My sister recommended putting iodine, it didn't make it go away, but also didn't make it get bigger. I started thinking to myself.. ok, fungi like moisture, no wonder the oil is making it spread, the iodine doesn't quite dry it out, so what dries things out...salt!
I took a bottle cap that was roughly the same size as the ringworm, filled it with salt, and put just enough warm water to melt it into a pasty liquid form, I then stuck the whole lid onto the ringworm and let the salt paste soak into it for 5-10 minues (can tape it on so it doesnt move). Then I took it off, let it dry, and reapplied it later, few times a day. The fungus dried up in 2-3 days and was completely gone, though the new skin needed a week or so to heal the pigmentation.
Menthol and Wormwood Oil
Posted by Marvin (Kingstree, SC) on 03/23/2009
★★★★★
I just came down with some ringworm spots around my armpits about a week ago after not having it for about 10 years. I tried alcohol, peroxide, tea tree oil and apple cider vinegar and none of them did anything. It actually spread when I used some lamisil antifungal cream. It started to itch like crazy yesterday and I had to do something quick so I bought some Absorbine Jr from CVS for $9.84. I bought it this morning and put a qucik dab of it on each ringworm spot and it burned like h#$* for the first couple of seconds but then the itching soon stopped. It's been about 5 hours since then and I can see the difference already! It hasn't itched since I put it on and it is already clearing up! This thing is really working. Anyone with ringworm must use this!!
Fig Tree Sap
Posted by Alejandra (Templeton, CA) on 10/25/2008
★★★★★
I used the sap of a fig tree to heal my ring worm on my ankle. I had tried tea tree oil and it didn't work for me but the sap cleared it up by the next day! I used a knife to peel a piece off of the trunk and rub it all over the ringworm. It worked for me!
Light Bulb Cure for Ringworm
Posted by Mel (New York, New York) on 07/15/2008
★★★★☆
Ok, this is my second visit to your site, first one was when i was desperately searching for a cure.
I tried almost everything.
1. clotrimazole.
2. tolnaftate cream and spray.
3. Apple cider Vinegar.
4. Witch Hazel.
5. Rubbing Alcohol.
6. Bleech.
7. Hydrogen Peroxide.
8. Tooth paste.
9. Salicylic acid.
10. Vicks.
11. Mouth wash.
12. Hand-sanitizer(alcohol)
13. Anti-bacterial liquid soap.
14. Icy hot
I tried all the above mentioned items, plus a combination of some of them together as a foot soaking agent.
The moment when i completely lost it, came when I saw a second ringworm right next to the original one. ARRRRRR
I poured a little less then half a cup of bleech, half cup of rubbing alcohol, half a cup of witch hazel, half cup of ACV, and then as soon as i poured half a cup of hydrogen peroxide I heard a whooshing sound and saw bubbles and some somke :-) grin, I thought to myself this would kill the fungus once for all. I then poured cold water, just enough so that I could soak my foot fully into the small plastic bucket. I then rubbed the two ringworms with my fingers under the solution, and kept my foot under water for atleast 10 minutes. The skin peeled off from the ringworms, and the itching stopped. I went to class, and then after few hours, Itching came back. I came home, and I was furious, at the drug agencies and the FDA for creating creams that only stop the growth of the ringworm instead of killing it. (thats how you make money).
I then took a small night lamp in my room, with .10 WATT bulb, and turned it on. Once the bulb got hot, I started cooking :-) It hurt really bad when I started to roll the bulb on the ringworms, but the feeling of killing that nasty bugger overcame my own pain. I really burned the suckers good, the skin turned red, and the bulb was covered in some sort of mildue. Ringworms started flaking, and I kept going, until I knew that the ringworms were dead and were now burning in hell. The itching had stopped. It has been 3 or more hours since this experiment, and the itching had not returned.
The skin of course was red due to minor skin burns, and may even leave a mark, but I will accept it open heartedly because it is just on my foot, and it will be just another battle scar to my body collection.
Arrrrrrggghhh 142nd Pirates for life.
(Do not tell me that it cannot be killed; if it is living, then I will find a way)
Green Walnut Hull
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn.) on 11/10/2007
★★★★★
..I learned to skirt around a lot of guff from surrounding co-workers by telling patients things like, "hey that looks like a ringworm to me. The old folks used to slice a piece off a green walnut hull and rub it on it 3 or 4 times a day", after they exposed a lesion on their leg and told me it had been there a year or two and nothing the dermatologists had prescribed had helped at all.
Fig Tree Sap
Posted by James Lindon (Greenville, South Carolina USA) on 09/16/2007
★★★★★
re: Natural Cure Ringworm -- I tried the Fig leaf sap as someone suggested and I will tell you it was gone the next day!
Fig Tree Sap
Posted by Dallas (Dallas, TX) on 04/27/2007
★★★★★
For ringworm or any other fungal infection of the skin, I've always used the milk from a figleaf. You usually only have to do it once or twice. This is good for humans or pets.
Nu Skin Liquid Bandage
Posted by Liz (NC) on 08/26/2006
★★★★★
My roomate and I both got ringworm from a stray cat. We tried all the creams (both prescription and drugstore brands), and hydrogen peroxide (which I assume, does the same as ACV = dries it out). Nothing was working. In fact, it was even spreading. I then was told to used the liquid bandaids. I chose the spray on one because you don't have to touch the infection. It does the same thing nailpolish is supposed to do (suffocates it), however it doesn't crack off. I just kept reapplying the bandaid, and tried not to rub it off after the shower. My ringworm dissapeared in no time at all. I must say that even though I was careful about not touching it, my roomate didn't use the bandaid and her's came back several times. Mine did not come back at all.
Rubbing Alcohol, Clotrimazole Cream
Posted by Lin (Haverhill, MA) on 05/10/2022
★★★★★
I treated my ringworm with rubbing alcohol and clotrimazole cream and it cleared up in about two weeks. I tried cleaning the area before applying the cream with hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil, then apple cider vinegar, but the rubbing alcohol seems to have been effective. After cleaning, I'd put a glob of the cream and cover it for 48 hours with a waterproof bandage (the Nexcare Max Hold Waterproof bandages are great), repeated for a few weeks and it's almost completely cleared up. Also tried the clear nail polish for a few days, to no avail.
Nail Polish
Posted by KT (Usa) on 07/17/2017
Dear Alex,
When our daughter picked up ringworm I was advised by our nurse practitioner that ringworm is the same fungus as ladies' yeast infections. Get some Miconazole Nitrate and try that.
KT
Nail Polish
Posted by Alex (Latin America) on 09/30/2017
KT, I sincerely appreciate it that you took the time to offer me advice.
I tried the Miconazole and, unfortunately, it didn't work.
I've been using undecilenic acid + zinc for almost two years (I know, I shouldn't be using it so long) to keep it “under control”, meaning that the infection is there but it doesn't spread.
After I started using the Miconazole Nitrate, I obviously stopped with the other one, that's when the infection spread, and within two days it covered my whole wrist as well as part of my arm.
So I went back to the undecilenic cream, and now it's back to “normal"; it's not visible, but the moment I stop applying it, it grows back.
I'm of course sad that it didn't work, but at least I tried.
Oregano Oil
Posted by Healwithn8ture (Katy, Texas) on 02/01/2016
★★★★★
I had a ringworm on my left thumb that was super itchy. I tried apple cider vinegar for a few days & it was working, but not as fast as I wanted it to work. It stopped the itch, but an hour later the itch would come back with a vengeance. I heard about "Oregano Oil" so I grabbed a band-aid & I applied 3-4 drops of oregano oil to the band-aid and I placed the ban-aid on the ringworm. I would do this in the morning & I would leave the band-aid on for 6-8 hours a day and in the evening I would remove the band-aid & re-apply a new one with 3-4 drops of "Oregano Oil" again. I did this for 3 days & the ringworm went away.
(**WARNING** It will burn your skin a little bit, but it actually felt good because of the itch.)
