Natural Remedies for Rosacea

In the same way that mosquitoes don't attack everyone, demodex mites are probobly the same way. people that suffer from these parasites have many different ractions - some have pimples some don't. Ted does explain in one of his posts that children don't contract the mite because their skin hasn't got the same sebacuos(wrong spelling, I know) oils as adults. I would imagine that because of shaving a man would only suffer this on his nose and ears if he did contract them.

I have rosacea and have managed to get rid of the redness on my skin by applying ACV topically after cleansing my face with E45 cream for sensitive skin three times a day. The ACV stings at first but I got used to it. Once the stinging subsides it appears to calm the inflammation and any redness disappears. I still get the odd bump/ pustule but these are getting less. I also use yoghurt as a face mask sometimes and this helps.

While treating the problem naturally, I also use natural mineral powder make-up which covers all signs of blemishes giving an even natural tone to the skin.It is applied with a brush- as it is in powder form. It does look good and it has given me confidence when I go out as no one would know you have rosacea. This make-up is made of minerals Micas, Titanium oxide, Zinc oxide, iron oxide, rice powder, kaolin-it does not iritate sensitive skin and acts as a sunscreen sun factor 15. If you buy mineral make-up check there is nothing else added like fillers such as Bismuth or talc as these are iritants.

It is a struggle but keep fighting. Some people take the anti-oxydent L-lysine - I am considering trying this- I think it is mentioned for rosacea on htis site. Hope this helps.

Have you tried sea buckthorn?

Kitty, If you believe you have the mites - Teds remedies should work. I used 1/2 tsp borax in 2 capfuls of 3% peroxide 2 drops tea tree oil on my skin nightly and left it on overnight. In the morning I used whatever was leftover to wash my face with it but rinsed that off as I couldn't concentrate on work with the tightness it gave my skin. I only used coconut oil as a moisturiser at that time and I also used the 1/8 tsp in a litre of water to drink. I started on june 4th and did this routine daily for one month then for 1st two weeks of july repeated the process every 2 days. Last two weeks of july went to every 4th or 5th day and am now only using it once a week. but still drinking the boraxed water daily.

I would be interested to know the quantities that you are using as you say that after two weeks you cant see a difference. I noticed a difference the first day and it slowed down after that. Although I never had any pustule or lumps of any kind I had the redness and crawling feeling of the mites along with intermittant severe flushing. All I have left is a lot of broken blood vesels which I believe is damage caused by the mites. Maybe the effects on your skin has been different and it may take longer or slight alteration of the remedy.

Bring your remedy with you when you go away, but pack it in your suitcase not your hand luggage. I did this and it was fine. At the most you will arrive at the other end without it. And by the way wear a sunhat if you are going someplace warm as there is not point getting sundamage after all the hard work of getting rid of the mites. Best wishes

Hi Tricia!

I just wanna know how much is 2 capfuls. Is it 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon. Thank you!

just measured it and 2 capfulls is closer to 2 tablespoons, though the second one wasn't quite full. When I first did it I put the 2 caps hp in a glass and kepts adding bits of borax till it wouldn't dissolve . That's Ted's description of a saturated borax hydrogen peroxide solution. So 1 tbsp and less borax may be enough for you or you might need more depending on area you want to cover. Good luck - I still think it was worth taking the time to follow this method. (And use an old pillowcase)

Hello Tricia...I have been following your comments regarding your trials with Ted's Remedy, you seem to have a lot of knowledge. Can you please tell me the following; are you still using the treatment? How long did you use it? Is your rosacea gone? What type of moisturizer did you use, then and now? What cleanser and sun block are you using? My skin (face) is ultra sensitive, I'm afraid to try a product that hasn't been recommended by a fellow rosacea sufferer. I just started Ted's Remedy (day 2), internally and externally, and am seeing some encouraging improvement, however, my face is very dry and itchy. I would very much appreciate any feedback you could give me. Many Thanks!

Hi Nanci, there is no doubt that this remedy was probobly one of the longest thought through things that I have done yet up to this point all a doctor had to do was hand me a script and I'd run to the pharmacy and swallow.

All the stuff I read about rosacea and mites just made sense but, "my God", the cure seemed drastic. I have sensitive skin too so it was scary.

Your questions:-

Am I still using the treatment?

Maybe about once a month if I think of it although I have no contact with animals at present, I probably would then use a maintainence shot more often if I did..
I think that once you have had a parasitic type infection you will do anything to prevent a second round of it.

How long is my rosacea gone?

It was probably gone by around mid Sept having started Teds treatment in early june this year and like you noticed a remarkable difference in the early days and after about ten days, while not gone, it did take longer to see the differences. Because I was on holiday from work i was able to use it morning and night for the 1st 2 weeks using the 5 days on 2 days off routine. Then because I had to go back to work I only used it at night(mid your pillowcases, they will stain)and washed it off in the shower. I kept this up for a month and the went to every second night for a couple of weeks then every 3rd and so on. By christmas I had stopped regular use which by then was only once a week/10 days. I never broke the cycle I was using to know would it have re-emerged. But since then it's a case of if and when I remember it.

Moisturisers and cleansers I used -

The peroxide/borax is cleansing enough in itself and I only wear make-up 1 or 2 days per week which I made my off days from the treatment so I continued to use a standard off the shelf cleanser for sensitive skin at weekends. I used a couple of different moisturisers that are non-perfumed. Many years ago I saw programme on a cream which is the basis of all medicated creams i.e. cream and cortisone or cream and antibiotic.The claim was that this was unperfumed and relatively pure so as not to interact with the medications. I wouldn't assume this still stands true as most manufactures will add cheap chemicals and call it a new and improved product. Anyway, the cream is called silcocks base and is manufatured by a number of different Irish companies. I don't know what it would be called in the States It is often used for excema sufferers.

VCO tended to give me a tingling sensation if I used it too soon in the day or night after the peroxide/borax. But for a deeper moisturiser I would use sesame oil, grapeseed oil and sometimes a little castor oil to which I added a few drops of neem oil. Now I will use any of the ordinary off the self stuff. Because I sunburn very easily I use the strongest 24 hr sunblocks that are sold for children. They are chemical laden and will sting sensitive skin but it's far better than sunburn and sunstroke(believe me, I've been there)

Afraid to try -

Yeah, I was too, but now I'm real glad that I did go for it. The flushing and stinging was unbearable. I was afraid to go out in the sun because that made it worse.

I now have sensitive skin rather than ultra-sensitive skin (stung constantly with or without product). I would have to be trying an new soap or cream and have a reaction for a cream to reeally sting me now and I find I can use most stuff without a problem. Opening the diswasher (real hot steam) too soon can also do it now. The only downside was that when the flushing was gone I can now see each individual broken veins. I thought I just had a few but now I can see loads.

Dry and itchy skin -

Try putting it on at night only. I noticed that my skin looked and felt very dry - almost like crumpled paper within about 10 minutes of putting on the HP/B but it seemed to go back to normal after a shower. I think the minute particles of borax sat on the skin and and itched a bit. Ted does reccomend it twice per day but the once worked for me.

Hope this helps. Robert Henry from Ten Mile were the posts that I followed to give me my confidence to go ahead although if you're seeing a difference already you've probably made your mind up.

Hello Tricia...

Thank you so much for your very helpful reply! While reading it, I thought of more questions...you are a great resource.
Are you still drinking the borax & hp, if not, when did you stop? Did you ever drink water with baking soda, or add it to the borax/ hp drink? What are you doing for your broken capillaris? do you still have some redness to your skin (rosy cheeks) or has it all disappeared?

I am so anxious for this to work and put this ailment behind me...i've been dealing with this for three years!

Many thanks Tricia!

No problem at all, Nanci, glad to be of help.

>>Are you still drinking the borax & hp, if not, when did you stop?

In tapering off the recipe I had reduced to drinking this every 7 - 10 days. By xmas I had decided to stop as I knew I had killed off everything and anymore that may have been nestling and hiding.

I became conscious of the possibility of a weakness that might make me susceptable to re-infection and decided to do a maintenance dose once per month just to be on the safe side. I have no proof that I am more susceptable to these things just a feeling. Not everyone would choose to do this. So at the end of each month. Hp and borax on the face and borax in the drinking water.

>>Did you ever drink water with baking soda, or add it to the borax/ hp drink?

Short answer - no. I have only take BS with ACV for heartburn issues. Never with water or borax or hp. I read somewhere in Teds posts that ACV shouldn't be mixed with HP as it is too acidic so I always left about 2 hrs between the two remedies. I learn't that Ted was right when I accidently mixed ACV and HP instead of Borax and HP and slathered it onto my face. OOhhhh Boy!!!!! I looked like a blood red beetroot. My face was so hot the rest of my body felt cold and this lasted almost 8 hrs. Not to be done a second time.

>>What are you doing for your broken capillaries?

Vitamin C, Lysine Vitamin K and a flavenoid recipe (to be found in posts by a wonderful contributer "kathy from dubois"). This did reduce the severity of the larger veins but the smaller ones are still there.

>>Do you still have some redness to your skin (rosy cheeks) or has it all disappeared?

Yes I still have some redness but it is only from the broken capillaries. That overall redness that makes you look like you are permanantly embarrassed is gone. If you were standing about three feet away from me I would probobly look like I had healthy coloring. On close inspection the veins are very visible because the skin underneath has completely lost it blushiness.

Other people didn't notice changes during the summer beause of light tanning that I get but from mid sept to around christmas I was constantly asked if I was sick. My friends think it is hilarious that they can now see that I blush if I'm embarrassed. I always did, just nobody could tell.

>>am so anxious for this to work and put this ailment behind me...

Yeah, I totally understand that. This remedy definitely worked for me although it has to be accepted that it won't work for everybody. If it doesn't work for you try something else. I had given up many years ago and learn't to accept me as I am. But a uncle of mine who went blind in his old age took on the mantra "Quitters don't win and winners don't quit" and he lives a full, active and adventurous life and is willing to take on anything new with a healthy optmism. I want to be like him. I believe there is an answer to everything, it just may take another while to find it.

Hi mark I wanted to know how exactly did you do the borax and peroxide treatment? I also have a question for everybody else on EC if you guys can help. Can black people get rosacea because I have holes and redness in my skin also.

on this Recipe - Borax and Peroxide - could someone please give the exact recipe? ...or where to look to find it on this huge site ! Thanks so

Hello Henry, can you please tell me quantities to be mixed, and if this mixture is stored in the refrigerator or it would not matter and for how long? I am not sure what concentration of HP one need to use for this remedy and I am also unsure about the borax, is this the borax used for cleaning purposes?

I would appreciate your reply and also for any of the readers who could suggest me where to find the HP if is different from the one we find at drugstores. I was told that there is a bacteria "like rosacea" but I never got the medical term for it because the Dr. does not know it. I have used all sort of prescribed meds. for it including topicals as Retina. Nothing seems to work. After my renal transplant (1 yr. ago) my Immune system got so weak so this bacteria is attacking my nose hard. I feel so embarrassed to go out with my red nose with lot of bumps specially when they get white. Thanks in advance for any helpful advise. Mahreen

Hi U Mahreen form Chicago...... I'm a retired Chemical Engineer and have learned not to take meaurements too seriously. I feel your pain because everyone looks at an ugly nose. If you do demodex mites on the web, you will see that they live off the hair folicles in face. You see folks whose eye lashes are red as a beet. That's our mite friends. The process of killing off these mites is like killing the insects in your house. You can kill most of the adults but eggs in various stages are coming on. You just have to keep on keeping on. Finally, you will begin to see progress.

Ok, here goes ..... I just put borax in a coke cap. add a few drops of tea tree oil and then add plain ole Hydrogen Peroxide. Mix and apply to the outside of your nose and also inside. Do this at least twice a day. This mixture will harden and you will have to start over. Laundry Borax is fine as you are not ingesting it. I spent 10 years with the Dermatologists and they did no good except to kill off all my good bowel flora with anti-biotics and leave me with Candidia. But that's another story. Do not take anti-biotics for this condition. It will help temporarily but will leave you in a lot worse shape healthwise. I also use The Face Doctor's soap which was developed by a China Military doctor. I made little progress until I added Tea Tree Oil to my program.

Robert Henry,

I have been taking borax internally for five days, as well as applying it externally with water at night. I am trying to eliminate persistant red cheeks. So far, i can notice the redness subsiding. Hopefully, it will all eventually subside. I've applied tea tree oil topically for a month in the past. I think this helped somewhat. I want to add hydrogen peroxide to the borax solution i apply to my face, but i am afraid that the H202 will cause my skin to bleach or change colour. One thing i have started to do, though, is apply raw honey to my face before showering. Raw honey is a rich source of H202. Also, the only H202 i could find in a chemist is 6%. I wonder is that okay to use.

Borax and peroxide equal measurements + 2 drops tea tree oil. 1/8 tsp borax in ltr water for rosacea. Only using 4 days so too soon to tell re cure but definite improvement. My question is - Is there a major difference between sea salt and himalayan rock salt when using borax and salt to de-flourinate tap water?

Thanks EC. Great info. Hi to Robert Henry. It was your original instructions that I have been following. You were probobly the most clear instructions on the rosacea page and by saying that you didn't follow exact measurenments gave me confidence to attempt this process. I was really terrified that I would screw it up by getting it wrong. Could you let me know how long it took to notice a major difference (one that others might notice.). I saw quite a difference the first night but only minute differences since. I do know it is a long journey to be completly rid of mite and egg. Thank you again for your clear instructions.

Hi Kate,

Will you please let us know where you bought the washing soda from, and what brand? Many thx.

Also, I would like to learn more about your carbicarb experience. Are you still continuing it? Is it still benefitting you as much as it did initially? Any side effects?

The reason for my curiosity is that I have been using baking soda for some time now, but only with mediocre success. On the downside, my insomnia has worsened. So, I decided to do some research on the net. I saw a study that showed that baking soda alone could cause brain acidosis. Of course, these studies are inconclusive, and you can always find other studies that show the opposite. Nonetheless, the studies seemed to be more favorable for carbicarb than baking soda. Hence, my curiosity in your experience with carbicarb vs. baking soda. Many thx.

Sincerely,
AKR

Answer to AKR: You can find Arm & Hammer Washing Soda at most supermarkets where laundry detergents are located. Yes, I continue to use 1/4 teaspoon of both, morning and night. I just monitor my PH and adjust accordingly if my PH gets too high... guess it depends on my diet too. But it definately works better than baking soda alone. Tastes really bad, so use just a small amount of water and get it down in a couple of gulps, follwed by a big glass of water. I have had no negative side effect either. I sleep better and my husband says I am "calmer" now, so I tell him he should do it then!

I continue to use the borax/peroxide treatments for my rosacea. It is getting better, but is taking a long time.

Hi Samuel

How many weeks should I try the Ted's remedy to begin seeing improvement. Thank you!

Well... i was too optimistic. The Borax and HP have not really finish my rosacea problem even with the new TED protocol which i started on my last 10 days. I will take a month rest and start again trying to be very careful with the new protocol and see what happen then.

Hi There I'm back with an experience I wanted to share from this spring. As previously written the tendency has been to have occasional periods whereby the Rosacea would act up again; but generally it was when having laid off of the Borax/H2O2 for a little while. Even then I have always had the confidence that this remedy would solve the problem and it always did. Sometimes if necessary just to face the day I might add a little topical hydrocortisone just combined after the treatment just to help speed things up.

Anyway to make a long story short after the winter and I guess after a period of neglecting a regular (once a week) borax/h2O2 treatment I started developing a couple of patchy spots in the same general area but one of them was a little different in some way I could not explain: a spot on the side of upper bridge of nose. Anyway around this time I had probably done a treatment and then had to travel so had probably using a little of my backup cortisone plan and though all was fine. Gradually while away the spot were returning and I feel back into my cortisone habit in effort to keep the inflammation at bay thinking that when I returned home I would just do couple of Borax/H2O2 treatments in succession and get it under control.

By the time I got home things were getting worse and I was getting really frustrated and even bough a bottle of the chinese sublimed sulphur boric acid cream which was expensive and didn't seem to do any more than our penny treatment we learned here.

Around this time I had even got back the results of a food intolerance test and started eliminating foods in hope that the facial inflammation would go away. The worst part of this episode was that I would start to get this stinging that would just continue to amplify until finally I gave up and slathered my face with Hydrocortisone. The thing was when the face started stinging I couldn't focus on anything because I would just think about my face all freaking day. And knowing that it looked like shit didn't help either. I then tried like 3 days in a row of the Borax/H2O2 routine which didn't help at ALL.

Finally during research I cam upon the idea of related and sometimes overlapping conditions like dermatitis, specifically Seborrhoeic Dermatitis, which implicates the Malassezia yeast. So I finally thought maybe the Borax wasn't addressing the yeast and I bought some Pyrithione Zinc cream and some soap. The thing was I had always noticed my patches seemed to calm down after wearing 20% Plus Zinc Oxide Sunscreen which led me to think there might be a connection to zinc. Anyway one application a little sting and my face is fine again. Really strange. This remind me I need to not forget to keep the treatments of Borax going, even if once a week. But for now I realized that there are other things besides mites which the Borax/H2O2 do not address. I have been waiting for the inflammation to come back for like almost 2 weeks now after only one cream and 3 soap treatments with the Pyrithione zinc-- it's like magic...

Thanks for that post about the zinc cream helping rosacea as I think thats what I may have because if I eat certain foods like the deadly nightshade family my face goes tingly and red and it drives me mad, also glucosamine used to set it off too. I am so glad I looked on this site its amazing.