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.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Baking Soda
Posted by Dilesh (New Malden, Surrey, United Kingdom) on 08/15/2011
★★★★★
Just want to say that I tried ACV mixed with Bicarbonate of Soda and water. Sprayed it on my face and my Seb Dermatitis has gone. From what ive read its a fungus. The ACV on its own didnt help the White, scaly marks that ultimately ended in skin flaking off. Since I started this mixture my face is clean. Now can someone help me with what I need to take to close all the wounds on my face. They get itchy, and even when I go outside the wind can hit the open wounds and make me itch.
Sauerkraut
Posted by Mike (San Mateo, Ca, Usa) on 03/10/2010
I was diagnosed w/ Seborrheic Dermatitis over 10 years now. I think I finally found a cure!
Profile:
Age: 36. Male. Had Acne Vulgaris as a teenager. Took Tetracycline (anti-bacterial) from 18 to 24. I believe this killed off all my good bacteria which caused a chronic SD infection. I subscribe to the theory that there are bacteria which feed on the SD yeast.
I've tried everything ... topical ACV was the winner for a long time, but the SD would always come back. I had been juice fasting for a whole month, had a colonic and the practitioner recommended fermented foods. I came across a posting that prescribed eating lots of sauerkraut for SD. Something in the fermentation that is balancing my system. My skin has totally cleared up! I pray this is permanent. I'm of Germanic descent, so maybe my gut just loves the sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut
Posted by Mike (San Mateo, Ca, Usa) on 04/10/2010
★★★☆☆WORKED TEMPORARILY
Unfortunately the Sauerkraut didn't work permanently. Just had a huge flare-up yesterday. My plan of attack is to go back on a juice fast and possibly a week long water fast and colon/liver cleanse. Luckily, topical ACV still works for me and is my last line of defense at the moment.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by David (Mn) on 10/29/2013
The direct combination of the two substances, hydrogen peroxide and vinegar, produces a strong oxidizing agent known as peracetic acid (also known as peroxyacetic acid, or PAA). The reaction occurs when hydrogen peroxide reacts with the active component in vinegar, acetic acid.
The substance at high concentrations can be highly corrosive and cause irritation to the skin, eyes and respiratory system. Long-term exposures to the substance can cause permanent lung damage.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Irina (New Jersey) on 12/13/2016
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.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Maya2141 (Cambridge, Ma, Usa) on 10/21/2009
★★★★★
I have been suffering from Seborrhea for most of my adult life and used all possible medicated and non-medicated shampoos, nothing seemed to help. The only thing that worked was steriod creams and after I stopped them, it came back. I turned to the internet and found the ACV cure on EC. I have used it religiously for two weeks and its working.
I read another user's remark and got myself a color applicator from a beauty store and poured half ACV and half water. I apply it everyday after shampooing, rub it into the scalp and leave it for 2 to 5 minutes. It stinks like vinegar when the hair is wet, but once dry, no smell. There is none to minimal scaling and absolutely no itching in the hair. Since its only a couple of weeks, I am going it give it more time to completely rid the scaling. Note: I use an organic shampoo, with all natural ingredients and no sulfates. And since using ACV, I have skipped using the conditioner, the ACV leaves hair soft, shiny and detangled.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Kitchenwitch2 (Santa Ana, CA) on 07/31/2009
★★★★★
I have had seborrheic dermatitis for most of my life. The past few years it has gotten worse and worse. I saw the dermatologist and he gave me some shampoos that worked minimally. I have tried nearly every OTC remedy.
The plaques were so bad lately I began to seriously think about shaving head. Truly, I was at my wits end.
I found this website and read about the ACV treatment. I happened to have had some in the cabinet that day (for treating my dogs for fleas) so I mixed some ACV 50/50 with water and applied it to the worst area, put a shower cap on and left it for 30-45 minutes. Then shampooed and conditioned as usual.
There was a marked difference after ONE treatment! I couldn't believe it! I have continued the treatment 2-3x per week for the last 3 weeks ( now with a spray bottle). My scalp is now almost completely clear! I expect to be completely cleared up within 30 days of starting treatment.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!! ACV works!
Christine Hernandez
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Courtney (Lewisville, Tx) on 08/08/2011
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
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Charlie (Boca, FL USA) on 06/10/2009
★★★★★
First and foremost thank you all for posting and for this site. I have Seborrheic Dermatitis on my face and scalp. It started as a red dry skin area around my nose and spread to under my eyes, chin, side burns, eye brows and when I did not shave anywhere there was hair. It has not spread to the rest of my body and thankfully just on my face.
It would get worse when I exercised, sweated or a temperature change from hot to cold weather wise. This caused me to stop exercising, which as a tri athlete was horrible. Sadly ordeal lasted roughly 6 years until I found Apple Cider vinegar. Before that I tried, dandruff shampoos, creams, acne solutions (proactive) and steroid based creams from my dermatologist.
The solution was simple and in my grocery store:
Apple cider vinegar in liquid form. I got the idea from this site and tried the recommendations.
1. Drink it mixed with water. That tasted badly so I decided to just do a shot of it. BAD IDEA. It almost killed myself and threw up for roughly 4 hours, side note it was a interesting way to reset and rid myself of all my stomach lining. DO NOT DRINK IT AS A SHOT.
2. I then tried the pills-no effect
SOLUTION:
Got the liquid. Take 3 piece of toilet paper and fold it in 3's just enough to make a strip where I can cover the top of the bottle and turn the acv bottle over making 4 circles so I can wipe my face with it. It stings but man does it work. No more pealing and my bad flare ups now are what I used to consider my good days. I did it once in the morning and once at night at first but now I forget to do it because I don't need to. I f I go more than about a week it will start up, but as soon as I do the acv"poof" all better. Sweating and exercising does start the process again but as long as I do it twice a day- I am good to go.
Please feel free to email me with questions at [email protected]
I hope this helps and thank you all again for introducing me to acv.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Coregon (Medford, Or) on 03/08/2011
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.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Valentine (Portland Or) on 03/21/2016
★☆☆☆☆
Coconut oil made my seborrheic dermatitis worse. It actually spread it from around my nose and chin up to the corners of my eyes. After a little research, I am convinced that adding oil is the wrong move for SD. The area needs to be dried out. See my cure under sea salt.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Debra (California) on 01/11/2022
Brain Octane (from Bulletproof) is C8 Caprylic Acid
Honey, Peroxide, Zinc Pyrithione
Posted by D (Lisbon, Iowa, USA) on 03/04/2009
★★★★★
If you have a diagnosis of SD you will know that there are many sites that say it is caused by Pitisporum Ovale, they are incorrect. SD is caused by Malassezia Globosa. My eight year old had it all over his face and it was spreading rapidly, the doctor gave us a prescription for Eldel, which has a black box warning and was $40+ even with insurance. It surpresses the immune system and I would not use it on my child who is a cancer survivor. My poor son could not tolerate any of the antifungals I put on his face, his skin was extremely sensitive and everything was painful. I finally hit upon non-pasturized honey, it works. Cleanse the area with hydrogen peroxide, put honey on all the areas. I put it on him right after school and then re-applied at bedtime. I also read a study that zinc pyrithione kills Malassezia Globosa, so I also purchased a 1% zinc pyrithione spray called "Z Care" by supplement spot.com on the net. It took forever for them to ship it, but it works. Once you know the exact cause, you have a better chance of fighting what ever it it is. My son could not tolerate head and shoulders on his face whatsover, but the "Z care" spray doesn't burn as long as you wait 10 min after you wash your face. Results with the honey alone were visibile in a day or two, but it is slow going until every little flaky area is gone. It took about 2 months to completely heal him. A note of caution, if the SD is all around the nose area, consider applying the honey and the zinc pyrithione carefully to the inner rims of of the nostrils. I just use a q-tip to appply anything to his face anyway. Don't spray the spray near your face, spray the Q-tip first. The SD was so bad that he also developed a secondary staph infection on the side of his mouth. The honey healed it, and knocked the infection right out. He has a small pink area of scar tissue, where the staph infection was, but I am hopeful this will fade with time.
Read the study: http://www.pgbeautyscience.com/defining-issues.html
Good Luck!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Sara (Miami, Florida) on 01/19/2009
★☆☆☆☆
Seborrheic dermatitis in Eyebrows:
Please help me, I am at my wit's end. I got seb der in my eyebrows about eight months ago (and I think my trigger was make-up). This winter it flared up really badly. I tried drinking only soy milk but that did not help. My entire eyebrows are covered with flakes, and have been covered for several weeks now. Steroid creams worked initially and my skin calmed down, so I switched to Elidel like my doc said to, and my eyebrows got really bad. I tried Jason's tea tree oil shampoo and that irritated my skin. I am currently on Desonide (a steroid cream) and a salicylic acid cream, and there have been some slight improvements. Please help me, this is so embarrassing and frustrating. The seb derm is spreading so more and more of my eyebrows are getting scales. Before it was only a small area, but it expanded.I am also afraid of hair loss. The flakes are so huge that usually, most of the scale gets off of the roots of the hairs, but when I go to pull out the flake, since not all of the flake became detached from my skin, I pull a couple of hairs with it. Please help, I am very desperate. I am thinking of doing something drastic like cutting off of my eyebrows and just not showing up to school for a month.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Kelly (Monroe, MI) on 01/19/2009
Hello and thank you for this wonderful site, I love Earthclinic!
I have had many skin problems, especially on my face, the constant itching has at times, nearly driven me crazy. I have tried many remedies many of which seem to work only temporarily (although I must confess that I am not as good as perhaps I should be about sticking to one remedy at the time, or giving a given remedy a chance to work). Lately I have been taking the remedy that is listed here as a "blood cleansing" one, which is the Blackstrap Molasses (1 teaspoon) plus Sulfur (in form of MSM - 2 teaspoons), twice daily. I usually mix these two ingredients and eat them with a spoon and then drink about 2 cups of slightly warm water to get rid of the awful taste. So far, the results have been very good (I have only been taking it for about 2 weeks), the itching is almost completely gone and my skin is fairly soft. I don't wear make up or any kind of facial creams. I try to avoid anything that can cause irritation, but because of the cold, I have to use some moisturizer, for that I choose one drop or two of Jojoba oil. I hope this helps.
Prescriptions
Posted by Ruth (Costa Mesa, California) on 12/20/2008
★★★★★
I had seborrhea dermatitis for a year and have tried acv,and everything Ted recommended, but it didn't help much. I tried dermatologists and nothing helped until finally my internist suggested I try Edonazole Nitrate Cream 1%, I tried it and the seborrhea dermatitis is almost gone. I started with the cream 12-4-08 and this is 12-20-08. I am thrilled. I washed my face twice a day and applied a thin layer of the cream after each cleaning.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Posted by DL (Atl, GA) on 09/14/2008
★★★★☆
I've had seborrheic dermatitis around my nose for at least 10 years now. Humidity helps a lot in the summer - my nose merely looks red around the edges, but in the winter it peels and flakes non stop. Milk and chocolate always inflame the condition. After doing a fair amount of research, and having no luck with topical prescription drugs or home remedies, I decided I needed to try and internal approach to the problem. One of the articles I came across said that a certain type of yeast contributes to Seb Derm. Putting two and two together (the foods that inflame it and the fact that it never goes away with any topical application for very long) I decided I needed to treat this condition like candida and get rid of the yeast. So I started on grapefruit seed extract about 5 days ago. I did 10 drops in water the first day (-- uggh! Not recommended. Use juice). The next morning I woke up with headache. I figured the headache was a good sign, a yeast die-off, and continued my grapefruit seed extract - 2 more dosages at 15 drops each dose. The next day I awoke to find that my headache was exactly the same as the day before. . Day 3, headache was gone and my seb derm had improved by about 50%.
I am continuing to use the gse 3x a day -- and will continue to for at least another month or more. I am trying to cut back on sugar and dairy to help the gse do its thing.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Posted by Faith (Seattle) on 11/25/2016
My Chinese medicine doctor told me if it is on your skin the cause is inside your body. I'm a vegetarian I went on a anti fungal diet stopped all stopped sugar, and started taking zinc, nicinamide and the GSE that is for external. The original GSE for internal use has changed but due to some red tape regulation for the major co the external use one is the original GSE do your homework on this one which kills fungus. Chinese herbs. Increased probiotic and drank lactose free kefir ate daily lots of picked smoked garlic. I work from home so I'm not around people much and alkalized two or three times a day and finally it went away.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Diana (Brockton, MA) on 07/23/2008
★★★★★
apple cider vinegar with the following has improved 99.99% my scalp condition of sebhorreic dermatitis: spray or just add to scalp prior to washing hair, leave 5 minutes on scalp, then shampoo with lavender shampoo and 2 drops of tea tree oil, again leave 5 more minutes, then shampoo again with DHS dandruf shampoo (you will find this one over the counter, contains Zinc)and end with a tea tree conditioner. After 2 weeks, my scalf looks almost natural and the itch has almost completely gone away. Once condition starts clearing, use DHS shampoo only a couple or times a week, same as vinegar.
Borax, Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Julie (New York, NY) on 10/12/2007
★★★☆☆WORKED TEMPORARILY
I left feedback for borax saying that it worked for my rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis. It worked initially but it came back today. So I detract my initial claims in the feedback I left yesterday. Thanks.
Borax, Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Billy72 (Devon, Uk) on 01/09/2011
Thanks for that, and if I want to mix it with the borax do I just add the borax to that solution until it's a paste? how may times a day would I do that for? Thanks
Jojoba Oil
Posted by Eric S (Ma) on 06/11/2016
I don't know where you get the idea that jojoba oil is high in oleic acid. It's one of the oils lowest in oleic acid though it does contain some.
It's hard to find oils low in oleic acid. Do you know of an oil that has none or almost none that you recommend?
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Lara (Boonton, NJ) on 01/07/2007
★★★★★
When my brother tried to commit suicide in Feb. 2006, my scalp suddenly became extremely sore & huge pieces of it began to slough off. This wasn't like little bits of dandruff here & there. The pieces were sizeable square inches of skin. Because the pieces were so large, they wouldn't fall off because several hundred hairs were still threaded through them. The pieces looked like off-white tissue paper hovering about 1/2 inch above my scalp. It was a very alarming sight (though not as alarming as the condition of my brother). I first tried Scalpicin from the hospital pharmacy, but that only provided a very brief, cooling sensation. I looked on the internet & read about apple cider vinegar. The recommendation for scalp problems was to dilute the acv with water. I was in a state of extreme anxiety due to long hours in the ICU, & just wanted very fast relief. So I poured several cap-fulls of acv on my scalp & massaged it in a bit. The only thing I noticed was the vinegary smell & a very slight tingling sensation. I sat for an hour or so, & then rinsed my hair & scalp. It's hard to believe, but after that one treatment, the horrible huge pieces of skin stopped rising up from my scalp immediately. I repeated the same treatment one week later, just as a preventative measure. The problem never returned, despite several months of equally stressful hospital experiences.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Katy (San Diego) on 11/16/2015
Try taking magnesium for the constipation. maybe the ACV is affecting how you absorb minerals. Worth a try.
Chamomile Tea
Posted by Becky (Port Townsend, WA) on 01/22/2006
★★★★★
I used the acv and it works but I have a hint for people with winter scalp (flaky tight scalp). Steep 2 bags of chamomile tea in 2 cups warm water for 10 minutes. Add a dash of lemon juice and 15 drops of calendula (marigold) extract then pour onto scalp and let sit for 10 minutes and shampoo and condition as normal. I have done this 2x a week wince winter set in and it is perfect. No more flaking or redness.
Lithia Water, Amlactin Lotion
Posted by Karl (New York) on 10/30/2023
★★★★★
I was looking for a solution for eczema / dermatitis on my face, and found research indicating that "lithium salts", when applied topically, could reduce sebum production which feeds the yeasts that can be a part of this condition. I found "Baar Lithia Water", which is a solution of Lithium Chloride. I apply a little to a damp pad made of paper towel, (cotton pad would work too), and swab the effected area after showering, etc. Well, it seems to have helped quite a bit! I had a crusty patch too, and in addition to the lithia water, I applied "Amlactin", which is a Lactic Acid containing lotion, to the spot twice a day. You know what? The thing is gone! Took 1 week. Gone. Wohoo!
Antifungal Shampoo +
Posted by noel (California) on 08/17/2023
★★★★★
I've been battling persistent seborrheic dermatitis on my scalp even in my beard for over a couple years. I think I finally got it under control. I try to eat healthy (no processed foods, fast food, sodas etc) But I dont think the diet did much for seborrheic dermatitis, only the medications helped. I also recommend avoiding Coffee & greasy food as it might feed seborrheic dermatitis through creating unwanted oily skin. The routine that helped me:
1. shaving head so you can apply the medicine on the scalp.
2. ketokonazole shampoo 2% (you can get 1% at the store its called Nizoral). I put the shampoo in DRY for and let it stay half to most the day.
3. selsun blue shampoo. (the kind made with Selenium sulfide). When I get in the shower to rinse the Ketokonazole off I put the Selsun Blue in and leave 5-10 minutes.
4. Clindamycin Phosphate Topical Lotion. 1% (You might need prescription for this one, not sure if you can get online)
i did all 4 of the above, and it seems to be in remission. the true test is when the hair gets longer.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Kelly (Seattle) on 07/21/2023
★★★★★
Silver Solution
Posted by Didi (New York) on 08/02/2018
Which exact brand dog shampoo did you use? There are several with different ingredients.
Sea Salt
Posted by Lisa (San Francisco, Ca) on 03/26/2016 11 posts
In response to Valentine on Sea Salt Helping Seb Derm...
My dog has seborrheic dermatitis on his lower back and I've tried a lot of things for it - as you said moisturizers are not what's needed. I found applying salt water with a cloth helpful, but you might also try epsom salts. Another option that I've found helpful was Ted's borax and peroxide mange cure, which is very drying.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Leslie (Oak Park, Il) on 01/06/2016
★★★★★
For occasional reoccurring seborrhea dermatitis behind my ears, one day realizing that coconut oil had anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, I put some on the effected scalp. Hadn't had any dermatitis since and it has been over a year.
As for my mild roseaca, I keep out of the sun, using a 50 sunblock and stay away from very spicy hot foods as both exposures seem to cause a flair up.
Coconut oil on the face I no longer do because I was told the large molecule can clog pores. I heard (very expensive) manuka honey from the continent down under is anti-viral, but you have to watch out for fake stuff.
