Hydrogen Peroxide as a Natural Remedy: Benefits and Precautions

Acne

Posted by Danielle (Chicago, IL) on 07/19/2008
★★★★★

Acne Remedies: I tried hydrogen peroxide with the assumption that it was an antiseptic that would aid in killing bacteria, infection, etc. (essentially what pimples are when inflamed). It definitely works. As others recommended, soak a cotton ball and hold for several min. For spot treatment and to avoid overdrying & light eyebrows, I use a q-tip. I will do this 2-3x's a day. If you have already squeezed or picked, the peroxide will often cause drying, flaking, or scabbing on that pimple so I recommend using baby oil on that spot (overnight). For day, I recommend Eucerin since it heals very dry skin and is non-irritating. I never realized how much dirt is still on your face, even after you thought you washed it well. Witch Hazel is a great toner, after washing. This will remove all excess dirt without overdrying.

Acne

Posted by James (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 04/12/2012

An effective way to get rid of Acne is to use plain white vinegar!

My daughter had had some problems with Acne for some years until I found a little advertised secret on the net about the uses for vinegar.

I thought it seemed harmless enough and recommended that she try it.

You have to be careful not to get it in your eyes but otherwise it works like wonders! You use it as it is not diluted! Remember this is Vinegar not H202. I have also used H202 food grade for years but for different applications and I have found it to be very useful for the majoity of the applications recomended. To get rid of any burns on your hands you can use vitamin C in the powdered form and mix with water just enough water to disolve and give coverage to the burned area! What you will see is the burning feeling will stop within a few short minutes and the white color will disappear! As we all know H202 is an Oxidizer. And Vitamin C is a powerful Anti-oxident the one will quickly neutralize the other! Try it it works!

Pulmonary Fibrosis

Posted by Jimmy (Dallas, Tx 75243) on 09/14/2009
★★★★★

My name is Jimmy Vou... I've had Pulmonary Fibrosis since 2005... A little over five (5) years.. February 2008 I can to the point that my chest started to cave in... You could hear my breathing down the street... I thought I was in the pathway of Going Home to meet my Jesus... Amen...! But something told me to start searching the Net for some type of solution that could either help "me" or just say goodbye...

It was about 3 days after I started taking Hydrogen Peroxide 35% Food Grade... that my lungs started to become normal once again... My breathing was starting to open up once again... My throat and face started to feel much better... About 4 months later I stopped, and I believe approximately 30 days later the latter was returning... so I immediately started taking Hydrogen Peroxide 35% Food Grade...

Since then, I have been wonderment to many people including my Doctors... They at first told me to stop taking H.P. 35% Food Grade, that it wasn't any good for me. I asked them if they had the same disease as mine would you at least try something that might help... Each one at different time shut-up... Now they are asking me how I feel. I tell them all... I'm still here doing all I can to strengthen my ability to stay in the condition until I get better then I am today... The last doctor I talked with, he told me that I had about another 3 to 4 years left... I just turned 70. And I feel good... Amen!

If there is any information that could be helpful, please don't hesitate to contact me...

Jimmy

Wounds

Posted by Boubou (Coral Gables, Florida) on 06/20/2012
★★★★★

As a wind instrument musician, I had frequent damge to the lips and mouth resulting in sores etc.. It is a common problem. Rinsing mouthpieces, reeds etc in H2O2 completely eliminated the problem for me and I have had zero occurences for years.

In the tropics minor wounds when working or hiking, for example have a tendency to persist and not heal. H2O2 solved this problem for me and my hands and legs are free from wound sites. From my experience I cannot confirm these warnings.

Candida

Posted by Sharon (Park City, Utah) on 08/31/2010

Hi Tina,

I'm just starting the H2O2 therapy, I'm now at 11 drops 3x a day. I'm trying to cure my rheumatoid arthritis. My affected areas are more inflamed and swollen that they were before going on this therapy. I'm hoping that things will kick in soon. Can you tell me what you eventually did? Did you stop your therapy or continue, did you have your surgery?

I hope you were able to resolve your issues.

Take care,
Sharon

Broad Benefits

Posted by Joyce (Bloomfield, CT) on 11/17/2007
★★★★★

H2o2 really works!!! it's nothing less than a blessing. Have tried it as a mouth wash and plaque remover, with maximum benefit. Have sprayed it on mold in the basement, and it really, really destroys mold on contact. Am in the process of trying it on cutaneous horns/facial warts and they are drying up slowly, but drying up nonetheless. Use a cup of it in every load of wash and the result is amazing. Soaked a bag of baby wipes with it, carry that bag around with me to wipe grocery cart handles, restroom door handles, public faucets, etc. Just to fight off any of the new and highly publicized viruses. Lastly, I buy 10 small bottles of h2o2 at our local price rite supermarket where it costs only $.46/bottle. Thank god for h2o2!

Foot Care

Posted by Indian in the machine (Saskatoon, Canada) on 11/13/2007
★★★★★

I regularly use hydrogen peroxide footbaths.....1/2 oz in 1/2gallon of hot water with a dash of seasalt.....my feet look and feel great. Last week after several baths, I walked over 120 city blocks in one day, and my feet weren't tired! Stay in the Light, Dieter

Razor Bumps

Posted by Khalisa (Memphis, Tennessee) on 10/04/2007
★★★★★

After using Nair hair remover on my bikini area, I developed a HUGE disgusting "razor" bump in a very embarrassing place. I immediately went online to find out how to get rid of it and all sites said "leave it alone" That the ingrown hair will eventually force it's way out. So I did. And 2 days later it was even bigger and I could see that it was infected (was like big puss bubble. Yes - GROSS). So since I use Peroxide on everything else that ails me i said why not. I soaked a cotton ball in H2O2 and used a band aid to secure it in that spot overnight. By morning, that bump had shrunk to at least 3/4 of its original size and all that infection was out of it. Now all I have to do is fish the hair out, but the peroxide worked GREAT. I LOVE H2O2. I have also used it as a mouthwash for years. About 10 yrs ago my dentist prescibed an expensive mouth wash for me (Periodox) and seeing that H202 was the main ingredient, I started rinsing with Wal-Mart grade and saved myself $38.02 a month. My mouth is in excellent health and my dentist STILL doesn't know I dumped his expensive prescription years ago.

Bad Breath

Posted by Amie (Reston, Va) on 09/03/2017

Regarding the oral mouth rinse use of drug/general store hydrogen peroxide (with additives 3% & 35%). I couldn't take it anymore and needed to comment after reading about the evils of cheap store bought peroxide and ultimately, the black tongue thing.

I have been using non food grade, store bought, less than 1 US dollar hydrogen peroxide as part of my dental care routine for over 20 years with no ill effects or black tongue. As I am always in a rush and have become more complacent over the years, I just take a swig (full strength) to rinse my mouth after flossing and before brushing. I've accidentally swallowed it before. I don't use it daily, just a couple times per week. I also put it on my toothbrush before putting baking soda on it (my tooth whitening paste used before regular brushing). An acquaintance asked me just a couple days ago how I kept my teeth so white. My dentist even comments on how good my teeth look.

I was well aware when I began to experiment with it for dental care, that peroxide can bleach fabrics and skin, could burn, eat holes through some fabric, etc. I was very careful and slowly reached the point of testing it as a mouth rinse, used very briefly (20 seconds or less) and often followed by a quick rinse with water. So, I did not start off by putting a quantity of regular peroxide straight into my mouth. Well, I may have dabbed a q-tip in it and tested it on a canker sore or applied it directly to a stubborn spot on a tooth.

I had a lot better luck with the store bought hydrogen peroxide when used for oral care, than when I previously attempted to lighten my hair with it as a teenager. :) I also use the non food grade on certain laundry stains or for specific cleaning applications.

Anyhow, never experienced any problems or issues with using it as I have and continue to do.

Black tongue - I do not know about the black tongue medical condition or its link to peroxide, just know that from my experience, it didn't affect my tongue. On some trip I took a pink pepto bismal like chewable tablet for a stomach complaint and wound up with a black tongue. As my friend had give me a small sleeve of these pink tablets, I kept them in my travel bag and on rare occasion while travelling have taken them. Get a black tongue every time.

Tongue discoloration - #2 - a Chinese medicine practitioner I saw years ago always noted the condition and color of the tongue before beginning treatment. Apparently, a lot could be determined, but I recall having the heavily coated or white, yellow or other colored tongue wasn't really good. I think my thick white coated tongue cleared up through dietary changes (basically nixing sodas and fast food).

Anyhow, caution is always a good thing. Paying attention to warnings and labels is always good too. Critical thinking is key, in my opinion, as is common sense. Know that what works for one person, may not work for you or in the same way, and there are so many factors contributing to the unique environment in ones body that it is worth doing your own research on natural remedies like hydrogen peroxide.

Now, that I am finally buying my first bottle of food grade peroxide, I am excited to try it internally. I don't expect to see the great pain relief or immune system results right away, as I might have to endure a period of toxin removal or some die off of something, but am optimistic I will see some benefit.

A vendor I've been working with swears by the food grade h2o2 in bottled water to keep the viruses at bay and stay healthy, especially when travelling by air every week.

Cold Sores

Posted by Joy (Denver, Colorado) on 07/17/2007
★★★★★

... I have tried plenty of the remedies on this site and they have all worked. H202 on a cold sore healed within 48 hours just dipped a q tip in 3%h2o2 and held on for 5 min 4 times a day. Baking Soda and water to gargle for extremely sore throat with swollen glands gone in 1 day. I gargled for about 10 minutes with my head tilted back 3 times thru out the day. Wow is all I can say about this one. thank you all so much this site is a blessing.

General Feedback

Posted by Tara (Los Angeles, California) on 06/03/2007
★★★★★

I have a lot of health problems (Lyme Disease, which leads to so many other problems), and I decided to start putting hydrogen peroxide along with the water in my humidifier at night (with a couple of drops of tea tree oil, and I was thinking of maybe changing the essential oil i add in from time to time). I just started it, so I don't know if it will help or not, but I thought I would write this.

Bad Breath

Posted by Edith (Elizabeth, NJ) on 05/27/2007
★★★★★

Have you ever known somebody with bad breath? Here is the cure. 1-Do gargles with hydrogen peroxide. All the bacteria accumulated by years will be killed and your breath will be as fresh as it can be. 2-Do the same once a week or maybe once a month. If you still have any problem, that I doubt it, probiotics will be the solution for getting rid of bad breath if it is accompanied by body odor. But the first step is the gargles.

Bad Breath

Posted by Carly (Seattle, Wa, Usa) on 12/19/2011

To Clarify:

Arm and Hammer Baking Soda does NOT contain aluminum.

*Some* baking POWDERS may still contain aluminum. This is easily available information on the web.

:-)

Bad Breath

Posted by Linda (New Haven, Connecticut) on 12/19/2011

Soozannah, it's baking powder that contains aluminum, not baking soda, but one can purchase baking powder without aluminum at the grocery store.

Broad Benefits

Posted by L.A (Beirut, Lebanon) on 05/09/2007
★★★★★

Hydrogen peroxide cured my daughter's toes fungus, and sore pimples ..thank you earth clinic

Broad Benefits

Posted by Katie (Ames, IA) on 05/02/2007
★★★★★

One of my favorite H2O2 remedies is my homemade toothpaste. I take one part H2O2 and two parts baking soda (the measurements don't really matter, just get a consistency that you like). Stir them into a paste and brush as usual. It's a great fix for bad breath and whitens teeth just as well as those very expensive whitening kits, but with absolutely no pain. Another great recipe is for bad body odor. Take equal parts baking soda, H2O2, and water. Add a bit of dish soap and mix together. Scrub any place that the stink won't wash off. This remedy is great for athletes and sick people. Also works for people who have been skunked (it actually gave me the idea).

Broad Benefits

Posted by Pamela (Olympia, WA) on 04/16/2007
★★★★★

Our family has been using hydrogen peroxide for cleansing wounds; diluted as a medicinal mouthwash; ear wax removal and also used in the ears to help ward off catching a cold (3 drops in ear, wait ten minutes then swab out or let ear drain onto wash cloth. Hydrogen peroxide, inexpensive, non-invasive good stuff.

Broad Benefits

Posted by Jens (North Vancouver, B.C., Canada) on 04/06/2007
★★★★★

Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) ingestion has been responsible for a turn around in my overall health. I began experimenting with the ingestion of 35% H2O2 in Aug 2001. At that time I had no energy (yuppie fatigue syndrome), allergies, sensitivities, severe bronchitis several times a year. My options were Doctor Drugs or try something else. Having read Ed McCabe's book O2xygen Therapies I tried H2O2. Amazing! Things began to improve in a matter of a couple of weeks. I just got the results of my yearly physical. Excellant! My Doctor is amazed and told me to "keep doing what ever you are doing" but he doesn't want to know what it is. This is even though they are better than the last. The most dramatic improvement was the first year. I use the dilute 35% H2O2 in various ways. The main way is daily in my morning tea, in a bath, ear drops, nasal/throat spray a la Munro, and in various home made cleaning/disinfecting solutions.

The Morning Tea:
1/2 liter mug, Yerba Mate Tea,
three capfuls raw Apple Cider Vinegar,
4 grams Vit. C,
3 tablespoons good quality Unpasteurized Honey, and drops of H2O2.

Bath: 1 pint (500 ml, two cups) 35% H2O2 and 1 cup Epson Salts. Soak for at least 1/2 hour. It is preferable to filter the Chlorine out!

Ear Drops: 1% solution H2O2. Take an eye dropper full (15 - drops) and put in ear while lying down with that ear up. After 10 min. or so repeat with other ear. The bubbling you hear is good!

[Bill] Munro's methods are best to be referred to directly.

Household Cleaning Solutions: just add a little H2O2, drops of Tea Tree Oil and or Cinnamon Oil. Drops of Palmolive Detergent to water (to emulsify the oils). Bakin Soda can be pre-used on stuborn spots and stains. The efficacy of H2O2 can be increased with the addition of a little Colloidal Silver (I make my own). The inverse is also true that the efficasy of Colloidal Silver can also be increased with the addition of a little H2O2. jens ^j^

Breathing Issues

Posted by Mark (Philadelphia, Pa) on 09/08/2012

Dry skin is to be expected, I beleive under certain circumstances, and shouldn't be discounted as a serious symptom if it can be determined that it's from the H2O2.

Your skin is the organ by which you have a window into the general state of other organs in your body (wrinkling, liver spots, dryness). H2O2 is an oxidant, and WILL work to dry out organic matter/tissue, alive or dead. If you are in doubt of this, take a piece of leather or meat and apply H2O2 to it, in one spot, in the amount that you are consuming every day, and see what happens to it over time. The only thing that prevents this from happening to your argans as fast as it does the leather or meat is your limited repair and anti-oxidant response, both of which have their limits and decrease in effectiveness with age.

In my opinion, you should be using H2O2 for one or both of two reasons:

1. As a temporary "emergency" antibiotic effort to aid your immune system in ridding itself of foreign organisms that will do more damage to your body over-time than will brief diluted H202 usage.

2. To put an adaptive pressure on the body to improve it's natural anti-oxidant output. In this case, I wholly disagree with multiple-time per day H202 dosing, as that will prevent the adaptive response (in preventing the recovery/rest period from the oxidant assault) and will instead lead to a state of constant increased oxidants, in your bloodstream, over baseline. It's analglolous to lifting weights multiple times per day, every day, and never giving your body the rest it needs to actually build muscle. Instead, your constantly tearing it (your muscle or your anti-oxidant defense) down.

I recommend moving to a once per day very low dosage regimen until your skin improves, after taking at least a-week-or-two off from your undoubtedly too-high, too-often dosing. You may see a great improvement starting with a very low, very infrequent dose (no more than once per day - even skip days on occassion and see how that works out - test, test, test.)

If you get good results, you can slowly move up the drop number in your once per day regimen. However, unless you are trying to rid yourself of an accute bacterial, vural, or fungal infection quickly, I cannnot think of a single reason to ever take more than one dose per day. Furthermore, if your infection doesn't wane after a relatively short period of time with more frequent or concentrated dosing (no more than one week, imo), than I would cut back to a low infrequent dose ASAP.

Breathing Issues

Posted by Ed2010 (Oakville, Canada) on 10/16/2012

Your symptoms sounds like Chickun Gunya, chickungunya virus affects brain as well and causes severe fear and anxiety.

For stomach infection, you can take Bael Fruit Powder. Take 1 tsp Bael Fruit Powder in a Glass of water mix it thoroughly and set aside for half hour. And drink it. Fruit is a very potent anti-viral and anti-parasitic natural medicine.In thailand it is available as Bael Fruit Jam too. If you can't get Bael Fruit Powder, along with ted's recomendation take lots of probiotic foods like

Milk Kefir, Saurkraut, Miso, Yoghurt, Natto, Kimchi, Butter milk. Or at the least, take probiotic supplements. thanks

Broad Benefits

Posted by Stephen (Indianapolis, IN) on 12/28/2006
★★★★★

H202 THERAPY CURED STIFFNESS IN THE BACK AND CANDIDA BIG TIME. I WOULD WAKE UP IN THE MORNING ENERGYLESS UNTIL I DID MY REGULAR KIDNEY FLUSH, NOW AFTER THE THERAPY, I WAKE UP FEELING GOOD.

Stains

Posted by Jennifer (Raleigh, NC) on 12/21/2006
★★★★★

I had ruined yet another pair of panties during my period, and I noticed my bottle of peroxide on my counter. Remembering that I had read that it worked for blood stains, I poured straight peroxide on the spot, watched it fizz up and promptly put the underwear in the wash. It was gone! It doesn't completely remove older stains, but it definitely fades them.

Earth Clinic Report

Posted by KT (Usa) on 02/08/2017

Oh my, Magnolia 16,

I would like to hear MtM's opinion about this! Instead of taking so many drops, three times a day of peroxide, as I swish a cap full diluted with a cap full of water sometimes I swallow a small amount. I didn't think it would be any worse than swallowing the bubbles in Perrier.

The peroxide I get is 3%. I noticed yesterday my stool was a bit foamy. I had also increased my cancer killing cocktail. I would hope it's "bubbling" any cancer cells out of my GI tract if any are there!

Please advise...

Earth Clinic Report

Posted by 2Q&Learn (Southern California) on 10/19/2020 148 posts

What I took away from the article is basically that it is very easy to mistake the 35% bottle for the 3% bottle, so they should be stored in totally different places to avoid anyone making that mistake!

Colds and Flu

Posted by Mark (Malaga, Spain) on 10/27/2006
★★★★★

I had bad sinus infections on and off for a year; Doctor put me on 4 ot 5 different antibiotics, which helped for a while, but infection always came back after treatment finished. Went to a Natural Health doctor, who cured it with herbs and h2o2 !! Now whenever we feel colds starting we gargle with h202 and 9 out of 10 the cold never develops.

Ear and Sinus Issues

Posted by Ryan (Stockton, CW) on 10/09/2006
★★★★★

I was recently very sick with a bad cough and phlegm in my chest area, and over night i had somehow gained an ear infection in both ears. It hurt more in my right ear than my left. I refused to try antibiotics. I put peroxide in one ear and let it stay in my ear for about 5 minutes. Then i switched, and put it in my other ear. I did this three times within 4 hours apart from each other. In the morning my ear ache was gone.