Ailment: Mites (demodex mites)
Remedy: Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil, melaleuca alternifolia essential oil, properties, traditional healing uses, recipes, warnings.
Comment posted by Hoping for the best of Cincinnati, OH, USA on 16 April 2023 at 10:54 5442
NO
Been struggling with sores, lesions, skin pain for four plus years and hope all of us find relief. After six dermatologists, one actually listens. Diagnosis was perforating dermatitis which is hard keratin build up under the skin that pushes through creating holes in the skin. I still think the underlying issue is demodex mites. SOMEWHAT HELPFUL SO FAR Spironolactone Rx (Rx means prescription), Liquid Bandaid, Prosacea brand topical sulfur, salt baths, fluocinonide liquid Rx, sit in portable sauna 10 to 15 mins daily, clean the sores with hydrogen peroxide, apply permethrin NIX lotion, eat beef more than I ever have, apply tea tree oil aloe vera mix. Other Rx products tried unsuccessfully include doxycycline, antivirals, mupirocin topical antibacterial, metronidazole, eucrisa and nystatin.
Additional note on 23 April 2023:
The prescriptions I mentioned in my previous comment ARE helpful, but it is sometimes unclear which are most helpful. I also use both 0.5 and 1.87 ivermectin cream, which can be purchased without a prescription, and elidel prescription cream. Sunlight also seems to help. Some days I feel like this will never get solved, but at least I’ve gotten some improvement over the past 2 years.
Comment posted by D Harrison of Eureka, CA, USA on 11 April 2023 at 4:24 5440
YES
Sudden rosacea and blepharitis onset at age 60. Did Keto. No sugar, no gluten. Did liver cleanses. For months. Added vitamin D to clear skin, couldn’t sunbathe enough. Still no improvement. Added multivitamins. Daily. Thought about the chlorine in bathwater being a factor. Bought 15 stage water filters....added powdered vitamin C to baths. Reduced the temperature. Still nothing worked, still had red acne and pustules. Bought new soaps, EWG verified stuff with no harmful chemicals. Lotions. Lots of money... Then decided to try castor oil on my eyelids for my nightly dry eye. Instant improvement in my dry eye rather than getting up 3x a night with my eyelids dried and stuck to my eyeballs....I finally went all night with my regular tears moisture. Then I dug into researching that success some more....Demodex mites cause both rosacea and Blepharitis! Diluted tea tree oil on skin. BAM! Skin cleared. Maintaining nightly castor oil on eyelids. Aggressively now boiling sheets, clothes, hoodies. Daily eyelid cleansing, face, head, neck, shoulders. My facial skin is no longer bumpy, red, or irritated with pustules....it looks like porcelain. It’s only been a week since I attacked this from the mite standpoint, but I AM SO RELIEVED. This battle lasted over a year. Large quantities of mites have been found in biopsies of rosacea papules and pustules. Keep that in mind.
Question posted by Rosey said of Sydney, NSW, Australia on 19 March 2023 at 7:25 5436
Hi does anyone else have larger pores and thicker skin on cheeks from rosacea? I can’t help but think there could be an overload of demodex mites in the pores that may be causing the problem. My skin was flawless before rosacea and I know they say you can’t feel mites because they are too small but I can feel something on my face sometimes, crawly itchy sensations, even up my nose. I’ve been using black seed oil, mixed with tea tree oil, helps the crawly itchy sensation go away but the skin texture is still not smooth. I tried the borax drink for about 3 weeks, plus tried the borax peroxide on face, it helped more than the ivermectin cream. Does anyone know how to get skin more smooth again? I am tempted to try co2 laser, but it’s expensive and I’ve heard it’s painful!
Comment posted by Barbara of Salt Lake City, UT, USA on 25 February 2023 at 23:13 5424
As I read all this information, I realize that most people are very confused about Demodex and the remedies. I believe that is because the skin conditions they cause vary, just like any other disease, from mild to severe. What works in a flash for some people doesn’t work at all for others because of the severity. There is a list of things that kill Demodex mites, but Demodex mites are a reflection of how well, or poorly your immune system is working. The immune system attacks these normal skin mites if they get out of control. If you are sick with anything that disrupts the immune system, it doesn’t have to be a disease it can be a temporary condition, the mites can grow large enough to plainly see without a microscope. They are actually a good indicator of weak immune health. The very large mites usually occur with a severe infestation and horrible rash. People who only have rosacea or a mild condition will most like not see visible mites. It really annoys me when people say they are never visible. Not normally, of course, but in severe cases you most definitely see them! Just because a person isn’t experiencing visible mites, doesn’t mean they don t exist.
Comment posted by Mugatu of Albuquerque , NM, USA on 28 December 2022 at 9:47 5409
YES
This is how I cured my demodex infection. I quit all sugars, carbs, alcohol, tobacco and any other substances. Diatomaceous earth didn’t work for me. I tried it over 3 yrs, also pesticides, ivermectin flagyl, permethrin. The mites just kept coming back. Went to plenty of doctors and they thought that I was crazy, so did my family. You’re on your own with this. This is what I did to cure it. Wash everything every day, vacuum and wash pets. To get them off your body soak in hot water with strongest dish soap with tea tree oil then rinse off in shower with cold water. Then put dish soap mixed with tea tree oil in hair without water and use vicks vaporub on body. Get a vaporizer with Vicks and tea tree oil. I also took vitamin c and drank a lot of water. I bagged up my clothes every day after drying them then put in freezer for two days. You have to stay on top of it! Skip one day and you’ll get reinfected. It took two months for them to finally go away. This was crazy having to go through this! There needs to be more research on this with doctors and pest control experts. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.
Comment from David Niven Miller. Please read the Grow Youthful web page on demodex mites and their breeding cycle. All this cleaning, vacuuming and washing is NOT necessary! Did you get a professional diagnosis of demodex infection or was it something else, such as bird mites? I am happy that your infection is over, one or more of the remedies you mentioned must have worked – or was it that a bird nest nearby ceased?
Comment posted by Ada of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong on 24 October 2022 at 3:52 5391
YES
I got something that looks like mild chronic urticaria / hives for last 3 years. It starts itching at night and I get these random super itchy mosquito bite-like marks on my face, neck, around breasts, pubic areas, hair and my back. Some bites last for months, others disappear very fast. Sometimes they appear in some really unusual areas, like on my ears and eyelids. My eyelids have been somewhat swollen for several years, too, but no signs of eye infection, it looks to me as some allergy, but I have none... After trying all natural and pharmaceutical therapies for urticaria, did countless dermatologist visits, all possible health tests, I was left with no solution! At least I know I am super healthy now, after all these tests. Recently I started using coconut oil and sugar scrub in my evening shower, to exfoliate skin and I noticed a huge relief in itching and new bite marks for next 24 hours. I apply it all over my body, except face because coconut oil clogs my face pores. After 5 mins I rinse it off. This made me think that my itch may be connected to demodex and am now trying tea tree oil in my after bath oils mixture grapeseed oil with a bit of essential oils like frankincense, lavender, peppermint, pomegranate seed, jojoba and now tea tree oil, too. Coconut oil and sugar shower scrub definitely provides a great relief for my skin itch! It also leaves skin beautiful. I use it every 3-4 days now, but thinking to try only coconut oil without glycolic every day.
Comment posted by Che of Baltimore, MD, USA on 24 August 2022 at 3:17 5379
YES
I have been struggling with treating these little devils for the last few months. I was a full time Lyft driver and I believe one of my passengers passed them along to me. It was so bad that I felt that I had to stay away from people completely. What I found that works for me is castile soap with a few drops of tea tree oil added. I chew a whole clove of garlic every day. I use coconut oil with a few drops of TTO on my skin and witch hazel with TTO on my face after bathing. I am reducing stress and eating healthier, no liquor drinking or cigarette smoking.
I clean excessively with bleach everywhere at least twice a day, drying sheets and clothes often. I detail my car twice a week while spraying the interior down with homemade TTO spray.
I am mostly free of the mites after several weeks with this routine. You have to be aggressive and excessive but I promise you, it will work.
Reply from David Niven Miller
There is no need for all the cleaning for a mite infection. Read the Grow Youthful web page on mites and the paragraph on mite transmission. No need to clean house, car etc.
Comment posted by Mike Alger of Ashland, NE, USA on 27 May 2022 at 0:52 5349
YES
I’ll be 64 in June and this is the worst thing I’ve encountered in my life. I discovered my shop and house has water leaks causing mold AND I’ve been dealing with bird mites that infested my shop and moved to my house for three years. Doctors thought I was nuts or on drugs. I have leukaemia and do blood test regularly. Three bug people been out, all trying to sell me something I didn’t need or regular bug treatments. None of them drilled a hole, scraped or scooped anything. I would have spent $5000 so far to eliminate my issues. My dog and I were bothered and the hardest part of this whole ordeal is my wife says it’s in my head. Mites were in my hair, eyebrows, nose, ankles, elbows, ears. My wife helped clean and ran laundry booster if she thought about it. I found an enzyme cleaner like Kleen green will take the brown off your skin, stop itching and make black things fall off you in the sink. I’ve cleared 80% of my issues. I now know what to look for and how to treat. Watch for brown powder, black specs or dots and dust in your clothes. I enzyme spay and shake off clothes I wear, the dust turns into floating white things and when you vacuum your dirt container looks like a cotton candy machine. Dermatologist said I had nibs without one sample or looking at skin close. This is a fight of your own. I don’t say anything to friends or family, tired of the he’s nuts look. Enzyme cleaners YES, diatomaceous earth YES, constant cleaning YES, neem oil YES, tea tree body wash YES, borax YES. These are all part of my life now. Now no itching or bites 95% of the time.
Reply from David Niven Miller:
I would suggest the mould is the bigger problem and it is essential to fix all leaks and clean the mould with a chlorine bleach cleaner. Bird mites are only a possible problem if you have occupied birds nests close to the house or shop.
Comment posted by ma2glenn of Ottawa, ON, Canada on 14 March 2022 at 15:55 5344
Some comments: Demodex mites aren't visible without a microscope. Everyone most likely has some demodex mites. People with compromised immune systems may have increased numbers. Rosacea and demodex may be related. Demodex mites cannot cross species. What does cross species might be ringworm.
Comment posted by Jennifer Remington of Tucumcari, NM, USA on 11 January 2022 at 21:13 5333
YES
The simple and cheapest answer is a 10% sulfur soap which can be bought for around $5 per bar. Use 8-10 drops of high quality tea tree oil in your bath and scrub down and lather up with the sulfur soap. Stay in the warm bath for around 20 minutes or so. When you get out your skin may be mildly irritated so carefully blot dry with a towel. Be sure to wash your face with a wash cloth using the sulfur soap and leave it on for around 2-3 minutes then gently rinse off with cool water. The combination of the sulfur scrub and the tea tree oil in the bath will kill most of the mites and after about 2 months your problem will be either under control or eliminated entirely.
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