Ailment: Mites (demodex mites)
Remedy: Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil, melaleuca alternifolia essential oil, properties, traditional healing uses, recipes, warnings.
Comment posted by David Niven Miller of Perth, WA, Australia on 15 April 2024 at 12:7 5560
Reply to Comment 5559 posted by Sarah of Dallas, TX, USA on 14 April 2024.
Please read the Grow Youthful web page on Demodex mites. They can NOT reproduce in bedding, clothes, carpets etc. Heavy cleaning is not necessary to control mites.
If allergy to mites, dust etc is an issue, then cleaning as suggested in this comment makes good sense. But remember that the cleaning is not to control mites, it is to control allergies.
Comment posted by Sarah of Dallas, TX, USA on 14 April 2024 at 13:36 5559
YES
I've read many research articles and there are bacterium that the mites produce that can further cause inflammation and issues, so hydrogen peroxide does work to rid the anaerobic bacteria. Studies show that Terpenen 4, found in tea tree oil, works to kill then with no side effects. Clove oil eugenol is also proven to kill them. Rosacea is caused by demodex infestation. Demodex live on us but usually do not become a problem unless there is poor hygiene or lowered immune system. Make sure to take zinc, C, D, and B vitamins and wash regularly and use cleansing cloths to remove excess oil. Washing bedding on a sanitization cycle and high heat dry cycle will keep bedding clean. Vacuum mattress between washes to suck up dead skin and mites. Use a dust mite protector on pillows and mattress, as those with demodex infections usually have allergies anyway due to immune system issues. Allerease is a good brand, make sure weave is proper micron protection level.
Comment posted by Nova of London, Greater London, United Kingdom on 16 January 2014 at 1:0 1710
YES
After three years of being told it was cold sores, then Impetigo (which I believed as high levels of Erythromycin fixed it beautifully, but also gave me tachycardia) I'm finally told it's Rosacea and given Metronidazole gel. Three days later the painful little pustules pop up all over my face and my whole face itches and feels like needles are being stuck in it. Again. My cheeks are red with broken veins I only acquired after this started happening.
I look up Rosacia on the internet and fund the study published in the New Scientist Aug 2012 (I think) about the association with demodex mites. I have had Blepheritis for thirty years and been told about the mites but washing my eyelashes with Baby shampoo as instructed did exactly nothing.
Now it all comes together. Metronidazole is not just antibiotic, it's anti-parasitic as well.
I take it my sudden outbreak after using it is the little buggers dying off en mass.
I had been using Tea Tree oil face cream for some years as I had discovered for myself it helped but as Tea Tree clobbers everything diagnostically it is useless. My cream is also on 38 terp or whatever it is and the reports say you need at least 50% tea tree to kill the mites.
For a week I have been putting neat Tea Tree on the worst areas of my face, on my scalp when washing my hair and added to my bath.
The skin on my face looks better than it has in years and the breakout is fading. Even the little thread veins seem less noticeable and maybe I won't need too much laser treatment after all.
My eyes are still a little gritty but much better and less inflamed than normal (VERY small amount of neat tea tree on a cotton bud run over the lash line with the eyes SHUT and KEPT shut until the cold sensation abates. Twice a week. Blepheritis wipes every day)
I am so relieved and so grateful to the internet from the New Scientist who confirmed my suspicions to everyone on here and elsewhere who shared their experiences.
Comment posted by DEC of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on 13 January 2014 at 3:13 1698
YES
I have tried half a cup of olive oil with 20 drops of tea tree oil, 20 drops of clove oil and 20 drops of lavender oil mixed together and applied to my body. For my hair half a cup apple cider vinegar with 20 drops tea tree, 20 drops clove oil, and 20 drops lavender oil. Leave on hair for about 15 minutes then rinse off. I have mixed white vinegar with lavender oil in spray bottle and spray self when they are biting.
Comment posted by David Niven Miller of Perth, WA, Australia on 28 December 2013 at 10:7 1651
To Karen of Miami: please click on the tea tree oil link at the top of this page for answers to your questions, and full details on how to use TTO.
Question posted by Karen of Miami, Florida, USA on 28 December 2013 at 6:53 1650
I was diagnosed with mild rosacea earlier this year. I also got tested for allergies and it came back positive for dust mites. I suspect mites are a cause for my rosacea and get the typical symptoms like itchy bumps on my cheeks and forehead and have dry eye symptoms. In an effort to try to target the mites, I added 20 drops of tea tree oil to my 8 oz organic cleanser and another 20 drops to my 8 oz shampoo which I use to wash my hair every other day. My skin has become worse. My question is, is it normal for it to become worse before it gets better? Was the concentration too high and should I reduce it? Or should I stop using it altogether? Hope someone can help me shed some light. Thank you!
Comment posted by LL of St. Louis, MO, USA on 28 December 2013 at 4:0 1649
This is a living nightmare. I contracted demodex mites in my eyelashes 8 weeks ago after letting a makeup artist at sephora apply eye makeup with his brushes. Luckily 2 weeks later my optometrist told me that he saw the signs of demodex at the base of my lashes with slit lamp. I had already used a round of antibiotic drops to clear the infection that came with the mites. I had never heard of demodex and was horrified once I did some research. I have been using natures gate TT shampoo, desert essence TT face wash and ointment, derma-e TT cream, about 50\50 mixture argan oil and TT oil. Also added a product called Cliradex eye wipes which really helped but are VERY expensive (opthomologist who did all of the medical research on using tt to treat demodex caused blepharitis got a patent on the component of tt that kills the mites). And washing pillow cases every day and using paper towels for hands and face. It all seemed to be helping and my eyes are much better and I thought I was on the home stretch. Then in the past few days the crawling has gotten much worse everywhere. Mites have obviously spread to my head, face, ears, nose and possibly other places....I started on an an antibiotic a couple of days ago for a UTI and suspect this may be a contributing factor. I am going back to eye doc to see about in office intensive TT treatment on eye lid margins. I am also going to try the spray bottle suggestion and reduce refined sugar and wheat in diet. I welcome any other suggestions or recommendations for a doctor in near St.Louis, Missouri who is experienced in dealing with this. I am losing my mind and will do just about anything to end this torture.
Comment posted by Tony B of Columbus, Ohio, United States on 26 December 2013 at 12:6 1644
YES
This is my process almost identically. Just a few days in, but already seeing improvement. It caused a brief flare up at first, which seems normal considering how angry those mites must be. I wash my lids with a baby shampoo foam,no rubbing or scrubbing. I hope to be able to get back to wearing contact lenses full time soon. Great site here!
Comment posted by Danielle of Burlington, Vermont, USA on 9 December 2013 at 5:38 1604
A month ago I started having all the same symptoms, not soon after my younger children did too only milder if there is such a thing. It started with itchy heads and I treated for lice but then my left started in especially in the folds. Drs said it was eczema which clearly it is not. These things have attacked my ear so badly I can't even sleep on that side! I was given ivermectin which worked for a day or 2 till new eggs hatched and developed. I found that borax and peroxide baths help immensely but do not kill eggs in the follicles. These things are on all body parts in nose and even on tongue lips and gums....EWWW! Last night I did borax and peroxide bath and then blow dried my entire body it helped the most since this started and skin felt softer! Today I got tea tree oil which I'm adding to lotion and shampoo. I also got some Apple Cider Vinegar. Ingredients are acv, cayenne pepper powder and ginger root powder. I have read many positive reviews about acv and its mite killing power. My bf and I started taking 2 a day hopefully I can report positively about this! What I'm struggling with most is keeping home clean with having a full time job and children. I've read suggestions to wash bedding daily and dispose of pillows and buy new, maybe for someone who has money to do so but I just do not! I've sprayed with bleach/water and borax/peroxide/water but I think the borax clogs the sprayer so I an gonna try straining the solution. This is an ongoing battle! I believe either the kitten we rescued brought this into my home, or that my teenager has had them for a while but we thought he just has bad acne from teenage boy hormones! Either way doesn't matter, what matters is getting rid of it before my once beautiful face is disfigured for life! I hope this helps, I will post with updates of progress.
Comment posted by Angie of Rochester, New York, United Statues on 1 December 2013 at 0:18 1580
YES
Hello all! I cotton swab full strength tto all over my face every night and my skin has improved so much!! I used to just treat my pustules but then bumps would just show up on other places on my face so that's why I started treating my whole face. I also found that drawing salv helps get rid of super stubborn pustules. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I think flushing and redness meanings the decent amount of demodex mites have died (the redness is a direct reaction to their decaying bodies and their bacteria)... So I ENCOURAGE anything that makes me flush bc I want these suckers dead.... This method works for me. Has anyone else thought of this? Also, castor oil helps to provide me with relief from dry red eyes.
