How to Treat Ringworm With Natural Medicine

Ringworm, or Tinea is a common contagious fungal infection that can affect the scalp, body, feet or nails. Often causing a red ring on the skin, ring worm is caused by fungal dermatophytes and has nothing to do with worms. Most commonly treated with harsh fungal-killing medicines, a few natural remedies can stop ringworm in its tracks without costly prescriptions or unwanted side effects. Read on to learn more about how to treat ringworm with natural medicine.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Cotton balls
• Apple cider vinegar
• Bandages
• Tea tree oil
• Sea salts
• Unripe black walnut

1. Soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and apply it to the affected area several times a day, one of the oldest and most effective natural medicine treatments for ringworm. Apple cider vinegar is naturally anti-fungal and matches the pH of the skin, helping to clean the area and kill the fungus without harming your skin.

2. Wash the affected area and apply a light layer of pure tea tree oil several times a day with a cotton ball. Tea tree oil contains terpinen-4-ol which absorbs rapidly into the skin to kill the fungus at the roots, helping to clear up ringworm in just a few days.

3. Apply dead sea salts to the affected area to dry out the fungus, a remedy which may be a bit rough on your skin, but is effective. Sea salts are available in large grain form for cooking or in body scrubs. Apply the scrub or a mixture of sea salt and water to the area several times a day until the red ring has disappeared.

4. Use black walnut to cure ringworm, a natural medicine remedy used by Native American Indians. Pick an unripe green walnut from the tree and crack it open. Inside the shell will be a layer of black paste or oil. Apply the black paste to the affected area several times a day and watch your ringworm disappear.

Tips & Warnings

• For severe cases of ringworm, soak bandages in apple cider vinegar and keep the area covered until the symptoms begin to subside.

• If you purchase a body scrub, make sure that sea salts are one of the first four ingredients.

• When purchasing tea tree oil, be sure that it is 5 percent cineole and 35 percent terpinen-4-ol.

• Ringworm is extremely contagious. If you find yourself with a case of ringworm, protect yourself and those around you by disinfecting your home and work areas and washing your hands regularly. It is also a good idea to treat your pets for ringworm, even if you don't see any outright signs or symptoms.