Early in life, I learned that yeast infections were a part of womanhood. Something that many women get on a regular basis and required treatment either by prescription or a white box from the drug store.
…a horribly embarrassing white box that contains a turkey baster mess of epic proportions.
Who came up with that idea?
Yeast infections of any kind are not normal, expected, or inevitable, and are completely preventable. Let me tell you why.
Why We Get Yeast Infections
Chronic yeast infections are caused by imbalances within our bodies.
Our skin’s health is directly affected by liver function and gut health, especially the microbes in the GI tract. The GI tract requires a wide diversity of microbes to protect us from overgrowths of pathogenic bacteria, yeast, and parasites.
Did you know that we carry an estimated 3 pounds of microbes just in our digestive tract? Microbial cells outnumber our cells by 10 to 1 and number in the trillions. (source)
A main role of the liver is to break down and filter hormones and toxins. When it’s not functioning properly, the skin becomes a primary filtering organ.
5 Natural Yeast Infection Remedies
1. Vinegar Baths
My favorite method of instant relief is a vinegar bath. Vinegar is great for bringing the skin back to proper acidity and killing yeast.
I only recommend organic, non-GMO vinegar and ask my clients to use organic raw apple cider vinegar with the ‘mother’ from either a local health food store or online.
Instructions:
- Add 1 cup of raw apple cider vinegar to tub full of warm water. If you don’t have a water filter, you can easily neutralize the chlorine using this method.
- Soak for 20 minutes, and then dry the area thoroughly. A hair dryer works well.
2. Coconut Oil
The lauric and caprylic acids in coconut oil are powerful antifungal, antiviral, and antimicrobial agents, and it’s a non-irritating protective layer. It’s also much less messy that the white creams.
Coconut oil is also a great barrier against chafing for irritated, sensitive skin caused by the yeast overgrowth.
Instructions:
- Clean and dry the area thoroughly. Again, I like to use a hair dryer.
- Apply a thin layer of coconut oil to the affected skin as needed. Morning and evening before bed are usually the easiest.
I don’t recommend anything for internal use unless directly recommended by your health practitioner. I find that external use is enough for most people.
3. Probiotics
Probiotics are the buzzword of good health these days and are the common name for beneficial bacteria and yeasts that live in and on our body.
Normally taken internally as a supplement or through fermented food, they can help reverse pathogenic overgrowths of harmful microbes such as sinus, ear, and skin infections.
Instructions:
- Apply a powdered probiotic 2-3 times daily away from anything antimicrobial or it can kill off the beneficial microbes. Apply at least 30 minutes before or after antimicrobial remedies.
- Pour about 1/4 teaspoon into a small bowl. Tablets can be crushed into powder, and liquid supplements can be used as is.
- Dip a clean finger into the powder and apply to moist skin with a dabbing motion to help it stick. Try to cover skin with a light layer. Leave on until you shower or bathe next.
4. Iodine
For those of you who don’t remember, iodine was the go-to antibacterial aid for cuts, scrapes, and other wounds until the modern version of sprays creams, and gels came on the market.
In addition to bring an essential nutrient, iodine is still one of the most effective germ-fighters we have. It’s up there as one of my favorite nutrients, and I even supplement with it daily through my iodine protocol.
Do not take iodine if you have an autoimmune disorder unless you are working closely with a qualified health practitioner and addressing the autoimmune condition first.
Instructions:
- Add liquid iodine to coconut oil 1-2 times per day, starting with one drop at a time to find your tolerance level.
Iodine will stain so be careful during application, and remind yourself not to panic if your skin color changes to brown or yellow. The color will return to normal, usually within 24 hours at most.
And who’s going to be down there anyway while you’ve got all this going on?
Iodine is an amazing nutrient for thyroid health and energy levels but can cause a detox reaction, so please be aware of the cautions before using it and go slowly.
5. Long-term Solutions
Though these remedies can be helpful for short-term use, a permanent health change is the only way to prevent future outbreaks. Replacing high sugar foods, alcohol, and refined and processed foods with nutrient-dense healing foods is a critical step to healing any chronic condition.
Healing digestion is the first step to 99% of the protocols I provide to clients and a perfect way to begin your journey to preventing future yeast infections.
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Where to Buy Online
Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
Coconut oil
Iodine
Probiotics – I recommend probiotics based on bioindividuality, so I don’t feel comfortable making broad suggestions. I don’t usually suggest those that sit on the shelves in a conventional grocery store.
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DETOXIFICATION
IMMUNE SUPPORT
IMMUNE SUPPORT
THYROID SUPPORT
ADRENAL SUPPORT
HEALING RESPONSES
21 Responses
Thanks for the advice! Using apple cider vinegar to treat a yeast infection is a natural, effective and old-fashioned remedy.
Yeech, yeast infections! I get them quite commonly (or it’s one that never goes away). I’ve heard of the “Diet” to cure it but don’t want to try it. My question is this; recently, things have gotten worse; essentially, I’m on a healing diet in the sense that I cut out all processed foods due to allergies. So why are things worse? Is the Candida’s last stand? (so to speak)
It’s always hard when symptoms increase once you start a healing diet. This post might help: https://healingredefined.org/3-signs-you-are-healing-even-though-you-feel-lousy/.
Overgrowth of yeast can causes rejected episode of yeast infection and a whole list of other illness.
Mine were the result of my diet too. I was switched to a gluten free diet and my chronic yeast infection finally went away. My gut yeast level was very high as well, which is when the Dr recommended that I follow a strict gluten free diet. If I cheat and have food items that are not GF, I almost always end up with a horrible yeast infection.
I found this that works great for my youngest daughter who has the same issue.
https://www.zumanutrition.com/collections/gut-health/products/candida-cleanse-tonic
Thank you for sharing, Bea!
I used to have constant yeast infections & feel so fortunate I haven’t had one in YEARS. My mother too was very susceptible to them & taught me to notice if I ate or drank certain things that triggered the infection. I’m still glad to be able to share this post because it’s so helpful for people who are suffering! Thanks!
PS, so… I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one who dries herself with a hair dryer… I thought that was just me. 😉
First thing I’d do is see your GYN. Make sure that there isn’t a serious issue there first. If everything checks out, I’d look into some natural ways of dealing with this problem.
For me I started looking into fruits and vegetables that help. Grapefruit and pineapples help a lot. There are also vitamins that help but none really showed any type of change for me.
Then after spending a few hours on the net I came across this natural supplement for women’s needs and care called balance complex for women.
I’ve been let down before by supplements promising the world. This type of issue is especially embarrassing and I’m just thrilled this has been working so far.
Would tell any lady to not hesitate and give this a try, will change your life.
How often do you recommend to do the ACV baths? Daily until the yeast infection is gone? Thank you!
Depending on the dryness of your skin, you can take them up to 3 times a day. I prefer no more than once a day unless you need the relief from additional baths. If so, sitz baths are also an option.
Thanks a lot for your advice. Does the salt enema also helps in curing yeast infection?
I’m sorry for the delay in my reply! I was on maternity leave. An enema can help to flush some of the overgrowth from the colon and large intestine, but it will not directly affect a vaginal yeast infection. If you are talking about using a douche product, I would refrain. They can push the pathogenic yeast further up into the vaginal canal and into the cervix.
Hi my story sounds similar to many of the story’s I’ve read so far. With age their getting worse. I catch them often. At this point I don’t know what I can do. I wouldn’t know where to start with a diet to prevent them. I don’t think my yeast infections ever really go away. I think my Uteris holds a lot of bacteria. Where should I start to find answers? Gyn usually jus says oh that’s just a yeast infection here’s a prescription for the little white pill. And that’s it.
I suggest starting with a digestive protocol, because our GI tract and vaginal tracts share microbes. When many people do a candida cleanse or begin to heal their digestive systems, genital yeast infections often get worse or pop up for the first time. Once the intestines are rebalanced with beneficial microbes, the genital area including the vaginal canal can follow suit. Luckily, these remedies work well while your body is working to rebalance its microbiome!
i need help with my yestinfection
Can a liquid probiotic be used on affected area, as opposed to a “powdered” one?
We try to keep liquid and moisture away from that area to minimize the environment that candida thrives in, so I would suggest making sure it dries thoroughly before going about your day.