Tea tree oil effectively kills S. Aureus bacteria, and many other strains of bacteria and fungi.
Take a cotton swab. Dip it in tea tree oil and apply on the boil. It will hurt a lot, but the boil may subside. This is better than letting the boil grow and then painfully drain out. However, tea tree oil is an essential oil. It should first be applied to healthy skin to see if your skin handles it well. In some people, essential oils can cause chemical burns.
Milk and its products are good natural remedy against boils. You can use anything which has good amount of lactic acid in it , or lactose. So, you can use
3. Hot wet cloth ( Add salt if needed )
Put a soft cloth in hot water, check the temperature of the cloth on nearby skin. Then, place a finger inside the cloth and then place it on the boil. If you cannot bear the temperature, back it off immediately. High temperature may break open a large boil, releasing pus. So, keep a pan or a spare cloth underneath the boil to collect the pus. Once the pus is excreted, wash off the skin with antiseptic soak and cover it up with bandage.
A more effective way to use it is this.
If the regular hot wash cloth method is not working, prepare a salt water solution. Add few tablespoons of salt in about 300 ml water. Warm it up and stir so that salt dissolves completely. Then dip washcloth in this water and apply on the boil. You can also take bath in this water.
Salt helps to dry the skin, disinfect the area and draw out the pus. Do this treatment for 5 minutes about 8 times a day. It is very relieving for the pain and itching. With continued effort, you should get success as a diminished boil, or a popped boil. You can then breathe a sigh of relief.
" You can also use an Epsom salt bath to reduce a boil. It is very relaxing for the person suffering from boils."
4. Garlic
Most boils are actually bacterial infections. Garlic is a natural anti-bacterial food. Grate some garlic and rub them directly on the boil. It may burn a little. Do not apply it on sensitive skin and internal areas of skin, like inside the mouth.
If your skin is sensitive to garlic ( as it is very pungent and sharp ), you can use it in another method.
- Ingredients
Garlic cloves
Flour
- Directions / How to use
Peel up the garlic cloves. Warm them gently. Now crush them and add them into flour. You can make the mixture in such a way that each boil gets at least the extract of one garlic clove. Add required number of garlic cloves to about 30 ml of flour. Then wet it with warm water. Stir into a paste and apply on boil. Cover it with a non-sticky bandage. This is important as bandage that sticks can peel off your hair at the roots, exposing the hair follicles to further infections. Keep it for about 2 hours. Then remove the flour using warm wash cloth. Notice the condition of the boils. If it improves, continue this remedy 2 times a day or even more if you have time.
- Why it works ?Garlic has powerful antibiotic activity. It kills nearly every organism that is pathogenic to humans. However, garlic stings a lot. Flour helps to bring the boil to the surface, that is it changes the infection from deep seated in skin to surfacial one. This help in large boils too as you are promoting the boil to pop out and drain all that gunk.
( Photo credit : mdid )
5. Raw potato ( for small boils )
Mash a potato after washing it nicely. Then apply sufficient amount on a boil. Cover it up with bandage and leave it overnight. Potato helps to reduce a swelling boil fast. It is ideal for small boils which can be diminished and body can then take hold of the situation.
Potato is good at reducing swelling, taking away heat, inflammation, redness and pain from the boil, which is great relief.
After you have washed the potato, apply something to kill remaining S. aureus bacteria , like tea tree oil. This prevents boil from developing large and causing immense trouble.
( Photo credit : aroberts )
6. Vinegar and Flour
These are readily available at home, both vinegar and flour. Add some vinegar in about 3 tablespoon of flour. Mix it nicely and heat it up a bit. Then apply it on the boil. This home remedy stings because of the vinegar in it, but it helps to pop a boil.
7. Fig And Honey
This is a simple but quite effective natural cure for boils. Get some figs, dried or fresh. Soak them in warm water for a few hours. Then take out the fruity part of the fig, leaving the skin aside. Mix this with ample honey. You now have your home made boil remedy.
Apply more than a pea sized amount of this on each boil. Cover it with cotton ball and then a bandage to secure it in place. Keep it that way overnight.
You may experience some burning sensation, which is a sign that the combo is performing its effects. By next morning, pus may have drained out of boil and into the cotton ball. This is very relieving.
If it doesn't work in 1 night, try again.
8. Heal Them From The Inside
A boil can be healed faster if you take something to stimulate your immune system. Drink juices of fresh fruits and vegetables. About 2 quarts of juice a day is enough. However, one of the best ways to boost the immune systems is to drink olive leaf tea. Drink 2 cups a day during the boils and you can see them reducing naturally.
9. Castor Oil
Similar to tea tree oil, castor oil can also be applied on a boil to get quick relief. It can be directly applied on the skin without having to dilute with olive oil. However, check it by using some castor oil on hand to see if the oil exerts an adverse reaction on your skin. If not, then one can apply castor oil on boils.
Castor oil is strongly anti-inflammatory and it can dull the inflammatory response sent by immune system. This makes the boils less painful and you can carry on with other remedies to treat it.
Castor oil does not cure the boils, it just lowers the inflammation.
10. Other Essential Oils That Kills S. Aureus
The gist of the story is that if you can kill S. aureus bacteria, your boils would be as good as gone. The entire boil is as a result of interaction of immune system with the bacteria sitting and feeding in hair follicles. These two essential oils have powerful antibacterial activity specifically against S. Aureus.
- Lemongrass essential oil, taken from lemongrass or citronella.
- Geranium essential oil
- Oregano oil ( for a mild, small emerging boil )
How to use them ?
You should use them just like tea tree oil.
(Oregano essential oil - Photo credit : Wikipedia )
11. Oregano oil
This oil works when the boil has just emerged. Apply it quickly and the boil may not become larger at all. Infection may be curbed then and there. This saves all the pain, pus draining and trouble in managing a boil. Always dilute oregano oil in olive oil.
Oregano oil has shown in vitro activity against S. aureus bacteria.
Boils are highly contagious infection. It can easily transfer from place to place in one person, and also from person to person, especially if the boil is oozing some liquid. Generally, it is safe to treat it at home using natural remedies. However, certain boils should be treated by a doctor. Boils on these places should not be ignored.
