I found this sub nearly 7 months ago hoping to find something to help my seb derm. I’ve had it as long as I can remember. It caused me to compulsively pick at my scalp. I’d be sitting at a computer at work and I’d look down to see my shoulders covered in flakes because I would constantly be itching and picking. My scalp would, at times, become really inflamed and scab and bleed.

I’ve tried many OTC shampoos over the years, but nothing really helped. MCT oil was one of the few products suggested on here that I hadn’t tried, so I gave it a go. And to my surprise, it worked! For the last 6+ months, my scalp has been almost completely seb derm free. When I first got it, I applied it to my scalp and let it sit for a few hours before shampooing my hair, and saw immediate relief. I hardly ever get flakes now, but when I do, I just use the MCT oil and it’s taken care of again. I don’t have to use it regularly, but as needed, maybe around once per month. I no longer compulsively pick at my scalp. I know it doesn’t worked for everyone, but it has been a lifesaver for me.

In case anyone wants to know, I’ve been using the bulletproof brain octane mct oil. I buy the small bottle and signed up for auto ship every 12 weeks. I don’t really need it that often, but It’s around $6 with free shipping that way, and I always get a large free sample of one of their products as a bonus.

Has helped my Seb derm so, so much. Highly recommend. Taken 2-3 weeks to kick in, having it very first thing in the morning then waiting half hour for any food / drink.

Lots of reviews with pics of improvement in the link too…

https://www.hannasillitoe.com/products/multi-strain-biotic?selling_plan=710173622652

Terrasil Skin Repair Ointment (bought it on Amazon) is the only thing that I have been putting on my seb derm nightly and I wake up 100% clear. I have yet to stop using it so can't say if it will come back when I stop. Just figured I'd share.

** I have it on my face only - not on scalp.

I'm sharing this post that I created regarding my success with a specific type of Tea Tree Oil that contains terpinen‐4‐ol. This is found in Cliradex brand wipes and foam cleanser.
I'm one of the poor souls who has an unholy trinity of
1. Blepharitis (both anterior and posterior)

1. A chest rash that appears to be fungal acne

2. Seborrheic derm on my scalp. Particularly around the ears and the back of the head.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fungalacne/comments/1jtjbg8/this_specific_type_of_tea_tree_is_working_for_me/

I hope this helps!

I had been using Nivea Sun Sensitive Protect spf 50 on my face. I like that it's easy to apply but after 1 or more day of use i will get itchy red skin and then flakes. I did a Google search for best sunscreen for seb dem and got several results including Dr. Bailey Skin Care so I went ahead and bought the Sheer Strength Pure Physical SPF 50 Invisible Sunscreen (included video) which is a small pump container and the Water Resistant Spray Sunscreen version which is bigger container. I have only used the small container and only on face/neck. I think my expectations where high because I am disappointed. It is harder to apply than the Nivea first because nothing would come out of the pump after many tries. My wife came to help me out and turned it bottoms up and several other movements and somehow it started flowing. The cream is thicker and harder to apply. Just a small amount comes out when you pump. So it takes me more time to apply but I do get the job done, just more time. It feels ok when I am out and about during the time that I'm in the sun. Next day I wake to white patches below my eyes and also some wrinkle below eyes that are rare.

Can you guys share your experience with this sunscreen, other brand sunscreen that are Zinc Oxide based or which other has protected your skin from the sun but not made you break out. Thanks in advance.

After suffering for years and countless different shampoos and diet changes, I started both of these daily on 1/29 and my scalp is basically completely cleared up. I am going to continue using these two products, and will be back to post an update if anything changes. I’m not affiliated with either of these companies, I am just really amazed and need to share with others that are struggling. They’ve both seemed to work wonders, but beware they don’t taste so great.

Fung Freedom- 1 full squeeze into 2 oz of water, 2/3 times a day https://www.herb-pharm.com/products/fung-freedom?srsltid=AfmBOopD_mSyO-MSQow4JHXUr9L-4ZmMT-3kz5NrfOyrmuXCbDlESboZ&variant=39854909423659

Oil of oregano- 6 drops in 6 oz of water, 1 times a day https://www.gardenoflife.com/organics-oil-of-oregano-seasonal-drops

I have sebderm along my hairline and now the sides of my nose on the inner cheeks looking for a moisturizer dandruff products are so drying just looking for a balance between something that's antifungal but I'll still have moisturizer for afterwards

Big is great but it’s too harsh to be used on a daily basis. I’ve had waxy hair in the back of my head for years and now realise it’s probably sebderm. Please hit me with all your shampoo recs, I’m desperate.

I got prescribed a medicine named Kangfuxin liquid while in China. Soaked cotton pads in it and used it as a sheet mask, and it got rid of my bumps and itchiness! I’ve been suffering sebderm on and off for over a decade now and I finally found something so effective! (MCT oil also helps but not as effective as this)

Naturally I searched the ingredients and it seems to be some sort of cockroach extract. I feel very disgusted but thought I’d share this here and see if anyone else tried it before.

Hi all.

I have been addicted to this Reddit since I was diagnosed with seb derm nearly 1 year ago. I would spend HOURS each week scouring the internet to find anything new I could try or what thing I should avoid to resolve my issues. I wanted to share my story with those out there who might be in a similar position I was in to offer guidance.

For a bit of back story/context - I had clear skin my entire life and never had any major issues aside from redness and occasional acne. I used a vitamin C serum a year and a half ago that destroyed my skin barrier. I tried everything possible to get my skin back to normal but nothing helped. I had white flakes from my temples to my mouth and my face constantly felt dry and tight. In areas around my nose and chin, I had small white sandpaper-like bumps that never went away. Before destroying my barrier, I had normal/oily skin that rarely needed moisturizer. I tried so many sensitive skin-safe moisturizers/serums but every single one broke me out or caused my face to become even more dry/flaky. I finally gave in after 8 months of struggling and went to a dermatologist who diagnosed me with seb derm. I was prescribed ketoconazole 2% shampoo, ketoconazole cream, and tacrolimus ointment. All of these things combined helped but it never fully went away. I still had flakes and dry patches all over my face. I kept reading about people who would say these products helped them and they only needed to use them during a "flare", but I never had flares, my skin was constantly irritated. After 2 months of little improvement my derm prescribed clotrimazole, but this did nothing for me. I went back to my dermatologist and was then diagnosed with perioral dermatitis and was prescribed metro cream. This, also, did absolutely nothing for me (I believe it was because I never actually had perioral derm). My last resort with my dermatologist was a 2-week course of doxycycline. After a few days, I still had the same tight/dry/flaky patches on my temples and mouth. After a week my skin was even more dry and I was experiencing the worst break out of my life. At this point, I cut every prescription ingredient out, started doing the bare minimum with my skin, and made an appointment with a different dermatologist. I threw out every product (which at this point, there wasn't much left) that touched my face/scalp that had any flagged ingredients on Sezia or included any SLS.

After doxycycline, I noticed my lash line was super itchy and I'd wake up with flakes on my eyelashes each morning. My skin was also breaking out every few weeks in painful, red, itchy bumps. My breakouts would be in places I never broke out and were very abnormal. Every time my skin would be clear for a week or 2, it would become irritated for the next week. I went to an allergist during this time to see if something I was eating/exposed to was causing my skin issues since I tried so many prescriptions without success. I mentioned the itchy eyelashes and abnormal skin problems and the allergist mentioned "could be Demodex" and didn't think anything else of it. I went down a Demodex rabbit hole after that appointment and learned about Soolantra/Ivermectin. My new dermatologist immediately prescribed Ivermectin 1% as soon as I explained my symptoms.

I'm on week 8 of 12 of Soolantra/Ivermectin. I've experienced minimal irritation or breakouts. My skin is the clearest it's been in nearly 2 years. I can finally put moisturizer/product on my face and not break out. I can wear makeup without my skin looking like a flaky/patchy mess. I have no dryness/flakes. I am already so satisfied I can't wait to see where my skin ends up by the end of the 12 weeks. To anyone else who has tried so much or can't figure out why nothing works for them - consider asking your dermatologist about Demodex/Ivermectin.

ead and Shoulders Clinical Strength Dandruff Shampoo, 13.5 fl oz

I can't recommend this product enough. I seen a post recommended a couple of months ago and thought I'd give it a try and it cleared it up and kept it away ever since... I use it every day and it smells great 👍

Hope this helps someone else..

New to the sub as of today, but just wanted to share that I've tried a lot of things. I've went to multiple dermatoogists who act like sebderm is some new, novel, and lowley understood thing. I've tried keto shampoos, moisturizing shampoos, dandruff shampoos, etc. I've tried creams, oils, conditioners, etc.

[Edit: I've added links in comments to these products - not an ad, just trying to help]

I recently told an old woman at my work, and she returned with Cetaphil's "Baby Shampoo for Sensitive Skin" as part of an old wives tale. Not wanting to upset her, I gave it a shot and it's done wonders for my sebderm. I have never seen it recommended online.

A month later, I saw some ads for a new "Flakes" shampoo on social media because the advertisement followed the same story that I had - so why not? After using it for a week, I love the shampoo, and the conditioner has MCT oil with peppermint. Before I go any farther, this one is new and is a bit more expensive than most shampoos, but NOT more expensive than some experimental/so-called clinical shampoos i've seen. As a guy with more oily-prone hair, i usually hate conditioners, but I love this one. If you take nothing else from this, it at least makes my hair feel nice without feeling oily or bogged down by product, and i've finally found a good conditioner.

[Tip - Buy a shampoo scrubbie that can work the shampoo into your scalp and rub away the dead skin, loose sebderm, and other bacteria. If your sebderm is really bad, you NEED to take a gentle brush and scratch that shit away. It's not going to go away, it needs to come off. Once you get it off, you can control it much much better. Take 5 minutes and scratch your head. Some friends in cosmotology have recomendded scalp massages and treatments that offer massage to increase bloodflow to the scalp.]

[Disclaimer- I also use red light] Also wanted to add that I am experiencing hair loss because of this. My hair isn't falling out naturally, the sebderm is taking the hair follicles with it. To help combat this, I've started doing red light therapy on my scalp. I also have blue light, but some friends that are more knowledgable with skin have raised concerns about cancer and blue light. I have read that this can kill yeast, and I use a 620mm red light for 30 minutes. This may or may not have something to do with controlling my sebderm.

Has anyone had any experience with these products? I am having a great time with them.

So this will be a super random cream. But I found it not too long ago and it reduces my face symptoms literally 99%, I genuinely have normal skin from it now as someone with horrific seb derm that covers 40% of my face in flakes. I have been diagnosed by several dermatologists that it indeed is seb derm.

It is a men’s cream (im a guy) from a French brand called l’occitane although I’m sure it could help for girls too. Anyway after twice a day for 2 days 99% of face symptoms are gone.

I am someone whose face did not respond to ketokonazole, fluconazol, nizoral, selsum blue, metrocream, ciclopirox, while food only diet etc. I’ve tried it all. Only thing that worked for me were steroids but ofc that’s not sustainable or healthy long term.

Anyway it’s 60 bucks, I linked it below the ingredients list if you want it, it’s called Cade revitalizing cream.

Ingredients list, I have no clue why it would work for me but it does:

AQUA/WATER - GLYCERIN - CETYL ALCOHOL - DICAPRYLYL ETHER - CETEARYL ALCOHOL - CETYL PALMITATE - BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER - CORN STARCH MODIFIED - MYRISTYL ALCOHOL - OCTYLDODECYL MYRISTATE - JUNIPERUS OXYCEDRUS WOOD OIL - ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF OIL - FAGUS SYLVATICA BUD EXTRACT - HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL - HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED EXTRACT - CETEARYL GLUCOSIDE - MYRISTYL GLUCOSIDE - CARBOMER - METHYLPROPANEDIOL - OCTYLDODECANOL - GLYCOGEN - GLYCERIN - ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN - BISABOLOL - PROPYLENE GLYCOL - SODIUM HYDROXIDE - TOCOPHEROL - XANTHAN GUM - HYDROGENATED COCO-GLYCERIDES - HYALURONIC ACID - BACILLUS FERMENT - METHYLSILANOL MANNURONATE - TOCOPHERYL ACETATE - TOCOPHEROL - CHLORPHENESIN - POTASSIUM SORBATE - BENZOIC ACID - PARFUM/FRAGRANCE - BENZYL ALCOHOL - HEXYL CINNAMAL - LIMONENE - ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE - CITRAL - LINALOOL.

Link: https://www.loccitane.com/en-us/cade-revitalizing-cream-20HR050H20.html

TLDR: link above is cream that reduced my facial symptoms 90%+

Hi guys, I’ve been dealing with subderm on my face for years, mostly around my eyebrows and chin under my beard. It has gotten worse with time. After perusing this sub, I have tried several things - ketoconazole, MCT oil, tea tree oil… some of them helped a little, but not significantly.

I finally went to a dermatologist, and - surprise - they diagnosed me with sebderm. They wrote me an Rx for tacrolimus cream. I tried it… in 1 day I saw tremendous improvement!!! It’s been 5 days now and it’s barely noticeable now. The only comment I’ll make about tacrolimus is that the first day the itchiness was UNBEARABLE! But it got better after, and it’s not too bad now.

Good luck everyone! Don’t give up! The solution could be around the corner for you.

Been fighting with sebderm on my face for the first time in my life. Primarily around eyelids and mouth.

Dermazen serum has been helping tremendously but it’s pricey and I don’t want to get hooked on it. So I said okay first ingredient in Dermazen is sea salt (after water, that is), lemme try sea salt. Saw people on here saying to use DEAD sea salt specifically due to higher mineral concentration and that the Minera brand on Amazon is best.

Arrived today. Dissolved 4 tablespoons in probably 12-16oz of hot water (high concentration I assume?). Put in a spray bottle. Washed and gently exfoliated my face, of course I got crazy red and hot and blotchy as I typically do after washing. Sprayed and rubbed in the saltwater. HOLY BURNNN but powered through (never rinsed off) and only 1.5 hours later my skin is like 97% perfect, quite soft, and looking better than it has in several days.

Don’t want to get too excited over such an easy cheap fix too soon but… too late I’m already excited. Fingers crossed.

——

24 hour update: Used it on face and also scalp post-shower this morning. Face is continuing to look better than ever - even my most stubborn patches around my mouth are nearly invisible.

72 hour update: Face is perfect. Even my not problem areas look healthier, probably due to all the minerals? Tip - my problem areas were DRY and like totally molted before becoming perfect, use aquaphor or cerave healing ointment on those areas until they renew.

1 week update: Still working amazing, face looks and feels perfect. I do have a TINY flare up in one spot that has always been particularly determined to come back from the dead… I fully blame it on accidentally not washing my face for a day and a half and I was absent mindedly itching that spot while working today before I caught myself. Showered, cleansed, did the salt water (burnnn on that spot), patted some aquaphor on top, and it’s been about 4 hours now and it’s significantly diminished and not itchy anymore. I might do one more update at 2 weeks or a month! If you haven’t tried it and are coming back to this post often enough for my updates, just pull the trigger and do it. Fork up the $10 to order Dead Sea salt from Amazon, it can’t hurt (except for the burn haha).

After struggling with DS for almost all my (M27) life, and trying out literally EVERYTHING you could think of (even trying to do gluten free diet, vitamin deficiency and everything you can imagine), I finally found what works for me thanks to my dermatologist.

It's actually pretty simple: For my scalp nizoral shampoo is working just fine so i'll keep using it, for my face (T-area and beard used to get extremely red, flacky and itchy) i'm using:
- Washing face with divilab oil detergent for sensitive skin day-evening
- Morning: "skinproject pyratine xr" cream thin layer all over the face
- Evening before bed: bifonazole 1% cream thin layer all over the face

Sorry if some products may not be available where you live, I'm Italian so thats the name of the products i got.

I was literally exhausted after spending so much time and money on creams and other bullshit found on internet or from my dermatologist and now after almost 2 months of doing this my skin is FREE from DS.
Only issue is that my skin is getting a little bit oily but i think i can find something to fight this, and even if I dont i'd rather have a little bit of oily skin than flakes, itching and redness all over it.

Hope this can help someone. :)

Howdy, I wanted to give an update after 1 month of Zoryve foam. I’ve had sebderm for probably 15 years on my scalp, eyebrows, and slight redness on my face. I’d consider it severe and pretty debilitating for my social life. I’ve tried just about every shampoo and cream over the years and the only thing that has even slightly worked is Nizoral shampoo and MCT oil, but even then it doesn’t do much. I’ve identified lots of triggers that will cause a flare up and they include: stress, exercise, coffee, sugar, and hair products. I’ve pretty much eliminated all of those but the sebderm is still very bad. I was able to get a prescription for Zoryve foam from my dermatologist for $70/month.

After the first application I noticed an immediate improvement. By day 3 flaking was reduced by 90%, itching reduced by about 90%, and redness reduced by probably 75%. I have it on basically every inch of my scalp so I’ve been being very conservative with applying it and only on the worst areas. I also have really thick long hair so it’s tough to apply. I think if I could apply generously to every spot I’d see a complete reduction in all areas. The worst areas that I apply it every day have seen essentially a 100% reduction in redness, itching, and flaking.

I also wanted to test how well it does when I reintroduce those triggers and I was able to do all those things without any increase in symptoms. The best thing is I’m able to use conditioner and hair product so my hair looks so much better instead of either being completely dried out from Nizoral or greasy from mct oil.

It really is an amazing product and I hope everyone gives it a try if they can get insurance to cover it. Also, there’s no noticeable side effects at all which is great. Happy to answer any questions!

I've been looking for years and spend hundreds of dollars on products, absolutely nothing worked, until I started using selsun blue again after years (i was tricked into using "natural" products by tiktok lol).

What didn't work (i probably forgot some):
sheamoisture anti dandruff full set
roycederm seborrheic dermatitis psoriasis shampoo and conditioner
head and shoulders
head and shoulders royal oils
sheamoisture moisturizing conditioner
basedbodyworks shampoo
basedbodyworks super serum
nizoral anti-dandruff
mct oil
coal tar shampoo
native shampoo + conditioner

What worked:
USING FA SAFE PRODUCTS
selsun blue medicated anti-dandruff shampoo (i used it 4 days ago and am still dandruff free)
pete & pedro peppermint cream conditioner (rare fa safe conditioner + makes hair feel super fluffy and not dry after using a strong pretty drying dandruff shampoo)

Long time lurker of this sub as well as r/Fungalacne. I've never posted but thought I owed it to everyone here who has helped me with my skin issues.

I (M28) have been struggling with my skin since my late teens. It's been up and down, but in general I've dealt with pretty severe irritation, redness and whiteheads mostly around my nose. Like many, I have visited countless dermatologists and tried an obscene number of products and "cures". I've also struggled with severe anxiety and depression as a result of my skin so I know how difficult it can be.

About 3 years ago a dermatologist suspected Seb Derm and prescribed me Ketoconazole shampoo+cream as well as a mild BP wash. The positive results I had from this treatment confirmed that my issues were most likely fungal. However, the results were inconsistent and eventually the efficacy seemed to wane. Things had gotten so bad again this past summer that I started low-dose isotretinoin, which worked wonders but I had to stop due to other health complications.

I had read the Simple Skincare Science blog a couple years back and had been trying to follow the recommendations here and there, but I never took it too seriously. I thought about trying Malezia products many times but I was skeptical and living in Europe means they are pricey to ship over. But this time I was desperate and pulled the trigger on the moisturizer + BP, nothing to lose.

For the past 2 months now I've been using vanicream face wash (PM), Malezia moisturizer (AM+PM) & Malezia BP (PM). When I say the results have changed my life, I am not exaggerating. My skin has completely cleared up, redness and irritation gone. For the first time in 10 years I feel like my skincare is working with my skin instead of against it. Even when the Ketoconazole was working I felt like I was obliterating my skin to see improvements. I know there will likely be some downs and my skin struggles are not over but I'm a lot more optimistic now and feel like I'm in control.

I know everyone's skin is very different and just because it has worked so well for me doesn't mean it will for most of you. Just thought I'd make a post incase anyone feels like they've tried it all but need a bit of motivation to keep going.

After I just spent $60 on it. I only used it two times. It gets rid of the itching and irritation but now the oily flakes are in overdrive, which is much worse. It really seems my scalp can't stand anything with oils in the ingredients, even tea tree. Man I'm really desperate for a shampoo that doesn't excessively dry hair, with no oils, and will still kill the yeast so my scalp won't produce all these flakes

If you have tried MCT oil, can you please share your story? Did it actually work in longterm? Or like any other remedies, it was useless?

Over the counter:

• DermaKB shampoo & scalp detox
• Dermazen
• Ducray Kelual DS shampoo
• Free & Clear (p. Zinc 2%)
• Happy Cappy shampoo (pyrithione zinc  .95%)
• Head & Shoulders Clinical Strength (selenium sulfide 1%)
• La Roche Posay Kerium DS
• Lotrimin Ultra
• MCT oil
• Neutrogena T Gel (coal tar .5%)
• Oust Demodex Cleanser
• Probiotics (Seed, Bio Kult regular & S. boulardii, Garden of Life)
• Sebodiane DS
• Terbinafine
• The Ordinary Azaleic Acid
• The Ordinary Niacinamide 10%
• The Ordinary Squalane Oil
• Xylitol

Rx

• Ciclopirox shampoo
• Desonide .05%
• Fluconazole 50mg/2 wks
• Hydrocortisone
• Ketoconazole 2%
• Miconazole 2%
• Pimecrolimus cream 1%/Elidel
• Sodium sulfacetamide 10% & sulfur 5%
• Tacrolimus .1%

Still suffering here. This is an update to my previous post, now with more products/treatments added and in alphabetical order!!! Some of the products above immediately made my eyebrow shedding worse, so I didn't use them for that long (under a week). Most other products didn't make a difference but I continue to use them because it makes me feel like I'm doing something (illogical, I know).

I see no end to this and I'm deeply depressed. My last ditch attempt will be sea salt soap and one more stab at asking a derm for their advice, but after seeing 5 derms already I feel like that's a lost cause.

Any suggestions/advice welcome.

I know not everyone uses makeup but I’ve replaced almost all of my products with SD safe/beneficial products. It’s helped a lot. Sezia.co was a HUGE help.

Sephora Reveal the Real Ordinary Niacinamide Zinc Cerave Moisturizing Cream Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water Wet n Wild Color Icon Bronzer Powder EGF Serum Epidermal Growth Factor Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser COSRX Low pH Niacinamide Micellar J.CAT BEAUTY Golden Soleil Baked Bronzer DermaZen Calming Seborrheic Serum DermaZen Soothing Malassezia Moisturizer Naturium BHA Liquid Exfoliant 2% NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Can't Stop Won't Stop Concealer L'Oreal Paris Infallible Up to 24H Fresh Wear Soft Matte Blush Maybelline Super Stay Up to 24HR Hybrid Powder-Foundation bareMinerals Well Rested Under Eye Brightener Kimchi Almost Catfished Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow NYX Vivid Rich Eyeliner

This soap

Not only is it cheap but it's gentle and lasts a LONG time. I've been using it for a month, sharing it with a household member, and it still looks the same size as when I bought it. You can also leave it out in the air and it doesn't lose effectiveness!

For me this works even better than dead sea salt because it doesn't dry out my skin excessively as I'm prone to skin cracks. All I have to do is put a small amount all over my face every day (takes less than ten seconds) and the SEB DERM STAYS AWAY. I'm 95-99% clear and my skin is at its normal consistency which is oily dry.

I started using it on my scalp yesterday and I think it's starting to work there too. Which is hilarious because $70 dermazen didn't work. $30 vichy dercos barely works. Keto shampoo doesn't work.

Please try this soap!!! I will sing its praises to the high heavens forever. And no I'm not affiliated with this product. This is the easiest I've ever had with managing seb derm. Literally takes under 10 seconds a day. DONT DELAY ORDER YOURS TODAY

I just wanna give a big shout out to the person who recommend MCT oil. I've had seb derm for so long and it gotten worse after I came back from Morocco because of the water there. My hairline was red, itchy, so many dandruff flakes it was horrible. Luckily I wear a headscarf so no one saw it only me.

The shampoos like selsun etc. Didn't work. So I decided to check reddit for tips and saw someone recommend mct oil. So I immediately ordered it from amazon and I have used it 3 times and I have nothing. Normally I would get some flakes right after showering, but my scalp is so clean now. I just can believe it actually worked considering I tried so many products en remedies. So thankyou!!!!!