FIghting Mites On Your Body

Let me save you some time: spraying every chemical-laced product under the sun made things worse, not better. The only things that gave me real relief were simple, natural products—things you probably already have in your kitchen or bathroom.

Let me be clear:

Mites are not a skin issue. They’re a symptom of deeper internal health problems.

You can’t spray your way out of this. You need to address the infections and internal issues that made your body vulnerable in the first place. But while you’re working on that, here’s what helped me manage the symptoms:

What Helped Me (Temporarily)

These are the products I’ve found helpful, but remember, they’re just temporary solutions. Mites are a sign that something is wrong inside your body, and  health needs to be addressed.

Here are the products that I found temporary relief with:

• Apple cider vinegar: I mixed 50/50 with water in a spray bottle. This worked well for about a week in deterring mites. Spray it all over your body, even your scalp.

• Rotating products: Mites can build up a tolerance to products, so rotating between different remedies proved to be more effective.

• Mineral oil: Dousing my whole body in mineral oil, including my ears, allowed me to sleep for at least two good nights.

• Coconut oil: For my head, which was covered in mites, I slathered coconut oil on it and left it on for days. If I showered I just reapplied more coconut oil after getting out. It took about a week for them to give up living on my scalp. I did NOT have to shave my head, thanks to this remedy.  

• Baking soda and table salt bath: I’d sit in a bath for 40 minutes, step out for 20 min to see if mites surfaced, then jump back in. Adding essential oils like clove, thyme, and sweet orange helped.

• Shower routine: I showered 3-5 times a day. The shower gave me temporary relief, so after showering, I’d pour warm salt water over my skin and let it air dry. 

• Ear treatment: Mites were the worst in my ears. I’d use an ice pack at the base of my ear to draw mites out, then spray them with 99% alcohol before plugging my ears with silicone earplugs. Silicone ear plugs are like putty and can be sealed pretty well around the ear canal to keep mites out. Vaseline-soaked cotton balls also work in a pinch.

• Raw garlic: The best remedy I found for fighting mites was eating raw garlic. I’d add it to everything—hummus, eggs, salad dressing. Mites despise it, and it helped keep them off my body. You want to chop up at least three or four large cloves and throw them in your meals.

• Artemisia annua (wormwood): Taking high doses of this supplement for a long time helped make my body an unattractive host for mites. Just be careful with your liver health and add a milk thistle supplement for liver support while using wormwood.

• Kleen Free: This is a cleaning product made from enzymes that break down bacteria. I applied it undiluted to my skin, and it helped break down the bacteria left behind by the mites. 

• Nasal treatment: X-Clear nasal spray (xylitol-based) and a simple salt water gargle to treat mites in nasal passages. Just make sure you rotate the salt and nasal spray and do not use at the same time—salt water cancels out the xylitol.

What didn’t work for me:

• • Products like Arrid deodorant, sulfur soap, lice shampoo, coal tar shampoo, MSM powder, permethrin cream, and ivermectin (both topical and oral) did little or nothing to help.