I bought a 2oz bottle of Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) a few weeks ago in my quest to clear up the yeast infection on Levi’s bottom where the diaper rash had become secondarily infected with yeast. I’ve seen people mention GSE online starting a couple years ago when I was breastfeeding Tru and ended up taking Diflucan for a suspected thrush infection in my breasts. I saw where people recommended GSE but I didn’t end up trying it.
When the Nystatin cream didn’t completely clear up Levi’s rash (although the yeast part of it may have actually been gone after the 10 day treatment) I decided to look elsewhere for a remedy and stumbled on GSE again. I found it online for $15.99 a bottle (I used the Nutribiotics brand just for full disclosure – I can’t speak to the quality of the other brands that are out there) and decided to give it a try.
One thing that is important to note here is you cannot use GSE undiluted either internally or externally. It needs to be mixed into a carrier. I used Organic Virgin Coconut Oil because Coconut Oil is known to have certain antifungal properties in addition to being soothing to the skin. Initially I was also adding in Infant Probiotics because some suggest that it can balance the good bacteria/bad bacteria on the skin when used externally. My recipe, which I found online, was 20 drops of GSE in 1TBSP Coconut Oil with 1/2tsp probiotics. Used at nearly every diaper change, it cleared his yeast rash by huge margins starting the very next day. By about 3 days later, the improvement was undeniable and the yeast was gone in probably less than a week.
If you have been reading along, you know that we also had to cut out dairy in order to see more improvement on the diaper rash but the yeast was gone. I have continued to use the Coconut Oil/GSE combo without the probiotics once or twice a day in order to keep the yeast in check since it is recommended to use antifungals for at least a week after the rash is cleared in many cases.
Then, Levi got ringworm (tinea) which isn’t actually a worm, it’s a fungus. I have a spot on my arm, and some of my other, extended family members have it as well. Who knows who it started with but it apparently spreads like wildfire. We all used the Coconut Oil/GSE and it almost disappeared within days.
Also, I have used GSE internally. The typical dosage is 10 drops in 5oz of water or juice once a day and up to 3 times. I have seen higher dosages recommeded on various websites especially for Candida Clease uses. I started taking it several times a day, even bumping my dose up a bit when DH and the boys came down with that terrible stomach virus. I am not saying that is what kept me from getting sick but aside from 2 episodes of the dia over a week after everyone else was done throwing up, I never caught that evil virus. So, maybe it did help?
One more thing, I know this is getting long and rather boring but this might help someone. I also get skin yeast rashes, particularly in my armpits (I know, gross) and cleavage. I sweat really REALLY bad (the fancy word is hyperhydrosis – my dermatologist prescibed me extra strong antipersperants but they don’t really help me much) and have had quite a time of trying to clear up the rashes that flare up really bad at times. I use Nystatin in my armpits. I seem to be allergic to all the “azole” antifungals so almost anything OTC is out which is annoying and inconvienent. SO, my armpits flared up last week and I started using the Coconut OIl/GSE concoction on them along with the Nystatin twice a day. I can’t say for sure that it helped clear the rash since I was using the Nystatin but I’m going to try to use the GSE daily for awhile and see if it will prevent flare ups as they are nasty, gross and make me really uncomfortable and stressed out. It’s also embarrassing.
So, is it a miracle cure? No. I am never that confident in any supplement or drug to say that. Besides which, my use of GSE is relatively new and limited. But it has seemed to help us enough that I just might keep it on hand from now on. My advice if you try it is – use with caution. A little goes a long way! Never use it undiluted! And if you have any questions, make sure you ask your Dr!! It seems to be very safe and I saw it recommended by a pediatrician on their practice’s website for diaper yeast rash but it would probably still be wise to check with your Dr before using, especially on a very young infant or anyone with any allergies. And it seems it goes without saying, but just in case – I am not a Doctor.
I’m very skeptical about things like this, and other essential oils. I think my scam sensor goes off because they’re promoted as helping or curing so much that it sounds too good to be true. I’ve been doing more reading about them though and I do think some in particular can be useful but I’m still skeptical. I think it’s great that GSE worked for you and your family though! I honestly wouldn’t have thought about using probiotics on skin. It makes sense when you think about our skin actually having lots of bacteria on it, but I wonder if the strains make a difference. I read a lot about probiotics for tummy issues and found that a variety is better than one single strain, but of course I can’t find one in stores that has multiple strains. Or at least the few stores I shop in because they have double carts for my kids. Wow, I think this got really long really fast. Sorry.
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I hear ya on the scam alert! I thought GSE was an essential oil type thing at first but I guess it’s not actually. But my mom just bought a Young Living starter kit and she is loving it but in a realistic expectations way. She tried the YL oils for the ringworm she had and said it was helping to clear it but not as fast as the GSE. I borrowed her diffuser and a few oils to try and I think I would be interested in using them as room freshener/fragrance (because I can’t use normal sprays etc due to having a lifelong problem with perfumes etc) and possibly to clean with. I’m not too gung ho to use them internally. At least not often.
And about the probiotics, it’s so true that you need multiple strains. I’ve taken to buying them online for the kids as I’m not thrilled with the selection in stores. The one I buy them is 7 infant specific strains. 3 billion cfu’s. It’s also affordable. 🙂
And I hear you on the stores not having double seater carts. I always have to put tru in the back which is unsafe and inconvenient for space. And the belts never fit Levi’s waist!! But that’s another rant entirely lol ….. 😉
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I have issues with air fresheners, and I actually had to ask one of my high school teachers to remove his plug in one every day or I got a severe headache. I quit trying to find one that doesn’t bother me. I actually got some bad headaches from a lemon essential oil I ordered from Amazon for a spider repellant. A friend sells YL and actually told me to buy it elsewhere if I wasn’t going to use it topically or orally. I think she was being nice to save me money. But I do like the peppermint one I bought, and it smells great when I put drops on cotton balls around the house as spider repellant. I don’t think it works but it makes me house smell festive at Christmas.
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Oh that’s very interesting to know!! I had bought a couple on Amazon but didn’t have a diffuser so I’ve been using them to clean with etc.
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Thanks for posting this! It’s really hard to get rid of fungus. I saved your antifungal diaper ointment rash for when we may need it. I have that exact same GSE in my cupboard. =)
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Yes! My mom showed me her ringworm spots today. I couldn’t even see them anymore.
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