People often ask about a molluscum contagiosum home remedy because they hope to avoid some of the commonly-used medical treatments for the condition. Things like curettage (scraping off the molluscum bumps), cryotherapy) freezing off the bumps with liquid nitrogen), electrocautery (burning off the bumps), and laser therapy sound painful, and they often are. They are also expensive and may leave behind scars.
At the same time, people want effective treatment. A molluscum home remedy that doesn’t really work is a waste of time and money. Worse, if you use an ineffective home remedy, you’ll continue to suffer the symptoms of molluscum since you aren’t getting treatment that works.
Home Remedies For Molluscum Contagiosum
There are a number of different home remedies people sometimes use to treat molluscum contagiosum. We’ll tell you about a few of the most common and let you know which ones are likely to actually work. We’ll also tell you about our favorite home remedy for molluscum. Of course, you should talk with your doctor if you have questions about the best treatment for you. Let your doctor know if you prefer to use natural remedies when possible.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a popular home remedy for all sorts of skin conditions. We weren’t able to find any scientific evidence that it actually treats molluscum contagiosum, however. It won’t do you any harm but it probably won’t get rid of the viral infection, either. It might relieve itching and skin irritation, though.
Baking Soda Baths
People often use baking soda baths to relieve itching caused by a wide range of skin conditions, including molluscum contagiosum. While a baking soda bath is a good way to relieve uncomfortable itching, it won’t treat the virus that causes molluscum contagiosum and it won’t prevent you from spreading the condition to others. Use baking soda baths to help treat the itching if you like but don’t use them as a substitute for other, more effective treatments.
Elderberry Extract
Elderberry extract is another molluscum contagiosum home remedy some people try. We were unable to find any studies showing it is effective in treating molluscum but we didn’t see any studies showing it wasn’t effective, either. We did find studies showing elderberry extract helps fight some other viral infections, including influenza and the common cold. This suggests it might also work for molluscum, but we can’t say for certain one way or the other. Elderberry extract is also thought to boost the immune system, so it may help your own system fight molluscum. It’s usually taken orally.
Oatmeal Baths
Like baking soda baths, oatmeal baths are often used to relieve itching caused by various skin conditions. Like baking soda baths, oatmeal baths are effective for this purpose but they won’t treat the virus that causes molluscum contagiosum and they won’t prevent you from spreading the condition to others or to other parts of your body.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil comes from the leaf of the Melaleuca alternifolia plant. It’s known to have antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal properties and is a popular remedy for many skin infections, including ringworm and warts. It is also used to treat molluscum contagiosum. We weren’t able to find any studies about the effectiveness of tea tree oil against molluscum, but since there are studies showing it’s effective against many other skin infections, it seems likely it would be effective against molluscum as well. Sometimes it’s added to an ointment or other topical preparation and sometimes it is applied directly to the molluscum bumps. Tea tree oil should never be taken internally(1).
Our Favorite Molluscum Contagiosum Home Remedy
Our favorite molluscum home remedy is called Naturasil. It contains a number of natural plant extracts, including tea tree oil, all with antiviral properties. It’s available without a prescription, it’s easy to use and it’s effective against molluscum contagiosum. To learn more about our favorite home remedy for molluscum, just follow this link to the Naturasil Website.