Treating Seborrheic Dermatitis With Glycerine, Does it Work?

Some forums and messages boards online treating seborrheic dermatitis with glycerine or other products containing glycerine. However, investigation has shown that results vary and are extremely inconsistent. Each person is different and methods discussed are also different. Please read below for an overview of each method for treating seborrheic dermatitis with glycerine and see my conclusion at the bottom.

Treating Seborrheic Dermatitis with Glycerin Soap

Many people have claimed to solve their seborrheic dermatitis by simply switching to natural soap that is rich in glycerine. The main theory behind this approach is that many commercial soaps contain ingredients which irritate a persons unique skin composition.

When switching to glycerine rich natural soap to fight my seborrheic dermatitis my initial results were mixed. The first few times it seemed that the soap calmed and soother the skin, while providing a rich moisturizing effect. However, as the time went by the soap became drying and caused skin flaking to increase.

In the end this approach did not seem to work for me and many other disappointed individuals who left their comments on the treatment approach. This method can, however, be recommend if you experience a worsening of seborrheic dermatitis after using regular store bought soap.

Glycerine rich natural soap can be purchased at almost any typically supermarket and is usually labeled simply as glycerine soap. Please make sure that the ingredients are limited to a maximum of 3 and the soap is free from added fragrances.

Applying Glycerine Directly to Skin Affected by Seborrheic Dermatitis

Another things that many people have claimed to benefit seborrheic dermatitis is applying pure glycerine to the skin affected by seborrheic dermatitis. You can buy glycerine at almost any supermarket and it is typically used to soothe skin burns.

The results with using this method have been poor based on my attempts and the comments left by other individuals who have attempted it. The end result typically seemed to be a worsening of the fatty deposits around the seborrheic dermatitis and increased skin redness.

Based on current research into the bacteria that plays a role in seborrheic dermatitis development, the skin condition is worsened or accelerated by a high presence of fat on the skin surface. This is due to the fact this bacterias relies on the fat as its main food source.

Even though glycerine is often used to accelerate skin healing, it appears to be a poor choose in the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis.

Is There a Difference Between Vegetable Glycerine and UPS Glycerine for Seborrheic Dermatitis

Many reviews on Amazon and other online retail outlets criticize animal based glycerine and claim that the vegetable base variant is superior. After trying both it was impossible to tell the difference. However, if you are against animal cruetly or just do not use animal based products please be aware that most UPS Glycerine is animal based.

Glycerine Water Rinses to Sooth Seborrheic Dermatitis

Due to my knowledge of how glycerine helps treat sun burnt skin I was set on giving glycerine another try. The first attempt used pure glycerine, however, many individuals online have pointed out that this might be too strong for skin affected by seborrheic dermatitis.

Mixing the glycerine with equal parts boiled water and simply rinsing the skin with this solution seemed promising. However, the results were poor and had very little effect on controlling seborrheic dermatitis.

The rinses did help sooth skin redness, but they left the skin greasy and worsened the seborrheic dermatitis in the long run. In the end I was unsure if this method was better or worse than direct application of glycerine (leaving it on the skin).

Using Rose Water and Glycerine to Rinse Seborrheic Dermatitis Affected Skin

Another very popular method of using glycerine to moisturize and soothe skin is in combination with rose water. This formula typically uses a glycerine to rose water ratio of 8:1 and can be purchased directly from the supermarket (no mixing needed).

Out of the three this method seemed to have the biggest potential and praise from skin care enthusiasts. However, due to the poor results obtained in treating my seborrheic dermatitis with glycerine previously I never got around to trying this solution.

With all the knowledge that I have now about using glycerine in skincare, it is likely that this would be the best method of using glycerine. The mix is not too strong, but appears to provide the perfect balance between moisture and gentle cooling. If you do try this solution, please let met know how it worked for you in the comments below.

Control Seborrheic Dermatitis by Adding Glycerine to Your Daily Cleanser

Adding glycerine to rue current regular daily cleanse could be another way of attempting to moisturize your seborrheic dermatitis. This approaches main advantage is it’s simplicity.

When attempting this method I had very poor results. The consistency of my cleanser changed and it became very gooey. After rinsing of the skin was left feeling greasy and dirty. Practically after every use the seborrheic dermatitis becoming stingy and red.

In the end I am still unsure if the poor results were because that the glycerine was a bad combination with my particular cleanser or perhaps this is just a poor combination overall.  

Scrubbing Your Tongue With Glycerine In Order to Treat Coexisting Thrush (White Tongue)

My biggest usage of glycerine actually was in the form of a tongue wash. As many others my seborrheic dermatitis also came along with a white coating on the tongue known as thrush. This white coating did not cause any unpleasant feelings or pain, however, it did look somewhat strange (especially to anyone else that saw it).

After reading a detailed post on another website about brushing the tongue with glycerine, I had to give it a try. After just one application I knew this method was a keeper. The white coating disappeared before my eyes and would stay away for practically the whole day.

This treatment did not just help with the white tongue, but also got rid of bad breath. Since the first application I’ve gone through about a 100ml of glycerine using this method. It never failed in removing the white coating, but in the end I stopped usage due to finally solving the actually cause of the white coating.

How Glycerine Worked for My Seborrheic Dermatitis

For me glycerine looked very promising after reading all the positive reviews and testimonials from people using it to treat their seborrheic dermatitis. However, each attempt made it more and more apparent that this was no solution to my own seborrheic dermatitis.

All the attempts did, however, manage to add an effective tool in battle against seborrheic dermatitis. Even though I used it to treat a coexisting problem (white tongue) it have a positive impact on my day to day life, while I continued the battle against seborrheic dermatitis.

Treating Seborrheic Dermatitis With the Glycerine – The Final Conclusion

So if you’ve read everything above you know that treating seborrheic dermatitis with glycerine can have mixed results. Glycerine is very cheap and easily obtainable at most local supermarkets.

If you have not yet given it a try please feel free to do so as it might be just what you need to make seborrheic dermatitis a thing of that past. However, if your attempt in treating seborrheic dermatitis with glycerine ends in failure please know it has other uses as well (helping to get rid of thrush).