5 Hacks that Cured my Seborrhoeic Dermatitis: A Case Study

Your scalp is simply skin.
Anything that helps heal your skin will heal your scalp.

Do you have persistent dandruff on your scalp?

Is your face inflamed, irritated and oily?

Then chances are you have seborrhoeic dermatitis.

I know, because I struggled with it for years.

Hi, my name is Heather, and I recently wrote this article for The Naked Chemist.

It documents my long journey to healing my seborrhoeic dermatitis.

It took me years of experimenting with many products.

Fortunately, I found the protocol that cleared my skin.

Here is my account of how I cured seborrhoeic dermatitis on both my scalp and my face.

And the winning routine that keeps it away.

In This Article▾

1. What causes seborrhoeic dermatitis?
2. My topical and internal routine
3. Right shampoo for scalp seborrhoeic dermatitis
4. Simple skincare routine for the face
5. Use a calming gel mask weekly
6. Apple cider vinegar rinse for the scalp
7. Diet and supplements
8. Healing my seborrhoeic dermatitis
9. Frequently asked questions

What Causes Seborrhoeic Dermatitis?

To understand this condition, first I do need to get a bit skin-science-y, so bear with me.

Seborrhoeic dermatitis is associated with the yeast Malassezia, which is linked to dandruff and thrives in oil-rich areas. My naturopath explained that Malassezia is on everyone — even those with normal, healthy skin.

But for some people it can get out of hand, and this triggers an inflammatory response, suggesting that something else is driving the condition.

This research (1) points to Candida, a type of yeast that lives in the intestinal tract, as a possible culprit. When your immune system detects Candida, it triggers a sequence of events that cause an inflammatory response.

The simplest way I can explain it is to imagine your immune system as an army. When Candida spreads, it’s detected as a foreign body, and the army tries to eliminate it—triggering an attack on other fungal organisms in your body.

This is known as cross-reactive recognition, and it’s the principle behind most autoimmune and inflammatory attacks.

My Topical and Internal Routine

If your symptoms are chronic, I would advise not just fixate on your skin; you need to take a holistic approach, both internal and topical. The more complicated your symptoms, the more you will need professional advice.

Working with a naturopath and the Naked Chemist team has really helped me understand this condition. This includes treating Candida in my gut and avoiding overly cream-rich, oil-based products on my skin, which can feed the yeast.

Initially, your treatment will involve trial and error because you’re attacking the root of the problem rather than eliminating just one physical symptom, and no two skin types’ issues are the same; we are all metabolically different.

It’s also wise to remember that the skin on your head is still skin. It’s slightly acidic at a pH of 4, so you need products that don’t disturb that pH to keep your scalp happy and balanced.

The following treatments were the needle-movers that finally helped me get my condition under control:

1. Right Shampoo for Scalp Seborrhoeic Dermatitis

There is a relationship between pityrosporum dandruff and seborrhoeic dermatitis.

This is why it is essential to use a shampoo formulated with antifungal medications, such as selenium sulfide and zinc pyrithione, to help stabilise your scalp.

Look for shampoos that contain salicylic acid, which acts like a peeling agent to prevent scaling by increasing cellular turnover. I got great results with Sea Magik mineral shampoo.

With seborrhoeic dermatitis, your scalp is oily and scaly, so it’s easy to go overboard with washing. However, this made my scalp dry and my hair brittle.

I found that Nizoral shampoo helped with this, and it was great for soothing my scalp when it got itchy and flaky.

I love this tonic, Philip Kingsley’s Flaky Scalp Toner. I found it an effective clarifying treatment.

2. Simple Skincare Routine For The Face

A big question I needed answering was: what is the best skincare routine for seborrhoeic dermatitis on the face? Because as my seborrhoeic dermatitis progressively worsened, it crept onto my face, becoming oily and irritated.

My skin lacked moisture, and it easily became irritated and flaky. So, not only was treating my scalp a delicate balance, but treating my face was, too.

The Naked Chemist was so helpful in putting together a seborrhoeic dermatitis skincare routine that was the turning point in getting my condition under control.

They advised me to keep my skincare routine simple and use only gel-based products, not emulsifiers, which can feed the yeast.

They had me keep the rest of my routine light and gel-based, focusing on calming the inflammation and restoring the moisture my barrier had lost. Two products became the backbone of the routine, along with Quench, which I used as a mask and discuss in point 3.

Treating the Eyebrows

I want to mention seborrhoeic dermatitis of the eyebrows, as this is a condition I have battled with.

I used Neutrogena shampoo twice daily on my brows, patted them dry, and layered them with H20, B+ and Quench gel, which helped control my flaky eyebrows.

3. Use a Calming Gel Mask Weekly

It is important to prevent dryness and use treatments that have natural antimicrobial properties that aren’t stripping.

A weekly moisture treatment helped me increase my skin’s hydration, alleviate dryness, and reduce the itchiness that drove me crazy.

I used a gel mask that replenished ingredients naturally found in my skin that get depleted through trauma, which helped to alleviate my condition. Quench was so helpful and calming, soothing my skin.

4. Use an Apple Cider Rinse

Using an apple cider vinegar rinse was an additional boost in maintaining the health of my scalp.

I found the astringent properties in cider vinegar to be very toning and clarifying.

The natural home remedy I used was a 1:1 ratio of cider vinegar to warm water, and I then thoroughly rinsed my hair with it. I would sometimes leave this mixture on overnight as a tonic and wash it off in the morning.

This treatment alone was, I believe, one of the biggest needle-movers in my cure for seborrhoeic dermatitis on my scalp.

5. Diet and Supplements

After addressing the yeast topically, my naturopath reviewed my diet and supplement intake to reduce the yeast in my gut. As discussed above, much research now suggests that Candida is one of the main drivers behind seborrhoeic dermatitis.

I was put on a liver detox and anti-candida diet, increasing my steamed vegetables and fibre intake. I eliminated dairy, sugar, alcohol and caffeine from my diet and reduced simple carbohydrates like white rice and flour, which drove my candida overgrowth.

I also took Vitamin E and C supplements daily and took a course of anti-yeast supplements to reduce Candida and keep my immune system strong.

Poor gut health triggers seborrhoeic dermatitis, so I took probiotics daily. These helped support the skin-gut connection, ensuring my body had a diverse bacterial population to keep my immune system strong.

How I Cured Seborrhoeic Dermatitis

Healing my seborrhoeic dermatitis was not an overnight fix, and if you’re reading this and struggling, I want you to know that recovery is absolutely possible.

My scalp, my face, and even my eyebrows were all telling the same story: my skin barrier was compromised, my Malassezia was out of balance, and Candida in my gut was quietly driving the inflammation.

What finally moved the needle was a holistic, two-pronged approach — topical and internal, working side by side. Topically, I stabilised my scalp with an antifungal shampoo containing zinc pyrithione, selenium sulfide, and salicylic acid, and clarified it with an apple cider vinegar rinse.

On my face, a simple, gel-based seborrhoeic dermatitis skincare routine built around the Quench gel calmed my irritated, oily skin; B+ helped reduce Malassezia and eased the relentless scaling and flaking — while the H2O Hydrating Skin Shot restored the moisture my barrier so badly needed.

On the inside, treating the Candida in my gut with an anti-Candida diet, a liver detox, probiotics, and anti-yeast supplements was the piece most people missed. Poor gut health feeds seborrhoeic dermatitis, so nurturing my skin-gut connection was every bit as important as the products I used.

If there is one thing I would tell my past self, it’s this: don’t just chase the symptoms. Be patient, expect some trial and error, and treat the root cause rather than the flare.

Whether your seborrhoeic dermatitis shows up as dandruff on your scalp, redness on your face, or flaking through your eyebrows, a consistent, holistic routine can help you get your skin — and your confidence — back.

I hope my journey in curing seborrhoeic dermatitis helps you and gives you a clear, calming place to start.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and should not replace personalised medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any supplement.