After my previous post 5 days ago, I had increased redness and tiny bumps around my face and mouth. I began putting my Permethrin Cream 5% on those areas in am and pm, after washing the same area with “R. Essentials Fresh and Clear Therapeutic Cleanser,” which has 5% glycolic acid and 2% salicylic acid. The problem got worse for a few days, and I almost stopped because the treated areas looked and felt very irritated from the cream and/or the wash, but then things got better. (I don’t know if the cleanser played a role in either the initial irritation or the eventual improvement, but I’ve been using a different 2% salicylic acid product on and off for two months, because I’ve read it can help get rid of mites.)

I then added this, in both am and pm: I used a Q-Tip swab to put a small amount of my Permethrin Cream 5% INSIDE my nostrils. This is because I’ve read that Demodex mites can be found in that area. Also, since my Demodex symptoms first began, I’ve noticed that the inside my nostrils was red and that I would have some itching inside my nose. (I thought it was allergies.) I’ve done this additional step of applying the cream inside my nose twice a day for 3 days, and now my facial redness and tiny bumps are almost gone!! I have only a slight pinkness outside one nostril; it’s tiny and hardly noticeable. It will probably be gone tomorrow.

I never tried putting Permethrin Cream 5% inside my nose until the past few days, because the instructions say don’t apply inside nose or mouth. However, I was desperate for a cure! It seemed to irritate the area for the first couple of days and made my nose “run” a little bit, but today I’m OK. Not sure if it was the mites that were causing the burning sensation or the cream, but it was apparently temporary. The skin inside my nostrils looks less red than it has for at least a year!

I am still using Medicated Selsun Blue selenium sulfide 1% shampoo daily on my scalp and Aubrey Sea Buckthorn soap daily on my body in the shower (I also have used Aubry Sea Buckthorn Moisturizing Cream, which seemed to also help a bit with body itching, but I’m not using it now. I bought the Aubrey products at my local Vitamin Shoppe store. I’ve read many posts that recommend Sea Buckthorn products to fight the mites.)

I stopped using all four of my prescription topical steroids weeks ago, and I’ve recently stopped using many home remedies that I’ve tried for the past 2 months: Neem oil soap, Neen oil shampoo, borax mixed with hydrogen peroxide or apple cider vinegar and water, dry mustard added to body washes and shampoos, 2% Neutrogena salicylic acid body wash (used on my face), etc. Also, on March 2 and March 30, my dermatologist injected an area on the back of my scalp where I had scales and lots of itching with steroids (which caused the mites to go crazy right afterwards – ouch! But the scales went away and have stayed gone with using only Selsun Blue shampoo.) I think all these things helped get rid of most of the mites, but the Permethrin Cream 5% applied to remaining affected areas seems to be killing off the remaining mites.

Summary of my use of Permethrin Cream: I did a full-body overnight treatment of Permethrin Cream twice: March 3 and March 10. Each time, it helped a great deal. However, the mite symptoms returned after each treatment, but to a lesser extent. For the past 9 days, I’ve been using the Permethrin Cream applied sparingly on itchy areas of my face and head, mostly around the hairline, ears, nose, and mouth, and on my eyebrows. For the past few days, I’ve also used the Permethrin Cream inside my nose.

Caution: package insert for Permethrin Cream 5% says do NOT put the cream inside the nose, so please make your own choice based on what you and your doctors decide. But, a tiny amount applied inside the nose (I only apply it near the opening of the nostrils, ~one centimeter inside the opening) seems to be killing kill off the last of my Demodex mites!

Per my previous post: I’d still like to try tea tree oil products that have a mild scent. I’d like to add them to my routine for maintenance, and possibly stop my use of Permethrin Cream. Please post a reply if you have any recommendations.

Can someone please recommend a specific tea tree oil product(s) that works well to fight Demodex mites, but also has a mild scent?

More info on my history follows:

I’ve tried many things since I started suffering from Demodex mites. (Occasional itching/crawling/biting sensations started a year ago; I thought it was due to other things.) A horrible infestation broke out in February 2012, after a traumatic event that may have compromised my immune system.) My dermatologist (who published a paper years ago re: treating an AIDS patient with Demodex mites) doesn’t want to prescribe Ivermectin, so he’s given me 4 topical steroid products (which I’ve read can make the problem WORSE, since the mites like hormones; I’ve used those products only sparingly) along with Permethrin 5% cream. (As he prescribed, I’ve used the Permethrin twice from scalp to toes, one week between applications.) I was finally free of any itching last week, but 4 days ago the itching/crawling returned. I’m now using the Permethrin cream daily: sparingly around my nose and around my scalp hairline, which is where I feel most of the itching. It’s helped, but I still have some symptoms and would prefer a product for long-term use that has minimal side effects. I also doubt my dermatologist will keep renewing my Permethrin cream.

Can someone please recommend a tea tree oil product that works well to fight Demodex mites, but also has a mild scent? I bought Vitamin Shoppe brand tea tree oil, but I returned it after using only a few drops. The strong smell was unbearable on my body (I tried only a few drops mixed with a facial wash solution on a very small area.) Also, my bathroom smelled horrible for 2 weeks afterwards from just opening the bottle (and possibly showering off the TT oil, but I cleaned the shower afterwards and the smell was still strong.) I’ve tried a few samples of various tea tree oil products at Whole Foods (sniff test or putting a drop on my arm) but they also smelled very strong. As long as the scent disappears after a short while, I can live with that, but I can’t be around other people wearing something as strong as the Vitamin Shoppe TT oil! Please be very specific if you reply with a product recommendation, and if possible, please tell me where you bought it. Thanks in advance!