Homemade Remedies that may Help With Boils

Boils are a skin condition that appear when the hair follicles become infected. These lesions aren't serious, but they are quite painful because the affected area can become extremely irritated.
Homemade Remedies that may Help With Boils
Eliana Delgado Villanueva

Written and verified by the nutritionist Eliana Delgado Villanueva.

Last update: 15 December, 2022

Boils are very common and can pop up on any part of your body, but the areas most commonly affected by these painful pimples are the armpits, buttocks, shoulders, groin and inner thigh. In this article, we’ll talk about some homemade remedies that may help with boils.

What causes boils to form?

These lesions first appear as insignificant red dots that are slightly painful. However, as time goes by, the pain can intensify quite a bit, and the pimple can grow to a much bigger size due to swelling.

Boils are the result of a bacterial infection (especially  Staphylococcus aureus), although this isn’t the only reason why boils form. There are other reasons, such as:

  • Blood poisoning
  • Diabetes
  • Poor hygiene
  • Poor diet

Natural remedies that may help with boils

Cracking an egg open
  • Place a bit of the membrane found inside eggshells on the affected area.
  • Make a paste out of raw, grated carrot mixed with a bit of wheat germ. Apply the mixture directly to the boil and cover it with a clean cloth.
  • Apply hot water compresses with a clean cloth. This should be done at least three times per day. Once the boil pops, you should continue with this treatment so that all of the pus inside the pimple can be removed.
  • Mix one tablespoon of honey with one tablespoon of brewer’s yeast and one of wheat flour. Stir the mixture to form a smooth cream and apply this to the affected area. Cover it with a cloth and allow it to set all night.
  • Do you suffer from this problem regularly? If so, boil 80 grams of nettle in one liter of water and drink this in three equal portions throughout the day. This infusion will purify your organism and cleanse your blood.

Read also:

6 Healthy Drinks That Will Cleanse Your Blood

Further recommendations

Don’t pop that boil!

A boil is a delicate lesion, so you shouldn’t put any pressure on it. Doing so could be dangerous, allowing bacteria to invade the bloodstream and infect other parts of your body (sepsis). When you get a boil on your lips or nose, it can be very risky to pop it, because the infection could even reach your brain (meningitis). 

The affected area must remain very clean

Antiseptic liquid to help with boils

It’s extremely important to keep the entire area around the boil very clean. To do that, you can wash the area with a cloth or cotton ball and a bit of rubbing alcohol or iodine. You should clean the entire area at least three or four times per day. You should perform the cleaning in the shower, not in the bath, so that you can avoid spreading the infection to other parts of the body or to other people.

When you clean a boil, you must use appropriate gloves. But most importantly, you should wash your hands very well after cleaning the area and before preparing food so that you can avoid intoxicating others.

Warning signs to head straight to the doctor

Covering a boil with a cotton pad

If you’re treating a boil and start to experience the following symptoms, you should go to the doctor as soon as possible. These are clear signs that the infection is spreading:

  • There’s a large red area around the boil.
  • The lymph nodes close to the boil are somewhat painful.
  • A red line that goes out of the affected area appears near the boil.

Remember…

Having a boil isn’t a serious problem, but you can take certain precautions to make sure that this condition doesn’t spread, worsen or turn into an infection that could require more specialized treatments.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this article on remedies that may help with boils! 


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. Boils and carbuncles: How are boils treated? 2018 Jun 14. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513136/
  • Stevens, D. L., Bisno, A. L., Chambers, H. F., Dellinger, E. P., Goldstein, E. J. C., Gorbach, S. L., … Wade, J. C. (2014). 2014 IDSA Practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of skin and soft tissue infections. Clinical Infectious Diseases41, 1373–1406. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciu296
  • Stevens, DL, Bisno, AL, Chambers, HF, Everett, ED, Dellinger, P., Goldstein, EJC, … Wade, JC (2005). Pautas de práctica para el diagnóstico y manejo de infecciones de piel y tejidos blandos. Enfermedades infecciosas clínicas , 41 (10), 1373–1406. https://doi.org/10.1086/497143
  • Ibler KS, Kromann CB. Recurrent furunculosis – challenges and management: a review. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2014;7:59–64. Published 2014 Feb 18. doi:10.2147/CCID.S35302
  • Carson CF, Hammer KA, Riley TV. Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) oil: a review of antimicrobial and other medicinal properties. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2006;19(1):50–62. doi:10.1128/CMR.19.1.50-62.2006
  • Pazyar, N., Yaghoobi, R., Bagherani, N., & Kazerouni, A. (2013, July). A review of applications of tea tree oil in dermatology. International Journal of Dermatology. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-4632.2012.05654.x
  • Vaughn, A. R., Branum, A., & Sivamani, R. K. (2016, August 1). Effects of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) on Skin Health: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Evidence. Phytotherapy Research. John Wiley and Sons Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.5640

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.