The red, itchy rash on your scalp or body with dandruff-like flakes is actually caused due to seborrheic dermatitis. This skin disease’s resemblance the symptoms of dandruff, eczema, psoriasis or a skin allergy, that seborrheic dermatitis often goes undiagnosed. This is actually bad for your health, as the seborrheic dermatitis patches keep reappearing and get larger. Ayurveda and nature have solutions how to tackle this skin scourge and keep them controlled.

Seborrhea can occur on any part of your body as well as your scalp. Its symptoms are yellowish flakes and oily scales along with the reddened skin. This disease usually occurs in oily areas of your body, such as the face, side of the nose, upper chest and back. The affected skin also looks swollen and greasy. Since seborrheic dermatitis tends to occur in areas of heavy sebum or oil production, studies show that oily skin can be the cause of the disease. Other causes are a yeast infection of the skin and any disease that reduces your immunity like AIDS, or a condition that affects the nervous system like Parkinson’s disease.


Allopathic treatments for the disease are many and they do work, especially if your seborrheic dermatitis is mild. Doctors usually prescribe antifungal creams or medicated shampoos like ketoconazole, selenium sulfide, coal tar, and zinc pyrithione. These do control the symptoms for a while, but the symptoms tend to be back with a change of season. In more severe cases, you may also have to ingest corticosteroid medication to calm the inflammation that occurs due to this skin infection. This usually prevents a flare-up.

Ayurveda is the only therapy that treats seborrheic dermatitis from its roots. Seborrheic dermatitis is a disease that occurs due to the increase in Kapha and Vayu doshas inside your body and is known as Darunak in Ayurveda. Hence, Ayurvedic physicians recommend that you should avoid cold and dry weather and certain foods to reduce the effects of these two doshas. Avoid too much salt, sour, cold items, curds, eggs and eat more bitter veggies. Oil treatments are very effective and so are certain panchakarma procedures like Abhyangam, Murdha thaila, Virechan, Nasyam are recommended under supervision. Marichyadi thailam is highly recommended for external application on the skin regularly after analyzing the doshic predominance.

Ayurveda also highly recommends the following herbs for controlling seborrheic dermatitis:

  • Amla: An anti-oxidant that raises immunity levels to stop flare-ups of seborrheic dermatitis.
  • Giloy: A herb that heals inflammation, due to increased pitta levels in your body.
  • Neem: This calms pitta. Wash the area affected by skin infection with neem infused water.
  • Daru Harida: Another powerful healing herb that calms pitta.
  • Mulethi: This regulates hormonal levels and prevents flare-ups.

Boost your body immunity by having healthy food and regular exercise. Hygiene and regular bath are equally important, to do wonders in keeping such skin infections at bay. Prevention is better than cure.