What are those specks coming out of my skin?

Periodically I will get a message saying something like this:

“I’ve been using the skin softener lotion you recommended for my crusted skin, also using Vaseline. I use those during the day, then shower after work and exfoliate, and then I’ve been treating my whole body with grape seed olive and castor oil with a strong amount of either clove, peppermint or lemongrass. I sit for several hours or leave it overnight … sometimes in my hair and scalp too.

Here’s the creepy part. I feel like I’ve unleashed the mites and they’ve infested my whole body. I have new itchy bumps everywhere, and burrows I can’t tell if they’re old or new. I bought a 30x magnifying glass and can see the mites. Some I can see without it. When I’ve been treating with the oils, I see mites of all shapes (maybe different parts of the life cycle) coming out of my skin and I think they die on there in the oil but it’s hard to tell. I wipe them away with tissue. The tissue willHave anywhere from one to twenty or more mites … pretty much anywhere on my body I wipe the skin. I’m so freaked out! I guess it’s a good sign they’re coming out and dying. But I’m seeing how utterly infested my body is. I’m terrified I’ll never be cured and I’ll have to live my life this way. The ivermectin seemed to work at first but isn’t any more. Or maybe without it I’d be even worse. I will try my first spinosad treatment tomorrow after work.

Do you think some people, if they’ve been infested for long enough, are incurable? I am so afraid my life is destroyed.”

Here was my reply:

I bear good news; I can reassure you are not developing a worse case of scabies mites.

When skin gets irritated it over-produces sebum (oils) and secretes it out of skin pores. It can be white, yellow, grey, black, depending on what dirt it picks up.

It is extruded from your pores like a spaghetti noodle but can break off as tiny specks, medium specks…all the way up to curly "noodles" sometimes.

This often happens when folks over-treat (abuse) their skin with rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and apparently your own contribution to the list, oils with tons of herbal extracts.

The "cure" is to stop beating up your skin so much.

The "grape seed olive and castor oil with a strong amount of either clove, peppermint or lemongrass" isn't part of your treatment program anyway. Clove can numb temporarily and provide temporary relief but you really need to cease fire to be kinder to your skin.

I recall all too well the feeling of always wanting to be "doing something". If you want something extra to apply try Eurax cream. It eases itching, soothes and allows skin to heal and kills scabies mites.

You can order it from England for around $8 a 100 mL (3.4 oz) tube here.

Or get a script and buy it in the USA for a mere $500 / 2 oz tube! Whattadeal!!!

Oh, and the new bumps are probably part of your skin's reaction to the abuse, too.

If you wish to support my website, you can buy something in my shop or click here to donate via PayPal.

Full disclosure: I have personally bought and used almost everything I mention on my web site. I search for good deals on good products for myself and tell you where to find them. If you buy from Amazon I do get a small commission, but you get the same price you would anyway. Most of the other stores I mention pay me nothing, but if they are convenient or have a good deal, I tell you.

Thanks for your support. I'm not getting rich doing this. When folks use the product links I can see they care. It is a fair amount of work keeping the site up. And of course you can email me anytime.