Hey, thanks for all of your great questions so far! One of our wonderful fans, Anne, wrote in with an interesting question about “molluscum,” a skin condition that her young son developed a few months ago. She was wondering about natural treatments to help eliminate it. Let's take a look at what could be helpful!

Molluscum is a skin condition caused by the Molluscum contagiosum virus. The name probably gives away the fact that it’s contagious! It infects the epidermis layer of the skin, causing little dome-shaped lesions, and is spread by skin-to-skin contact.

The good news is that it will often resolve on its own (usually within about 9 months), as the body’s immune defenses naturally overcome it. In the meantime, though, the individual can repeatedly auto-inoculate themselves, spreading the lesions over their body.

One treatment that’s been found to be helpful is “pulsed dye laser therapy.” It’s very effective in getting rid of most lesions (up to 99% of them), but the virus can still be in the skin beneath the lesion and cause new bumps to appear. These would need additional laser therapy treatments, until the body mounts its own strong enough defenses and no more lesions appear.

For viral infections, I’m a BIG fan of essential oils. They’re antiviral powerhouses! Here’s a simple home recipe you can make:

In 1 ounce of carrier oil such as Sweet Almond or Hazelnut oil, put a total of 5 to 12 drops of a blend of the essential oils below. Viruses can have different strains or variants which may be more sensitive to one oil than another, so by using more than one, you cover your bases!
• 3 drops Melissa (true Melissa officinalis) Much of what is available as Melissa is adulterated, because it is such a rare and precious (and expensive) essential oil. It’s often diluted with lemon, lemon verbena, or lemongrass, so you want to be sure that what you purchase is authentic.
• 2 drops Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
• 1 drop Bergamot (Citrus aurantium)
• 1 drop lemon-scented Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citriodora)
• 1 drop Thyme (Thymus vulgaris c.t. linalool)
• 1 drop Oregano (Origanum compactum)

Apply 2-3 times daily.

Has anyone else had experience with natural treatments for molluscum? We’d love to hear what worked for you!