I’ve had some success making my own anti-fungal creams. This recipe for a natural anti-fungal cream is easy to make and you can use it daily — my husband has been using it for a year now and it’s his favorite cream for that nether territory where men seem to get uncomfortable.
He takes it with him when he travels too, but one time at the airport in Mexico, the young woman at security wanted to know what it was — My husband’s Spanish is ok, but he didn’t know how to say this — “aahh, anti-fungal cream??” — so he motioned trying to describe that it is a cream for the skin — she took it away and threw it in the trash. And it was only a small amount, the less 4 oz, and in a see-thru plastic container. He was bummed — I was too.
Here is the recipe for homemade anti-fungal cream with beeswax. Research shows that beeswax and olive oil inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans(Research here) (bacteria and yeast). Shea butter is anti-inflammatory (Research here). Tea tree essential oil is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral(Research here). The almond oil has omega fatty acids and is an emollient.
If you do not like the smell of tea tree oil, try my anti-fungal cream with essential oil of bitter orange which seems to knock down the tea tree oil odor somewhat. Or you can use lemongrass essential oil which has anti-fungal properties.
Natural Anti-Fungal Cream
Directions:
- Measure the shea butter, beeswax, avocado oil, and olive oil in a mason glass jar — the type you use for canning.
2. Place the glass in a saucepan filled with water. - Heat over the stove until the butter melts.
- Remove from the heat, add the tea tree oil.
- Stir occasionally for the first 15 minutes or put the lid on tight and shake it occassionally for the first 15 minutes until it just begins to solidify. Then put it in the refrigerator to solidfy completely. Once it is solid, take it out and keep it at room temperature as you use it. No need to keep in the refrigerator. This should keep the shea butter from becoming grainy.
Can I use Cocoa butter instead of Shea butter?
Yes, you can.
Can I substitute Organic Pure African Shea Oil (Inessence brand from Whole Foods) for the shea butter? I know it probably wouldn’t result in a cream, just an oil I would apply to the skin. Please let me know if you think that would work or if the shea butter is needed/better to use. Also, is this formula to strong to use on the face? My teenager is having a tough time with acne and washing with a tea tree facial/body wash has helped some but not resolved the issue. Thank you!
I would not use this on your face — it is more like an ointment. If you use shea oil, the product will not solidify, because the butter adds consistency. If you want to make it without the shea butter, use my recipe with beeswax instead and go ahead and use the shea oil in place of the oil — and use tea tree oil if you want anti-fungal properties. https://www.deilataylor.com/homemade-beeswax-body-butter/ As far as the acne goes — so much of that is hormonal and most kids grow out of. My kids tried many different therapies (benzoyl peroxide, salicylate, retin-A, oral antibiotics, and nothing worked like a miracle. Worst cases usually clear up with oral Accutane, but there are side effects.
Hi Delia I have followed several of you recipes and am in the process of trying to make a cream for helping dermatitis ,ive been thinking on the lines of beeswax,shea butter and argan oil,what are your views ?
Sounds good, give it a try and let me know!
Hi Delia I only made a small batch ,beeswax, argan oil ,shea butter and 10 drops of tea tree oil ,a little too firm end result but will look at adjusting the mix ,Results inflammation gone down by 70% and no itching ,this is after 4 hours of applying ,so looks promising Just wondering how i can make the cream thinner as its quiet firm
Try cutting back on the beeswax or the shea butter — I have been using 3Tablespoons (18 grams) of beeswax, 4Tablespoons (1/4 cup) shea, and 1/2 cup of oil — this has been a good consistency. I put it in the fridge to solidify which helps keep the shea from getting grainy, then take it out and let it sit at room temp. Let me know what you try and what works. Glad the results are so good.
Hi Delia well after modifying the beeswax I still have a firm cream ,but must say that the mix must be right medically as application in the morning and again at night my dermatitis has gone from itchy red areas to virtually nothing
Well, then I would keep it as it is — a little firm but the beeswax may have some properties that are helping your skin — and the right combination of ingredients. Glad you finding a solution to that dermatitis.
Hi Delia just an update dermatitis is all clear while using my mix ,but as soon as i forget to apply in the morning it comes back itching ,I have made a slight change to the recipe as found it very oily ,so added some corn starch ,this makes it less oily and appears to absorb well with out any decrease in effectiveness
Yes, we have found that these creams need to be used daily — my husband has used it everyday for a couple of years now. As long as he does, he has no skin problems.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise in this field. More and more people are wanting to go back to the good natural stuff to put onto their skins. I just wanted to ask if one could also instead of shaking it or mixing with a fork, just whisking it with an electrical mixer?
You can wisk it for sure — but you don’t need an electric mixer, it doesn’t need to be mixed vigorously — just stirring as it cools is good. I have even let it cool with no mixing and it works fine. The beeswax makes cleaning an electric mixer kind of messy, and I’m always for less mess! I have also found that putting it in the fridge and letting it cool down without mixing is good. That seems to keep the shea butter from getting grainy (which can happen depending on the shea)
Hi,
I have an idea to make a Rosacea cream with,
Shea butter 55%
Tea tree oil 1%
Zinc Oxide 40%
Zinc Pyrithione 4%
It could double as a sunscreen if the transparency / consistency works, but primarily I’d want to leave it on while I sleep to get rid of Rosacea. Any thoughts? Maybe it’s too strong?
I would certainly give it a try — in fact I would like to try that out as well. What is your source for the zinc oxide and zinc pyrithione? I dont think I would use the tea tree oil, as I dont believe the rosacea has any link to fungal problems. And it might be too strong with the tea tree oil. Too much tea tree oil can cause irritation of the skin. how about lavendar essential oil?
Hi,
Thank you for the recipe! I just did it as I have an athlete’s foot 🙁 I was surprised how fast it thickened (I changed some things, I used cera bellina, neem oil and black cumin seed oil I hope it’s ok!)
Can you tell me how fast you got results?
Thank you!
As long as you include the tea tree oil, it should work fine. My husband uses this cream, and he sees results within days. He is so paranoid about getting the fungus back that he uses the cream daily — it acts as a preventative as well. I have also made the cream with bitter orange essential oil which has anti-fungal properties. https://www.deilataylor.com/diy-daily-anti-fungal-cream/
I have a terrible time in the summer with sensitive skin and what my grandmother always referred to as “prickly heat.” Over the years, I have tried everything commercially available. One of my friends started using essential oils and I discovered Tea Tree Oil. Soon after that I found a Tea Tree Oil soap for my son’s acne. His dermatologist wanted to know what I did. I told him about the soap and he took my son off all of his prescription acne medications and told us to just use the soap. When I found this recipe for a Tea Tree Oil anti-fungal cream, I couldn’t wait to try it. I am very please to tell you that after a few days, the “prickly heat” that plagued me every summer for years is gone.
Thanks for the positive feedback. I’m glad it started working that quickly. I know we couldn’t live without it. I will have to try the tea tree oil soap for my son!
Of the two creams mentioned, with and without beeswax, which do you like most and why? Is there a benefit to adding beeswax beyond the solidity it adds to the mix?
I use both — and they work equally well. My husband likes the second one and uses it daily to prevent anything that can be classified as jock itch. He says it works better than anything he has bought. And daily use has been fine.
The beeswax has anti- inflammatory properties so that is a plus. http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-305-BEESWAX.aspx?activeIngredientId=305&activeIngredientName=BEESWAX
Everyone is different so whatever works best is the best one. Oils can be substituted as needed or wanted
I think the first one often feels less oily.
Let me know how it works for you.
Can you put coconut oil instead of avocado oil?
yes, you may use coconut oil instead of avocado oil. You may also use almond oil or olive oil instead of the avocado oil. Coconut oil is a little more solid in cold temps, so the final product may be a little thicker, but would melt on your skin just fine.
Hi. I don’t have Shea butter, it is ok to make the above recipe without Shea butter?