5 BEST Natural Cures for a Yeast Infection, Including Tea Tree Oil

Yeast infections affect women and men, but lets face it—us girls carry the majority of the yeast infection burden. If you have had a yeast infection before, you are familiar with the itching, burning, and odor coming from your Netherlands, and you’ve probably heard that overusing antibiotics can make your next battle with candida even more painful and exhausting. If you are experiencing symptoms but aren’t sure if it’s yeast you’re dealing with, I recommend that you go to the gynecologist so they can look at a swab sample under a microscope before you start trying to cure yourself. All of the natural cures listed here work miracles against yeast and can be helpful with bacterial infections as well, but an untreated bacterial infection can become serious, and an undiagnosed STD can have serious implications for your current health and future fertility.

So, if you’re unsure if it’s yeast, look for:

-Genital itching and burning, especially during intercourse or urination

-Thick, white discharge that resembles yogurt or cottage cheese

-A yeast smell, which may remind you of bread or beer. If you’re unsure what yeast smells like, dig a jar of baker’s yeast out of the refrigerator and take a whiff.

-While it’s rare for men to get yeast infections, their symptoms usually include itching, irritation, and redness at the tip of the penis.

-A yeast infection of the mouth is obvious because of the thick white coating that covers the tongue and inside of mouth.

How to Prevent a Yeast Infection:

1. Treat your partner. Yeast infections are not considered to be STDs, but if you have an infection, you can pass it to your partner during intercourse, who can later pass it back to you. It's like the adult version of tag. You’re it!
2. Cotton. Wear breathable fabrics that allow heat and moisture to escape from between your legs. Also, don’t be afraid to sleep commando.
3. Eat right. Most doctors view yeast infections as their own entities, but really they are a symptom of something else in your body that has been upset. High stress, antibiotics, birth control pills, can lead to an overgrowth of candida, as well as overeating sugars. So cut out refined sugar, white bread, potatoes, and rice, and alcohol from your diet and I garuntee your womanhood will suffer less.
4. Keep your genitals clean. Wash them with water and, if you feel the need, a gentle, unscented soap. I love Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree Oil soap because it is all-natural, so it doesn’t irritate sensitive skin, and it contains one of nature’s best ingredients for fighting yeast. Avoid products that irritate sensitive skin, such as scented sprays and douches.

How to CURE a Yeast infection:

1. Tea Tree Oil. Buy suppositories in just dab some over the infected area. Caution: Before dabbing it directly on your skin, mix it with vasoline or olive oil to avoid causing yourself even more pain. Here’s a tip: keep the suppositories in the freezer, and they’ll feel extra good when you insert them. Either do this before bed or wear a pantiliner, because these suppositories melt and drip out. I keep a box in my freezer at all times.

2. Yogurt. Eat it and insert it. Make sure it’s flavorless and has no added sugar. Some women freeze yogurt in the fingers of latex gloves, then insert the iced yogurt like a tampon. Yogurt delivers lots of good bacteria that will naturally keep the yeat in check.

3. Probiotics. If you’re feeling a bit lazy, buy probiotic pills, the most important one being Lactobacillus acidophilus, which you can find in most natural food stores. There are also special bacterial blends that are specially formulated for healthy woman parts, some of which include pills to be taken orally and pills to be inserted. Take these pills according to the package directions.

4. Garlic. A natural antifungal agent. Peel a single clove and insert it, leaving it there over night. I recommend that you wrap it in a cheesecloth and tie up both ends, perhaps fashioning a longer string to the bottom end to make it easy to remove. How embarassing would it be to show up at the doctor’s office with a yeast infection and a clove of garlic stuck up there? Also, don’t do this the night before a first date—your breath will be smelling wonderfully garlicky for 24 hours.

5. Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. This is the vinegar that can be used to remove warts, kill bacteria, and now, ta-da! It kills yeast too! Mix 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar with 1/4 cup of water and douche once or twice a day until you feel confident that the yeast is gone. Don’t douche when you don’t even have an infection, though! You can upset the natural bacterial balance.

Of course, if you are squeamish about these cures or just want the certainty of a doctor telling you what to do, there is no problem with buying an over the counter medication such as Diflucan, Monistat, and Vagistat, as long as you don’t overuse them.