At-Home Symptom Relief for Vaginal Thrush

Author: Jessica Lloyd
Senior Vulvovaginal Specialist Naturopath | BHSc(N) | ISSVD, ISSWSH, BSSM, ATMS

Last reviewed: July 30, 2026

If you are squealing in discomfort, pain, itchiness and you need help for your yeast infection right now to get symptoms to manageable levels, read on.

Milk kefir orally and vaginally

You want fresh milk kefir grains only, which you will need to buy online for about US$15 and have delivered. These grains may take too long to be delivered if you need symptom relief immediately, but if you are prone to yeast infections, having some milk kefir grains fermenting can make a difference down the track.

Make a thick, sour ferment of milk kefir, and insert a soaked tampon vaginally, use a douche apparatus to squirt some deep into your vagina, or use milk kefir suppositories that you freeze.

In our clinic, live milk kefir is a firm favourite – a cheap, high-dose probiotic that can be used both orally and vaginally, and one of the pillars of our approach since the early days of the Killing BV program.

Douche to clean out the itchy, irritating thick white discharge of vaginal yeast infections

A warm water douche can immediately clear out the itch-inducing cottage cheese-like discharge that can contribute to yeast infections being unbearable.

Try a lavender essential oil douche^1–2 or you can also use Australian or New Zealand tea tree oil in a douche.

Add a few drops of tea tree oil^3–4 to warm water (if you can get water-soluble tea tree, do so). Using a syringe canister or douche, apply deep into the vagina and around the vulva, and let run out.

Don’t over-douche – you need your good bacteria! Just once should be fine, or as needed, but use sparingly. Douching is NOT generally a solution for a yeast infection, but can help soothe your vagina and vulva, and may solve the problem in some people.

Essential oils for vaginal yeast infections

German chamomile
Geranium
Lavender
Lemongrass
Myrrh
Petitgrain
Tea tree
Thyme

Using essential oils safely: essential oils are potent and can irritate or burn the delicate skin of the vulva and vagina, so always dilute them well, never apply them undiluted – this matters especially for tea tree oil, which should never be used neat – and do a small patch test first. Stop straight away if there is any stinging or burning, and avoid essential oils and douching altogether during pregnancy. The antifungal evidence for these oils is largely from laboratory studies, so treat them as symptom soothers rather than a proven cure.

Sitz bath for minor symptom relief of vaginal yeast infections

Dose: 2-3 drops of essential oil in a large bowl of warm water, and sit your vulva in it – used twice daily until symptoms resolve.

A sitz bath is a ‘bath’ where your bottom and vagina are sitting in the water and nothing else, though you can have a regular bath – just make sure to add more essential oils to account for the new ratio.

Itching or soreness – soothing yoghurt and essential oil douche for vaginal yeast infections

Dose: Make a douche using 100ml of fresh live probiotic (unflavoured) yoghurt or milk kefir, plus 5 drops each of German chamomile, lavender and tea tree oil.

Apply the mixed liquid using a syringe canister, turkey baster, or silicone douche. You can dilute the yoghurt with warm water until it is thinner, if you prefer. Diluted yoghurt will come out of your vagina faster than the thicker yoghurt may.

Make sure the yoghurt is completely plain, has live probiotics in it, and no added sugar, flavours, or preservatives.

Do the douche twice daily until symptoms abate. Do not continue to douche.

Probiotics to choose when treating a vaginal yeast infection at home

You want yeast-fighting bacteria and beneficial yeasts. Find a probiotic with Saccharomyces boulardii in it – a known yeast fighter.

If you can’t find that, then ask at your local pharmacy for the best probiotic they have for yeast infections.

Recurrent yeast infections and the gut

A yeast infection in your vagina can be a sign of a yeast bloom in the digestive system. The gut therefore also needs addressing if you want to really clear up recurrent yeast infections.

You aren’t aiming to eliminate yeasts completely – they always exist in our bodies – but to keep them within normal levels.

Food to skip when you have a vaginal yeast infection

While you are treating your yeast infection, stop eating all white carbs (white bread, pasta, rice, potato), and all sugary drinks and foods. These foods feed yeast.

You may be surprised that, for some people, just removing these foods – without any douching – helps settle a yeast infection. Don’t underestimate how much your diet affects what blooms in your belly and vagina.

Add to that fermented foods and probiotics, and for some people a straightforward yeast infection settles quickly. The idea is that a bloom relies on a food source, so easing off that food source can help bring it back under control.

Without the bloom in your gut, your vagina doesn’t have any yeast problems most of the time – one thing leads to the other. Adding yeast-fighting bacteria uses a two-part approach to fighting yeast – starve it and kill it.

While it’s also important to consider your intestines when treating vaginal yeast infections, vaginal treatments can reduce symptoms while you attend to your gut flora.

Boric acid for vaginal yeast infections

Boric acid, 600mg nightly inserted deep into your vagina, can be a useful treatment for yeast infections, particularly stubborn or recurrent ones. Important safety notes: boric acid is for vaginal use only, is toxic if swallowed (keep it well away from children and pets), and must not be used during pregnancy.

Read more about boric acid in our boric acid fact sheet and then where to find boric acid.

Potassium sorbate vaginally

Potassium sorbate is not commonly used much anymore, but at one point potassium sorbate – a yeast-defying food preservative – was used vaginally for yeast infections.

Loose-leaf herbs in the bath for vaginal yeast infection symptom relief

You can use chamomile, calendula or green tea leaves in the bath by making up a strong batch of tea with the leaves – steep for 20-30 minutes, then have a sitz bath or a regular bath to calm your raw, itchy vulva.

Keep in mind that most teabags contain plant ‘dust’ and are nearly useless – nearly. If that’s all you have, try it, but use a lot.

Frequently asked questions

Can you treat a yeast infection at home?

You can often ease the symptoms at home, and mild cases sometimes settle with simple measures. But the standard, well-evidenced treatment is an antifungal (such as clotrimazole cream or pessaries, or a fluconazole tablet). Home measures are best thought of as soothing relief, not a guaranteed cure.

Does yoghurt or kefir help a yeast infection?

Plain live yoghurt or milk kefir can feel soothing and provides probiotic bacteria, and many people find it helps calm irritation. The evidence for probiotics curing thrush is mixed, so use them as supportive care alongside proper treatment rather than instead of it.

When should I see a doctor about thrush?

See a doctor if it is your first suspected yeast infection, it does not improve within a few days, it keeps coming back (four or more times a year), you are pregnant, or you are not certain of the diagnosis. Several other conditions mimic thrush, so recurrent or stubborn symptoms deserve a proper look.

Are essential oils safe to use for thrush?

Only with care. Essential oils can irritate or burn delicate genital skin, so they must be well diluted and never applied neat (especially tea tree). Patch test first, stop if it stings, and avoid them in pregnancy. Their antifungal effect is mostly shown in the lab, not in clinical trials.

This article covers at-home symptom relief, not a replacement for medical care. The standard treatment for a vaginal yeast infection is an antifungal medicine. Please see a doctor if this is your first infection, it is not settling, it keeps returning, you are pregnant, or you are unsure of the diagnosis – many conditions look like thrush. Essential oils and douching can irritate delicate tissue, so use them cautiously, if at all.