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Oh summer… how I love thee. With an abundance of fresh veggies at the farmer’s market (not to mention fresh peaches for cobbler) and lots of fun activities to do as a family, summer is almost perfect…
Except for the mosquitoes… or the occasional poison ivy… or an itchy peeling sunburn!
Of course, homemade bug spray helps ward off most of the mosquitoes, and homemade sunscreen helps avoid the sunburn in the first place. Still, it seems that at some point someone forgets one or the other and ends up with itchy, irritated skin.
I always seem to be a magnet for mosquitoes, so even just a couple minutes of cutting the boys’ hair outside or taking out the trash is usually enough to leave me with a few bites.
The solution?
Homemade Anti-Itch Spray
This anti-itch spray contains a mixture of potent natural remedies that help eliminate itch immediately. I’ve tried it on mosquito bites, poison ivy, sunburn, chigger bites, and even stinging nettle burns with good results.
The secret ingredient is menthol crystals. I use these potent natural crystals in my pain relief lotion bars and my soothing shower melts for cold relief. Menthol is naturally cooling and soothing and is often used in salves, balms, mouthwashes, liniments, lozenges, and other remedies.
I make this in a 4-ounce spray bottle, but you could easily double the recipe or cut in half to fit your container size.
Cooling Anti-Itch Spray Recipe
Materials
- ¼ cup witch hazel
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp menthol crystals
- 2 TBSP aloe vera gel
- 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar (or additional aloe)
- 5 drops lavender essential oil (optional)
- 5 drops calendula essential oil (optional)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat the witch hazel over low heat until warm to the touch (about 130 degrees).
- Add the salt and stir until dissolved.
- Using tweezers or gloves, add the menthol crystals to the witch hazel and stir until dissolved. Avoid touching menthol with your hands, as it can sting eyes or other sensitive areas if you touch them afterward.
- When the menthol is dissolved set the mixture aside to cool.
- When it is cool, add the aloe vera gel, apple cider vinegar, and essential oils if using.
- Carefully transfer the mixture to a spray bottle for use.
Notes
Use & Storage
Spray and let dry on itchy skin as needed. This will store for months at room temperature, but I prefer to keep in the refrigerator for extra cooling of itchy skin.
Note: The essential oils can be left out for use on pregnant women or children, but I’d still recommend checking with a doctor before using if you are pregnant or have a medical condition.
Other Natural Remedies for Itchy Skin
If you don’t have all the ingredients for this anti-itch spray on hand when itchy skin strikes, there are some simple natural methods to try:
- Apply a paste of bentonite clay and water to treat itchy skin. I also use bentonite clay in my anti-itch cream (use it like calamine lotion).
- Crush peppermint leaves and rub them on bug bites for a natural menthol effect.
- Mix 1 teaspoon baking soda and water for a soothing paste.
- The Native Americans used jewel weed for its skin-soothing properties. If you don’t feel like playing naturalist and foraging for it (thus getting more poison ivy), you can buy an herbal jewel weed salve.
While the spray is my first choice when it comes to soothing an itchy bug bite, I have also been introduced to the Bug Bite Thing. Simply put the device on the bug bite itself and pull up to suction up the irritants!
Ever struggled with itchy skin? What worked for you?
Refreshing Lemonade Recipe (With Probiotics)
Can you use Himalayan Salt in place of the natural salt?
My favorite for bug bits is just Epsom salt and water. I mix it in a jug and dip in cotton balls and it works great.
Will the menthol sting on eczema? Especially when the area has open cuts from scratching?
Also, could the calendula EO be substituted with more lavender EO?
Thanks!
Jewel weed which grows near streams and creeks, and plantain which grows in most gardens might help for itch, bug bites, poison ivy, etc.
could I use Himalayan pink salt or sea salt in place of the natural salt?
Yes
Hello I am trying to make this for my 2 year old son who is dealing with eczema and constantly itching my question is can I use the fresh aloe plant instead of the store bought gel only because of the added ingredients in it that might trigger him. Will it cause it to mold?
i need to know if I don’t have a menthol crystals what can I use instead I have vinger tea tree oil witch hazel is all I have
A basic paste of baking soda and water helps my itch when I get bitten. We’ve also tried placing the goey side of banana peels on the mosquito bites. This isn’t the most appealing (ha ha) way, but in a pinch, I found it worked when my daughter got over 25 bites all over her legs from a camping trip. She almost went crazy with the itch, but the banana peels calmed the itch immediately. Baking soda paste is a little more convenient b/c you can make it fast and it doesn’t fall off when you stand up.
When I’m actually in the woods and get bitten, I like to use the juice from jewel weed also known as touch-me-nots (Impatiens capensis). I break open the stems and smear the juice from the stem over the itchiness. This is especially useful for poison ivy. It’s rare to find poison ivy rarely grows where there isn’t some jewel weed in the vicinity. That’s nature for you, both the cause and the cure in close vicinity.
As soon as the heat hit, I got a heat rash that kept spreading and sometimes it will itch like crazy! I just now made this recipe, and I can feel it tingle on my skin, which is nice! My husband and I thought the vinegar the dominant smell, so I added 5 drops of clove oil (numbing) and some mint oil (even though it has menthol in it already), and the smell was much nicer–completely masked the vinegar. Thanks too for providing a link to the menthol crystals–I’d been looking for them, because I’ve been thinking of doing some experiments with making cough lozenges.
And I actually added another whole teaspoon of menthol crystals to a tablespoon of additional witch hazel to add to the batch I just made last night, because we both thought it needed more menthol. The vinegar smell came back, however (sigh) but the cool tingle lasts much longer now 😉
Thank you for the recipe, Katie!
Every summer, my skin always becomes itchy with the rising heat and, especially, in direct sunlight. (This never happens to me in other seasons.) Although I’m not sure why this happens, I’m really hoping this can give me the needed anti-itch relief. Thanks again, Katie!
Sarah, it’s called Brachioradial Pruritus. I have it, too. It’s from sun damage, and possibly a spinal condition and oh my goodness, does the itch drive me crazy only in the summer!! I find that menthol is the only thing, plus ice packs, that help. Go to this website to read more about it: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21181-brachioradial-pruritus
Have you tried Zanfel? This product saved my butt, literally, when I had poison oak. And other times when I got it on my arms. It takes the poison oak away and relieves the itch. Seriously.