Anti-itch recipes for insect bites (mosquito bites)
When you are living in an area with lots of water, rivers and lakes
then mosquitoes become a real problem. Protection is never 100% no matter
how much insect repellent you use. Here are some recipes to stop the
itching that will follow such an mosquito bite.
Common Plantain, Plantago major, Snake Weed, Plantago lanceolata, German: Wegerich
This unfortunately often as weed discarded plant has some astonishing
anti-inflammatory properties. Only the fresh leaves should be used. The plant
looses quickly it's anti-inflammatory properties in alcohol extracts or dried form.
Take a whole leave and rub it until the sap starts to come out. Apply
it then on parts of the body stung by insects. Plantain is also in case of
light burns.
On minor wounds it will stay the bleeding and accelerate the healing process.
Plantain has some anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properites.
Common Plantain grows best on mineral rich soil between lime stones.
Ammonia, Ammonium Hydroxide solution (NH3 dissolved in water, NH4OH)
Ammonium Hydroxide stops the itch on irritated skin. The solution should
have a concentration of 2-3% max. Most stores sell 10% solutions so you have
to add some water.
You can prepare an anti-itch cream by mixing a tea spoon of Aloe Vera Gel with a few drops of
Ammonium Hydroxide.
Note that this cream should be kept in a closed container.
If you want an easy way to apply the pure Ammonium Hydroxide solution (not a cream) then take a small bottle (e.g 10ml), fill it half with a 2% Ammonium Hydroxide solution and press a piece of a sponge it into the bottle neck. Press the
sponge deep enough into the bottle such that you can still close it with
the cap but only so deep that it comes still out a bit. You have now
a "Ammonium Hydroxide felt-tip".
Applied to itching insect bits it will provide immediate relief.
Apply Ammonium Hydroxide
only to the spot where the insect stung.
Do not use Ammonium Hydroxide on larger skin areas.
NH3 penetrates the skin easily and is dangerous in large quantities.
Eucalyptus oil
This is a mild natural anti-itch medicine. Apply a bit of Eucalyptus oil on the
area of the skin. Eucalyptus is not as strong as Ammonia but it will give
relief over time.
© Guido Socher, guidosocher at
gmail.com, ->back to my main homepage
