Home Remedies for Itchy Skin

You have itchy skin and your first reaction is to scratch like crazy. Of course scratching that itch will relieve it for a little while but then you need to scratch some more. The more you scratch your itchy skin, the more you are prone to infection and that is something we all want to avoid.

Itchy skin is medically known as pruritus which is caused by stimuli bugging your skin. When something is wrong with your skin, the first thing that happens is it starts to itch and when you want relief, you scratch. There are many causes of itchy skin including allergic reactions, sunburns, medications, bug bites and stings, poison ivy, soaps and detergents, chemical reactions, dry weather, and aging. Luckily there are things one can do at home to relief itchy skin without scratching like crazy and being open to a skin infection.

Home Remedies for Itchy Skin: Baking Soda

Baking soda, like vinegar, truly is one of nature's many healing products. Baking soda can help with so many things including itchy skin. To use baking soda as a home remedy for itchy skin use it in a bath. Add a cup of baking soda to a tub of warm water. Soak for up to an hour to help relieve your itchy skin. You can also use baking soda as a paste to help relieve itchy skin. Just mix three parts of baking soda to one part water and apply it to the skin as a paste. Do not use baking soda paste if your skin is broken.

Oatmeal

Add one to two cups of finely ground oatmeal to a warm bath to help relieve your itchy skin. Do not use hot water for the oatmeal because it will be like eating breakfast in your bath tub.

Lemon

Squeeze some undiluted lemon juice on your skin and allow to dry to help relieve itchy skin. Lemon contains anti-inflammatory and anesthetic properties which will help relieve itchy skin.

Cloves and Juniper Berries

You can get cloves and juniper berries from your local grocery store. Juniper berries were used by the American Indians to relieve itchy skin. Juniper berries contain anti-inflammatory properties and cloves contain eugenol to numb the nerve endings. When these two are combined, there is no more itchy skin. To use these two spices as a home remedy melt three ounces of unsalted butter in a pan. In a separate pan, melt about two tablespoons of beeswax. When the beeswax is all the way melted, combine with the butter, stir well, and add five tablespoons of ground juniper and three tablespoons of ground cloves and stir. Let cool and apply this mixture to itchy skin to relieve it entirely. It is best to ground the juniper berries and cloves yourself to get the best results.

Basil Tea

Basil has high amounts of eugenol, like cloves. Make a tea with basil and splash your skin with it to help relieve the itchy skin. Take a half ounce of dried basil leaves and place in a jar of boiling water. Make sure to keep it covered or the aromatic eugenol will escape and it won't work on your itchy skin. Allow to cool and dip a clean cloth in it to apply to itchy skin as much as necessary. You can also use mint and thyme the same way to relieve your itchy skin.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is nature's healing plant. It is a must to relieve burns but it can also relieve itchy skin. Just snap off a leaf from the plant, slice it down the middle and rub the gel on the itch to help relieve it.

Home remedies are a natural and inexpensive way to relieve lots of ailments. If your itchy skin is due to something more serious though, see a doctor immediately.

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Home Remedies for Itchy Skin