Itching, whether from an annoying bug bite or brushing up against some poison ivy, can be maddening. Short of using steroid cream, there are lots of choices. Why not steroid cream? Well, in addition to other side effects, it causes thinning of the skin and suppresses expression through the skin. What that means is that, after some initial relief, symptoms often worsen over time. So what can you try?

Try a few of the suggestions below to see what works for your particular itchy condition. Also, if, like me, you have experienced shingles, what works today, may not work tomorrow, so keep a range of options handy to help get you through. (In fact, with shingles, you also need to treat the nerves, as well – which is a separate posting!) I would not recommend using very warm or hot baths as these increase circulation, and this is not what you want when you’re itching. Cool or tepid water is very soothing to itching, so make your baths as cool as you can tolerate, without being uncomfortable.

Remember, open wounds should be treated with care and you should always see your doctor if you’re not sure what is wrong with your skin. Although the following are quite safe and have been used for centuries, always use caution and test all remedies on a small portion of your skin to see how the skin will react or in case of sensitivities. Never apply these remedies to open skin unless recommended by your health care practitioner.

• Aloe Vera: This may be one of my favorite herbal products. Helping everything from skin rashes, constipation, blood sugar, and acid reflux, this anti-bacterial badass substance packs a healthy dose of vitamin C, as well. I highly recommend you keep this around—in the form of a houseplant or tube-packed gel. (You can also find liquid aloe juice to take internally with all kinds of applications not covered here.)

Treating all kinds of skin irritation, aloe is better known for its ability to heal sunburns, but it’s extremely versatile. (It can be used as a face wash, makeup remover, or shaving cream!) For our purposes here, it soothes the skin and relieves swelling and irritation. It’s also moisturizing. Simply apply to the affected area.

• Apple cider vinegar (ACV): Okay, so what can’t ACV do? You read about this miracle cure everywhere, and for good reason! ACV is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial and relieves itching. It’s also an effective antiseptic. For me, after drying out the shingles vesicles with calendula gel, my skin became a little too dry, so I used ACV, great for the itchiness associated with dryness (like post-shingles, dandruff, sunburn). Use raw, unfiltered, organic ACV. Apply with a cotton ball to affected area, or add 1-3 cups to bathwater.

• Baking soda: This simple natural item saved my life one day. I’d been using Capsicum cream for the pain of the shingles somewhat effectively, and one day, on dry, itchy skin, the cream created a skin flare with unrelenting pain and burning. My skin turned fire red. The only thing that helped was baking soda. Baking soda is quite soothing due to its anti-inflammatory properties. It also neutralizes acid. Most things that cause itching are acidic and baking soda is alkaline. That’s why it’s also great for bug bites!

Add 1-1.5 cups of baking soda to a warm bath and swish it around until it dissolves. Soak in the water for 20-30 minutes and pat dry (don’t rub it off.) Alternatively, you can make a paste with baking soda and water (approximately 1:3 ratio) and apply it to the affected area for 10-15 minutes. This gets a little messy, so spread out a towel to catch the crumbs.

• Colloidal oatmeal: In other words, oats that have been ground into a fine powder. You can do it yourself by throwing raw oats into the food processor. Oatmeal is very soothing to skin. As above, either add 1-2 cups to your bath water or add some water to the oatmeal and let it sit until it becomes a paste which you apply to the affected area. You can do either of these options several times per day.

• Juniper berries and cloves: This ancient Native American remedy has been used for hundreds of years to help sooth itchy skin. The combination of juniper berries’ anti-inflammatory properties and the eugenol, a powerful essential oil of cloves (also found in basil), helps numb nerve endings to reduce itching sensations. You can also apply clove oil via a cotton swab on a painful tooth. It’s miraculous, but doesn’t taste very good!

Grind 5 TB of juniper berries and mix with 1 TB of cloves. If you happen to have some beeswax lying around (you can order online), melt butter and beeswax (in a 3:2 ratio) in a pan. You might want to start with the beeswax as it takes a little longer to melt, then add the butter. Add the juniper-clove mixture to the melted mixture. When cool, apply it to affected parts and let it harden and leave on at least 20-30 minutes, or overnight. Shower or bathe to remove.

Some other remedies to research are basil, thyme, mint, lemon, chamomile, burdock root, Vitamins C and E, and witch hazel.

Nature provides us with amazing tools to treat our itchiness. Try them out and let me know which ones worked for you!

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