Try not to scratch your skin. Trim your nails and cover the itchy area with a dressing if you can’t keep from scratching. You can try wearing gloves at night so you don’t scratch when you sleep.
To relieve itchy skin, apply cool, wet compresses to the area.
Natural astringents such as witch hazel, St. John’s Wort or lemon juice will sooth and moisturize the skin.
Gel from aloe vera plants helps to heal the skin. Try to get aloe fresh from the plant. Just trim off a part of a leaf and apply the gel that’s inside to the affected area. You can also buy aloe vera gel from a store, usually found where sunscreen or skin products are sold.
Add baking soda to warm or cool bath water to help relieve itchy skin. You can also make a paste of baking soda and water and place it on your skin.
Take a bath in evaporated milk; even a sponge bath helps relieve itching and soothes the skin. Adding oatmeal to the milk bath is even better.
Taking vitamins can help skin by working from the inside out. Vitamin E, Beta carotene, vitamin C, and zinc are good vitamins for skin health. This won’t work right away, but is good for the long term.
RELIEVE THE ITCH FROM INSECT BITES
Some bugs carry diseases, so wash insect bites with soap and water.
Dab a little calamine lotion on insect bites to help with itching and swelling.
Wet the area with water and then rub an aspirin over it.
Mix table salt and water into a paste and apply it to the bites.
Use a salve or cream that contains antihistamines.
Hold an ice pack or ice wrapped in a washcloth on insect bites for 10-20 minutes to alleviate itching.
If there’s no ice available, run cold water over your skin for a few minutes or hold a cold bottle of water against the bites.
Oral antihistamines can help, but many cause sleepiness so don't take them when working or driving.
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Photo by Amarand Agasi on flickr.
Comments
That is just awful, Angela. No doubt it was the water!
RuthCox - Our family moved from Missouri to Illinois when I was young, and my mother's hands broke out when she had to keep them in water, such as washing dishes. Many years later she moved to Tennessee and her hands never broke out again. There must have been something in the water in that Illinois town.
I might need that water purification system. Ever since I moved to this new place a little over a year ago, my skin is so dry and itchy it is unbelievable. It is well water, unpurified or softened water, and it is just plain nasty! I don't drink it nor do I cook with it.