Happy Monday everyone!I hope you all enjoyed a lovely 4th of July weekend. With summer well underway, I thought I’d share with you a few natural remedies I rely on when fighting one of summer’s biggest nuisance, mosquitos! It seems I’m doomed to be ravaged by mosquitos every summer (guess I’m just that sweet!) and since I’m not willing to spend my summer evenings locked indoors, I’ve found a few ways to cope with the inevitable itching that comes with mosquito bites.
My first step of defense is to use a natural mosquito repellent such as this one but since mosquito repellents aren’t always 100% effective, I thought I’d share with you a few natural remedies for mosquito bites. Keep in mind that most remedies only provide temporary relief and will need to be re-applied for continuous relief.
Honey
I’m well aware of the many benefits of organic, raw honey and use it on a regular basis. From facial masks to itch relief, the antiseptic, antibiotic and antimicrobial properties found in honey make it a great all-natural remedy for mosquito bites.
Aloe Vera
I grew up using aloe vera gel (straight from the plant) on bug bites and continue to use it to this day for its cooling and moisturizing properties. I like to slather organic aloe on cuts, scrapes, bug bites and on dry, irritated skin and find it quite refreshing.
Tea Bags
A cup of green tea in the morning is not only relaxing but the residuals can aid in the relief of itchy mosquito bites. Saving the tea bags after steeping your morning tea and placing them on bug bites can not only reduce itching but swelling of the bite as well.
Tip: To further reduce the swelling of mosquito bites, try placing your used tea bags in the freezer for about 10 minutes before placing them on the bites. This will provide cooling relief from the bites while aiding in the swelling of the wound.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is said to reduce the itching associated with bug bites due to its low acidic levels. To use, soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and place it over the bites. Leave the soaked cotton ball over the bites
Tip: If you don’t want to hold a soaked cotton ball on your bug bites, try taping the ball to the bites. For those with more than just a few bites (say if mosquitoes happened to use your body as a 5 star buffet dinner), try adding a few cups of apple cider vinegar to a warm evening bath to relieve the itching.
Essential Oils
Like the others, essential oils such as tea tree and peppermint have been said to provide temporary relief for mosquito bites. Adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the effected area (taking care to dilute the oil in water) provides temporary relief.
In researching natural remedies for relieving mosquito bites, I tried many combinations and found that using organic, raw honey in conjunction with aloe vera gel/juice works best for me. I like to apply a liberal amount of raw, organic honey to the mosquito bites. Leaving the honey on the bites for 15-30 minutes, I then rinse with cold water before applying a liberal amount of aloe vera gel. This relieves the itchy bites for several hours.
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Thank you for reading!
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