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Why not try this homemade anti-itch bug bite lotion this summer instead of store-bought? It uses simple ingredients that you may already have in your pantry.
If you’re spending time outdoors this summer, chances are you’re going to run into a bug bite situation at some point. Whether you’re hiking, camping, boating, or swimming, mosquitos and flies seem to find you, no matter how diligent you are with the bug spray. I love the idea of using a homemade remedy for bug bites because it’s something you only really need every once in a while, so it’s great to use up things that you might already have in your cabinet rather than buying a whole new product that won’t get used up before its expiration date. I love an affordable and effective handmade solution, and it’s even better if it’s completely safe and natural. This anti-itch bug bite lotion can also be used on skin irritation from gardening, or to soothe things like poison ivy or poison oak.
Read next: How to Identify Poison Ivy With 100% Confidence
Homemade Bug Bite Solution With Essential Oils
This recipe can easily be made as an ointment to be stored in a little jar or as a liquid to be used in a rollerball. To make it as an ointment, use regular coconut oil and be sure to store it below 24°C so it remains a solid. To make a liquid for a rollerball, use fractionated coconut oil, which will remain a liquid at room temperature.
To make the essential oil blend, you’ll need:
- 2 Teaspoons Coconut Oil (fractionated or regular coconut oil)
- 5 Drops Tea Tree Oil
- 5 Drops Peppermint Essential Oil
- 12 Drop Lavender Essential Oil
Mix everything together and transfer to a container of your choice. For the ointment, a small jar repurposed from an eye cream or something like that works well. If you’d like to make a rollerball, you can find them for sale here.
When you discover that you’ve been bitten, dab a small amount of the essential oil blend directly on the bite to soothe it and reduce itching. The lavender essential oil has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, and can also reduce pain and irritation. The tea tree essential oil has antimicrobial properties and can prevent infection and speed healing. The peppermint oil contains menthol, which provides an instant cooling sensation to help stop the itchy feeling.
More natural solutions for you and your family: Essential Oil Snore Relief Rollerball Recipe
Anti-Itch Bug Bite Lotion With Baking Soda
As an alternative, here’s another bug bit lotion that you can try. It’s a bit messier to apply, but it can be very soothing. Try this one as well if you have the ingredients available.
I first realized that you could make your own anti-itch bug bite lotion a few years ago when I noticed that sodium bicarbonate is the main active ingredient in the tube of kids’ bug bite lotion that I had in my cupboard. I did a little research, and sure enough, you can use good ol’ baking soda along with a few other simple ingredients to whip up a batch of bug bite lotion big enough to last your family all summer! This recipe takes just a few minutes to put together, so it’s definitely worth trying out if you like to spend a lot of time outdoors.
You’ll need:
- 1/8 cup Baking Soda
- 1 Tablespoon Aloe Vera Gel
- 1/2 Teaspoon Witch Hazel
- 1/2 Teaspoon Water
- About 5 Drops of Peppermint Essential Oil
Measure all ingredients out into a small bowl and mix well until they all come together as a smooth paste. Transfer the paste to an airtight container, such as a little mason jar, and keep it sealed when you’re not using it.
To use, just dab a bit of the paste on any itchy bug bites. The baking soda helps to take the itch or sting out of a bug bite, while the aloe vera soothes your skin. The witch hazel is a natural antiseptic, and the peppermint essential oil provides a cooling sensation to the area.
When the paste is dry, you can just brush it away!
So that’s how you can make your own bug bite lotion two different ways if you run into any itchy situations this summer. Let me know if it works for the types of bug bites that you get in your area!
Read next: Essential Oil Rollerball Recipe for Headaches
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.