Any good itch remedies?

[Daffodils At The Sea]

anyone getting good results to stop itching from bug bites? I have had good luck with clove oil in the past, but I can't find mine. Hoping there are a few other things. Thanks.

 

[Denim Deb]

Do you have any birch trees near you? If so, get a good handful of water, add them to a cup of boiling water. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, then strain and cool. Apply it w/some cotton or gauze as needed. This works for any itch you have-including poison ivy!

 

[baymule]

anyone getting good results to stop itching from bug bites?

Long Fingernails?

 

[Britesea]

I always make sure I have plantain (not the banana- Plantago) growing in my garden. You can make a poultice by biting the leaves a few times to get the juices flowing, then place them over the affected area for 15-20 minutes. I did this for my son when he got stung by a bee, and when I took the poultice off there was no redness or swelling at all. The only way you could tell something had happened was the small hole in the epidermis. In the winter, I always make up an ointment of plantain in olive oil and a bit of beeswax (although you could just use the oil by itself). It works for pretty much any skin inflammation

By the way, if you have to buy seeds to plant your own (it's pretty ubiquitous, but I didn't find any here when I moved), be sure to give the seeds some "winter chill" by sticking them in the freezer for a while before you try to plant.

 

[okra]

We always finf aloe vera is good for bites. It's a natural antiseptic agent which makes it a great remedy for all sorts of bites. Take fresh aloe vera leaf and cut it and rub on the juice onto the affected area.

 

[cheepo]

I have always just mixed up baking soda and water not too runny or thick..and dotted it on..
ok looks a bit funny....but works
or found rubbing on keifir whey helped too..

 

[Daffodils At The Sea]

Thanks, guys, I will try some of these.


Denim Deb, no birch trees, but it sounds interesting.

Baymule, yeah, that's what I'm using now and it's not workin'!!

Britesea, interesting. I've got some plantain "weeds" a low -growing plant with "flowers" that stick straight up and turn into seed heads, very invasive, but if it does what you say, it could redeem itself!! I had no idea!! I'll look into it!

okra, I need to start another aloe vera plant. It's got so many good uses, particularly for skin and hair. I wish I could try some for this!

cheepo, yeah, I actually tried this, but it didn't do much. I think it does well with rashes, my husband had trouble with the laundry soap and baking soda paste helped him.

 

[Britesea]

Daffodils, the plantain is better than you think. It is very closely related to psyllium, and those seeds can be used the same way. The young leaves are also edible and tasty in salads; the older leaves need to be cooked to be edible, and the new seed stalks are tender and nutty flavored (harvest when only about 3 inches tall).
Besides being good as a poultice for sores, burns, stings, rashes and insect bites, it is also astringent, antimicrobial, antiviral, antitoxin, diuretic, demulcent, and vulnerary. When taken internally as a tea, it lowers blood sugar and treats lung and stomach disorders.

 

[Daffodils At The Sea]

Britesesa, wow, sounds like great stuff. Is this the plant you are talking about? This is not what we have.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major


On this site, scroll down to the plantain, this is what we have. The leaves are about as wide as a finger. The seed head stalks stick up on a long stick and are long green things that turn to fluff and seed.

http://nwfarmsandfood.com/index.php/what-weeds-can-tell-about-the-soil

 

[Denim Deb]

There's at least 2 different type of plantains. We have at least 2 types growing around here, and while I know both are edibles, I'm not sure what all you can use them for.