If you spend any time outdoors at all–whether you’re gardening or grilling–you’re sure to find yourself with the occasional bug bite. This natural remedy offers relief and stops mosquito bites from itching!
Dealing with mosquito bites naturally
Summertime means outdoor time, which oftentimes means mosquito bites. If you find yourself out in the garden late in the warm summer evenings, it’s likely that you’ll have a run in with these bloodsuckers. Of course, other bugs bite and sting, but mosquitos are especially problematic.
While we call them “mosquito bites,” that’s a bit of a misnomer. Female mosquitoes use a special mouthpart to pierce skin, then suck blood from you. So, she’s not really biting. Once pierced, your skin will react and you’ll find yourself with the signature raised bump of a mosquito “bite.” And it will itch!
How long does a mosquito bite itch?
The itch of a mosquito bite usually lasts for several hours or up to a day. This seems to depend a bit on how sensitive you are to mosquito bites. The raised bump may stick around for another day or two, though it likely won’t itch that long.
How to stop a mosquito bite from itching
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Obviously, avoiding a mosquito bite will save you from its itch. [Try this mosquito repellent!] But if you find that you’ve become a buffet to the local mosquito population, there are a couple of things to try. Rubbing a piece of ice on the bite can soothe (and numb) the itch. You can also make up a batch of this gentle bug bite relief.
Natural Bug Bite Relief
Jan Berry, from The Nerdy Farm Wife, has a solution to those summertime bug bites! Her Lavender Bug Bite Sticks are just one of many recipes featured in her new book, 101 Easy Homemade Products for your Skin, Health, & Home. And she’s graciously allowed me to share her recipe with you. (Jan’s recipe for a basic soap bar is here.)
What I love about this natural bug bite relief recipe is that it’s totally forgiving. No sunflower oil? No problem. Substitute olive oil.
Also: It works if you don’t exactly follow directions. (See my notes below.) If you opt to stick with the sunflower oil in the recipe, know that it’s has been shown to be an effective healer of broken or damaged skin.
This natural bug bite relief was very fast to make. Honestly, it took me longer to gather the materials than anything. (Isn’t that always the way?)
This natural bug bite relief recipe uses sunflower oil infused with lavender. Jan gives three different ways of doing this in her book. The easiest is the traditional method, but you’ll need to plan ahead; the oil will need to sit with the lavender in a cool, dark place for six weeks. This is the kind of thing you can keep on hand for other projects. Infused lavender oil is great for massage!
Lavender helps soothe the itchiness that comes from bug bites, and as an added bonus it can act as a bit of a bug repellent. I mean, who wants one bug bite right on top of another?
★ Did you make this natural bug bite relief? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! ★
Natural Bug Bite Relief
Easy and natural bug bite relief!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sunflower oil
- 1/4 cup dried lavender flowers
- 1 tablespoon tightly packed beeswax, grated or pastilles
- A few drops of lavender essential oil
Instructions
- Infuse the sunflower oil with lavender flowers. Jan outlines three different methods for doing so in her book.
- Here is her traditional method, though in her book, she shares a couple of faster ways to infuse oil.
- Fill a glass canning jar about one-fourth to one-half of the way with dried herbs or flowers. Next, fill the jar, almost to the top, with your chosen oil.
- Cap the jar and tuck it away in a cool, dark cupboard for four to six weeks, shaking occasionally. A cool, dark area is suggested since too much exposure to heat and light may begin to degrade the quality of the herbs and oils over the extended length of the infusing time.
- In a heat proof jar or container, combine 3 tablespoons of lavender infused oil with the beeswax.
- Set the jar down into a saucepan containing 1 to 2 inches of water, forming a makeshift double boiler.
- Place the pan over a medium-low burner until the was is melted. Stir in the lavender essential oil, then pour into lip balm tubes.
- Depending on the weather and how you measured your beeswax, you may find that the consistency is too soft or two firm.
- If that happens, just melt the ingredients again and add more beeswax (for a firmer product) or oil (for a softer one).
- Dab on bee stings, bug bites, and other itchy spots as needed.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Making the bug bite sticks tins
I didn’t want to go out and purchase the plastic lip balm tubes Jan calls for in her book; I scrounged up some empty candy tins and used those instead. So technically, they’re not sticks in my household, but they’ll work just the same.
I used a recycled tin can to heat the oil and beeswax for this portable bug bite relief. Here’s what I recommend: Use a pair of pliers to make a little pour spout. This is what my first attempt looked like. Without a spout, the oil and beeswax kind of had a mind of its own. It was easy enough to just scrape it up and reheat, but it’s a step you can avoid now that I’ve told you.
Here’s what my crimped can looked like. Easy, peasy.
This book is a fabulous resource for those of us who want to limit our exposure to toxins. Jan offers easy to follow instructions that walk even newbies through the easy steps to make products like infusions, lotions, hair care, natural cleaners, and more.
Note: I received a copy of 101 Easy Homemade Products for your Skin, Health, & Home for review purposes.
I am a chronic illness sufferer so I have A TON of plastic medicine bottles. I truly HATE to throw them away so it’s what I use to pour my salves into.
I do one better to Jan’s recipe: I add at least 10 drops of lemongrass eo (from Majestic Pure) to the recipe and I find that it works MUCH better!
My opinion, of course, your mileage may vary.
Her soap making recipes are the bomb
Can not use beeswax, what can be used instead?
I googled and found this: https://fabulousfarmgirl.com/homesteading/beeswax-and-alternatives/
Just wanted to thank you for making this so easy ! Seems things are getting more and more complicated these days. Can’t wait to make this. Thanks again~~~
Jan’s book is fantastic. I refer to my copy over and over. Great idea to put it in a candy tin instead of a plastic lip balm tube. Good thinking.
I love how you crimped the tin can with pliers to create a spout – what a great idea!
Thanks for sharing!