Anti-itch?

[Rook]

Anyone have any interesting idea for anti-itch for bug bites?

[Mira O'Halloran]

Plantain (Plantago spp.) Plantain is a favorite bite and sting remedy of many herbalists, and for good reason. It stops the itch and pulls the bug’s toxins out of your skin. (It also works amazingly well for bee stings.) Best used fresh - pick up a leaf, chew it (or crush it with a rock) and put it on the itch. You should experience virtually instant relief.

Lemon. Lemon juice seems to stop the allergic reaction to bug saliva. Just rub it on. Baking soda and apple cider vinegar work similarly.

Tobacco. One of the best things for pain or itchiness is tobacco. It can be any type of tobacco. If you have an itch ... just take tobacco, chew it, put it on there and it neutralizes the pain. Personally, I recommend against this - Tobacco has too many health risk associated.

Lavender and peppermint essential oils. These essential oils help stop the itching and disinfect the bite. You can apply them directly to the skin or add them to other mediums like clay. Peppermint oil can irritate some people’s skin, so test it on a small patch of your skin first; you also can dilute it in a teaspoon of olive oil or another vegetable oil.

Sangre de grado (Croton lechleri). For a more exotic remedy, turn to sangre de grado. This Peruvian herb’s name means “dragon’s blood” in Spanish, and a friend learned about it while attending a class in South America. “I went down [to Peru] and did not realize — nobody told me — they had chiggers,” she says. “I managed to get all of these chigger bites that were itchy beyond belief.” She tried steroid creams and other remedies; nothing worked. Then a local shaman came to the rescue. “He showed me this tree and whacked it with his machete. Then he put [the resin] on the bites. It was just incredible in terms of soothing the itching.”

This resin is hard to find in stores, but it’s worth it when you do: It works on the toughest bites, from chiggers to fire ants to mosquitoes — any bite that burns and itches. It also contains some antimicrobial compounds, so it helps fight infections caused by the bites and itching.

Yellow onion. The onion’s de-toxifying sulphur compounds help neutralize the poison of the bite or venom of the sting, reducing inflammation. Just slice open an onion and rub it on the bite. Keep doing it as often as necessary until the itching stops.

Calendula is also helpful - and it promotes healing.

Hope this helps.