Mosquitoes are annoying on their own, but when they bite, these pesky insects can keep you frustrated for days on end.
Why Mosquito Bites Itch
As the mosquito’s proboscis enter your skin and finds a blood vessel, her saliva acts like an anticoagulant to keep your blood flowing as she feeds.
Your body doesn’t recognize this foreign material, so it sends antibodies to the area of the bite. These antibodies trigger the release of histamines, which cause your blood vessels to swell and create a little red bump (1).
The swelling caused by this expansion irritates the nerves in the affected area. You body registers this sensation as an itch.
How to Fight the Itch
The first thing to do when you get bitten is to clean the bite area with rubbing alcohol or plain water. Once that’s done, try the treatments below (2).
1. Apple Cider Vinegar
Soak a cotton ball in raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, squeeze out the excess, and apply it to the site of the bite for 5 seconds at a time. The vinegar will prevent infection and decrease swelling (3).
Be warned : vinegar will sting if you’ve scratched the bite and opened it up.
2. Ice It
To get round-the-clock relief, apply a towel-covered ice pack to your bite for 15 to 20 minutes once an hour for the first 6 hours. In between ice treatments, keep a cool, wet cloth on the bite for up to 6 hours. This will help ease the itchiness and swelling of your wound (4).
You can also use an ice cube or a cool slice of cucumber to get the same effect.
3. Oatmeal
To fight itchiness and discomfort, make a paste using instant oatmeal and water and apply it to your bite. You can also fill a clean nylon sock with oatmeal, tie it off and place it in warm bathwater as you soak for 15-20 minutes (5).
4. Peppermint Toothpaste
If you’re out camping and you don’t have vinegar with you, apply a little dab of organic peppermint toothpaste to the mosquito bite to fight the itch. After a few hours, rinse it off and reapply. The menthol in mint will provide a lasting cooling sensation (6).
Peppermint also acts as a mosquito repellent.
5. Lemon
Apply fresh lemon juice to a stubborn bite to fight discomfort and keep the area clean. Although it will sting, It’ a good idea to apply it to scratched-up bites too to prevent infection (7).
6. Honey
Just a dab of honey can do the trick because it’s a natural antibiotic!
7. Garlic
Apply minced garlic to the affected area. Leave it on for a few minutes and then wash it off.
8. Baking soda
Make a paste by mixing baking soda and warm water. Apply the paste to the bite, leave on for a few minutes and then rinse clean.
9. Lemon Juice
Apply lemon juice, or rub lemon slice right on the area.
Bonus: Take a Warm Bath
If you’ve been eaten alive by your unwelcomed neighbours, run a hot bath and add few drops of tea tree and lavender essential oils and 1/2 cup of baking soda of the water.
Soak for 20 minutes right before going to bed for all-night relief.