Nothing matches the relief you get from scratching an occasional itch. However, when an itch becomes persistent or causes scars, it’s time to turn to other anti-itch treatments. Thankfully, there are quite a number of home remedies that can help you reduce the scratching.
Find the root of the problem.
While itching can be quite easy to treat, if your itch persists after trying a few home remedies, it would be wise to see a dermatologist.
The key to successfully soothing an itch is to get rid of its cause. Below are 18 remedies for itchy skin to help you get on the fast track to healing.
18. Baking Soda
Baking soda is a popular way of relieving skin itches. Baking soda has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce inflammations and itchiness on the skin. Most causes of inflammation and itchiness are acidic elements that corrode parts of the skin. The fundamental nature of baking soda neutralizes natural acids, which helps soothe the skin.
At-home remedy
To use baking soda to relieve itchy skin, follow these steps:
• Add one cup of baking soda to bath water and let it dissolve
• Soak in the bathwater for twenty minutes and then pat your skin dry with a clean towel
You can carry out the procedure once daily until you feel confident with your skin’s condition. You will notice that your skin will look more moisturized as you consistently take baking soda baths. That is because baking soda’s alkaline nature allows the skin to repair broken parts without corrosion from natural acids. For more bathing solutions for itchy skin, check out the next slide.
17. Cold Water
While the weather might not allow it sometimes, cold water can be an instant remedy for itchy skin. Since both cold and itch use the same nerve fibers, it is possible to lessen the itch using cold water or ice packs.
Cold showers can relieve itch.
Hot showers can feel very good, especially in cold water. However, it often leaves your skin feeling even itchier after a while. While some weather conditions might not be favorable for a cold shower, it is advisable to have a cold shower every once in a while if you have itchy skin.
Does cold water always reduce itchiness?
Cold showers or ice packs are not permanent solutions for itchy skin. They can, however, allow you to focus on your daily duties before getting a permanent solution, especially if you have an underlying skin condition. Ice packs can be used multiple times a day to relieve itches on different parts of the skin.
Though dermatologists recommend it, people with conditions that could be exaggerated by the cold should try to use alternative remedies to itchy skin, such as apple cider vinegar.
16. Apple Cider Vinegar
As you have probably heard or read before, apple cider vinegar is used to treat many human diseases. Fortunately for you, apple cider vinegar is also a great and fast solution for itchy skin, even for pregnant women. You can apply apple cider vinegar every time you feel an itch to relieve it quickly.
At-home bath remedy
If your itch is extended over a large portion of your skin, it is advisable to take an apple cider vinegar bath. Follow these steps for relief:
• Add one cup of apple cider vinegar into your warm bath
• Soak in the tub for at least 30 minutes
• Repeat daily until your itch is gone
At-home remedy for small itches
You can use apple cider vinegar for smaller itches, too. To do so, follow these steps:
• Obtain a piece of clean cotton cloth or cotton ball
• Dip it into a few drops of cider vinegar
• Rub the fabric on the itchy part of your skin
• Repeat every time you feel an itch
Apple cider vinegar is not the only product you can use in a bath to relieve itchy skin. Colloidal oatmeal, which we will discuss in the next slide, is a great alternative as well.
15. Colloidal Oatmeal
Colloidal oatmeal boats anti-irritation, anti-inflammation, and soothing properties that could go a long way in comforting your itchy skin. Some people with sensitive skin might present some adverse skin reactions after using oatmeal. It is advisable to ignore oatmeal as a home remedy for your itchy skin if you have sensitive skin.
Oatmeal as a moisturizer
Oatmeal can moisturize your skin to avoid constant itching. It contains saponins that help cleanse and remove dead cells from your skin, making it moist and fresh. You can, therefore, use colloidal oatmeal in your facial cleanser to remove bacteria and dead skin from your face.
Oatmeal also contains Avenanthramide, which is a natural anti-inflammatory that can help your skin heal faster, hence, reducing skin rashes. You can also mix colloidal oatmeal with warm water to get rid of dry skin.
At-home bath remedy
Here is a procedure you can follow to prepare a colloidal oatmeal skin treatment:
• Prepare a warm bath
• Add two cups of colloidal oatmeal and mix it with the water
• Soak your body in the bath for at least 15 minutes
• Repeat two to three times daily until your skin condition improves
At-home ointment remedy
Alternatively, you can also apply colloidal oatmeal to itchy skin using this procedure:
• Add a few droplets of water to a cup of oatmeal while mixing
• Mix until you achieve a thick paste
• Apply the paste on itchy skin
• Use a clean cloth to cover up the paste
• Leave the paste on your skin for 20 to 30 minutes
• Wash the paste off with warm water
• Repeat once daily until the irritation or itch is gone
If you’re looking for remedies that incorporate other foods, check out our next slide, which will discuss the health benefits from oranges.
14. Oranges
Oranges have a lot of properties that are beneficial to the skin. They contain vitamin C, which is essential when protecting your skin from the effects of UVB and UVA. Vitamin C also stimulates the production of collagen and prevents dermatitis and melisma.
How do antioxidants help my skin?
Oranges are also rich in antioxidants. One orange can offer you about 170mg of phytochemical antioxidants. These help remove natural acids and bacteria from your skin, which are major causes of skin irritations and itches.
Furthermore, the orange contains a lot of polyphenols. These are known to be anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-cancer, anti-allergic, and anti-proliferative. These properties make the use of oranges as a remedy to itchy skin very effective, but they aren’t the only fruit that promotes healthy skin.
13. Grapefruit
Like oranges, grapefruits are also rich in vitamin C, and E. The two help improve the blood flow in the skin, reducing irritation. Grapefruits also contain a substance known as limonoids. The substance prevents tumors on the skin by stimulating the liver to eliminate toxins in your blood. This dramatically improves the condition of your skin from the inside out. According to experts, the substance also helps fight skin cancer, lung cancer, mouth cancer, and stomach cancer.
How often should you consume or use grapefruit?
For the best results, consume or use grapefruit daily as a remedy to your skin condition. Apart from its healing effects, grapefruits are also known to eradicate radicals. That delays the effects of sunburns on your skin or the development of red spots on your skin. Grapefruits also have compounds that improve the skin’s elasticity and stiffness.
At-home remedy
It is recommended to eat at least one grapefruit daily for 2 or 3 days a week to treat skin allergies. You can also drink grapefruit juice for quicker results.
You can also prepare grapefruits with olive oil for direct application to the skin by following these steps:
• Add one to three tablespoons of olive oil with grapefruit juice in a bowl
• Mix until you achieve a uniform mixture
• Apply the mixture onto the surface of the skin that is irritated or itchy
• Massage the surface gently and then leave it for 5 minutes before rinsing it
For a hydrating remedy, check out the next slide, which will cover the benefits of using Aloe Vera.
12. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is famous for the array of human conditions it helps treat and relieve. It has an abundance in anti-inflammatory elements that help to relieve skin irritation, heal minor burns, and treat wounds and skin rashes. It also boasts anti-bacterial agents and is used in a variety of beauty products. The anti-bacterial agents are also essential in treating skin diseases, acne, skin allergy, and skin lesions.
What’s in Aloe Vera?
Aloe Vera contains essential minerals and vitamins like:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Vitamins B1, B2, and B12
These vitamins are critical for skin cell regeneration and improving the appearance of the skin.
At-home remedy
To prepare an Aloe Vera remedy for your itchy skin, follow these steps:
• Rinse and peel about 250 grams of Aloe Vera
• Grind the plant and extract its juice
• Apply the juice on the patch of irritated skin
• Wait three minutes and then rinse the Aloe Vera off
Aloe Vera not only relieves itching, but it also hydrates the skin, which is a key component of honey, mentioned on our next slide.
11. Honey
Honey is a well-known remedy to itchy and dry skin because it contains a lot of water. It provides moisture for dry skin, which makes it healthier while also preventing irritation. By limiting skin dehydration, honey also makes your skin extremely smooth.
What’s in honey?
Honey contains potent antimicrobial and immunoregulatory properties that help your skin heal quickly from rashes caused by skin allergies. These properties are also essential to promptly get rid of the redness caused by sunburns and itching.
At-home remedy
Applying a honey remedy on itchy skin starts with following this procedure:
• Apply pure honey directly on the itchy spot on your skin
• Gently massage the skin so that it soaks up the nutrients in the honey
• Wash your skin using clean water after 15 to 20 minutes.
• Repeat this procedure twice daily until you are satisfied with the results
When you’re not using honey to treat itchy skin, you can add it to tea or your morning yogurt parfait, which brings us to another remedy in the next slide.
10. Sugar-Free Yogurt
While it may sound strange, sugar-free yogurt is actually an excellent remedy to itchy skin and skin allergies. Yogurt contains essential microorganisms that can help to get rid of pathogenic bacteria. Yogurt contains water and vitamins, which are great for soothing allergic skin. It also has lactic acid, which keeps your skin moist and also soothes the skin.
At-home remedy
To use sugar-free yogurt to treat itchy skin, follow these steps:
- Apply the sugar-free yogurt on the portion of your skin that is irritated or itchy
- Let it dry for 15 minutes
- Gently rinse it off and pat dry
Mixing yogurt with oatmeal can speed up results.
You can also mix the yogurt with oatmeal to have better and faster results. You should, however, avoid oatmeal if your skin presents allergies to the compound. If your skin is allergic to oatmeal, you can alternatively mix the yogurt with orange and leave the mixture on your skin for 30 minutes before rinsing it with water.
Another common food item used to treat itchy skin is ginger, which we’ll delve into on the next slide.
9. Ginger
Ginger contains 3% essential oils, 3% fat, 5% resins, and starch. Ginger is also believed to offer many more health benefits aside, remedying skin allergies. The regular use of ginger can help prevent dysmenorrhea, gallstones, prolong the lifespan, decrease blood cholesterol, and relieve stress.
How does ginger relieve itching?
Thanks to the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties in ginger, it can help fight skin allergies and ease skin itchiness and any inflammation associated with it. It is quite straightforward to apply ginger on the skin.
At-home remedy
To prepare a quick remedy at home, follow these steps:
• Cut a slice of ginger and rub it on the skin area that is itchy
• Leave your skin to absorb the elements for 10 minutes
• Rinse off your skin and pat dry
• Repeat twice every day for 4 to 5 days a week for the best results
When you’re not using ginger directly on itchy skin patches, you can add it to your teas, which is what our next slide is all about.
8. Green Tea
Green tea is a well-known natural remedy for various skin disorders. It contains antioxidants and numerous vitamins that have anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effects on the skin. Treating skin allergies using green tea is quite straightforward, and it has excellent results.
At-home remedy
Prepping a green tea remedy is one of the simplest remedies on our list. Just follow these steps:
• Grind the green tea and apply it on the itchy area
• Leave it on for 5 minutes then rinse your skin
Most people already have green tea at home, which makes this tip an easy go-to. Another item that plenty of people have at home is essential oils, which also promote relief to itchy skin.
7. Essential Oils
There is a horde of essential oils that have soothing and anti-inflammatory properties with the ability to offer relief to aggravated irritations and itchy skin. You can add essential oils to your bath water or directly apply them to the area of your skin that is itchy. It is, however, crucial that you follow the dosages recommended on the package of your essential oils.
What are the best essential oils?
Some of the most effective essential oils for itchy skin include:
- Agrimony oil
- Bay leaf oil
- Basil oil
- Chamomile oil
- Clove oil
- Chickweed oil
- Neem oil
- Jewelweed oil
- Geranium oil
- Rosemary oil
- Nettle oil
- Lavender oil
- Thyme oil
Aside from essential oils, there are other types of oils that can provide relief to dry, itchy skin. Coconut oil is one of them, and we’ll explain why in our next slide.
6. Coconut Oil
The driest skin is usually around the heels, elbows, and hands. Consequently, these are the itchiest parts for most people. Coconut oil can be an excellent remedy for these spots.
When should I apply coconut oil to my skin?
You can apply coconut oil on these and many more parts that appear dry around your body overnight. By morning, you should have noted significant improvement in moisture on the spots you applied the oil.
At-home remedy
For the best results, follow these steps at home:
- Soak in a warm bath until your skin prunes
- Pat your skin dry using a clean towel, but leave it slightly damp
- Apply a layer of coconut oil on your elbows, heels, and hands
- Cover the areas with socks, long-sleeved pajamas, and gloves
Following these steps will provide relief to itchy skill and create an itch-free night. Your skin will feel much more moisturized by morning. For another at-home remedy for itch-free skin, check out the next slide.
5. Juniper Berries & Cloves
Juniper berries hold volatile anti-inflammatory substances. When mixed with cloves, which boast eugenol, they can offer an un-matched relief to a stubborn itch.
At-home remedy
For best results, follow these steps:
• Melt about two tablespoons of beeswax on one pan and 3 ounces of butter in a second pan
• Once the two have melted, stir them together to a fine mixture
• Add about five tablespoons of ground juniper berries to the mixture and stir
• Add three tablespoons of ground clove and continue stirring while allowing the mixture to cool
• Once the mixture has cooled off, apply it to the itchy skin while massaging it gently to allow the elements to be absorbed into the skin
Beeswax is one part of this remedy that plays a crucial role in healing itchy skin. It can also be used alone, which we’ll outline in the following slide.
4. Beeswax
Beeswax is known to offer significant benefits to people with eczema or psoriasis. When combined with honey and olive oil, it can be an effective remedy to itchy and irritated skin. It has anti-bacterial properties that help destroy harmful microorganisms on the skin and help heal damaged skin.
At-home remedy
After you gather all of the proper materials, follow these steps to prepare a beeswax concoction at home:
• Melt beeswax on a small pan while occasionally stirring over low heat
• Once the wax melts, remove it from the pan and mix it with the honey
• Add the olive oil and stir until it forms a solid mix
• Pour the mixture into an airtight container while still warm and store it in the refrigerator
Add extra oil for long-term storage
The remedy should serve you for about three months. You could, however, add a few droplets of vitamin E oil to give the mixture a longer shelf life and enhance its beneficial properties. For another hydrating remedy, hop over to the next slide.
3. Glycerin
Glycerin is a popular humectant, meaning it has the ability to draw water to your skin. It has a hydrating and cooling effect on the skin and is widely used in skincare products and soap. For even better results, you could combine glycerin with rose water.
How does glycerin help itchy skin?
Glycerin is 100% natural, and it helps nourish the skin from the inside out. For soft and moist skin, glycerin is perhaps the best home remedy you can use. Massage your skin daily with glycerin, and in a day or two, you will begin to note a glow from your hydrated skin.
At-home remedy
To prepare a glycerin remedy, follow these steps:
• Mix one part of glycerin with ten parts of water
• Apply the mixture on your entire body before going to sleep
• Wash off in the morning and observe for any changes
• Repeat daily to get rid of dry skin and rashes completely
Glycerin application can positively affect dry and itchy skin, but it may not be for everyone. For a remedy that involves garlic, check out the next slide.
2. Garlic
Garlic has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that make it a preferred remedy to treat several health and skin conditions, including pruritus. The application of garlic on itchy skin instantly begins to relieve any irritants.
At-home remedy
Adding olive oil to the mixture allows your skin to remain moist, thus preventing any further drying of the skin and hence relieving itchiness.
Follow these steps to use garlic for itch relief:
• Mince 2 or 3 garlic cloves
• Add one cup of olive oil and heat the mixture on a saucepan. Take care not to overheat the mix to avoid losing the beneficial properties in the garlic
• Allow the mixture to settle overnight
• Apply the oil on affected areas the next morning
• Leave the mixture on your skin for at least 20 minutes before rinsing it off
• Repeat daily until you achieve satisfactory results
This remedy takes some time to prepare, so we’ve included one last slide to give you itch relief in no time.
1. Fenugreek Seeds
Fenugreek seeds help relieve inflammation and itchy skin to a great extent, thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties. The seeds also exhibit powerful antimicrobial properties that can help eliminate stubborn skin infections and skin rashes that cause the skin to be irritated and itchy.
At-home remedy
To prepare this itch-relief remedy, follow these steps:
• Soak one or two cups of fenugreek seeds in water for 60 minutes
• Add a little water as you grind the fenugreek seeds to get a thick paste
• Apply the paste on the affected areas or all over your body and let it dry before washing it off with clean water
It is recommended that you repeat the application daily for at least three times a week to achieve the best results.
Additional Tips
Apart from applying the listed remedies for itchy skin, there are things you should try to avoid. Some of these items and habits include:
• Scented skincare cosmetics and detergents
• Using hard objects to scratch your skin, or using too much pressure to scratch a single spot on your skin as it could cause wounds
• Using hot water for baths
