Mosquitos are the uninvited guests that always seem to show up at the barbecue. They don’t leave without making their painful presence felt, either. These pesky flying menaces are one of the least enjoyable parts of summer.
Numerous treatments can get rid of mosquito bites. However, there are also natural home remedies to ease mosquito bites.
The natural method is always the preferred way of dealing with things, though. Natural home remedies can be created ahead of mosquito season, so you are always prepared.
We have here 4 natural home remedies to ease mosquito bites that work better than you may think.
A cold compress
The most basic of home remedies for a mosquito bite is the cold pack. You don’t need an actual ice pack; a bag of frozen peas works just as well.
When a mosquito bites you, it injects saliva into your bloodstream. The saliva triggers the immune system. When this happens, histamines are released to the bite area and this causes an inflammatory response. The inflammatory response results in a red, swollen, and itchy bump.
The cold compress numbs the bite area, which in turn soothes the skin and reduces the itch. A cold compress won’t heal the bite any faster, but 5-10 minutes of applying It to the area will relieve the symptoms.
Aloe vera is among natural home remedies to ease mosquito bites
Aloe has been used as a remedy for thousands of years, as far back as early Egypt. Today, aloe is a quite common and easily cared for houseplant. Inside the thick leaves is a kind of gel. This gel is used to treat skin conditions and insect bites – including mosquito bites.
Using aloe for a mosquito bite is likely to bring immediate relief. This is because the gel has a cooling effect on the skin. Aloe vera has also been observed to be effective at reducing erythema. Erythema refers to the redness associated with irritated skin. This skin irritation could be from a mosquito bite, sunburn, or another irritant.
Baking soda to ease mosquito bites
You can mix baking soda with water to make a paste. Baking soda paste then needs to be applied to the mosquito bite. The baking soda paste help to treat the itch and promotes healing. The exact measurements are not that important. Start with a teaspoon of baking soda then slowly add water until you have a paste that you then apply.
Baking soda (also known as sodium bicarbonate) is a base. This means it helps to counteract the acidity of the reaction between your immune system and the mosquito saliva.
Baking soda is also a useful, natural home remedy for other things. Chickenpox and eczema, for instance, cause dry, itchy, inflamed patches of skin. People use many remedies to treat eczema that they can use to treat mosquito bites. This is because these remedies address the same symptoms of irritation and inflammation.
Raw honey – one of the best natural home remedies to ease mosquito bites
Raw honey is a little sticky, but it does have several benefits. Honey, as with many other natural home remedies, has anti-inflammatory properties. According to a review of raw honey (in the journal, Wounds), the natural substance helps with debridement. This term refers to removing dead tissue and foreign debris. Essentially, the raw honey pulls fluid from around the bite, and this helps to wash it and remove irritants.
If the mosquito bite opens up because you have been scratching at it a lot, put a dab of honey on there the same way that you would an ointment. You might also want to cover the honey/bite with a band-aid, so you don’t smear honey everywhere.
