Does that scratch, scratch feeling drive you out of the mind? Are you confronting an itchy situation and have bid an ode to discipline by scratching away crazily? Remember that itching can satisfy you momentarily but can injure the skin badly by breaking it open.
Breaking open of the delicate skin can cause painful infections, so just hang on to the urge of going “scratchy scratchy”. This condition is often termed as pruritis and is caused because of a stimulus that constantly irritates a portion of the skin. The itching is the result of the defense mechanism but it is an endless cycle unless treated. The itch may be due to sunburn, reaction to a chemical, an allergic reaction, skin infection or even dry weather. We did some “kitchen digging” and have got some amazing home remedies for you to help you stave off itching:
Use baking soda
Soak the skin for about half an hour , in a water bath made by dissolving one cup baking soda in a tubful of warm water. Dry the skin naturally and get relief. In a severe itchy case one can also apply a baking soda paste. This paste can be made by mixing 3 parts of baking soda with about one part of water. It can hurt a lot if you apply this paste over broken or injured skin.
The berry delights
Juniper berries are the recommended answer to itches by the Cherokee tribes and The American Indians of the Paiute and Shoshone. These berries are found readily in the supermarket, and have anti inflammatory properties and they also numb the nerve endings.
Lemon has amazing anti-inflammatory and anesthetic properties. Lemon juice can be directly applied to the skin and can also be added to a bucket of water to help reduce itching.
Oatmeal
Grind the oatmeal finely and add about 1-2 cups of this to about one bucket of warm water, rub away with the water for relief.
Mint leaves
Mint is a great Chinese treatment for hives and itchy skin. IT has menthol that has anti-inflammatory and anesthetic properties and is great when applied topically. Mint also has rosmarinic acid that has anti inflammatory properties. This can be readily absorbed into skin.
Make a strong and refreshing tea out of basil leaves and use it as an anesthetic. Try to cover this tea and keep to preserve the aromatic eugenol in the tea. Dip a cloth and apply to skin.
There are some other anti-itch wonders that lie in your cupboards or grow in your kitchen garden. These are like the magical thyme and the fleshy aloe vera.
