Insect bites

[Millymollymandy]

I kind of always assumed that an essential oil would be pure essential oil and have no added nasties, given their price.

I still won't put oil in my hair as I'd need to go and wash it out straight afterwards! I don't want to walk around with greasy hair. Anyone which one would repel harvest mites? Citronella might be OK for mosquitoes but harvest mites live in the grass, jump onto your body, get inside your clothes and proceed to first dissolve then suck out your flesh by feeding tubes, which they leave behind thus causing the itching and scab and red mark which is left on the skin for weeks afterwards. Lovely creatures, not, and I have to live with them from beginning July through to late October. Midges here bite me mercilessly in my hair all year round and at this time of year when they are at their worst I have a scalp covered in scabs.

[hedgewitch]

I use a deodorant crystal to relieve any itchy bites I get - works really quickly for me.

I will have to try this as it is a lot less messier than a tomato!

Just to be safe rather than sorry with essential oils- do a little spot test first. Different skins have different reactions.

[becks77]

Hi,
As a remedy for already bitten we find nothing is more effective than a dose of basil essential oil.just rub a bit on gently and leave well alone, reapply as necessary
Becks

[gdb]

When I lived in France I also found that nothing worked. None of the French products had any effect - and the bites there were worse than in the UK.

Moving here (to Sweden) I knew there'd be loads of mozzies. And there are. But ha, I thought, they'll be just like the ones in England. No bother. And, even if they are not, the Swedes will have top creams to deal with the little buggers.

How wrong was I

They are even more fierce here than in France. And the creams here are cr*p.

So, if and when a remedy does come along that really really does do the biz - can someone please post it here!


Yours (also of many bitten sleepless nites) in Sweden

[Rod in Japan]

Tiger Balm works well for fresh mosquito bites - it numbs and cools them quite quickly, especially if applied twice in 30 minutes. The key thing though is not to scratch them and make them hotter.

For mite bites, caterpillar allergy and any of those far more persistent itches, you need to get steroid ointment from the doctor, and even that doesn't work as quickly as you might like.

[Millymollymandy]

I found a cream in England called Eurax works really well for soothing insect bites. However I'd love to know of something I could rub into my scalp to soothe the midge bites without messing up my hair, she says scratching furiously!

gdb - sorry to hear about the Swedish mossies!

[Peggy Sue]

Not sur if this has co-incided with the change of weather but lavender on the bed seems to have worked overnight!