How to Use Essential Oils to Treat Insect Bites

Itch, scratch, scratch. Uh oh! Feels like an insect bite. Unfortunately, the scratching only serves to irritate the area even further.The good news is that you can use essential oils to help relieve the discomfort, pain and itch of bites until they heal. Here’s how to select and prepare essential oils that will help to soothe insect bites.

Things You'll Need

• Pure essential oils
• Aloe vera gel
• Plastic or glass jar with lid

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Instructions

Using Essential Oils to Help Insect Bites

• 1

  Choose 100 percent pure essential oils; only these offer healthful benefits. The label will state "100 percent pure." You can find them at health food stores and online. Don’t use synthetic oils -- they do not have the same benefits.

• 2

  Buy only pure aloe vera gel with as little additives as possible. You can get it at health food stores and online.

• 3

  Select the formula that most appeals to your sense of smell. Most stores have tester bottles, so take a few whiffs and choose the scents you really like. For insect bites, there are multiple formulas to choose from, as listed in Step 4.

• 4

  Make an aloe vera-based formula. Aloe vera gel is soothing in its own right. Combine one teaspoon (5 ml) of the aloe gel with just one of the following essential oils for additional soothing and healing properties: geranium (5 drops), chamomile (5 drops), lavender (5 drops).

• 5

  Blend well. If you’re making for immediate use, mix the oils and aloe gel with your fingertip. If you’re making a larger batch, mix it in the plastic or glass jar, and blend using a spoon or other clean utensil.

• 6

  Apply the formula to the insect bite every few hours. Reapply immediately after swimming or heavy perspiration.