The warmer months can sometimes be a struggle if you are hurting from too much sun, poison ivy, poison oak, mosquito bites, fire ants bites, bug bites, or jellyfish stings. Here are a few healthy emergency remedies that may help you have a smooth-sailing summer of fun!
What’s bugging you?
While summer is the time for being outdoors and getting your vitamin D, it can also be a time when bug bites, sunburns, and itchy rashes can be a real challenge.
Whether it is a mosquito or sand fleas, some of these bites can be horribly painful. They can itch so much you almost want to scratch the skin off, which can create scars and wounds.
Mosquitoes don’t normally sting through loose fitting clothing, so this is a good preventative measure. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, while wasps and bees are attracted to light, bright, floral colors.
Non-Toxic, Anti Bug Bite Recipe
A bug bite deterrent that is easy to make yourself is made of a blend of one or more of the following ingredients.
Choose one or two of these organic essential oils (2 tsp. total oil):
Lavender essential oil
Rosemary essential oil
Juniper essential oil
Lemon essential oil
1 cup of 180 proof grain alcohol (you can buy this at a liquor store) You could also use pure water, if you don’t have alcohol.
Directions: Combine a total of 2 tsp. of essential oil with 1 cup of 180 proof grain alcohol.
Place it in a bottle with a tight-fitting lid. (You can also put it in a spray bottle to easily spray on your skin before going outdoors.) Shake well.
Test it on a small patch of skin first to make sure you are not sensitive to the oil and alcohol. If you are alright with the test, use it on your skin to avoid bites.
If you are already bitten and you are itching and wanting to scratch the pain away, here are a few remedies.
1. Rub aloe vera (either freshly cut or from a bottle) on bites and stings to ease burning.
2. Get relief from itches by applying a few drops of lavender oil or tea tree oil to the affected area as needed.
Extreme Itching
Recently I was bitten by some kind of small bug in Florida. I was absolutely miserable. I thought the itching was never going to stop.
I was not sure where I received the bites, or if they were even all the same type of bug or flea bite. It seemed to get worse a few days later and it wasn’t stopping. I was overwhelmed with the itching.
I now use food-grade hydrogen peroxide on all of these hurtful bites, whatever they are. I dab the food-grade hydrogen peroxide on the itching spots with a cotton swab or a cotton ball. This solution will oxygenate the bite or itchy spot and kill any parasite that may be inside the skin, and also oxygenate and destroy any infection in the bite.
Putting the food-grade hydrogen peroxide on the skin where you are itching can hurt a lot, so I would apply the hydrogen peroxide in the bathroom, immediately before getting into the shower to scrub with soap (like a tea tree oil soap) and a body brush. It is very effective and can stop the extreme itching quickly.
You may need to do this each day, until you are sure it has stopped the itch, killed the parasite, or stopped the infection. With much relief, you can be on the road to healing. I order food-grade hydrogen peroxide through the internet. It is extremely strong.
I order 12% and 35% food-grade hydrogen peroxide, and I keep it in my refrigerator at all times.
You will need to be very careful when handling this and keep it out of the reach of children. You may want to use normal over-the-counter (3% grade) hydrogen peroxide, but the food-grade is much stronger (35%) and purer, and I prefer it. You can water it down a bit, if it’s too strong for you.
I love using food-grade hydrogen peroxide for many things. The Global Healing Center has an excellent article on it’s many holistic healing methods of use. https://explore.globalhealing.com/food-grade-hydrogen-peroxide/
The brand I just purchased is from the website Into The Garden Of Eden. Keep it well labeled and in a cool, dark place, so it maintains it’s strength longer.
Bone Alignment
Another thing to know is, that if the backbone is out of alignment, it can cause extreme itching. If the atlas bone at the top of the spine is out of alignment, that can cause extreme itching in the upper arms. (Just on a side note, if the atlas bone is out of alignment, that can also be misdiagnosed as a stroke in elderly people and MS in younger people.) I personally go regularly to my chiropractor to maintain my alignment. My chiropractor,
Dr. Michael Hall, is also a neurologist, and he has treated me on a regular basis for over 16 years. Chiropractors all have different techniques, so find one that is best for you.
Poison Ivy or Poison Oak
Once I went with my husband to hike in the woods with our dog. Our dog was running around in the woods and got poison ivy on his fur. I was petting him and brushing off the sticker burrs, and unknowingly got the poison ivy from his fur. I used tea tree oil on the poison ivy and it was almost gone the next day. I used tea tree oil shampoo on the dog also.
A few years later, one of our house remodeling contractors had a terrible case of poison ivy. He had used cortisone, medicines from the doctor, and everything he could think of for more than four months. He was absolutely miserable.
I gave him my tea tree oil to try. The next day, he came back absolutely astounded at how well it had worked. His poison ivy was gone in a matter of days.
I have found that putting on food-grade hydrogen peroxide first, then washing it with soap and water, and then putting on the tea tree oil, is even more effective. This combination of food-grade hydrogen peroxide followed by tea tree oil also works extremely well for poison oak and fire ant bites as well. I use this combination of hydrogen peroxide followed by the tea tree oil on any itchy place, bite, or rash. It is especially good for bites that have a fluid in them.
Tea tree oil has antibacterial properties. It is not supposed to be used on an open wound.
I used it on a large swollen bite my son had on his back. It was the middle of the night and we were staying in a remote hotel built into the side of a mountain in Greece, with no medical care nearby. I didn’t know what to do, so I kept putting tea tree oil on it.
The following day, the swelling had gone down to half, and by the next day, it was almost completely gone. We were so thankful.
Another use for tea tree oil is for chickenpox.
My son got chickenpox when he was four. He is a redhead and has very sensitive skin. I put tea tree oil directly on each spot all over his body. I thought it would help him not to itch or scratch. In the morning, his chickenpox outbreak was gone, with no scars, no itching, and no complications. It was amazing.
His doctor was completely astonished, as was his preschool teacher. I have used it on just about everything ever since.
In my opinion, the New Zealand variety of tea tree oil smells better than the Australian type, but both work really well. You can also use aloe vera leaf gel on the rash to soothe and promote healing.
Baths
Organic oatmeal baths are good for calming us down, as well as encouraging healing of any skin irritations. Use 1/2 to 1 cup organic oatmeal in the bath and soak for about 20 minutes.
Wheatgrass juice baths and bentonite clay baths are also both helpful to detoxify the skin and heal irritations. You can get wheatgrass powder and bentonite clay powder for baths at the health food store. Just follow the directions on the package.
Jelly Fish Stings
Jelly Fish Stings If you go to the beach, a jellyfish sting can really hurt. If you have some lemon or limes, rub the cut fruit on the place that hurts. The citrus can help take the pain out.
Natural Sun Protection
I personally do not wear sunscreen and I don’t recommend them at all. Sunscreens reportedly reduce vitamin D3 levels in the blood by up to 99 percent.(1)
What do you do about sunscreen if you need to be outside for long periods? Stay in the shade when you can, wear protective clothing/ hats.
According to Dr. Elizabeth Plourde sunscreens have carcinogenic ingredients and hormone disrupters that should be avoided: oxtinoxate, octisalate, oxybenzone, homosalate, avobenzone, and retinyl palmitate (a form of vitamin A). Check all sunscreens for these ingredients. They absorb easily through the skin and are toxic when combined with sun exposure.
Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide have been called safe, and reportedly do not penetrate the skin. But, Dr. Plourde said that her research shows her that none of them are safe. Micronized metals will penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream, resulting in cancer and tumors. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a known carcinogen.
Dr. Elizabeth Plourde, in her research paper “Exposing the Hazards of Sunscreen,” says there is concern that “sunscreen chemicals should be examined in relation to rising autism rates.”(2) In her work she states that “Sunscreens are endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC’s) or TiO2 or ZnO nanoparticles. Current research shows these are toxic to all life.” (3)
To learn more, you can read Dr. Plourde’s book “Sunscreens – Biohazard: Treat As Hazardous Waste.”
Drinking carrot juice, and eating carrots, sweet potatoes, or tomato sauce is a natural way to protect yourself from too much sun during the summer. The beta-carotene and lycopene in these vegetables gives the body some natural sun protection. You can also wear thick clothing that covers your skin but doesn’t contain chemicals.
Clothing treated with chemicals such as titanium or zinc oxide will break down in the wash, enter the water supply, and create hazards to the ecosystem.
Now I am using a new night-time cream by Lifewave along with the Alavida patch for my sun and after sun cream. The company discovered that this night-time Alavida cream is very good for healing sunburn.
These Lifewave patches are embedded with crystals and don’t have any kind of drug in them. They work off the body’s infrared heat and work on the meridians like acupucture does. I absolutely love them.
So, whenever you are outside, get some natural Vitamin D, put on some natural bug protection, wear natural clothing to protect yourself from too much sun, eat beta-carotene-rich foods, and get into the shade if you feel you have been out too long.
Enjoy your sunshine, nature, exercise, and fresh air!
I hope these healthy tips help make your outdoor adventures safer and more enjoyable!
3. “Exposing the Hazards of Sunscreen.” Elizabeth Plourde, CLS,NCMP, PhD. https://www.amazon.com/Sunscreens-Biohazard-Treat-Hazardous-Waste/dp/0966173589
