Although they are tiny creatures that live for only about 50 days, mosquito bites can transmit serious diseases at worst, and be the cause of great discomfort at best.
If you’re plagued by mosquito bites and the itching and pain they cause, there is a natural remedy that can help. Various essential oils have incredible anti-inflammatory and anti-itching properties, and many of them can help speed up the healing process too.
Using essential oils is a wonderful natural alternative, but it’s always best that you know a bit more about them to ensure you use them as safely and effectively as possible. Our in-depth guide tells you everything you need to know about using essential oils for mosquito bites.
Mosquito bite symptoms
Finding out all about the best essential oils for mosquito bites can help you to mitigate the symptoms many people experience as a result of these creatures. You may even be able to prevent them altogether.
Usually, after a mosquito has bitten you, a round bump forms on your skin. In certain cases, a small dot may also be present in the bump’s centre. The bite eventually reddens and hardens due to swelling. Due to the way that mosquitoes feed, you’ll usually experience more than one bite at a time, and a cluster of two or three bites is very common.
Itchy, red bumps are the most common symptom. But depending on the state of your immune system and your general makeup, mosquito bite symptoms can also include blistering, bruising, hives and swollen lymph nodes. Interestingly, children often experience stronger reactions to bites than adults do.
How to use essential oils for mosquito bites
When you know what essential oils are good for mosquito bites, how you use them is up to you.
After diluting the oil you’ve chosen with a carrier oil, you could opt to put the mix directly onto the bite. Or you could cover the bite up with a bandage after applying the diluted mix onto your skin or to the bandage itself.
Here are some other ways you can use essential oils for mosquito bites:
Add your essential oil mix to a bath
If you have been bitten repeatedly, you may want to soothe your skin in a bath that has added healing benefits. Add a few drops of your diluted essential oil mix into the hot water as you relax, and then apply it again topically to problem areas once you’ve gotten out and toweled off.
Create a spray
Create a hot or cold compress using a cotton pad or washcloth. Add a few drops of your essential oil/carrier oil mix and lay it over your throat to help relieve some of your pain.
Make an ointment
Creating your own personal salve with the most effective essential oils for mosquito bites is another option. Do so by combining the essential oil you’ve selected with a carrier oil and using that or by adding a few drops of oil to your store-bought or homemade moisturizer or lotion. This method keeps the essential oil on your skin longer and is therefore more effective than diluting it in water.
Why use essential oils for mosquito bites?
Essential oils may well be able to provide you with some relief from the discomfort mosquito bites cause. These natural products work to target itching and inflammation and can take much of the misery of bug bites away.
Knowing what essential oils are good for mosquito bites and using them correctly may also help you to resist the urge to scratch. This, in turn, helps to prevent further itching as well as infections, as scratching can open the wound and allow bacteria to enter your bloodstream.
Top essential oils for mosquito bites
The best essential oils for mosquito bites have antimicrobial, pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties. They may also speed up the healing process and can work to repel these bugs in the first place. This means that using them may help you avoid getting bitten at all.
These are the best essential oils to use on mosquito bites:
Chamomile
An aromatic European plant belonging to the daisy flower, chamomile is added to a range of skin products because of its palliative effects. Using chamomile essential oil can reduce skin wound pain and itchiness and may speed up recovery, making it the perfect essential oil for mosquito bites.
Lavender
This aromatic evergreen shrub belongs to the mint family and is a very popular option for treating bug bites. Lavender essential oil has soothing properties and relieves pain. It can be used to treat mosquito bites and is often recommended for spider bites as well as bee stings due to its wound-healing properties, so it’s a very handy addition to any medicine cabinet.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass essential oil has antimicrobial effects which can help prevent the spread of certain diseases carried by insects. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and, because swelling can be a major source of pain and itching from mosquito bites, using it on your welts can bring a lot of relief.
Lemongrass is also one of the best mosquito repellent essential oils. It has numerous studies showing its effectiveness in repellent mosquitoes across species. Luckily, it smells great too!
