Don’t Scratch that Itch: How to Stop Itching Skin Before it Drives You Crazy

There's a number of reasons why your skin may be itchy. Some are more serious and may require a visit to your dermatologist and some can be solved just by taking a shower. For those cases that don't require medical attention, here are some ways to get rid of that annoying itch.

Itchy skin usually isn’t a reason to be concerned as most reasons for this happening are benign. However, it’s an annoying problem to have and after a period of time, especially if you can’t contain yourself from scratching it can become painful. Not to mention that it can make things a little awkward in social situations. Here’s some do-it-yourself advice on how to stop itching skin before you go insane:

1. Baking Soda Soothes Itches of All Types

baking soda

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, fights itches of all types and relieves irritations of all kinds. It is a natural acid neutralizer, which has soothing and anti-inflammatory effects useful in reducing skin rash symptoms and in calming itchiness caused by allergies, insect bites, sunburn, shingles and chicken pox.

Thanks to its calming properties, baking soda alleviates symptoms of chapped skin, preventing further irritation. It restores skin’s natural pH balance, leaving the skin clean, soft and supple.

  • Prepare a creamy paste by mixing baking soda with water and spread over the affected area. Do not use on broken skin.
  • Add 1 cup of baking soda to your bathwater and immerse the whole body for 30 to 60 minutes. When you get out of the tub, let your skin dry naturally, without using a towel.

2. Oatmeal Contains Powerful Anti-itching Compounds

oatmeal

Natural colloidal oatmeal has many anti-itching and soothing constituents, such as silicon, beta-glucan and its precious avenanthramides.

Avenanthramides are a key compound of oatmeal, as they are responsible for its anti-irritating effects. They have the ability to calm and heal inflamed, dry and itchy skin, and are also antioxidants.

The less processed the oats are, the more avenanthramides they will have. Always use unprocessed oat flour or buy whole oats and grind them yourself. Rolled oats and instant oatmeal are also good, but slightly less effective.

  • Add 1 to 2 cups of plain, uncooked oat flower to your bath water and soak for 1 hour to calm the itches. If you like, you may also add a few spoons of baking soda to enhance the soothing effects of the bath.
  • Mix oat flower with enough warm water to obtain a thick paste. Apply it on the affected area, cover with a cloth to prevent it from falling off and let stay for 20 to 30 minutes.

3. Vinegar Gives Fast Relief from Itching and Prevents Further Irritation

Apple vinegar and apples on white wooden table

Vinegar (especially apple cider vinegar) is a natural antiseptic and one of the most efficient remedies to destroy harmful and irritating bacteria and get relief from itching. It contains acetic acid that can regularize skin’s natural acidity and eliminate microorganisms responsible for skin irritation.

Vinegar is used in many topical treatments intended to reduce dryness, acne, rashes and itching. Its antiseptic properties are also very useful in stopping the regeneration of bad bacteria, and thereby in preventing further infections of the affected area.

  • Pour some vinegar on a cotton pad and wipe it over itchy skin.
  • Add 1 to 3 cups of vinegar to your bathwater and soak for 30 to 40 minutes.

4. Control Nervousness and Take Vitamin B

silhouette of a woman looking for something

Our psychological condition often reflects on our skin. Stress, anxiety and excessive nervousness are most of the times main causes of itchiness, as well as of other kinds of skin irritations. Stress and tension can also aggravate itches caused by other factors, making them worse and even more insupportable.

Instead of alleviating only the symptoms of your psychological state, itching, try resolving what causes it. Avoid too much stress and learn to control your nervousness.

To achieve fast relief from itching when it occurs, sit down, breath deeply and relax. Prepare a calming tea or inhale a relaxing essential oil. You will be surprised at how quickly the itching will disappear.

If you are not getting enough vitamin B, start taking it.  Vitamin B has positive and beneficial effects on our nervous system, as well as on our skin. The vitamin B deficiency may, in fact, often manifest in itchy and flaky skin, irritable nerves and sometimes insomnia.

Have these tips helped you stop skin itching and did they give you any relief? Share your favorite remedy with us and let us learn a new trick to prevent those unbearable itching-scratching cycles! Please, write in the comments bellow.

About the author

Jessica

Jessica is a translator who has lived for many years in Asia and South America. She now lives and works in Europe, while preparing her new journeys. She enjoys traveling, meeting new people, exploring different cultures and foods, and being in love.

34 Comments

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  • This is a great site full of amazing remedies to cure itches when I went online I found some useful creams however I needed some home remedies and was not local to a pharmacy thank you so much for helping me the baking soda idea was great and also the vinegar idea I also found out lemon works wonders on itchy skin!!

  • Jane thanks for the lemon idea i didnt have vinegar so when i read the lemon idea i tried it and it worked you are right lemon works wonders on your skin

    • Hi Ashley oat meal actually works an trust me it works wonders,I have so much money on expensive products until I saw on a very different site how oat meal is so helpful.give it a try!

  • The only ingredient that I had at home was a lemon. Well, it stung like hell, then relief! Wow, amazing. Wish I had found this site and tips sooner. Thank you for helping me. I was going out of my mind and I wanted to rip my skin off. I recently came out in a very itching rash which my doctor informed me was either eczema or contact dermatitis. The medication I was given didn’t agree with me, and actually made matters worse that they were originally! I am now praying for a good night’s sleep, that would be brilliant. I am so tired and depressed with the continual itching. Another week before I have my appointment at the hospital, I am hoping these tips will get me through until then.

  • I used cream for my face day and night too. In the middle I am itch my face in the morning. Help me please

  • All skin problems are symptoms of Vitamin and Mineral deficiency. Topical treatments in this article are great in the short term but your health problem should be solved internally with a course of multivitamins from your chemist or health food store. A good source of vitmins is extra virgin olive oil from Greece or Cyprus. Take 3 tablespoons with your orange juice one hour before breakfast. After one week you feel the benefits, after 3 months you have no more skin, nail or hair issues. Thank God for Olive Oil.

  • Pls i have similar problem of serious pruritis with tenderness,i have use various medications but all prove futile some says is because of cream changes,it has spread to my manhood what can i do

  • I’ve had itching problems in my legs for years now whenever I shower. Its disturbing! However. I just found out about the baking soda home remedy and I pray for good results from this condition. Thank you!

  • The baking soda method worked within bath and made paste for face! Instantly on face it work after deep burning then rinse all iche was gone thank god I can sleep! I’ll also try the lemon method in future thank you for these fantastic remedies:-)

  • Pls help just a few months ago I started itching real bad during the night u scratched like a dog! Now practically every night I can’t sleep im so frustrated it starts on my palms then my feet now all over what can I do?? I never had this before

  • My daughter had swear eczema or dermatitis on face, neck, under elbow, under knee and she cann’t stop itching so blood oz and she cry later can, all wounds r open what can i try for …we tried all medications but nothing worked till now…Her skin is very dry..eyes bcm red and yellow plssss sugggestttt me something for herrrrrrrr

  • AMU

    These are serious signs of problems with the liver. I hope that you can seek medical attention & wish that your daughter recovers very quickly.

  • I am 49 years of age, very healthy strong and fit. I work full time as a chef
    A year ago my feet and hands start itchy, I went to the chemist tried so many different creams
    I went to the doctor and had blood test and found nothing wrong beside allergic to grass, but I never walk on the grass with bare feet
    Every day when my itch start, I have to take Zyrtec to stop the itch, I taken Zyrtec for almost one year now, mainly at night time I start itchy and so uncomfortable….
    Is there anything I do or diet to stop my itch completely
    Thank you for your time
    Kind regard
    Muoi

  • I have a question which Is driving me crazy how do you help with the itching. My 1 year old daughter woke up the Other day with a bad rash . Doctors can’t put their finger on it . They think it’s and allergy but the worst part is the redness and itching

  • Hi, I suffered with dishydrosis, or pompholyx for a year, trying every natural remedy I knew of. Nothing topically cured my itchy fingers. It was spreading to my palms too. The blisters would ooze, then my skin would get cracked and it would hurt. Every night, I put on coconut oil and a cotton glove to help the cracking. But, I had to change my diet, and start supplements. With Gods help, I took out coffee, grains, dairy, all processed foods and sugar. I was desperate to find something to help this intense itching. I would itch so badly, I would cry, scratch, squeeze my fingers, use ice, vinegar…till something alleviated the overwhelming itch. Usually, scratching followed by bleeding, was my only relief:(
    I began to follow a strict Paleo diet, ( which I found some amazing recipes through) in addition to getting a food intolerance test done. I learned that my thyroid was under active so I treated it with dessicated thyroid and iodine. Enzymes, probiotics, and vita b for stress, vita c, a candida cleanse, and liver support supplements. I made all my own shampoos, lotions, beauty products( see wellness mama) . And finally… Thank you Lord, my fingers stopped itching. The redness and inflammation is gone. And the blisters and cracking are no more.
    There are internal reasons for external symptoms and sometimes it’s a long process, but in the end, what you discover and change, only brings increased overall health. I may not have learned about my thyroid, liver, and candida issues without the intense itchiness. And now I’m working to heal all issues.
    I didn’t know about the baking soda and am going to try it for my daughters ‘over exposed to saline from swimming hours a day’, skin. Thanks for all the tips:)

  • I think it is better to have such applications i.e natural antiseptic and anti inflamatory things to try rather to take any medicines …i too had medicines but i could not get any thing better from them..

  • please help me mam.
    i have dry,itchy skin for 4 years and also dark spots on both face.
    nothing suits on my face.
    i used lemon but it iritates me.
    my face is dull and so dark.
    my body glows but face doesnt glow.I have also sunburn problem.
    please help me

  • Thankyou. Vineger idea works.
    But at some area I have boils too which were very itchy. So, should I apply vineger over those boils?

  • In my body there is so many place are chaging black due to the ringworm , please mam.. i want tips for come out from the itching….

  • I have been having this itching fr couple months now I use everything I can until now it spread my son’s catch it too idk wat to do are to think pls help me if u can