If you’ve grown up in a house with a garden or have worked in an area with a lot of plants or vegetation around, you must have incurred a number of bug bites or plainly just got an itch from touching some leaves. As children, we weren’t overly fond of what followed next. Either your mother or grandmother would give you an hour long lecture about being more careful or rub either some other leaves or oil on the infected spot. Though, you didn’t like this much, they were actually helping you heal irritated skin, that too, the natural way.
[Also Read: Best Nutrients For Skin Care]
Fortunately, even today there are natural ways that can help with itchy, irritated skin, which for a fact is no fun, at all. Keeping aside the constant annoying itching, being constantly reminded to “stop scratching!” is probably not something you would want to repeatedly hear. So, it’s best to get the irritation treated once and for all.
When opting for natural remedies you have to remember that while it’s unpleasant, at first and the itch seems to turn into a burning sensation, it can often be a good sign. It goes onto show that the body is healing. One thumb rule regarding natural remedies for irritated skin is to never use anything that you wouldn’t want to put in your mouth. If it is edible, you’re pretty much good to go.
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Having said that, in this article, we are bringing you a comprehensive list of home remedies for irritated skin that are totally natural and not made from some so called “natural extracts”, that is, you no longer have to deal with lotions, potions or mysterious added ingredients.
Natural Remedies For Irritated Skin
1. Clay
natural clay is very helpful for irritated skin treatment and a number of other skin issues such as acne, itching, black spots, etc. It particularly helps in healing brutal stings and bites of bees, wasps, spiders, etc. The clay helps draw the poison out of the skin, which in turn helps in relieving the pain. Clay also makes the sting heal more quickly. Using virgin, untreated clay such as bentonite, Montmorillonite, green clay is the most effective type of clay. Just mix the clay in a bowl with a tad bit of water until it turns creamy. Then, dab the clay paste onto irritated areas, let the paste dry, then rinse with cold water or peel it off.
Alternatively, you could choose to spread the clay on a piece of clean, porous fabric such as a piece of wool, muslin, cotton or flannel, then place the clay-laden cloth onto the irritated area, with the clay directly facing the skin. Keep this clay pack on for about 4 hours, till it is hard and dry. Then rinse off with cold water for best results.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is one of the best remedies for red irritated skin. This uber-versatile liquid is a super effective antiseptic, anti-fungal as well as anti-bacterial agent that relieves irritated, especially the type associated with dry skin. Just put a few drops of apple cider vinegar onto a cotton ball or a washcloth and dab on to the affected area. Just remember to use raw, organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with the mother, which is essentially a strand-like sediment floating at the bottom of the ACV bottle and contains raw enzymes and beneficial bacteria.
3. Clay + Apple Cider Vinegar
The third one on our list is a mix of clay and apple cider vinegar that combines the powerful anti-itch properties of both of these acute skin soothers at the same time. You can use this mix as a clay pack, by just substituting apple cider vinegar with clay instead of water. This mix can be one of the best treatments for irritated skin since it best of both worlds.
4. Peppermint Leaves
Peppermint is a sure shot cure for irritated skin that is caused due to any bug bites and itching, as it provides a nice cooling sensation that is a welcome relief when you are dealing with irritated skin. The quickest, easiest way to use peppermint leaves is to crush up the leaves and rub it directly onto the infected skin. You could even freeze these crushed peppermint leaves into ice cubes to help numb the affected area and bring down the swelling and inflammation. But, just remember to always use clean, filtered water for the ice cubes.
5. Coconut Oil
So, coconut oil isn’t just for cooking after all. When talking about what to use for irritated skin, we couldn’t go without a mention of coconut oil. This surprise entry on our list is great for soothing dry skin, sore nipples (from breast-feeding), and diaper rashes, like some other body oils. But, what is exceptional about coconut oil is that it can be used for a variety of other purposes. Coconut oil is great for burns, irritated skin, dry rashes, skin scrapes and many such other petty yet annoying daily issues.
Now, that you have a list of the home remedies for irritated skin, go try these and you will not have to deal with irritated skin again.