Going to Maine – need an all-natural mosquito repellent good for someone with sensitive skin / Eczema?
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 at
5:19 pm
Last time we went to Maine, the mosquitoes ate me alive. I was using Skin-So-Soft, but that was like candy to those Maine skeeters. I need something for sensitive skin now, because I also have Eczema, which I didn’t have before. I prefer something organic if anyone knows something I could get quick. Thanks!
Filed under: Eczema
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First I would like to share some tips for relieving the Eczema itself. At just about any store you can get this cream called udder cream, it’s inexpensive and it works like magic. Also, you can get oatmeal bath stuff – but for a cheaper way to do it : cut the foot part off of an old pair of pantyhose and fill with ground up regular oatmeal, than tie it to the faucet in your bathtub and fill with warm water – the water will run through and provide a light oatmeal bath and you won’t clog the drain in the process.
If your eczema is or at any time gets really bad, to the point where it’s like an open sore type thing you can saturate a washcloth in condensed milk and put it on the bad area for about 10 minutes or so and then rinse with cool water.
Also, just for your information, Noxzema was actually originally made as a sunburn cream, but was found to be very good as a treatment for eczema.
Also, I have eczema and it has been drastically reduced since I started using ALL Freeclear laundry detergent – it’s free of all dyes and fragrance. It has reduced mine and my kids eczema as well as helped with our asthma.
As for a more eczema friendly mosquito repellent:
Believe it or not fabric sheets will help repel mosquitoes. I’m not sure if all of them will work, but Bounce definately will. The thing you have to look for in other brands is the fragrance – in Bounce sheets the fragrance is oleander, which is a natural insect repellent. Just tuck as many as you want (or need) in to your belt loops or hat or pockets or anywhere on you that the sheet would be partially exposed.
Vicks Vapor Rub will also work – obviously it’s not the best smell to most humans, but on the up side bugs don’t like it either.
Now, if all of the advice you get for repellents still don’t work completely and you get some bites I also have some tips on relieving the itch and general annoyance:
Dissolve 2 Alka-Seltzer tablets in water, soak a cotton ball in it and then put the cotton ball onthe bite for about 20 minutes **IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO ASPIRIN DON’T USE THIS AS ASPIRIN IS AN INGREDIENT **
Make a paste with baking soda and water, put on the bite and let it dry – this will eliminate the itch.
Get the bite wet and rub an aspirin tablet over it (unless you’re allergic) to control swelling.
Bengay or IcyHot will also help relieve the itch.
Mix 5 oz. dry milk & 12 oz. water, add ice cubes and sprinkle 2 tablespoons ice over top
OR
1 tablespoon epsom salt in 1 quart hot water, then chill in refridgerator
with either of these mixtures you would then soak a washcloth in them and put on bite(s) for about 20 minutes.
White vinegar or listerine mouth wash on a cotton ball will help stop the itch.
A damp tea bag will soothe pain as well as relieve swelling
Good luck, hope at least some of these tips will help you!
onions! eat lots of onions
The natural stores sell citronella soap that is supposed to work…I have a visitor from the UK and she is gettin eaten alive an the Organic store in Toronto had a whole shelf of items..all natural…if Toronto has them then certainly Maine does.